Grace Fellowship Grace Fellowship ChurchChurch

Pastor/TeacherPastor/TeacherJim RickardJim Rickard

Tuesday, Tuesday, August 17, 2010August 17, 2010

www.GraceDoctrine.orgwww.GraceDoctrine.org

DoxologyDoxology

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;Praise Him, all creatures here below;Praise Him, all creatures here below;Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;

Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.—Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.—Amen.Amen.

Memory VerseMemory Verse

John 15:13, John 15:13, “Greater love has no one “Greater love has no one

than this, that one lay down than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.”his life for his friends.”

John 15:12-14John 15:12-14

Doctrine of Friends, Doctrine of Friends, Friendship.Friendship.

V. Principles of True V. Principles of True Friendship with Fellow Friendship with Fellow

Believers.Believers.

1. Your fellow believers 1. Your fellow believers should be considered should be considered

“friends”, (loved ones),“friends”, (loved ones),3 John 14.3 John 14.

3 John 1:14, 3 John 1:14, “But I hope to see you “But I hope to see you

shortly, and we will speak shortly, and we will speak face to face. Peace face to face. Peace bebe to you. to you. The friends greet you. Greet The friends greet you. Greet

the friends by name.”the friends by name.”

2. True friends are not 2. True friends are not wishy washy, or Johnny wishy washy, or Johnny

come latelys. A true friend come latelys. A true friend is a consistent companion, is a consistent companion,

Prov 17:17; 18:24.Prov 17:17; 18:24.

Prov 17:17, Prov 17:17, “A friend loves at all times, “A friend loves at all times,

and a brother is born for and a brother is born for adversity.”adversity.”

Prov 18:24, Prov 18:24, “A man of “A man of too manytoo many

friends friends comescomes to ruin, but to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks there is a friend who sticks

closer than a brother.”closer than a brother.”

3. True friends do not hold 3. True friends do not hold back punches. In a loving back punches. In a loving

way they tell it to you way they tell it to you straight, straight,

Prov 27:6, 9-10, 14.Prov 27:6, 9-10, 14.

Prov 27:6, Prov 27:6, “Faithful are the wounds of “Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but deceitful are a friend, but deceitful are the kisses of an enemy.”the kisses of an enemy.”

Prov 27:9, Prov 27:9, “Oil and perfume make the “Oil and perfume make the

heart glad, so a man’s heart glad, so a man’s counsel is sweet to his counsel is sweet to his

friend.”friend.”

4. Believer friends should be 4. Believer friends should be an encouragement and an encouragement and

uplifting to one another, uplifting to one another, especially when one is going especially when one is going through various difficulties through various difficulties

or trials, or trials, Job 6:14; Prov 27:10.Job 6:14; Prov 27:10.

Job 6:14, “For the Job 6:14, “For the despairing man despairing man there there

should beshould be kindness from kindness from his friend; so that he does his friend; so that he does not forsake the fear of the not forsake the fear of the

Almighty.” Almighty.”

Prov 27:10, Prov 27:10, “Do not forsake your own “Do not forsake your own

friend or your father’s friend or your father’s friend, and do not go to friend, and do not go to

your brother’s house in the your brother’s house in the day of your calamity.”day of your calamity.”

5. Believer friends should 5. Believer friends should not cause trouble or not cause trouble or

dissentions against fellow dissentions against fellow believers, Psa 15:1-5.believers, Psa 15:1-5.

Psa 15:3, Psa 15:3, “He does not slander with “He does not slander with his tongue, nor does evil to his tongue, nor does evil to his neighbor, nor takes up a his neighbor, nor takes up a

reproach against his reproach against his friend.”friend.”

6. Believers lay down their 6. Believers lay down their lives for fellow believers, lives for fellow believers, John 15:13; Psa 35:9-14.John 15:13; Psa 35:9-14.

Psa 35:14, Psa 35:14, “I went about as though it, “I went about as though it, (the afflictions of a friend)(the afflictions of a friend), , were my friend or brother; were my friend or brother; I bowed down mourning, I bowed down mourning, as one who sorrows for a as one who sorrows for a

mother.”mother.”

ConclusionsConclusions::

If you have fellowship with If you have fellowship with positive believers who positive believers who

have virtue, integrity, and have virtue, integrity, and recognize the privacy of recognize the privacy of your priesthood, you will your priesthood, you will

have a wonderful have a wonderful relationship with them.relationship with them.

The advantage to such The advantage to such friendships is that you are friendships is that you are not depending on them; not depending on them;

you are depending on the you are depending on the Lord.Lord.

(Spiritual Self-Esteem) (Spiritual Self-Esteem)

As a result, you never feel As a result, you never feel threatened by them and do threatened by them and do

not get upset when they not get upset when they turn nasty and sarcastic and turn nasty and sarcastic and

turn sour.turn sour.

If you enter into Christian If you enter into Christian fellowship with unrealistic fellowship with unrealistic

expectations, you will never expectations, you will never grow in grace and never grow in grace and never

have the type of friendship have the type of friendship God desires for you.God desires for you.

VI. Prosperity and VI. Prosperity and Friendship Friendship

1. The appropriate 1. The appropriate application of prosperity application of prosperity blessings is to use that blessings is to use that

wealth to make friends with wealth to make friends with the lost and dying to win the lost and dying to win

them for Christ, them for Christ, Luke 16:9.Luke 16:9.

Luke 16:9, “And I say to Luke 16:9, “And I say to you, make friends for you, make friends for

yourselves by means of the yourselves by means of the wealth of unrighteousness, wealth of unrighteousness, so that when it fails, they so that when it fails, they will receive you into the will receive you into the

eternal dwellings.”eternal dwellings.”

Warren Wiersbe, “All that Warren Wiersbe, “All that we have comes from the we have comes from the

Lord and must be used for Lord and must be used for the good of others and the the good of others and the

glory of God.”glory of God.”

““One day we must give an One day we must give an account of what we have account of what we have done with what God has done with what God has

shared with us.”shared with us.”

““Jesus did not commend Jesus did not commend the steward for cheating his the steward for cheating his

master, but for making master, but for making good use of his good use of his opportunity.”opportunity.”

““If we use God’s wealth as If we use God’s wealth as He wills, then He will give He wills, then He will give

us true riches which are us true riches which are our own.” our own.”

2. The fool with his money 2. The fool with his money thinks he has many friends, thinks he has many friends, yet he does not, Prov 19:6.yet he does not, Prov 19:6.

Prov 19:6, Prov 19:6, “Many will seek the favor “Many will seek the favor

of a generous man, and of a generous man, and every man is a friend to every man is a friend to him who gives gifts.”him who gives gifts.”

3. All believers (friends) 3. All believers (friends) will rejoice together in will rejoice together in

heaven with the knowledge heaven with the knowledge of those who were lost that of those who were lost that

have been saved, have been saved, Luke 15:6, 9.Luke 15:6, 9.

Luke 15:6, Luke 15:6, “And when he comes home, “And when he comes home, he calls together his friends he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which have found my sheep which

was lost!’”was lost!’”

Grace Fellowship ChurchGrace Fellowship ChurchTuesday, August 17, 2010Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Tape # 10-089Tape # 10-089

Friendship with God, Part 3 Friendship with God, Part 3Upper Room Discourse, Part 403Upper Room Discourse, Part 403

John 15:13-14; Prov 17:17; 18:24; 27:6, 9-10; Psa 15:3John 15:13-14; Prov 17:17; 18:24; 27:6, 9-10; Psa 15:3

James H. Rickard Bible Ministries 2010James H. Rickard Bible Ministries 2010