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Be dead when it's here help us to sink down into our ears in Jesus name we pray. Amen Now in Job chapter 6 before I get into the topic of the sermon I just want to bring you up to speed a little bit in the story here. Of course, we know that job Was the most righteous man living on the world in the world at that time I mean job chapter 1 makes that clear that he was an upright man. He feared God he eschewed or hated evil He was righteous. He was godly and of course the devil came to God and Basically God says to the devil in chapters 1 & 2 he says has thou considered my servant job that there's none like him in all the earth and he explains how job is godly and righteous and of course the devil begins to attack job and Criticize him and say well, yeah, of course, he's doing the right thing because you know, you've basically given him everything he wants in life I mean, he's got this great family. He's got a wife. He's got ten children He's got a great business. He's got all kinds of money. He's got financial prosperity He's healthy, you know, as soon as you took away those things from him, then job will curse you to your face and of course God told the devil he said well, you know what he's in your hand Just just go ahead and do what you want with him. Just don't touch his body And of course the devil begins to attack job and he loses his whole business. He loses his children They all die in an accident Basically just everything that he had built his family his business is gone well, then if you remember the devil and and God conversed again and basically God says to the devil, you know has now considered my servant joke. He said look even after You caused me to allow this to happen, you know And to you move it me you move me against him without cause and he still holds fast his integrity He's still doing what's right? He still has not cursed me and then of course the devil says well, you know Skin for skin all that a man hath will he give for his life? But put forth now my hand and touch his body, you know curse you to your face and basically what happened but the devil comes and and and smites him with this horrible sickness and Illness stories covered and boils all over his body and he's he's just scraping at these boils and he's just itching and inflamed And an utter pain so not only has he lost everything but now he's just an utter Physical pain and then his wife even turns on him and his wife comes to him It says does thou still retain thine integrity curse God and die. That's what his wife said to him So he's in a pretty bad situation here. I mean everything is going wrong Everything is against him and remember his three friends in chapter 3 Chapter 2 and 3 is explained how three friends come and his three friends are going to give him some comfort You know because they heard about what happened to them and they're coming to cheer them up and when his three friends get there in Chapter 4 and 5 they pretty much just start to attack it instead of helping them instead of encouraging him They basically just explain to him You know, you must not be right with God because otherwise this wouldn't happen. You must have done some sin, you know, you're obviously Living in sin kind of the prosperity preaching that tells you that if you do what's right everything's gonna go great And you know and if you do anything wrong, that's the only time bad things are gonna happen you know, it's kind of garbage that the same things being taught today and Basically, this guy comes in life as the demonite and he's just telling them. It's all your fault He's blaming him and everything like that. Well, Joe gets angry in chapter 6 the chapter that we just read I mean job is in bad shape. He's he's he's literally just wishing he would die I mean he's in that much pain. He's in that much suffering both emotionally physically and he's in this horrible bad position and Look what he says in verse number 14 To him that is afflicted Pity should be showed from his friend But he forsaketh the fear of the Almighty my brethren have dealt deceitfully as a brook and As the stream of Brooks they pass away which are blackish by reason of the ice and Wherein the snow is hid what time they wax warm they vanish when it is hot They are consumed out of their place the paths of their way are turned aside They go to nothing and Paris basically is explaining the idea of you think of being the mountains and there are these brooks of Water that come from melted snow and melted ice and basically it snows in the winter and all the mountains are covered in snow And frozen and then in the springtime they begin to melt and create all these little brooks and and and little Rivelets that bring the water down in the valleys, and then he's saying how as it warms up a little bit They begin to fade away, and then by the time the heat of summer comes. They're completely gone And he's explaining them. That's what you're like. That's the kind of friend you are He's saying you know as soon as the heat is on as soon as the pressure is on you disappear You know he's used to this illustration, and I want to preach tonight about this biblical friendship biblical pressure You see Job's friends turned out not to be real friends. You know he thought he could rely on his friends He thought they'd come to encourage him and really they turned on him and nothing's worse than having your friend turn on you now Jesus went through this and we preached our last Sunday I preached about the man Christ Jesus now Jesus Christ was a human being and if you remember how I preach out