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Alright, well once again it's great to be back here at Faithful Word Baptist Church

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and it's great just seeing people that I've known from long ago.

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It's been a long time but also just so many new faces.

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And what I want to preach on here tonight is a sermon called Friends Come and Go.

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Friends come and go now when you think of friendship probably the most quintessential verse in the Bible you think of is found here in

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Proverbs Proverbs 18 where it says here in verse 24 a man that hath friends

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Must show himself friendly and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother

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See the Bible says if you're gonna have friends you need to be friendly

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Instead of being the sort of person who's not going out there and trying to be a friend to other people and just waiting for

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People to be a friend to you

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The Bible says if you want good friends, you've got to go out there and be a friend onto other

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people.

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Okay, now we're going to look at that verse later on in the sermon, but turn your Bible

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to Luke chapter 23.

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Luke 23.

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And when it comes to friendship, I looked on AI, what is the definition of friendship

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according to the average person in this world?

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Here are the four things that it mentions on chat GBT.

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It says someone who's there for you, someone you can count on, someone who has your back,

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someone you can trust.

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I think all of us would say those are good definitions about being a friend.

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The thing I thought of before I looked on ChatGBT was this, someone who is there for you when you need them

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is probably how I would define friendship, okay?

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Now obviously depending on what age you are, it kind of means something a little bit different.

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You know, my kids have friends in the neighborhood that they consider good friends.

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Why? Because they play with them.

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It's not really because they can count on them, but just because they enjoy spending time with them.

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I think we'd agree that

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Friendships at a young age are usually based on very shallow things.

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It's not like the people you're friends with in elementary school.

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You're wondering, well, I wonder not if they're saved.

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I wonder what they believe about politics or abortion or the LGBT.

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No, you're friends with people that you hang out with.

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Right?

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Now, of course, you know, friendships at a young age, they come and they go.

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And of course they're based on very shallow things.

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You know, things that are not really that important.

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Okay?

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As you get older you start to form more friendships.

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You kind of reach that age where you kind of solidify

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who you are and what you believe.

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Right? You know, we've seen that on the college campuses

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it can be very receptive to the gospel.

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When I was in college, we would often go to the college campus and we'd find kids that were freshmen and sophomore,

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and we found them to be very receptive.

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Now, once you got past sophomore, the chances of getting saved drastically decreased because

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they kind of figured out who they are and what they believe.

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They've already kind of decided on that.

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But you know, as freshmen and sophomore, they were very receptive.

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And I remember just forming good friendships, people that love God, people that are Christians,

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people I went to church with.

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And I kind of just assumed, you know, you form friendships and they're going to kind

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of last forever.

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Why? Because they're based on real things.

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It's based on Christianity and serving God and soul winning.

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But you know what you find in all stages of life?

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Friends come and friends go.

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That's just reality.

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I mean, I wish I could stand up here and tell you that everybody you're friends with today,

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you're going to be friends with in 10 years from now.

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It's just not true.

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And of course, being a member of this church, you've seen people come.

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and you've seen people go

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and it happens, it's just like every year

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new people are here, new people leave, people come, people go

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and the reality is, friends come in life and friends go

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okay, now notice what it says here in Luke 23 verse 12

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it says, in the same day Pilate and Herod were made friends together

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you

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for before that they before they were at enmity between themselves.

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See the Bible says with Pilate and Herod they were enemies.

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They didn't get along.

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They weren't friends, but they became friends.

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Why?

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Because they had a common enemy.

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And boy don't you see that online?

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You've got all these people.

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The only thing they have in common is they hate this church.

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They hate soul winning churches, they hate your pastor, and it's like they've got a friendship formed on hate.

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And that's not really a good recipe for a long lasting friendship, is it?

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It's based on hatred of other people.

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Right?

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Now go in your Bible to Matthew 26.

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Matthew 26.

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That verse is kind of like the NIFB Archives friendship.

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Right? It's like their whole friendship is based on just hatred.

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You know, people, it doesn't matter what they believe, it's like, well, we hate the same person,

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so we're gonna be friends. Right? Obviously, that's a stupid reason to form a friendship.

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What I want to do is give you just four reasons here today

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of why friends come and go, and honestly, this is not a negative sermon,

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because at the end of the sermon, I'm gonna give you three applications that are very encouraging,

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in my opinion. Okay?

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Now, I'm going to go ahead and

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show you a little bit of the

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!

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Obviously, no matter who you are, whether you're a Christian or not, friends come and

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friends go.

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But I want to look at the perspective from being a fundamental Baptist, someone who loves

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God, why is it that many of your friends are not going to be your friends in five years?

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And why is it that many people you were friends with five years ago are not your friend today?

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Is that not true for those of you that have been around here for a while?

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Many people that you consider good friends and close friends five years ago

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You're not friends with them anymore, are you?

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Why? Friends come and friends go.

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Point number one, one reason why friends come and go. You're in Matthew 26, go to verse 47

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Because some of your friends might be Judas Iscariots

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Some of your friends are actually just bad people, wicked people, and honestly you're not really friends with them.

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They're just pretending to be your friend.

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But actually they're a bad person, they're a wicked person.

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Notice what it says in Matthew 26 verse 47.

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And while he yet spake, Lo Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves from the chief priests and elders of the people.

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Now he that betrayed him gave them a sign saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same as he, hold him fast, and forthwith he came to Jesus.

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And said, Hail, Master, and kissed him. And Jesus said unto him, Friend, wherefore art thou come?

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Then came they and laid hands on Jesus, and took him.

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Look, the Bible says here, Jesus referred to Judas as a friend.

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Obviously Judas was a wicked person. He was an evil person and the Bible says Jesus was aware of that

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But Jesus spent time with him

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He hung out with him and you what the reality is that in our lives

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they're gonna be Judas Iscariot's at a church like Faith Forward Baptist Church and

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Honestly, if you go way back in time 15 years ago, even when the church was small

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It's kind of crazy that even in the early days. I mean this church with the truth was attracting some bad people to it

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Even in the early days of the church right towards the beginning and look any real church and bona fide church that is doing something

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For God you know what's gonna take place the devil is gonna try to stop it

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So how does he stop it well? I mean one way. He does it is he sends Judas Iscariot in your path

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They act like you they pretend to be like you they pretend to love the church

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They pretend to love the preaching and then all of a sudden one day. It's like a 180

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Or it's not a 180 in one day

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Maybe they just subtly try to cause problems in church until their covers gone

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And then all of a sudden they're just out of here and said man that church is evil or whatever, right?

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You know what I'm talking about. You've seen it many times haven't you?

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Right now go in your Bible to Psalm 41, Psalm 41.

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I think one thing that's cool in 2026 is that you can do soul-winning events and missions trips.

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And a great way to remember that is to get a picture.

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It's awesome, right? You go soul-winning, and then you get a picture with a nice backdrop.

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It's a wonderful experience. You remember, man, we had, you know, what is it on here?

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21 soul winners and 18 salvations.

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Praise God for those things you got the picture you remember it and unfortunately many times you look back at pictures from five years ago

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And it's like well. There's a Judas

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There's a Judas and it kind of ruins the picture

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You know we've got you know a lot of pictures on our wall at the church

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And it's like you got mission strip pictures, and it's like you know there's one photo in particular

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There's like nine people in the photo. It's like five of them are bad

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And it's like, man, that picture is tainted for all eternity.

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But it happens where people you think are your friend, you

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think they're good people, they act like you, and in

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reality, they're actually a Judas.

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They're just a bad person.

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Psalm 41 verse 9 the Bible says,

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Yea, mine own familiar friend in whom I trusted which did eat of my bread hath lifted up his heel against me.

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Now look, I believe this is ultimately fulfilled in Jesus Christ, but I also think it's mentioned in Psalms

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because of the fact David, he had a lot of enemies.

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And honestly, anyone that lives godly is going to have enemies, they're going to have Judas's that come around,

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and it's frustrating, I wish I could say something different today, but you know this is true.

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And see a lot of people they want to just kind of pretend things are not real and they don't want the truth.

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But last I checked the Bible says that the church is the pillar and the ground of the truth.

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Look nobody wants to go to a hospital, go to the doctors and find out, you know what, you've got a major problem.

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You need surgery immediately.

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But here's the thing, I mean if you actually need surgery, isn't it just better to know that?

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Didn't have this major problem and the doctor didn't tell you because he didn't want to hurt your feelings.

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I mean you need triple bypass heart surgery, but I don't want to hurt your feelings. So yeah, you're doing good.

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Maybe lose a few pounds, you know, drink some grape juice, eat more protein, you know, less sugar.

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You're going to be good. Nothing major. I mean that's ridiculous. And yet, that's the way churches operate.

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They don't say things that are negative. Why? Because they want to just give a positive message because that's what people want to hear.

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You know, one thing I find amazing is people come and visit church and sometimes they love the preaching.

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I mean, they love the sermons. They love the preaching.

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They're coming every week. They're loving the preaching and then that one sermon comes that hits on their sin and they hate it.

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and they're gone never to come again.

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But see, why would you want to go to church to just hear things that you already believe

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and levels you've already attained and not be told you need to change?

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This is what the Bible says.

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If you want to grow, you need preaching that preaches against your sin.

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I mean, how do you expect people to change unless you say,

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hey, it's wrong, you got to make a change.

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But yet, people don't want churches like that.

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They just want to be lied to.

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And look, obviously there's people that want the truth though.

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You say, what's the proof?

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I mean, look, there's plenty of people that want the truth.

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They want to hear the word of God preached.

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But there's a larger amount of people, even saved people, that they don't really want the truth.

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They don't want to know what the Bible says.

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Go to 2 Samuel 13.

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Excuse me, 2 Samuel 13.

