DEARLY BELOVED 4
FRIENDSHIP
LOVE GOD, LOVE PEOPLE
Matt 22:26-40 ““Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
John 13:35 “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
WISDOM
1 Corinthians 1:30 "But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption"
Proverbs 8 (handy link)
IS WHERE THE PATHS MEET
Proverbs 8:2 "She takes her stand on the top of the high hill, Beside the way, where the paths meet."
Psalm 85:10 “Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.”
Some versions say Love and truth, justice and peace
IS CAREFUL WITH WORDS AND VOWS
Proverbs 6:1-5 “My son, if thou be surety for thy friend, if thou hast stricken thy hand with a stranger, Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth. Do this now, my son, and deliver thyself, when thou art come into the hand of thy friend; go, humble thyself, and make sure thy friend. Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids. Deliver thyself as a roe from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler."
Proverbs 22:11 “He that loveth pureness of heart, for the grace of his lips the king shall be his friend.”
Matt 5:33-37 ““Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.’ But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne; nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black. But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.”
James 3 (handy link)
Ephesians 4:29 “Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.”
Matt 12:36 “But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.”
Approach is important:
Proverbs 15:1 “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger”
Proverbs 27:14 “He that blesseth his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, it shall be counted a curse to him.”
IS THERE IN THE GOOD, BAD & UGLY
Proverbs 14:20 The poor is hated even of his own neighbour: but the rich hath many friends.
Proverbs 17:17 “A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.”
Proverbs 18:24 “A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.”
Proverbs 27:10 “Thine own friend, and thy father's friend, forsake not; neither go into thy brother's house in the day of thy calamity: for better is a neighbour that is near than a brother far off.”
Proverbs 19:6 “Many will intreat the favour of the prince: and every man isa friend to him that giveth gifts.”
Proverbs 19:7 “All the brethren of the poor do hate him: how much more do his friends go far from him? he pursueth them withwords, yet they are wanting to him.”
Matt 25:31-46 “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:35 for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’ “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’ “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’ “Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”"
IS TRUSTWORTHY
Proverbs 16:28 “A perverse man sows strife, And a whisperer separates the best of friends.”
Proverbs 17:9 “He who covers a transgression seeks love, But he who repeats a matter separates friends."
1 Peter 4:8 “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.”
Proverbs 27:6 “Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.”
RECEIVES AND GIVES COUNSEL
Proverbs 11:14 “Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.”
Proverbs 12:15 “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise.”
Proverbs 15:22 "Without counsel purposes are disappointed: but in the multitude of counsellors they are established."
Proverbs 19:20 “Hear counsel, and receive instruction, that thou mayest be wise in thy latter end.”
Proverbs 20:18 “Every purpose is established by counsel: and with good advice make war.”
Proverbs 24:6 “For by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war: and in multitude of counsellors there is safety.”
Proverbs 27:9 “Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart: so doth the sweetness of a man's friend by hearty counsel.”
Proverbs 27:17 “Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.”
Proverbs 21:30 “There is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the LORD.”
SEE’S OTHERS AS BETTER THAN SELF
Matt 7:3-5 "And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye."
Philippians 2:3 "Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself."
RESOLVES CONFLICT
Matt 5:22-24 "You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire. Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, eave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift."
Matt 18:15-35 "“Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.’ And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.
“Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. “Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”
Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made. The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, ‘Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt. “But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’ So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt. So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done. Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?’ And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him. “So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.”"
FRIENDS OF GOD
2 chr 20:7 "Art not thou our God, who didst drive out the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel, and gavest it to the seed of Abraham thy friend for ever?"
James 4:4 "Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God."
Matt 12:47-50 " Then one said to Him, “Look, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak with You.” But He answered and said to the one who told Him, “Who is My mother and who are My brothers?” And He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, “Here are My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.”
John 15 (handy link)
GIFTS OF GOD
He is a rewarder / He gifts us gifts
Mark 10:29-31 "So Jesus answered and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel’s, who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time—houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions—and in the age to come, eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.””
1 Corinthians 12 (Handy Link)
Revelation 2-3 (handy Link )
We're actually commanded to walk in brotherly love:
Romans 12:10 "Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another"
Hebrews 13:1 "Let brotherly love continue."
2 Peter 1:2 "Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity."
Go for the lot and desire the best!