Jesus was tempted in all points like as we are and yet without sin and Jesus had a close friend turn on him The Psalms give us great detail into that, but basically Judas Iscariot who he considered his friend. He called him in the Garden of Eden friend Betrayest thou the son of man with the kiss He knows what it was to he know what it was to have a friend turn on him a friend betray him a friend let him down We ought to be the right kind of friend and the Bible speaks a lot about friendship There are tons of scriptures in the Bible But you see we don't want to be what the world calls a fair-weather friend And and this is described right here the kind of friend that's there when the season is right You know when things are going good. They're right there. You know in the springtime when everything's wonderful Basically they're like those little brooks that are going to disappear as soon as the heat comes Listen to what the Bible says in Proverbs 17 17 you don't have to turn there, but it says a friend loveth at all times and a Brother is born for adversity You see a true friend is somebody who loves you all the time and when you're going through adversity and hard times That's when they're there to comfort you to show you pity to help you to lend a helping hand That's what a real friend is you see today. We consider a friend just someone we hang out with That's what the world pretty much considers your friends people that you might go swimming with or you might go dirt bike riding with or you Might go horseback riding with are you gonna go play basketball with we just consider that our friends There's people that we get together and and play sports with or or go hiking with but really when the Bible talks about being a friend It's talking about somebody who's gonna Love you at all times when maybe you're not very lovable or when maybe You're the heat is on and you're going through some hard times They're the one that's gonna be there in times of adversity and times of trouble you see Everybody the Bible says will be your friend when you're giving gifts The Bible says you give people gifts. They'll be your friend. I mean if you're giving out money Hey, let me buy everybody dinner. Hey, I'm gonna buy everybody ice cream Hey, you know, why don't you come over to my house for a big party and I'll provide everything, you know Hey hop in my car. We'll get everybody loves you when you got something to give Everybody wants to be your friend when you're popular. I mean you remember at school when you're popular Everybody wants to be around you they want to get around you get with you But that's not what friendship is friendship is when you're unpopular and people want to be with you Friendship is when you can't buy dinner and when you can't buy the ice cream and when you don't have anything to offer When you need something that's what when a friend comes in when you need something You see friendship is about giving not about taking It's not about having friends It's about being a friend and being a friend means that if I choose someone and look let me let me just give it to you Straight not everybody's my friend I'm just friends with everybody. No Friendship is something that's reserved for certain people Friendship is something that if I give you friendship, that means when you're in a hard time I will be there you know if I give you my friendship that means that when you're going through adversity or somebody's Criticizing you or bad-mouthing you and everybody's turning on you and when you're in need and when you don't have anything to offer But all you have is need I'll be there for you. That's what friendship is That's what I give you when I give you my friendship and that's what any Christian gives you when they give you their friendship if it's biblical friendship You see the Bible says in Proverbs 17 17 a friend loveth at all times and a brother is born for adversity Proverbs 18 24 says this a man that half friends Must show himself Friendly see if you want to have friends because you say wait a minute pastor Anderson If I go through bad times How can I guarantee that I'm gonna have friends that are gonna be there for me? Well, he says a man that hath friends must show himself Friendly if you'll focus on being a friend God says then you'll have friends You know if you'll be a friend to the one who needs a friend, then you'll have friends but you see it's about giving and it's a but it's a two-way street and he says in The rest of the verse he says and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother I mean if you can have a true friend and you know a true friend is a valuable thing That's why the Bible says thine own friend and my father's friend forsake not You don't want to do wrong by your friends because friends are rare things that are hard to come by I'm talking about a true friend that really cares about you. They're really loves it. It's really gonna be there for you You see when you have a true friend He may even stick up for you when your family doesn't even stick up for you He said there's a friend that stick it closer than a brother Sometimes even when your brother forsakes you your friend will still be there for you, you know friendships a powerful thing The Bible says in Proverbs 27 10 thine own friend and thy father's friend forsake not Neither go into thy brother's house in the day of thy calamity For better is a neighbor that is near than a brother that is far off Proverbs 27 17 says this iron sharpened at the iron So a man sharpened at the countenance of his friend you see having friends is a two-way street Having friends is