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Look, I don't think this is in my notes, but you know the Bible says he that

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Walketh with wise men shall be wise

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But of companion of fools shall be destroyed

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One thing that's great about a church like this is that when you have a soul winning culture at church and people are kind of new

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It's like well, what activities do you have a church? It's like well, you know, let's see

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On Monday, we got a 5 p.m

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activity on on Tuesday on Wednesday on Thursday on Friday on Saturday on Sunday

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And we've got events if you want to go to them and look I get that's not the only events

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But it's like the main focus of this church has always been

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soul winning.

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I mean honestly, you know, one of the big things I liked about this preaching when I first started listening

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in, you know, either 2007 or 2008 was just a big emphasis on soul winning.

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Because honestly, I was trying to go soul winning, I was talking to people,

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I didn't really know what I was doing, and nobody else is really doing it, and it's kind of hard to motivate yourself.

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Even if you know you should do it. It's kind of hard to just motivate yourself, right?

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But if you walk with wise men and you walk with people that love God, you know, what's the result?

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They rub off on you in a good way

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But if you walk with fools

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They're also gonna rub off on you in a bad way

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Notice what it says here in second Samuel 13 verse 1

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And it came to pass after this that Absalom the son of David had a fair sister whose name was Tamar,

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and Amnon the son of David loved her.

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And Amnon was so vexed that he fell sick for his sister Tamar, for she was a virgin,

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and Amnon thought it hard for him to do anything to her.

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But, Amnon had a friend.

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Whose name was Jonadab, the son of Shemia, David's brother, and Jonadab was a very subtle man.

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And in this story, Jonadab is basically a picture of the devil.

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He's a bad person.

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And Amnon realizes, hey, I shouldn't do anything, it's wrong, it's wicked, obviously fornication is wrong.

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But he had a friend.

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A friend that basically put him in a position where that was the inevitable result.

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because Amnon had a friend.

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Well, let's see how good of a friend Amnon really was.

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Now, I'm not going to go through this entire story,

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but jump down to verse 32.

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After everything's taken place,

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and obviously Amnon, not Amnon, but Jonadab has,

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or Amnon has forced his half-sister,

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and then Absalom gets mad, and he gets killed,

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and he's dead, and remember his friend.

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Jonah dab his best bud his best friend and notice what it says here in verse 32 and

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Jonah dab the son of shimmy a David's brother answered and said let not my Lord suppose that they have slain all the young men the king's

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sons

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For amnon only is dead for by the appointment of Absalom this hath been determined from the day that he forced his sister Tamar

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Now therefore let not my lord the king take the thing to his heart to think that all the king's sons are dead

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For Amnon only is dead.

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I mean, can you imagine if your supposed best friend died

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and then all of a sudden after he's dead, it's just like,

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well, let me just spill the beans on exactly what took place.

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No big deal, not all your sons are dead.

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I mean, he died because this is what he did, right?

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I think the Bible said that

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he that coverth a transgression seeketh love.

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And you would expect a friend to love you and care about you,

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but not Amnon's friend, he's just like,

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well, you know, this is what he did.

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Why? He's a bad person. He wasn't a real friend. He did what benefited him, right?

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He was a Judas. Now go in your Bible to 1st John 2, 1st John 2.

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And one thing you need to realize is that it's often hard for a pastor to tell if someone is a Judas.

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You know why that is?

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Because Judases act a certain way in front of the pastor, and they act a different way in front of other people.

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I mean there's this guy we kicked out of our church five years ago

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and I really like the guy. I mean he was always super nice to me

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he's super friendly and then all of a sudden everybody said yeah him and his wife

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talk trash about you at every church service to everybody

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I'm like what in the world? I mean they acted like my friend I mean they

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pretended to be my friend

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but in reality no they're just talking trash about me all the time

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Right, and whether or not they were Judas, they were certainly a wicked person.

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And you know sometimes it's hard because people act a certain way and the other thing is sometimes you know church members

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Might have information and they might just not tell the pastor because they're like well. I don't want to involve the pastor

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I don't want to bother him. Yeah, sometimes you got to let the pastor know about things

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Because you might think that they're aware of things and oftentimes. They're just not they haven't been told because everyone's thinking

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I'm sure somebody else told him and yet nobody has right

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So what do you do if you find out somebody is a Judas Iscariot?

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You say, well how do you know if somebody is a Judas Iscariot?

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Well, one thing is if they leave a church that's preaching the truth after being here for years,

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and then they join some heretical church like the Pentecostal church or the Orthodox church or the Catholic church.

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I mean they've been here for years, they've gone soul-winding with you,

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and then they do a complete 180 on what it takes to get to heaven.

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It's like, what in the world?

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I heard that person give the gospel and nothing they said was wrong.

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And now all of a sudden they're saying this, you got to keep the sacraments.

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Like, what in the world is going on?

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Well, they were a Judas Iscariot.

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And here's what the Bible says in 1 John 2 verse 18.

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Little children, it is the last time and as you have heard that antichrist shall come,

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even now are there many antichrists whereby we know that it is the last time.

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They went out from us, but they were not of us.

18:49.140 --> 18:52.940
For if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us,

18:52.940 --> 18:57.980
but they went out that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.

18:57.980 --> 18:59.540
A lot of people look at these verses and they say,

18:59.540 --> 19:03.740
well, wait a minute, this is saying that if you leave the church,

19:03.740 --> 19:06.380
that means that you were never saved.

19:06.380 --> 19:09.140
But wait a minute, does the Bible say that you have to be in church

19:09.140 --> 19:10.940
until the day you die to go to heaven?

19:12.400 --> 19:18.400
I mean is being a member of church evidence of being saved or evidence of that you're on your way to heaven?

19:18.400 --> 19:20.400
No.

19:20.400 --> 19:23.400
But the context in 1 John 2 is about the things you believe.

19:23.400 --> 19:27.400
Because it said in verse number 18, it said that anti-Christ shall come.

19:27.400 --> 19:30.400
See the Bible is speaking about doctrine and things you believe.

19:30.400 --> 19:35.400
And the Bible is saying, hey somebody is at the church and believes certain things and then they leave.

19:35.400 --> 19:37.400
And all of a sudden they're like, man you know what?

19:37.400 --> 19:39.400
I believe in the orthodox church.

19:40.700 --> 19:42.700
I believe in the Catholic Church.

19:43.140 --> 19:45.140
It's like, man, you were never of us.

19:46.580 --> 19:51.040
Now look, if somebody leaves this church and becomes a drunkard, there's no reason to question their salvation.

19:51.700 --> 19:53.300
They got into sin.

19:53.300 --> 19:56.340
But if they leave this church and change their beliefs,

19:57.700 --> 20:04.640
specifically about salvation or other major doctrines associated, it's kind of like, wait a minute, you went out from us,

20:05.340 --> 20:06.900
but you are not of us.

20:07.400 --> 20:14.200
One of the things that's scary about this is somebody can be at a church for a long time as a Judas.

20:14.200 --> 20:16.200
And you don't realize it.

20:16.200 --> 20:23.200
When I started reading the Bible, I just kind of assumed that a Judas, like three years was the maximum.

20:23.200 --> 20:27.200
I just kind of figured the Bible was showing you, hey, he lasted three years.

20:27.200 --> 20:31.200
And so if you're around for more than three years, it means that you're not really a bad person.

20:32.500 --> 20:37.340
But I think we've all seen that that's not really the case.

20:37.340 --> 20:40.040
I mean, I just remember when I was here, I mean, you know,

20:40.040 --> 20:42.820
Garrett Kirchway was a member of the church.

20:42.820 --> 20:44.300
I mean, he was going to be a missionary.

20:44.300 --> 20:46.060
I liked him at the time.

20:46.060 --> 20:46.980
I thought he was a great guy.

20:46.980 --> 20:48.500
And then all of a sudden, it's like, man, you know,

20:48.500 --> 20:49.420
we used to joke about it.

20:49.420 --> 20:50.760
It's like, you know, that Pentecostal

20:50.760 --> 20:52.420
soul winning demonstration.

20:52.420 --> 20:53.620
It wasn't really a demonstration.

20:53.620 --> 20:54.980
It was the real thing.

20:54.980 --> 20:56.220
But he never actually believed.

20:57.300 --> 21:00.300
Because he still was oneness, he was still into that doctrine.

21:00.300 --> 21:03.300
It's like, but wait a minute, you were with us for years!

21:03.300 --> 21:07.300
And yet, you never actually really believed.

21:07.300 --> 21:10.300
And yet, this happens.

21:10.300 --> 21:12.300
Go in your Bible to Luke chapter 8.

21:12.300 --> 21:13.100
Luke 8.

21:26.000 --> 21:31.840
Look, you know, I wish this weren't true, but you just got to realize it that there will be people that will be bad people in church,

21:31.840 --> 21:35.080
and they'll be at the church, and then all of a sudden it gets revealed and they're gone.

21:35.080 --> 21:40.340
And you know, the thing is people hear this preaching, but before they experience it,

21:40.340 --> 21:46.800
it's like they believe it intellectually, but they don't really get it.

21:46.800 --> 21:51.480
And then you're at the church and you see it happen, it's like, okay, I got it.

21:52.100 --> 21:54.100
Thought I got it before

21:54.100 --> 21:59.520
But now I've experienced it with mine own eyes. It's like I get it now. Okay, someone is just pretending

22:00.560 --> 22:02.200
To be like us

22:02.200 --> 22:08.720
For their own personal benefit or whatever reason that they choose, but they're actually a Judas Iscariot a bad person, but number two

22:10.240 --> 22:13.140
Friends come and go because some people backslide

22:13.900 --> 22:21.900
Somebody might love God now, they go soul winning now, they love the church now, but they might just backslide one day and just quit the church.

