Safest Comfiest Vehicle – For Journey of Life Friendship of God
Need of Zaccheus
Luk 19:1-4 He entered Jericho and was passing through. (2) And there was a man called by the name of Zaccheus; he was a chief tax collector and he was rich. (3) Zaccheus was trying to see who Jesus was, and was unable because of the crowd, for he was small in stature. (4) So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree in order to see Him, for He was about to pass through that way.
What Fills Made Empty – What Crowds God’s Friendship Out
• That was Jesus’ last visit thru Jericho
• Zaccheus had everything going for him – but everyone against him
• In the midst of much wealth, powerful public office, many people – Zaccheus was very alone
• What filled his life made him feel empty
• More crowded your life is with exigencies, acquaintances & fading glory, the more alone your heart is, crying for the eternalities – friendship of God
Whose Guest Are You – Never Turn Down the Invite
Luk 19:5-7 When Jesus came to the place, He looked up and said to him, “Zaccheus, hurry and come down, for today I must stay at your house.” (6) And he hurried and came down and received Him gladly. – His time had come – birth from heaven (7) When they saw it, they all began to grumble, saying, “He has gone to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.”
• Actually Zaccheus was being hosted by the King of Kings for a Great Banquet in the Father’s House
• Zaccheus was being the Guest of the Greatest Friend ever – came as a guest & stayed as a friend
God’s Friendship Saves – Friends of God Seek & Save the Lost
• Luk 19:8-10 Zaccheus stopped and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, half of my possessions I will give to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will give back 4 times as much.” – God’s Friendship Saves
• (9) And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he, too, is a son of Abraham. – God’s friendship saves entire household (10) “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.“ – Friends of God Seek & Save the Lost
Real Friend to Peter – He Will Love you at your Worst
• Luk 22:31-32 “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; (32) but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.”
• Luk 22:61-62 The Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had told him, “Before a rooster crows today, you will deny Me three times.” (62) And he went out and wept bitterly.
• Joh 21:17 He *said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus *said to him, “Tend My sheep.
Blessing of God’s Friend
• Psa 1:1-3 How blessed is the man who does not heed the counsel of the wicked, Nor walks in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of scoffers! (2) But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. (3) He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers.
• Counsel of God, Walk with God, Sit on the Seat
• Joh 15:13-15 “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. (14) “You are My friends if you do what I command you. (15) “No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.
Enmity to Friendship
What Cost God for Friendship with US
• Joh 15:13-17 Friendship begins when we accept His sacrifice for us – propitiation – no more enmity – “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. Rom 5:7-9
• Friendship continues when we obey His commands – which are for love (14) “You are My friends if you do what I command you – beget sons of God – this is my beloved son.
Friends are Knowing & Doing
• (15) “No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.
• Struggle for existence – survival of the fittest
• Friendship deepens as we come know all He has for us as His friends
• Ongoing Involvement
• Illustrate with – story of striking oil
Chosen, Appointed & Assigned
• Chosen appointed & assigned to continue the Business of the Father’s House (16) “You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain,
• We become His authorised partners in eternal business & temporal assignments – so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you.
• Committed to Community as Father is (17) “This I command you, that you love one another.
Friendship of God =
Partaking of Divine Nature
+ Enjoying Divine Power
• 2Pe 1:3 seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness,
• through the true knowledge of Him who called us – calling & knowing – let there be no gap between calling & knowing
• by His own glory – topline and virtue (goodness) – bottomline.
Friendship of God =
Partaking of Divine Nature
+ Enjoying Divine Power
• (4) For by these He has granted to us
• His precious and magnificent promises,
• so that by them you may become partakers – granted but partaking 24/7
• partaking of the divine nature,
• having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.
We Become Friends of God – Fathers
Our Future is Assured
• Father begets & Father adopts, nurtures
• Father owns & belongs & Never disowns
• Father provides & Father protects
• Father Forgives & Favours
• Father fetches you to your future – to be where He is
• Mal 4:6 “He will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will not come and smite the land with a curse.
Wanted Friends of God
• Friends of God befriend the hostile, re-parent orphans, calm the contentious, reconcile the rebels,
• love the unlovely, shelter the ugly, seek out aliens, restore rejects, raise up the fallen, heal the broken,
• fraternize the failures, patronize the prodigals,
• Zap the zealots, defang the Pharisees, supernaturalize the Sadducees
• Is 41:8,9,10, Ps 25:14
• Meekness of God
• Fairplay of God
• Many chances – touched by our infirmities
• Hopes for the Best, sees the best
• Appreciation & never depreciation
• Remembers
• Bears the shame of His friends – when you are strong you know your fans. When you are weak you now your friends
Making Spaces
• Joh 14:3 “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also
• Friends of God like God are always preparing a place for their young. They seek to befriend & bring upwards ever higher –
• They have no competition – they share their place – expecting others will fill better than they could
• They expect the next generation to make the place bigger & better
How Greater Friend Behaves
• Moves first for friendship
• Takes first step for recovery
• Pays the cost for recovery
• Ignore slights – to make the lesser noble
• Cannot be canvassed, cannot be impressed,
• Teaches us fairplay
• Sustaining Friendship with God – Character
• He has to be priority – Jn 11:11
• Reverence – our visa for access, quickness in the fear of God
• Humility – my utter dependence on Him. Quick obey
• Integrity – Honesty – quick to repent. One look
• Forgive fast – taking up cudgels & judging others quickly may be what most alienates us from God.
• Take My yoke upon you – I am meek & lowly Mt 11:28
• Sustaining Friendship with God – Habits
• Ps 25:14
• Job 29:
• Seek His Face
• Hear His voice
• Read His Word
• Live His will
• Associate Friends of God
• Matt 11:28-30