about being a friend having a friend is is about being there for someone I? Always find it interesting what was said of Sampson in verse and judges 1420 when it says But Sampson's wife was given to his companion whom he had used as his friend You know isn't that the way a lot of the friendship of the world is just using someone you know he used this guy as his friend You know something that he could get from him and sometimes we end up with the wrong view of friendship because it's just all about Hanging out or just this person's fun to be around I like to be around them instead of realizing that friendship goes a lot deeper than that Look if you would at first Timothy chapter number one I'm sorry second Timothy chapter one second Timothy chapter number one toward the end of the New Testament second Timothy chapter number one second Timothy chapter number one Bible says this in second timothy one this is about paul and his friend Oneness if on a ciphers was this guy's name it says in verse number 16 the lord give mercy Under the house. I'm sorry go back to verse 15 this thou knowest that all they which are in Asia Be turned away from me of whom are fight jealous and homogeneous The lord give mercy under the house of on a ciphers for he oft refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chain But when he was in Rome he sought me out very diligently and found me the lord Grant unto him that he may find mercy of the lord in that day and in how many things he ministered unto be an emphasis Thou knowest very well you see paul had a good friend named on a ciphers and when he was in jail When he was in Rome all these other people had turned away from him all they that were in Asia I turned their backs on but this guy on a ciphers all Refreshed him when he was in jail didn't he I mean he came he visited him Turn if you were to acts 27 go to acts 27, and you'll see a little bit about this look at acts 27 verse 3 it says in acts 27 3 and the next day we touched inside on and Julius courteously and treated paul and gave them liberty to go on to his friends to refresh himself so here. He's in prison he's basically getting some visitation with his friends and This guy on a ciphers basically searched him out figured out. What prison he was in Sought him out was there to refresh him was there to Minister to him to help him to reach go to Matthew 25 if you would And You see that's what being a friend is all about it's about visiting somebody in prison when they're in prison It's about feeding somebody that can't feed themselves about giving somebody a ride when they need a ride. It's about you know Being kind to someone who's maybe under attack or other people are turning on them. You're going to stand up for him You're going to be a little and by the way you know when somebody says something bad to you about your friend You should stand up for your friend and defend your friend you Know I just say well You know maybe I just don't really want to be associated with him right now You know what if your friend is being bad-mouthed you have to stand up for your friend and say hey Don't talk bad about my friend like that. You know don't say that about him He's not here to defend himself. You know whoever it is or she same thing. You know she's not here don't don't criticize her don't say bad things about about my friend, and you know as long as we let people peer pressure us and And to criticizing our friends. You know we ought to stand up for our friends, but he said in Matthew 25. Here's what Jesus said In verse number let me get give me a second to turn there He said in verse 42 for I was in hungered and you gave me I'm sorry wrong verse got to get up to the positive example It says in verse number 34 then shall the king say unto them on the right hand come ye blessed of my father Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world verse 35 for I was in hungered and you gave me meat I was thirsty, and you gave me drink. I was a stranger, and you took me in Naked and you called me. I was sick, and you visited me I was in prison, and you came unto me then shall the righteous answer him saying Lord When saw we be in hungered and fed thee or thirsty and gave thee drink? When saw we be a stranger and took the in or naked and clothed thee or when saw we be sick or in prison And came unto thee and the king shall answer and say unto them Verily I say unto you in as much as you have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren Ye have done it unto me. That's a powerful statement. If he says look if you'll be a friend To my people if you'll be a friend to your brother in Christ if you'll look at your brother and sister Christ In church and decide to be a friend of you're being a friend to Jesus When you help them you're helping Jesus when you give them a ride It's like you gave Jesus a ride look at Hebrews chapter number 13 toward the end of the New Testament Hebrews chapter 13 Here's a powerful verse in Hebrews 13 3 it says this remember them that are in bonds as bound with them and Them which suffer adversity as being yourselves also in the body He's saying look feel their pain I mean if somebody's in bonds remember them like you're in bonds with them Those that are your brothers in Christ that are going through adversity and hard times Hey suffer with them rejoice with them that you rejoice the Bible says and weep with them that we Love your brothers and sisters in Christ be a friend to them Not like the world is Using people hanging out whatever no decide Hey the people that are in God's house that are my brothers and sisters in Christ They believe like