22:21.900 --> 22:24.900
Here's what it says in Luke chapter 8 verse 14.

22:24.900 --> 22:26.800
Luke 8 verse 14.

22:28.900 --> 22:34.620
And that which fell among thorns are they which when they have heard, go forth, and

22:34.620 --> 22:40.100
are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.

22:40.800 --> 22:43.300
So in the parable of the sower, you've got four people listed.

22:43.300 --> 22:44.700
The first does not get saved.

22:44.700 --> 22:45.900
The last clearly gets saved.

22:45.900 --> 22:47.900
And people debate on the second and the third.

22:47.900 --> 22:49.700
I believe the second and the third get saved,

22:49.700 --> 22:52.900
but they don't end up zealously serving God.

22:52.900 --> 22:56.700
And see, the Bible says here in verse 14 that they go forth.

22:56.700 --> 22:59.600
So the thing is, they start to.

22:59.600 --> 23:01.300
They start to serve God.

23:01.300 --> 23:02.400
They start to do something.

23:02.400 --> 23:03.200
But what happens?

23:03.200 --> 23:07.000
They are choked with the cares and riches and pleasures

23:07.000 --> 23:07.700
of this life.

23:08.400 --> 23:10.980
What's the result they bring no fruit to perfection?

23:11.720 --> 23:15.660
Now of course the Calvinist would look at this and say no wait a minute no fruit

23:16.400 --> 23:18.280
No salvation

23:18.280 --> 23:20.280
But is that what the Bible is saying here in Luke 8?

23:21.080 --> 23:25.840
See the thing is if you're gonna be a soul winner and bring forth fruit as the Bible says the fruit of the righteous

23:25.960 --> 23:29.060
Is a tree of life and he that win its souls is wise

23:29.640 --> 23:31.640
You got to go all out serving God

23:32.500 --> 23:38.540
I remember when I first got saved and I started to make some changes in my life, but honestly

23:38.540 --> 23:44.420
the biggest thing that caused me to make changes is I started to preach the gospel to people

23:44.420 --> 23:49.000
and I just thought to myself, you know what, I feel like I'd be much more effective if

23:49.000 --> 23:50.340
I got sin out of my life.

23:51.100 --> 23:57.960
I just felt like you know what it's just kind of holding me back and then because of soul winning that is actually what motivated me

23:58.180 --> 24:04.940
To start living more for God because I said man. I don't want somebody to go to hell because I'm not zealous enough

24:04.940 --> 24:09.040
I'm not right with God. I was like I need to make some changes in my life

24:10.000 --> 24:17.040
I wish I could say that when you first get saved immediately you just get rid of all your worldliness and all your sin and

24:17.140 --> 24:19.140
Just all you do is serve God

24:19.640 --> 24:25.140
But honestly if you're serving God today, you know what that means. It means you got saved and you started to grow

24:25.900 --> 24:31.980
It is a slow process and all of us hopefully are still growing and growing closer to God right now

24:32.480 --> 24:36.500
Rather than backsliding but see the Bible says people go forth

24:36.620 --> 24:41.660
But their choke with cares and riches and pleasures of this life verse 15

24:42.840 --> 24:49.660
But that on the good ground are they which in an honest and good heart having heard the word keep it and bring forth fruit with patience

24:50.400 --> 24:55.120
So the Bible says in verse 15, this is the person that ends up really serving God.

24:55.120 --> 24:56.120
What happens?

24:56.120 --> 24:59.200
Well, you know, those on the good ground, you know, these people get saved and then

24:59.200 --> 25:02.240
they have an honest heart and a good heart.

25:02.240 --> 25:05.500
So every time they hear the word of God, you know what they do?

25:05.500 --> 25:06.520
They keep it.

25:06.520 --> 25:09.600
They slowly grow and then they bring forth fruit with patience.

25:10.100 --> 25:13.940
And year by year, 30, 60, 100, or whatever the number,

25:13.940 --> 25:16.680
just keep soul winning, keep getting people saved,

25:16.680 --> 25:20.580
week after week after week after week after week.

25:20.580 --> 25:22.280
Go to 2 Timothy chapter four.

25:27.900 --> 25:33.900
Mean just think about this logically. Let's say you're at church, and there's someone that you become very close to

25:34.800 --> 25:40.060
Because every Sunday you go soul-winning with them you're in the same group you go soul-winning with them

25:40.220 --> 25:42.560
So you're around them you talk to them

25:42.560 --> 25:49.100
And it's it's pretty inevitable when you go soul-winning with people on a pretty regular basis you end up becoming friends pretty much

25:49.900 --> 25:51.900
You get very closely connected.

25:51.900 --> 25:56.340
One of the things I love about Christianity is, you know, honestly people come from very

25:56.340 --> 26:01.580
different backgrounds, have very different interests, and if it were not for serving

26:01.580 --> 26:05.860
God and Christianity, honestly, you know, most of us probably wouldn't be friends.

26:05.860 --> 26:10.660
But we have that common connection of loving God and serving God and going soul winning,

26:10.660 --> 26:14.180
and that is a million times greater and more important than anything else.

26:14.900 --> 26:21.900
But what happens if you're really good friends with someone and every Sunday you're going soul winning and all of a sudden they just stop soul winning?

26:21.900 --> 26:24.900
Well you're no longer around them to fellowship.

26:24.900 --> 26:27.900
Let's say they start missing church services.

26:27.900 --> 26:29.900
Well you're no longer around them.

26:29.900 --> 26:34.900
I mean if they're not at church to fellowship with, you're probably not going to be hanging out with them outside of church.

26:34.900 --> 26:42.700
And what ends up taking place? It doesn't matter how close you were to them, eventually you're just going to kind of go separate ways.

26:43.200 --> 26:48.200
Because one person's going this direction, the other is going this direction.

26:48.200 --> 26:51.200
2 Timothy chapter 4 gives us a great example. It says here in verse 10,

26:51.200 --> 26:57.200
For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world,

26:57.200 --> 26:59.200
and is departed unto Thessalonica.

26:59.200 --> 27:02.200
Cretaceous to Galatia, Titus on to Dalmatia.

27:02.700 --> 27:08.900
And, you know, in this verse, the Bible is highlighting that Demas is the one that loved the present world.

27:08.900 --> 27:11.300
Demas is the one that forsook Paul.

27:11.300 --> 27:17.300
The Bible is saying that Demas, who once loved God, he once served God, he loved the present world.

27:17.300 --> 27:21.300
Exactly what we saw in Luke chapter 8 verse 14.

27:21.300 --> 27:30.100
You know, sometimes people can go forth and serve God, and their old sin or just worldly things can be very tempting to them.

27:30.400 --> 27:36.740
And they're just thinking maybe I'll be happy or maybe this Christianity thing is too intense, too much

27:36.740 --> 27:41.940
And if I just kind of loosen up and allow a little bit of sin in my life, I'll be oh so happy

27:41.940 --> 27:48.040
And why do people think that? Because they look at the world and everybody's got a smile on their face

27:48.040 --> 27:52.040
Right? I mean people act like they're happy. People are getting drunk

27:52.400 --> 27:55.700
And they've got smiles, they've got all these pictures. Man, these great memories getting drunk.

27:55.700 --> 28:00.600
It's like, well, if you're having such a great time, why are you just erasing your memory with alcohol?

28:01.400 --> 28:03.300
Why do you need alcohol to be happy?

28:04.600 --> 28:06.000
But they'll say they're happy.

28:06.600 --> 28:08.100
They'll pretend to be happy.

28:09.300 --> 28:12.100
Right? Because you weep during the night.

28:12.800 --> 28:14.400
You show sadness during the night.

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I mean, they either sleep, sleep in the night.

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They that be drunken are drunken in the night.

28:20.200 --> 28:22.720
But here's the thing, you're gonna wake up the next day, you're miserable.

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You got a headache, your job's messed up, everything in your life is messed up.

28:26.720 --> 28:29.720
And they'll act like they're happy, but they're not happy.

28:29.720 --> 28:33.420
And the thing is, when people try to tell you, why don't you just try this?

28:33.420 --> 28:37.720
Try alcohol, you know, watch movies, you know, you do all these things.

28:37.720 --> 28:40.220
It's just like, wait a minute, I'm already enjoying my life.

28:40.220 --> 28:42.720
So why would I need to change it?

28:42.720 --> 28:44.720
It's funny because...

28:45.300 --> 28:48.820
People at your job they might ask you hey, what are you doing this weekend?

28:48.820 --> 28:51.620
And you're like hey, you know what we're going up to Flagstaff

28:52.260 --> 28:57.300
What are you doing in Flagstaff? You know we're gonna preach the gospel and then they're just like

28:58.380 --> 29:00.380
What?

29:01.060 --> 29:03.060
They're like how can you find enjoyment in that?

29:03.820 --> 29:10.540
But the thing is we're not doing it out of a burden or out of a requirement. We love serving God

29:12.100 --> 29:17.300
Obviously we have our down moments, but look I like soul winning. I like preaching. I

29:18.260 --> 29:25.260
Enjoy preaching. I enjoy getting up here and writing sermons. I believe it changes people's lives. It affects people's lives

29:25.260 --> 29:29.660
I enjoy it. I enjoy preaching the gospel. I enjoy reading the Bible

29:29.660 --> 29:34.500
I like doing these things and yeah, you know when you're having days and you don't feel like doing it

29:34.500 --> 29:36.500
You should do it out of obligation

29:37.060 --> 29:39.380
But honestly, I enjoy serving God

29:40.800 --> 29:45.400
And look, these people that are living in sin, they might say that they enjoy life, they don't really enjoy life though.

29:45.400 --> 29:52.300
Sin leads to destruction, sin leads to just reaping from what you've done and just all kinds of consequences

29:52.300 --> 29:58.600
and people are too stubborn and thick-headed to just admit, you know what, I should just go back to coming to church

29:58.600 --> 30:04.500
and serving God and reading the Bible. I was so much happier when I was not living in sin.

30:06.200 --> 30:07.200
Verse 16

30:08.100 --> 30:13.780
At my first answer, no man stood with me, but all men forsook me.

30:13.780 --> 30:16.860
I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge.

30:16.860 --> 30:21.740
And look, you know, Paul speaks about the fact that people like Demas backslid, and

30:21.740 --> 30:24.020
he doesn't have the same friends that he used to have.

30:24.020 --> 30:25.020
Why?

30:25.020 --> 30:26.020
Well, Demas loved the present world.

30:26.020 --> 30:31.180
And look, some people that you are friends with today, even if you keep zealously serving

30:31.180 --> 30:34.420
God your whole life, they will not be your friends ten years down the road.

30:35.000 --> 30:37.500
They will not be your friends' fibers down the road.

30:37.500 --> 30:42.000
Because not all of your friends are likely to keep serving God their entire life.

30:42.000 --> 30:44.000
Go in your Bible to Jude 1.

30:52.900 --> 30:55.260
You say, man, I thought when a missionary came in,

30:55.260 --> 30:58.100
it's like it's supposed to be a positive message to encourage

30:58.100 --> 30:59.100
you.

30:59.100 --> 31:02.900
And you're like, man, I'm going to lose my friends.

31:02.900 --> 31:04.320
Now look, there's an encouragement

31:04.320 --> 31:07.820
at the end of the sermon, but this is reality.

31:07.820 --> 31:09.500
I speak from experience.

31:09.800 --> 31:14.200
That a lot of people that you're friends with are not going to be your friends down the road

31:14.200 --> 31:18.600
I wish that weren't the case but look you know it if you've been serving God for years

31:18.600 --> 31:21.600
There are some people that you used to be friends with

31:23.600 --> 31:24.800
Not anymore

31:26.600 --> 31:27.600
Why is that?

31:27.900 --> 31:29.000
Friends come

31:29.800 --> 31:30.800
And friends go

31:32.300 --> 31:33.800
Why is that? Well number one

31:34.200 --> 31:37.400
Because some of your friends might be Judas Iscariots

31:39.200 --> 31:44.000
Number two, because some of your friends might backslide.

31:44.000 --> 31:53.000
Number three, because some of your friends are only your friends because you benefit their life.

31:53.000 --> 31:58.800
Now, this certainly can cross over into someone being a Judas Iscariot,

31:58.800 --> 32:03.500
and I'll show you a verse on that, but it can certainly cross over to someone even being saved as well.

32:03.500 --> 32:05.500
Jude 1 verse 16 notice what the Bible says

32:07.100 --> 32:11.260
These are murmurs complainers walking after their own lusts

32:11.260 --> 32:16.660
in their mouth speaketh great swelling words, flattery,

32:16.660 --> 32:22.260
having men's persons in admiration because of advantage.

32:22.600 --> 32:28.600
See the Bible says there are people that will flatter you and pretend to care about you. Why?

32:28.600 --> 32:30.100
Out of advantage.

32:30.100 --> 32:34.100
They benefit from the friendship with you. It's not sincere to them.

32:34.100 --> 32:38.600
The only reason that they're friends with you is because you benefit their life.

32:38.600 --> 32:42.100
Now in Jude 1 this is referring to bad people.

32:42.100 --> 32:45.600
But go in your Bible to Judges 14.

32:45.600 --> 32:47.100
Judges 14.

32:59.600 --> 33:04.600
And look, you know, you've seen that through the years of people that would latch onto this church.

33:04.600 --> 33:08.600
Why? Because they want to have a big church.

33:08.600 --> 33:11.600
They want to have a lot of members.

33:11.600 --> 33:15.600
And I'm not saying all of them are necessarily bad, but some certainly are.

33:15.600 --> 33:20.600
Some have proven themselves to be really bad people, like the Bible says in Jude chapter 1.

33:21.100 --> 33:24.000
And the sad reality is some people will want to be your friend.

33:24.000 --> 33:24.500
Why?

33:24.500 --> 33:26.500
Because they benefit from being friends with you.

33:26.500 --> 33:30.580
It's not that they want to just show themselves friendly,

33:30.580 --> 33:33.220
but they want something out of that friendship.

33:33.220 --> 33:35.560
They will use you for their own benefit.

33:35.560 --> 33:37.360
That's why they're friends with you.

33:37.360 --> 33:39.340
Judges 14, verse 20, the Bible says this,

33:39.340 --> 33:43.220
but Samson's wife was given to his companion,

33:43.220 --> 33:46.740
notice this, whom he had used as his friend.

33:47.800 --> 33:50.200
Look, obviously Samson did some great things.

33:50.200 --> 33:52.900
The Bible says he used his companion as a friend.

33:52.900 --> 33:54.700
I mean, it wasn't sincere.

33:54.700 --> 33:56.100
He used him.

33:56.100 --> 33:59.000
And unfortunately, there are people that are going to use you.

33:59.000 --> 34:00.900
They'll pretend to care about you.

34:00.900 --> 34:02.500
They don't really care about you.

34:02.500 --> 34:04.500
They are friends with you for one reason.

34:04.500 --> 34:04.900
Why?

34:04.900 --> 34:07.500
Because you benefit their life.

34:07.500 --> 34:10.000
They don't care about benefiting your life.

34:10.000 --> 34:11.900
It's because you benefit their life.

34:12.600 --> 34:15.800
Well, here's the thing, what if you no longer benefit their life?

34:15.800 --> 34:18.800
They don't want to be friends anymore.

34:18.800 --> 34:23.000
It's the way it works. Go to Esther chapter 5.

34:23.000 --> 34:24.080
Esther 5.

34:35.600 --> 34:42.440
In the Bible Haman is a really rotten character and your rotten people will end up inevitably

34:42.800 --> 34:44.800
Having rotten people that surround them

34:46.240 --> 34:51.920
Bible doesn't necessarily tell us if all of his friends that are mentioned here are bad people as in reprobates or not

34:52.160 --> 34:57.600
But I want you to notice what the Bible does say about them using Haman as a friend notice what it says here in Esther 5

34:57.600 --> 35:02.680
verse 10 nevertheless Haman refrained himself and when he came home he sent and called for his

35:03.600 --> 35:04.680
friends

35:04.680 --> 35:06.080
Okay, these are his friends

35:06.080 --> 35:09.420
these are his companions the people that he hangs out with the people that he talks to and

35:09.840 --> 35:15.160
Arrests his wife and Haman told them the glory of his riches and the multitude of his children and

35:15.320 --> 35:20.960
All the things wherein the king had promoted him and how he had advanced him above the princes and servants of the king now

35:20.960 --> 35:22.880
I'll say this in a side point

35:22.880 --> 35:29.080
Haman is not much of a friend because notice he's telling his friends. Look at how great and awesome I am

35:30.320 --> 35:31.300
right

35:32.000 --> 35:34.000
Notice what it says here go down to verse 14

35:34.000 --> 35:40.640
Then said Zeresh his wife and all his friends onto him let a gallows be made of 50 cubits high and tomorrow speak thou

35:40.640 --> 35:42.640
unto the king that Mordecai may be hanged thereon

35:42.960 --> 35:49.240
Then go thou in merrily with the king onto the banquet and the thing pleased Haman and he caused the gallows to be made so

35:49.880 --> 35:54.440
The friends of Haman and his wife say hey, you know what?

35:55.200 --> 35:58.700
Basically, here's our plan to get Mordecai put to death.

35:58.700 --> 36:02.160
These are his friends that are basically telling him, you should do this.

36:02.160 --> 36:03.160
Okay?

36:03.160 --> 36:06.840
Obviously, it doesn't work out well for Haman, does it?

36:06.840 --> 36:08.480
Chapter 6, verse 12.

36:11.000 --> 36:13.920
Chapter 6 verse 12 and Mordecai came again to the king's gate

36:13.920 --> 36:17.280
but Haman hasted to his house morning and having his head covered and

36:17.720 --> 36:23.920
Haman told Zeresh his wife and all his friends everything that had befallen him so the same people that said hey

36:24.240 --> 36:27.880
Here's how you're gonna kill Mordecai. He tells him this is what took place

36:28.480 --> 36:31.840
then said his wise men and Zeresh his wife on to him if

36:32.440 --> 36:35.200
Mordecai be of the seed of the Jews before whom

36:35.800 --> 36:37.100
thou

36:37.700 --> 36:39.460
has begun to fall.

36:39.460 --> 36:41.960
So notice how they immediately say,

36:41.960 --> 36:44.540
you are the one that did this.

36:44.540 --> 36:46.840
It didn't say that we were part of this.

36:46.840 --> 36:48.640
Thou has begun to fall.

36:48.640 --> 36:50.340
Thou shall not prevail against him,

36:50.340 --> 36:52.680
but shalt surely fall before him.

36:52.680 --> 36:54.020
So what's taking place?

36:54.020 --> 36:55.740
Haman is surrounded by a bunch of people

36:55.740 --> 36:58.780
that are using him, don't care about him at all.

36:58.780 --> 37:00.580
And then all of a sudden Haman's in trouble

37:00.580 --> 37:03.860
and they're like, you're the one who did this.

37:03.860 --> 37:03.900
you

37:04.100 --> 37:08.100
They immediately distance themselves. Why? Because it doesn't benefit them anymore.