I believe we're gonna be in it together for the long haul and I'm gonna be their friend And you know what you'll find that when you need help. You'll have a friend. It'll help you out You'll find that somebody will be there for you You see today a Lot of people their biggest downfall is hanging around with the wrong friends. How many times have you seen somebody get saved? That person believes on the Lord Jesus Christ And maybe they even get baptized maybe they start coming to church and Things are going very well But they just can't seem to break free from that circle of bad friends You see friends can either be the best blessing that you have in your life as you go through life It can be the greatest joy in your life or friends can become your downfall. Look at James chapter 4 Friends can either make or break you my friend. In fact, I've heard it said that You are right now or you soon shall be what your friends are You can almost look at your friends and kind of see the direction you're going in life Because if you have the wrong friends, they will drag you down they will take you down the wrong path Look what it says in James chapter 4 It says in verse 4 you dolter as an adulteress is know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God You see worldly friends ungodly friends can actually put you in a position of being adversarial against God enmity with God You know, we have to stop and ask ourself wait a minute, who do I want to be friends with Friends that are in the house of God friends that I'm going to be with really for all eternity in heaven Friends that I know love me because the Bible says Everyone that loveth is born of God and knoweth God so that tells me if God is love and Everyone that loveth is born of God and knoweth God that tells me that out in the world. You're not gonna find true love You Know you're not gonna find friends that really love you And so is that who you want to invest your time and friendship to people who are gonna forsake you when you need them You know, I'd rather be a friend to people that are saved born again children of God Christians that are gonna build me up where iron is gonna sharpen iron and you know, maybe it's a selfish reason But I just want to be friends with people that are gonna be there for me And I just don't feel like the world offers that in the way of friendship You know, I think that a biblical Christian Who loves God and loves winning souls is gonna be the best friend that I've ever had because they're the one hopefully that's getting this Preaching taking it to heart and saying that's the kind of friend I want to be But here's another aspect of friendship that you might not have thought of look at look at Song of Solomon chapter 5 verse 16 Song of Solomon chapter 5 verse 16 and you know, Jesus had friends The Bible talks about how Lazarus was Jesus's friend You remember the guy that he rose from the day he raised from the dead in John chapter 11 the Bible talks about I'll just read it for you. You don't have to turn there in John 11 5. It says now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus now these this was a special family that he was friends with Mary Martha and Lazarus and he talked about how Lazarus Our friend sleepeth in verse 11, but I go that I might awake him out of sleep You know and remember when he died he wept and so forth and and this was his friend that he loved Remember when Jesus wept what did the what did the Jews say behold how he loved him? He really loved his friend, you know, Jesus had close friends Paul had close friends Paul got to go visit his friends It says in 3rd John at the end of 3rd John He said our friends salute thee greet the friends by name He said I can't wait to see you guys. His friend's name was guys He said I want to speak to you face to face. I want to see my friend and So friendships are very biblical concept But you know who's one of the most important friends that you'll ever have in your life Look at Song of Solomon chapter 5 verse 16 This is of course the end of kind of a poem and this is a poem about marriage and so forth And this is the wife speaking about her husband and it says in verse 16. His mouth is most sweet Yeah, he is all together lovely. This is my beloved and this is my what? friend Oh Daughters of Jerusalem, you see one of the most important friends that you're ever gonna have in life is your spouse The most important friend you'll ever have guys is your wife, you know And the most important friend that you'll ever have ladies is your husband. This is a friend That you want to choose based upon whether they love God and are at sincere Christian Who's gonna stand with you because you know, you don't want to have a friend like kind of like Joe's wife Tell you to curse God and die whenever things go bad Now look You may choose a spouse based on a lot of things but you know what you want to choose someone who's gonna be your friend That's really what you're choosing a companion for life a friend not just well You know What can this person do for me or oh she's good-looking or he's good-looking or or this that or he has money And he has a car and and she's this and she can cook and what you know What you need to pick somebody that you want to be around, you know We need to get back to men who want to spend time with their wives and wives paying time with their husbands You know and not just being roommates You know the Bible talks a lot about the love that's supposed to be between a husband a wife and That ought to be a close relationship where you say, you know what? That's my friend That's my best friend in the