37:08.100 --> 37:13.100
Obviously during this time being friends with Haman would benefit you because he's powerful.

37:13.100 --> 37:18.100
He's got money and wealth maketh many friends the Bible says.

37:18.100 --> 37:24.100
But now all of a sudden as the judgment is coming upon him it's kind of like, well you're the one who did this.

37:24.100 --> 37:26.100
And they distance themselves from him.

37:26.100 --> 37:30.100
I don't feel bad for a rotten guy like Haman, but the reality is...

37:30.200 --> 37:33.200
They're only friends because it benefits them.

37:33.200 --> 37:36.200
Now go to your Bible to Luke chapter 10.

37:36.200 --> 37:37.200
Luke 10.

37:44.900 --> 37:49.940
There's a term known as a fair weather friend and a fair weather friend means a person who is friendly

37:50.660 --> 37:53.720
Only when it is easy convenient or beneficial

37:54.580 --> 37:59.720
But disappears when hardship suffering or sacrifice is required

38:00.580 --> 38:05.300
And see there can be people that you consider a friend and they need help and you're there for them

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Like what do you need me to do?

38:08.200 --> 38:13.760
Then when the roles are reversed and you need help and you ask them for help. They're not there for you. I

38:14.640 --> 38:16.640
Mean this happens all the time

38:16.760 --> 38:23.280
Where it's like you're investing your life into being a friend and then when you need a friend. It's like oh man. I'm busy

38:23.280 --> 38:26.040
I don't have time. It's like but I had time for you I

38:26.800 --> 38:31.000
Stepped in for you and when the roles are reversed. They're not willing to do the same

38:32.000 --> 38:32.900
right

38:34.100 --> 38:38.100
Point number one, why is it that many of your friends are going to come and go?

38:38.100 --> 38:42.100
Number one, because some of your friends are probably Judas Iscariots.

38:42.100 --> 38:46.100
Number two, because some of your friends are going to backslide.

38:46.100 --> 38:51.100
Now the thing is, you know, if you have friends that backslide and leave church and quit serving God,

38:51.100 --> 38:55.100
here's the thing, you're part of a church of people that love God.

38:55.100 --> 38:58.100
Say, man, I want to have some new friends in my life. Look around!

39:00.100 --> 39:03.100
Because the people you're going to be close friends with are the people serving God.

39:03.100 --> 39:06.100
When you love God and when you're serving God,

39:06.100 --> 39:12.100
the people that you're going to get connected to and care about are other people that love God.

39:12.100 --> 39:17.100
And so look, if you lose some friends and some people quit the church and you consider them a close friend,

39:17.100 --> 39:20.100
well here's the thing, there's other people to be friends with.

39:20.100 --> 39:26.000
And maybe if a church was a small church that would be a bit harder, but look, this isn't a small church.

39:26.700 --> 39:28.700
There's plenty of people that you can be friends with.

39:30.500 --> 39:32.100
Point number two, some are going to backslide.

39:32.100 --> 39:35.500
Point number three, there are people that are only your friend when you benefit them.

39:37.100 --> 39:38.100
Point number four,

39:39.200 --> 39:43.800
because there are people that they're not taking advantage of you.

39:43.800 --> 39:47.100
It's not that they're only friends with you because you benefit them,

39:47.700 --> 39:51.100
but they're not willing to be friends with you if it's going to hurt them.

39:51.900 --> 39:55.900
So it's not that they're taking advantage of you and they want to benefit off your life,

39:55.900 --> 40:02.900
but they don't want to have a negative effect on their life because of that friendship.

40:02.900 --> 40:07.900
Now before I show you these verses, I want to show you something here in Luke chapter 10, verse 30.

40:07.900 --> 40:09.400
Luke 10, verse 30.

40:11.400 --> 40:16.880
Here's what it says in Luke 10 verse 30 and Jesus answering said a certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell

40:16.880 --> 40:21.000
Among thieves which stripped him of his raiment and wounded him and departed leaving him half dead and

40:21.560 --> 40:26.780
By chance there came down a certain priest that way and when he saw him he passed by on the other side and

40:27.000 --> 40:31.200
Likewise the Levite when he's at the place came and looked on him and passed by on the other side

40:31.480 --> 40:37.880
But a certain man or certain Samaritan as he journeyed came where he was and when he saw him he had compassion on him

40:38.300 --> 40:43.540
Went to him and bound up his wounds pouring in oil and wine and said him on his own beast and

40:43.780 --> 40:48.880
Brought him to an inn and took care of him and on the morrow when he departed took out two pence and gave them

40:48.880 --> 40:53.860
To the host and said unto him take care of him and whatsoever thou spinnest more when I come again

40:53.860 --> 40:55.780
I will repay thee

40:55.780 --> 40:59.820
Which now of these three thinkest thou was neighbor?

41:00.860 --> 41:05.960
Onto him that fell among the thieves and he said he that showed mercy on him

41:06.600 --> 41:09.600
Then said Jesus unto him, Go and do that likewise.

41:09.600 --> 41:11.400
We know this as the good Samaritan.

41:11.400 --> 41:15.300
The Bible says which one was neighbor unto him?

41:15.300 --> 41:20.680
There's a situation where the Samaritan is there and he sees somebody in need.

41:20.680 --> 41:25.360
He's not friends with this person, but when somebody needs help, isn't that just the neighborly

41:25.360 --> 41:26.960
and right thing to do?

41:28.600 --> 41:30.900
Look, you know, in our neighborhood where we live,

41:30.900 --> 41:33.140
and I get the word neighbors not necessarily referring

41:33.140 --> 41:35.580
to neighborhood like we think of, but just like the people

41:35.580 --> 41:37.340
you meet, the people you're around.

41:37.340 --> 41:38.480
But here's what I'm saying.

41:38.480 --> 41:41.020
It's like, you know, people that are in our neighborhood,

41:41.020 --> 41:44.120
our kids are friends with some of the neighborhood kids.

41:44.120 --> 41:46.680
My wife and I are not friends with any of the people

41:46.680 --> 41:47.680
in our neighborhood.

41:47.680 --> 41:48.960
You know, we get along with them.

41:48.960 --> 41:49.760
They're fine.

41:49.760 --> 41:52.400
We'll say hello, but we're not close friends with them.

41:52.400 --> 41:53.400
But here's the thing.

41:53.400 --> 41:53.500
you

41:53.600 --> 41:57.900
If one of my neighbors fell over and needed to be rushed to the hospital,

41:57.900 --> 42:01.900
I would immediately stop what I was doing and drive them to the hospital.

42:03.100 --> 42:03.900
You say, why?

42:04.500 --> 42:07.600
It's just the neighborly and right thing to do.

42:08.600 --> 42:11.100
When you see somebody need help, you help them.

42:12.900 --> 42:14.900
Because here's the thing about this. At the beginning of the sermon,

42:14.900 --> 42:18.700
I said my definition of being a friend is someone who's there for you when you need them.

42:19.300 --> 42:22.780
But honestly that's pretty low bar to being a friend.

42:22.780 --> 42:25.660
Because honestly that's just the neighborly thing to do.

42:25.660 --> 42:29.740
I mean if somebody needs help, you help them.

42:29.740 --> 42:34.820
And what's crazy is when people you consider friends are not even willing

42:34.820 --> 42:38.980
to do what a neighbor would do.

42:38.980 --> 42:40.300
The neighborly thing.

42:40.700 --> 42:43.540
You think they're friends, but they're not there to help you at all.

42:43.540 --> 42:46.780
It's like, man, you know, some random person would see, man, you need a need.

42:46.780 --> 42:49.540
And look, not even, they don't even have to be saved.

42:49.540 --> 42:54.900
Unsaved people would see someone that needed help, and they would immediately help them.

42:54.900 --> 42:58.380
Look, I've seen videos online where a car will crash and get set on fire,

42:58.380 --> 43:00.540
and just a bunch of cars will stop on the side of the road

43:00.540 --> 43:03.260
and do everything to pull that person out.

43:03.260 --> 43:05.980
Do you really think all those people that did that are safe people?

43:07.600 --> 43:14.000
But it's just the neighborly and right thing to do. Why? Because you have compassion in your heart.

43:14.000 --> 43:17.400
It's the right thing to do.

43:17.400 --> 43:23.300
And it's amazing you would think someone's a friend and then all of a sudden they don't even do what's the neighborly thing.

43:23.300 --> 43:26.800
Now go in your Bible to 2 Samuel chapter 1.

43:26.800 --> 43:27.900
2 Samuel 1.

43:35.800 --> 43:38.640
The Bible says do unto others as you'd have done unto you.

43:39.640 --> 43:42.400
I mean if I'm in need of help I would want somebody to help me.

43:44.600 --> 43:46.600
It's just the right thing to do.

43:46.600 --> 43:49.600
I mean, you see somebody drowning in water, you should try to help them.

43:49.600 --> 43:51.600
Right? It's just the right thing to do.

43:51.600 --> 43:53.600
You don't have to be friends with them. You don't have to know them.

43:53.600 --> 43:56.600
It's just the right thing to do, right?

43:56.600 --> 44:00.600
Look, if you need help, and people see that,

44:00.600 --> 44:04.600
the neighborly and right thing to do is help someone when they're down.

44:04.600 --> 44:09.600
And of course, you would expect a friend, when you need help, to be there.

44:10.700 --> 44:13.460
Imagine that you're drowning and a friend just walked away from you

44:14.240 --> 44:16.240
It's like what in the world?

44:16.940 --> 44:23.180
It's like I haven't needed you before and now that I need you. It's just like well. You know what they're not there for you

44:24.420 --> 44:26.420
It's like not a very good friend, right?

44:28.600 --> 44:30.940
Notice what says here in second Samuel chapter 1 verse 25

44:32.180 --> 44:36.540
How are the mighty fall in the midst of battle Oh Jonathan now was slain in nine high places

44:36.540 --> 44:42.100
I am distressed for thee my brother Jonathan very pleasant has thou been on to me thy love to me was wonderful

44:43.140 --> 44:45.140
passing the love of women

44:45.380 --> 44:48.500
David speaks about this great friendship that he had with Jonathan look

44:49.500 --> 44:51.500
There is some truth to this

44:52.060 --> 44:56.300
But honestly a lot of this is just fuzzy memories from David

44:56.900 --> 44:59.220
Because notice what it says in 1 Samuel 23.

44:59.220 --> 45:01.500
1 Samuel 23.

45:01.500 --> 45:06.260
Jonathan was a great friend at one time to David, no doubt.

45:06.260 --> 45:08.500
But notice what it says here in 1 Samuel 23.

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First Samuel 23 verse 8.

45:21.400 --> 45:26.840
first Samuel 23 verse 8, and Saul called all the people together to war to go down to Cala

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to besiege David and his men.

45:29.040 --> 45:34.280
So here's another time where Saul is just going crazy, he's hunting down David, David

45:34.280 --> 45:39.120
is desperate, he's running for his life, and doing whatever just to survive as Saul is

45:39.120 --> 45:40.800
coming after him.

45:40.800 --> 45:45.280
Drop down to verse 13, then David and his men, which were about six hundred, arose and

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departed out of Kayla and went with her so ever they could go.

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The Bible is saying that he's just doing whatever he can do.

45:52.700 --> 45:55.700
Right? He's going whither soever he can go.

45:55.700 --> 45:59.700
And it was told Saul that David was escaped from Cala and he forbear to go forth.

45:59.700 --> 46:04.700
And David abode in the wilderness of strongholds and remained in a mountain in the wilderness of Ziph.

46:04.700 --> 46:09.700
And Saul sought him every day, but God delivered him not into his hand.

46:09.700 --> 46:12.700
And David saw that Saul was come out to seek his life.

46:12.700 --> 46:14.700
And David was in the wilderness of Ziph in a wood.

46:15.100 --> 46:19.600
And Jonathan, Saul's son, arose and went to David into the wood and strengthened his hand in God.

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And he said unto him, Fear not, for the hand of Saul my father shall not find thee, and thou shalt be king over Israel, and I shall be next unto thee.

46:29.100 --> 46:31.400
And that also Saul my father knoweth.

46:31.400 --> 46:35.300
So what Jonathan says is, Hey, you know what? I'm going to be a right-hand man.

46:35.600 --> 46:39.900
I'm not trying to become the king, it's appointed to you, God has given it to you.

46:39.900 --> 46:47.200
I'm gonna be there, you've been chosen, my dad knows it, I'm gonna be right there with you as your right hand man.

46:48.600 --> 46:49.700
Verse 18,

46:50.200 --> 46:54.600
And they two made a covenant before the Lord, and David a boat in the wood,

46:56.200 --> 46:57.700
and Jonathan went to his house.

46:59.700 --> 47:00.900
See at this moment,

47:01.200 --> 47:07.200
If Jonathan were to stay there with David, he'd be making a real sacrifice.

47:07.200 --> 47:08.700
It would harm him.

47:08.700 --> 47:12.200
But here's the thing, Jonathan goes home to a nice bed, he's perfectly fine,

47:12.200 --> 47:15.500
and then David's in the middle of the wilderness just trying to survive.

47:15.500 --> 47:17.200
Let me ask you a question.

47:17.200 --> 47:23.500
During this time, as David is with 600 men in the heat of battle trying to survive,

47:23.500 --> 47:27.500
and he's not around Jonathan, who do you think he feels closer to?

47:28.600 --> 47:30.600
the 600 men that are with him.

47:32.000 --> 47:35.040
They're actually there in the heat of battle.

47:35.040 --> 47:39.760
I mean think of people that you used to consider friends, but they're not with you soul-winning.

47:39.760 --> 47:43.520
They're not there in the important moments. Who are you really gonna feel closest to?

47:43.840 --> 47:47.760
The people that you go to war with, the people that you go to battle with.

47:48.360 --> 47:54.920
And look, Jonathan was a great friend and he made a lot of sacrifices, but you know what? Here in first Samuel 23

47:55.500 --> 47:59.500
David's there in the wilderness, he goes home and guess what?

47:59.500 --> 48:03.500
The next time you see Jonathan in the Bible, he's dead.

48:03.500 --> 48:05.500
You don't see him anymore.

48:05.500 --> 48:08.500
But David's got other men that are with him.

48:08.500 --> 48:12.500
And look, you might lose Jonathan's in your life, but then there's other men that are there with you,

48:12.500 --> 48:15.500
other men that are doing battle, other men that are your friends,

48:15.500 --> 48:19.100
and of course when you're fighting together, you're going to form a close friendship.

48:20.400 --> 48:24.560
I'm sure, you know, people that go to battle, like a literal war,

48:24.560 --> 48:29.320
I'm sure there's a very close kinship that forms.

48:29.320 --> 48:32.760
And look, in a spiritual sense, when we go to war,

48:32.760 --> 48:36.920
there is a kinship that forms as you're together on the same team.

48:36.920 --> 48:40.360
I mean, when your church is in the heat of battle and everybody's against it,

48:40.360 --> 48:45.400
and you stand together, don't you end up feeling closer to the people that are there with you?

48:45.400 --> 48:46.720
That's what takes place.

48:47.400 --> 48:52.360
Those 600 men were with David and you form a very very close connection

48:52.360 --> 48:57.840
Here's what I'm saying. There are people that they're not trying to use you. They're not taking advantage

48:58.920 --> 49:04.280
But when it comes to have having to actually suffer as a result of being friends with you

49:04.280 --> 49:06.280
It's like you know what this is too far. I

49:07.840 --> 49:12.620
Don't want to be friends at that cost they go in your Bible to Matthew 26

49:13.720 --> 49:15.000
Matthew 26

49:26.300 --> 49:32.300
Honestly when you think in the Bible of the big betrayal, I mean Judas betraying Jesus, but you know, not only that

49:32.300 --> 49:36.300
I mean because the thing is a Judas is a Judas it is what it is

49:38.020 --> 49:40.020
But he's not saved

49:41.020 --> 49:44.140
But then all the disciples just

49:45.100 --> 49:47.100
reject Jesus at that moment

49:47.660 --> 49:50.380
And here's what it says in in verse number 56

49:51.000 --> 49:56.320
Says then all the disciples for Socom and fled all the disciples forsake him

49:58.000 --> 50:00.000
They go to verse 73

50:00.680 --> 50:02.680
Go to verse 73

50:03.720 --> 50:06.360
It is something I've thought about a lot of the last couple years and

50:07.800 --> 50:11.040
You see this in the Bible that all the disciples forsake him

50:11.360 --> 50:17.320
They don't want to be associated and why is it in those moments a lot of people are going to disassociate?

50:18.300 --> 50:19.300
Well, here's the thing.

50:19.300 --> 50:24.660
If you're friends with someone and you're connected to someone, people are immediately

50:24.660 --> 50:28.260
going to link you to that person.

50:28.260 --> 50:32.180
So the thing is, if something's going on with your friend, everyone's going to say,

50:32.180 --> 50:33.180
well, isn't that your friend?

50:33.180 --> 50:34.860
Isn't that someone you're connected to?

50:34.860 --> 50:38.860
And the thing is, you can't really stay quiet because people are going to keep asking you.

50:38.860 --> 50:41.700
So you've got to kind of make a choice.

50:41.700 --> 50:44.220
Are you going to side with or against?

50:44.220 --> 50:45.380
That's kind of the way that it works.

50:45.700 --> 50:47.620
Because everyone's going to keep asking you.

50:47.620 --> 50:51.500
It's kind of like you're too closely connected to just be

50:51.500 --> 50:53.140
quiet.

50:53.140 --> 50:55.300
So what do a lot of people do?

50:55.300 --> 50:57.020
They disassociate.

50:57.020 --> 50:57.780
Why?

50:57.780 --> 51:00.460
Because they don't want the connection.

51:00.460 --> 51:04.380
They wouldn't care if people weren't asking them about it.

51:04.380 --> 51:07.180
But because of that, they're like, no, I don't want to

51:07.180 --> 51:08.140
suffer for this.

51:08.140 --> 51:08.820
It's not worth it.

51:08.820 --> 51:11.340
They just disassociate.

51:11.340 --> 51:12.580
Instead of just being quiet.

51:13.100 --> 51:18.100
They end up going out loud and make it a point to say I'm not connected at all.

51:18.100 --> 51:19.300
It's like why don't you just stay quiet?

51:19.300 --> 51:22.700
But the thing is they can't really stay quiet because everybody's going to ask them about it.

51:22.700 --> 51:23.700
So they got to make a decision.

51:23.700 --> 51:24.600
So what do they do?

51:24.600 --> 51:29.300
Well, what many people do is they just will publicly disassociate.

51:29.300 --> 51:29.600
Right?

51:29.600 --> 51:31.600
I mean is this not true?

51:31.600 --> 51:33.100
This is what takes place.

51:33.600 --> 51:37.060
Fact we see a great example the Bible because notice what it says here in verse 73 and

51:37.400 --> 51:42.280
After a while came on to him they that stood by and said to Peter surely thou also

51:42.480 --> 51:45.120
Art one of them for thy speech

51:45.640 --> 51:52.280
Bureithi what the Bible saying here is you know this this person comes to Peter says no no no you are certainly

51:52.680 --> 51:57.040
Connected to Jesus because of the fact I can tell via your speech. I

51:57.720 --> 52:00.080
Mean your speech will connect you to people

52:01.200 --> 52:03.200
It's reality.