world right there. And that's what this that's what she could say. It's all in here This is my beloved. This is my friend and you know We ought to get back to wanting to spend time with our families and loving our wives You know wives loving their husbands and and choose someone guys that you want to be around You know If you don't want to be around that person you shouldn't marry that person because it's not just a roommate or a housekeeper when you Get married, you know, that's supposed to be a companion for life That's supposed to be a close friend But you know what? There are times when when your your spouse is not always going to be the most lovable all the time You know, but you just have to decide you know what this is my friend and then the same thing You know either way husbands wives either that goes both ways They're gonna be tired I'm sure there are times when when I'm not so sweet as this guy you this sweet guy in verse 16 You know, I don't know what that means There are times when I'm not that sweet probably it's and maybe they're tying on that others not but you know What she may be kind of could have not been maybe as sweet But you know what? She's my friend You know and I mean hey I'll stick with her through thick and thin for better or worse because that's my friend You know what and and and if if it's if it's better if it's worse It's my friend, you know, and I'm her friend and I hope she'll stand up for me when and visit me in prison and everything Like that, you know that we write about earlier All that other stuff about being a good friend, you know, and it's like I said You know the motto of our churches were the church that bails you out Can I get a witness, you know We're the church that bails you out when you get arrested Because we'll bail out Jesus, you know, that's the way we look at it But the bottom line is that you know We need to get the right kind of friends because the wrong kind of friends are gonna drag you down They're gonna take you down a path of sin where the wrong kind of friends But the right kind of friends could get you out solely The right kind of friends will motivate you to do more for God and this is why the local church is so important This is why it's not enough. Just people just say I'll just study the Bible on my own It's not just Bible preaching that we get a faithful word Baptist Church It's not just getting the preaching and teaching of God's Word. It's the friends It's what it is. I Mean, this is friendship Baptist Church, you know, you come here not just for the singing Not just for the preaching you come here for the friends and you don't get the friends by listening to it on The internet you don't get the friends by watching a preacher on TV You don't get the friends by studying the Bible on your own or listening to a CD or or whatever Or getting on the internet and getting the preaching you get the friends by being here And you know what people don't get about this church that a big part of it is the friendship That's a big part of it And you know what that tells me that tells me that if someone is new to our church or someone visits our church We should try to reach out to that person and be a friend to them and Accept them into the fold, you know, not just form our own little clique Yeah, you know words with us our friend No We ought to reach out and be a friend and show them the love of Christ Show them what it is to be a friend and let's get them into the group here Let's make them one of our friends because you know you want you say well pastor Anderson You seem to know a lot about friends who are your these are my friends right here Ask me who my friends are this is my friend I don't I I don't have any friends outside this building really except for other, you know There are a few other godly fundamental brethren, but but you know what? They're all brothers and sisters in Christ That's why I choose to be friends with I don't mess with the world. You know what I mean? I mean, I'll love them. I'll try to get him saved but that's not who that's not my friends I've got other like-minded Believers around this country. They're they're my friends. I've got my my family members like my sisters Like my sisters both of my sisters are good friends. I you know, I consider both my parents good friends You know and my parents have always been there for me when I go through bad times and I'll be there for them if they need me You know and and and and I've got other godly friends, but you know, these are my close friends right here in this room The house of God Church, you know, and I'm glad I go to a church where I have friends and Where the people are friends with each other I think that's one of the great things about our church is the friendships in our church I think that we probably have a church that's more closer knit as far as friendship than a lot of churches do You know, and I think that's part of what makes our church great And I don't think you're gonna find that everywhere else And so we need to stop and think it ourselves. You know, what am I just Spending time with a bunch of worldly friends that eventually I'm gonna have to cut them loose or they're gonna cut me loose You know, or am I really? Getting locked in with some good friends here at church You know and that's part of why I think it's so important to be in a church like ours, you know a church where People are righteous guy they're gonna build you up. I mean look I'm the pastor of the church I'm The leader but yet I'm often motivated by people in this church to do more for God because like the Bible says iron sharpens iron and You