52:03.200 --> 52:07.700
And they say you're talking way too similarly to Jesus.

52:07.700 --> 52:11.200
It's like your speech shows you've been with Jesus.

52:11.200 --> 52:14.700
So notice what Peter does in verse 74.

52:14.700 --> 52:20.200
Then began he to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the

52:20.200 --> 52:24.100
man, and immediately the cock crew.

52:24.800 --> 52:31.160
See, the speech of Peter connected him to Jesus and in order to disassociate, you know what he did?

52:31.160 --> 52:36.460
He made it a point to speak like he would not normally speak. Cursing and swearing. Why?

52:36.460 --> 52:40.800
Because nobody connected to Jesus would speak like this and that's exactly what he did.

52:40.800 --> 52:43.800
So he would not be connected to Jesus Christ.

52:44.800 --> 52:46.800
Look, obviously Peter was a great person.

52:46.800 --> 52:48.800
Awesome person.

52:48.800 --> 52:50.800
Obviously he learned from this, but you know what?

52:51.100 --> 52:55.300
Jesus kind of reminds Peter of this where he says love is thou me more than these if

52:56.220 --> 53:01.140
You notice he says it three times. I believe the reason he says it, you know three times

53:01.660 --> 53:06.940
You know feed my sheep feed my lambs. Why because he denied Jesus three times

53:06.940 --> 53:11.580
And of course that you know makes Peter very sad that he actually did that

53:12.700 --> 53:15.700
What you're seeing is in that moment, you know what?

53:15.700 --> 53:18.300
Peter's like, it's gonna cost me being friends with Jesus.

53:18.300 --> 53:20.940
It's gonna cost me being connected.

53:20.940 --> 53:23.740
And it's like, I don't wanna be that closely connected.

53:23.740 --> 53:25.180
I don't wanna get in trouble.

53:25.180 --> 53:26.740
I don't wanna get executed.

53:26.740 --> 53:28.380
I don't wanna get persecuted.

53:28.380 --> 53:29.220
What does he do?

53:29.220 --> 53:31.980
He speaks in a way, an ungodly and wicked way,

53:31.980 --> 53:34.280
so he will not be connected with Jesus.

53:35.860 --> 53:38.560
Go to the Bible, 2 Timothy chapter one, 2 Timothy one.

53:41.900 --> 53:44.500
I mean one thing you have to ask yourself is this,

53:44.500 --> 53:46.500
how great of a friend are you?

53:47.900 --> 53:52.400
Because in that moment, Peter just bailed.

53:52.400 --> 53:55.500
Peter's spoken away where no one would connect him with Jesus.

53:55.500 --> 53:58.300
Why? Because he did not want to be associated.

53:59.300 --> 54:02.600
And the question is this, you know, how good of a friend are you?

54:03.200 --> 54:09.600
Let me tell you something, being a friend when it's all good and there's no problems,

54:09.600 --> 54:12.920
that's really not a high bar on being a friend.

54:12.920 --> 54:19.720
But if you're a true friend, you will be there when it hurts you, when it might not benefit

54:19.720 --> 54:19.840
you.

54:21.200 --> 54:27.180
You will, if you're a true friend you will be there when the connection actually has a negative effect on you

54:27.180 --> 54:32.840
And not a positive you say why because being a neighbor is just simply being there when someone needs help

54:32.840 --> 54:35.560
But if you're a true friend you're gonna be there when it hurts

54:35.560 --> 54:40.020
I mean the Bible says this a friend is born for adversity

54:41.640 --> 54:46.940
Because the thing is in those times you have adversity and you need help that's when you need a friend

54:47.600 --> 54:51.400
Look, when everything's going well in my life, I'm fine.

54:51.400 --> 54:55.700
I'm reading the Bible, everything's going well, but wait a minute, what if I'm in those dark moments?

54:55.700 --> 54:57.900
What if I really need help?

54:57.900 --> 55:02.700
You know, in those moments, you don't need somebody kicking you while you're down.

55:02.700 --> 55:05.500
You know what you need? You need somebody helping you.

55:05.500 --> 55:07.500
Someone trying to encourage you.

55:07.500 --> 55:13.100
Someone trying to just motivate you, say, hey, you know what, I'm with you, and I'm not afraid to say publicly, why?

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Because I want to be a friend unto you.

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That's what being a true friend is.

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2 Timothy chapter 1 verse 15

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Says this thou knowest that all day which are in Asia be turned away from me of whom are

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Jealous and homogenous the Lord give mercy on to the house of Inessa forest for he oft refreshed me and

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Notice this and was not ashamed of my chain

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But when he was in Rome, he sought me out very diligently and found me.

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The Lord grant unto him that he may find mercy of the Lord in that day,

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and in how many things he ministered unto me at Ephesus, thou knowest very well."

55:49.000 --> 55:53.800
You know what? When it comes to the life of Paul the Apostle,

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being his friend didn't always benefit you.

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I mean, when you're arrested,

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when you're being persecuted, when everybody's saying negative things about you

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I mean being connected doesn't always help you

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it can hurt you sometimes

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but wait a minute

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what does it mean to be a friend?

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because remember what we saw at the beginning of the sermon

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the Bible says that if you're gonna have friends you need to show yourself friendly

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the Bible says you should be a friend

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you should be someone who puts yourself out there and cares about other people

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And so...

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When are those moments most needed?

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It's when you're going through a tough time.

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It's when you're going through a battle.

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Now go in your Bible to Proverbs chapter 27.

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Proverbs 27.

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In life, I think all of us, we have a tendency to maybe try to maintain onto things for too long.

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Imagine a boyfriend and girlfriend are dating for a couple years, and they really don't want to get married,

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but they've already invested a lot of time.

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So they kind of just keep going, and eventually they end up getting married, but they never really wanted to get married.

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It's just kind of like, well, we've already been down this road, it's like, I don't want to start over.

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Well, I mean, if you don't want to marry them,

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the better thing is just to start over.

57:20.200 --> 57:23.500
You know, even in friendship sometimes,

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sometimes you can be friends with someone

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and you kind of have those David moments

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where you remember the good times.

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But it's like, that doesn't mean that it's now.

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It doesn't mean it's the present anymore.

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See the problem with trying to hang on to friendships that are no longer good friendships or bad friendships

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Is that if you try to hang on to that friendship? You're gonna find yourself compromising to keep that friendship

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And look you shouldn't have to compromise who you are and what you believe for your friendships

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Look, I'm not telling you to discard friendships, but I am saying, you know what, sometimes there's friendships which honestly, it's like,

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hey, you know what, we were friends at one time, but things are just not the same anymore.

58:09.700 --> 58:11.700
Now three things I want you to take away from this sermon.

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Number one, you should keep loyal and proven friends.

58:17.820 --> 58:24.380
You should strive to maintain and keep loyal and proven friends.

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Bible says in Proverbs 27 verse 10,

58:26.420 --> 58:31.100
thine own friend and thy father's friend, forsake not.

58:31.600 --> 58:34.600
Why does the Bible say that you should not forsake your father's friend?

58:34.600 --> 58:40.600
You know, I think the reason the Bible says that is, you know, if your father's been friend with someone it's probably been a long time.

58:40.600 --> 58:42.600
They're probably pretty proven.

58:42.600 --> 58:44.600
They're probably someone you can trust.

58:44.600 --> 58:46.600
They're probably someone that's not going to turn on you.

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They're probably someone you can count on in difficult times.

58:49.600 --> 58:54.600
The Bible says, you know, your friend and your father's friend forsake not.

58:54.600 --> 58:56.600
Go in your Bible to Proverbs 18.

58:56.600 --> 58:58.200
Proverbs 18.

59:02.100 --> 59:05.060
And look, if someone has proven to be a true friend,

59:05.060 --> 59:07.540
you should strive to maintain that friendship.

59:07.540 --> 59:08.340
Why?

59:08.340 --> 59:13.460
Because true friendships are honestly just not that common.

59:13.460 --> 59:15.540
They just aren't.

59:15.540 --> 59:17.900
And so if someone's proven themselves to be a friend,

59:17.900 --> 59:20.380
you want to keep that friend.

59:20.380 --> 59:22.420
I mean, if somebody's been friends with your father

59:22.420 --> 59:24.700
for a long time, you want to keep that friendship.

59:24.800 --> 59:26.560
That's someone I can count on.

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That's someone who's gonna be there when I need them.

59:28.760 --> 59:30.600
That's the sort of friend you want.

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But you know what? If somebody is not really a friend anymore,

59:36.680 --> 59:38.680
sometimes you just have to face reality.

59:40.000 --> 59:43.320
And maybe they were a great friend at one time.

59:44.000 --> 59:48.600
But I mean, if you're heading one direction and then they're heading the other direction,

59:48.600 --> 59:52.100
it's like in order to keep that friendship, you know what you have to do?

59:52.100 --> 59:57.800
You have to compromise who you are or pretend to be something you're not in order to keep that friendship.

59:57.800 --> 01:00:01.800
You know what? At that point, you should just forsake that friendship.

01:00:01.800 --> 01:00:03.800
It's not real.

01:00:03.800 --> 01:00:05.800
It used to be real.

01:00:05.800 --> 01:00:07.400
Not anymore.

01:00:09.600 --> 01:00:11.600
The Bible says here in Proverbs 18 verse 24

01:00:12.720 --> 01:00:14.720
a man that hath friends

01:00:14.880 --> 01:00:19.960
must show himself friendly and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.

01:00:19.960 --> 01:00:27.380
Number one, you should keep loyal and proven friends, but number two, you should never stop trying to be a friend on to other people.

01:00:29.080 --> 01:00:34.680
Because the Bible just clearly says in Proverbs 18 that a man that hath friends

01:00:35.400 --> 01:00:41.280
Must show himself friendly and the Bible says there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother

01:00:41.280 --> 01:00:44.240
And of course, you know, you would think of a brother being a very close connection

01:00:45.760 --> 01:00:50.700
And the thing is you invest time into friendships a lot of times it doesn't work out

01:00:51.240 --> 01:00:54.440
Bob saying there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother

01:00:55.280 --> 01:00:58.480
You know, it's like this in all areas of life

01:00:59.200 --> 01:01:06.200
I think about when you ordain people to the ministry, I mean I wish that it was just always perfect and it worked out, but it doesn't.

01:01:06.200 --> 01:01:10.200
I've ordained somebody to the ministry before and it didn't work out.

01:01:10.200 --> 01:01:14.200
It failed. Had to replace them. Didn't work.

01:01:14.200 --> 01:01:19.200
You say, well, why don't you just stop doing it? Because I've ordained people that are good people.

01:01:19.200 --> 01:01:24.200
Pastor Plevnak in Poland is a great guy. Super zealous soul winner.

01:01:24.600 --> 01:01:29.600
Have there been failures at Faith Forward Baptist Church of people that have been ordained? Yes.

01:01:29.600 --> 01:01:36.600
But there's also Pastor Corbin Russell, Pastor Jonathan Shelley, Pastor Bruce Mejia.

01:01:36.600 --> 01:01:38.600
I mean, those are big successes.

01:01:38.600 --> 01:01:40.600
And so the thing is, yeah, you've got...

01:01:40.600 --> 01:01:47.600
And look, you know, everything in life is about having failure and failure and just overcoming and not giving up.

01:01:48.600 --> 01:01:51.800
I mean, if you were to look at a chart of the top 10 players

01:01:51.800 --> 01:01:55.840
in NBA history with the most missed shots,

01:01:55.840 --> 01:01:57.740
you know what it's gonna say on that list?

01:01:57.740 --> 01:02:02.040
Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Michael Jordan,

01:02:02.040 --> 01:02:03.720
Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Al-

01:02:03.720 --> 01:02:05.280
You say those are like the greatest players ever.

01:02:05.280 --> 01:02:06.920
Yeah, because if you have a lot of makes,

01:02:06.920 --> 01:02:09.120
you have a lot of misses too.

01:02:09.120 --> 01:02:10.720
That's just the way that it works.

01:02:11.960 --> 01:02:13.600
But the thing is, you don't stop.

01:02:13.600 --> 01:02:15.760
Why? Because you do have makes.

01:02:16.000 --> 01:02:17.400
You do have successes.

01:02:17.400 --> 01:02:19.800
And look, there are people that you can find out there

01:02:19.800 --> 01:02:21.100
that are gonna be a great friend,

01:02:21.100 --> 01:02:24.100
and they will stick closer than a brother.

01:02:24.100 --> 01:02:26.700
So look, if you have a friend that turns out to be a Judas,

01:02:26.700 --> 01:02:28.600
don't just give up on being a friend.

01:02:29.800 --> 01:02:31.600
If you have a friend that is a backside,

01:02:31.600 --> 01:02:32.800
don't just give up on being a friend,

01:02:32.800 --> 01:02:33.700
because the Bible says,

01:02:33.700 --> 01:02:37.000
a man that hath friends must show himself friendly.

01:02:38.400 --> 01:02:40.500
And the result, you can find a friend

01:02:40.500 --> 01:02:43.300
that sticketh closer than a brother.

01:02:44.100 --> 01:02:46.620
Get a first Kings 19 will close up first Kings 19

01:02:57.300 --> 01:03:03.860
One thing I've learned from experience, you know number three is this that when you lose friendships

01:03:04.300 --> 01:03:07.340
You often gain better friendships

01:03:08.660 --> 01:03:13.780
So the thing is you often try to hang on to something that it's just not the same anymore

01:03:15.200 --> 01:03:20.920
Then if you let it go on the other side, there's actually better friends of people that actually care about you

01:03:21.040 --> 01:03:27.020
They aren't gonna bail on you. They're actually there for you when you need them. I mean there's better friends on the other side

01:03:28.040 --> 01:03:30.280
Bob says here in first Kings 19 verse 19

01:03:30.900 --> 01:03:35.900
So he departed thence and found Elisha the son of Shaphat who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him,

01:03:35.900 --> 01:03:39.900
and he with the twelfth, and Elijah passed by him and cast his mantle upon him.

01:03:39.900 --> 01:03:41.900
And he left the oxen and ran after Elijah and said,

01:03:41.900 --> 01:03:44.900
Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow thee.

01:03:44.900 --> 01:03:47.900
And he said unto him, Go back again for what I have done to thee.

01:03:47.900 --> 01:03:49.900
And he returned back from him and took a yoke of oxen,

01:03:50.900 --> 01:03:55.480
Slew them and boiled their flesh with the instruments of the oxen and gave one of the people and they did eat

01:03:55.620 --> 01:04:00.120
Then he arose and went after Elijah and ministered on to him in the story

01:04:00.420 --> 01:04:05.860
This is right after all the false prophets are killed and Elijah's life is mess. He's on the run

01:04:05.860 --> 01:04:10.540
He wants to end it and then all of a sudden he just wants to give up and what happens

01:04:10.980 --> 01:04:15.820
He ends up getting the greatest friend. He can have in life. I mean Elijah and Elisha are like

01:04:16.820 --> 01:04:18.100
right hand men

01:04:18.700 --> 01:04:20.700
He's right there for him.

01:04:20.700 --> 01:04:21.200
Right?

01:04:21.200 --> 01:04:22.700
And so he lost a friendship.

01:04:22.700 --> 01:04:23.700
I mean, his life changed.

01:04:23.700 --> 01:04:25.200
But then all of a sudden, man, he's

01:04:25.200 --> 01:04:26.700
got the best friend he could possibly

01:04:26.700 --> 01:04:30.700
have that is there with him every step of the way.

01:04:30.700 --> 01:04:33.700
And I can say that I've learned via experience

01:04:33.700 --> 01:04:36.700
that when you lose friendships, you often

01:04:36.700 --> 01:04:40.700
replace with better friends.

01:04:40.700 --> 01:04:42.700
I'm not telling you to bail on a good friend.

01:04:44.500 --> 01:04:50.340
What I am saying is that you don't want to hang on to something that's fake.

01:04:50.340 --> 01:04:55.620
You don't want to stop being a friend because you can find a friend that sticks closer than a brother.

01:04:55.620 --> 01:04:59.180
You don't want to bail on people that are loyal and proven friends.

01:04:59.180 --> 01:05:04.980
But if you have friendships in your life that are just not the same and you're headed different directions,

01:05:04.980 --> 01:05:09.060
you need to realize there's probably people who would be better friends on you.

01:05:09.060 --> 01:05:10.060
At the end of the day...

01:05:10.900 --> 01:05:15.600
All of us are going to have moments where we feel alone and we feel like we don't have friends.

01:05:15.600 --> 01:05:19.300
It reminds me of the song in the hymnal where the hymn sings,

01:05:19.300 --> 01:05:23.800
Earthly friends may prove untrue, doubts and fears assail,

01:05:23.800 --> 01:05:28.200
one still loves and cares for you, one who will not fail.

01:05:28.200 --> 01:05:30.900
Jesus never fails.

01:05:30.900 --> 01:05:33.300
What a friend we have in Jesus.

01:05:33.500 --> 01:05:39.100
At the end of the day when everything is messed up in your life you feel like there is nobody there and nobody cares about you.

01:05:39.100 --> 01:05:42.500
You know what? You are in dwell with the Holy Spirit for all eternity.

01:05:42.500 --> 01:05:46.100
God is with you. God cares about you.

01:05:46.100 --> 01:05:51.500
Just keep doing what's right. Keep serving God. Keep reading the Bible. Keep going to church. Keep going to so many.

01:05:51.500 --> 01:05:55.500
You know what you find in life is you know what? You have ups and you have downs.

01:05:55.500 --> 01:05:58.500
And it's very easy in the downs to just kind of give up.

01:05:59.400 --> 01:06:04.400
But here's the thing, if you just waited out number one, you've got Jesus that's there with you.

01:06:04.400 --> 01:06:07.400
And you know what? I believe God will provide.

01:06:07.400 --> 01:06:11.400
I mean, God provided Elijah, Elisha, in his darkest moment.

01:06:11.400 --> 01:06:14.400
And it doesn't feel like that.

01:06:14.400 --> 01:06:19.400
When you're in those moments, I'm sure there's people in this room right now, you're in those moments, and it doesn't feel like that.

01:06:19.400 --> 01:06:23.300
But can't you say from experience that God does always come through?

01:06:23.800 --> 01:06:27.300
At the end of the day, you know what? Earthly friends are going to prove untrue, but you know what?

01:06:27.300 --> 01:06:30.800
Jesus never fails. He is there with you

01:06:30.800 --> 01:06:34.300
every step of the way and He's the greatest friend

01:06:34.300 --> 01:06:37.800
you could possibly have. Let's close with a word of prayer. Dear Heavenly Father,

01:06:37.800 --> 01:06:42.000
thank you for allowing us to be here today. I ask you to help us to apply this sermon to our lives, God.

01:06:42.000 --> 01:06:46.000
Help us to be friends unto people. Help us not give up on that, God. I ask you to help

01:06:46.200 --> 01:06:51.200
to bless everybody in this room with good and true friends, people who actually care about them and stick closer than a brother.

01:06:51.200 --> 01:06:53.200
We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.