know what? I'm glad to have a church where I can go to where even if I start Cooling off a little bit or maybe getting a little bit lazy or lackadaisical or apathetic and just begin to coast a little bit I'm glad I'm in a place where you know, you can't coast long around here before somebody's not You know lighting the fire under you to get you going. I mean, it's true. I mean we all let's just be real we all are going to go through times of weakness We're all going to go through times where we're not just so excited to be going soul winning and preaching Preaching and reading the Bible, you know You're gonna go through times where it's hard to serve God and you're just doing it because it's your duty and you just stay with it But you're not necessarily fired up But you know what going to a church like this fires you up in times like those times don't last long When you're faithful, we're Baptist Church Those times don't last long because you will get fired up right away because you have the right friends firing you up But Without these friends when you're just out solo when you're just out on your own It gets hard. It's like the Bible said the threefold cord is not easily broken Two are better than one the Bible says You know if one falls the other can pick you up That's why the Bible says it's not good for the man to be alone That's why it's good to be married because at least I have somebody else to be my Companion that's gonna encourage me when I'm down and I can encourage her when she's down, you know, that's part of what marriage is And you know having a church is another place where I can go and sometimes I walk through the door here I'll just be honest with you there are times and I don't I don't ever show it, you know, because I want to just be You know putting forth an image Oh Always being fired up all the time and everything's always great all the time, you know But I'll be honest with you. There are times when I walk in here And you know things aren't going good in my life and I don't you know I don't necessarily even feel like getting up here and preaching I mean you think do you think that's pretty reasonable you probably assume that But there are times I probably just walk in here and it's just you know, I'm not that excited about being here I'm not that excited about being outside but you know what usually I don't ever walk out that way I mean, I might walk in that way, but then I see you and I see you Hey, how you doing, you know and then we start talking about how people got saved and then you start hearing all the good news of what God's doing and It gets you fired up and I've walked in many times down in the mouth Maybe not showing it on the outside but on the inside I was hurting on the inside I was down but I walked out fired up Motivated built up. That's what church is What it is and people don't get that about church sometimes and you know, I've been in churches Maybe that weren't like that and maybe that's why they don't get it. But let me tell you something. That's what church is supposed to be You know you get in the middle of the week Monday Tuesday Wednesday, you know, you show up on Wednesday night it fires you up You're back in the fight. You know, you're excited It gets you more and it's not just the preaching It's just getting around people That believe like you believe and that's why I love the fact that our church is not just filled with people who don't believe What we believe You know, we have unity we're in one accord here and I love to just get around people that believe the same Bible I believe they love soul winning just like I love soul winning. They believe the same doctrines. I believe they're excited like I'm excited They're not dead as a doornail and it gets me motivated and fired up Whereas I bet there's a lot of groups of people I could probably walk in and be fired up on the way in and walk out down in the mouth Because they just pour like a baby like walking in you're all fired up. They just pour like a big cold water bucket on you You know, we've had people in our church That have kind of tried to bring a cold water bucket before like I'm soul winning And you know, I was just glad when they hit the road, honestly because I'm just thinking you know what we don't need people here that are gonna drag us down and and want to throw a wet blanket on soul winning and debt, you know basically disparaging of our soul winning program You know what? Our soul winning program is our life What our church I mean, it's all it's why we're here You know, we don't need a wet blanket on solar but so many churches if you I literally know of churches Where people will come in and say that somebody got saved and they'll get mad at them and Attack them for do for soul winning. I mean we got a guy goes, you know, I want to say who it is But you know, we got a guy who goes to our church. He's a great soul winner he went back up to his home church in a distant city and He walked into that church and there was a visitor He gave that person the gospel and won that person to Christ and his church got mad at him for doing that And They said well, how dare you she's been coming here for six months How did you dare to walk up and ask her she knows for sure she died to go to heaven and the woman wasn't saved She said I don't know Did you know for sure you died? No, he got her saved and they acted like well, that's rude What a stupid church, I'm sorry Hey, I'm glad that we've got a group that fires us I mean, no, but nobody here is putting a wet blanket on my soy. You guys fire me. Yeah, you know, I want to fire you Up, I mean, that's what we need to do. How many times have you been sitting around just doing nothing? Wasting your time and somebody called you up and said hey, let's go soul winning in this church And you went out soul winning and then somebody got saved and you're fired up and you're doing something with your life Because of the right friends, that's why The right friends they call you up and don't say hey, let's go have a beer Hey, let's go see a movie. Hey, you want to go to a party? No, it's like hey, let's go soul Any you want to go soul anything? Hey, you're just sitting around you're bored You're maybe you're in a bad mood. Somebody calls you up and wants to go soul Everything's great. Now, you know, you're out serving God you're doing something for God it motivates you Friendship is important. So just a quick review of what we're talking about today First of all, let's get a biblical view of friendship. Don't ever be a fair-weather friend Don't ever have your friendship with somebody be so shallow that as soon as things go bad for them It's like see ya. I don't want to be associated with you Get a biblical view of friendship where it's about it's about proving your friendship in those times Those are the times that you should be waiting for with your friend Times and adversity when you can step in and help somebody That's why you should be looking for your your friend and need your help You should be looking for times when things go bad for them so that you can step in and fill that need and be a True friend take that opportunity to be a friend to show your love to show them your the depth of your friendship But not only that you want to make sure that you that you have the right friends Don't make that investment casually because you know what like I said, I don't throw my friendship around I'm not just gonna pick some rant like I'm friends with everybody or just some random person. Just you're my friend I don't usually if I tell usually if I tell somebody You know you're my friend I Usually am very careful to not even say that certain people like unless I really mean it You know what I mean like sometimes I stop and think about it Or even sometimes if I'm gonna sign a letter your friend sometimes I think about like well who am I who am I writing to if I'm writing a specific letter to someone? I won't always sign it your friend if I'm not really sure if I'm really their friend You know what I mean because if I want to be somebody proud you know I'm maybe not perfect about that But I'm just trying to say I Try to reserve that for when I really mean it, so I don't just devalue The word friend like this. Oh, yeah, we're friends. We're friends No, because to me being a friend is something that's sacred to me Like I if I were to think of other pastors other preachers There are other preachers that I talk to and and maybe hang around with every once in a while or Maybe I'll get together with them, and we have a little bit of fellowship but you know what there are very few pastors that I will consider my friend and The ones that are my friend. I will be there for them You know I will stand up for them, and you know what I could count them on one hand Pastors that I would consider my friend are less than the number that I'm holding up right now in one hand But You know what? Those who I've chosen are my friends. I Will stand up for them. I will be there for them. I will reach into my pocket if necessary I'll reach into my wallet if necessary. You know I'll give up my time. I'll give them my energy I'll pray I'll drive there. I'll be there because those are my friends. You know and we ought to just decide Not to throw that word around, but to say you know what? If I go to faithful word Baptist Church You know I want these to be my friends And I'm going to be friends with them, and you know what maybe you don't want to be friends with the people at this church What you ought to do is go find another church where you where you can find some real close friends that you can That you can reach out to and and and and be there for because because really if you don't want to be friends here You know I think you're missing something important in your life And you should maybe just find a church where you do want to You know have some friendship because I think it's something that you need it in your Christian life I think the Bible talks about I mean Paul had friends John had friends Jesus ever and he's telling us don't forsake your friends a Man that have friends must show himself friendly a friend loveth at all times be a friend Let's bow our heads and have a word of prayer father. Please just help us dear God to just to be a friend To be loyal to our friends to stand up for our friends to visit them in jail to visit them in prison To help them out to give them a ride if they need a ride you know to Buy them a meal if they're hungry Help us to be generous people who love each other who love others who reach out to people and help people to value Faithful word Baptist Church as a place where they know that they have real friends I? Hope that the people in this church father know that pastor Anderson's their friend and that pastor Anderson will be there for him when they need him and God help me to fulfill that that calling dear God because I know that that's your will for my life is to be a friend to my people here at the church and father not only that just help the people here to be friends with each other and And to with their brother and sister in Christ and in Jesus name we pray Amen Why don't we sing the song what a friend we have in Jesus song number 355 song number 355