In today's Faith to See message, we will talk
all about keeping God at the center of our friendships.
Our first scripture today is 2 Corinthians 6
verse 14 in the CSB version. It says, Do not
be mismatched with unbelievers. For what do righteousness
and lawlessness share together? Or what does
light have in common with darkness? So let's
break this scripture down. This scripture is
not saying that we can't be acquaintances with
unbelievers or even friends with unbelievers,
but we can't have them be in our inner circle.
But let's say you just got saved and you still
have a lot of friends who are in the world and
unbelievers and they're not helping your walk
with Christ. In fact, they're hurting your walk
with Christ. Well, then it's time to set up boundaries
where they are no longer in your inner circle.
Because if we don't set up boundaries, then we'll
start to become influence. Some people we have
to limit how much connect - that they have to
us. But other people, I'm gonna be honest, we
have to end the friendship. And sometimes this
can be easier said than done. But we need to
remember the Israelites. The reason God said
that Israel should drive out the other nations
was because God didn't want Israel to be influenced
by the other nations. And when they were disobedient
to God and didn't drive out all the nations,
then they started to adapt and adopt the pagan
practices. Because when we keep hanging out with
people who don't have any reverence, respect,
or understanding of God, it really doesn't help
us grow in our relationship with God either.
Another example of that is King Jehoshaphat.
He was a king who kept his eyes on Christ. In
fact, he was a part of the few kings of Judah
who actually kept their eyes on God. But later
in his life, despite the prophet's warnings,
he kept making alliances with Ahab and his family.
And Ahab was one of the most wicked kings of
Israel. Jehoshaphat kept making alliances with
Ahab's children. He even gave his own son to
marry Ahab's daughter, which in turn led Judah
fa - into idol worship and whether he made alliances
with the wicked king for peace or money all of
his plans and alliances failed our second scripture
today is first Samuel 18 verses 2 through 4 in
the ESV version it says From that day, Saul kept
David with him and he did not let him return
home to his family. And Jonathan made a covenant
with David because he loved him as himself. Jonathan
took off the robe he was wearing and gave it
to David, along with his tunic and even his sword,
his bow and his belt. When we think about godly
friendships and keeping God at the center of
our friendships, I immediately think about Jonathan
and David, which brings me to the first thing
we need to know from this. the scripture is God
needs to be at the center of our friendships.
Their friendship had godly friendship goals written
all over it. It says that Jonathan loved David
as his own. Jonathan was the king's son and David
was the sheep herder, but Jonathan valued his
friend. A big reason that God needs to be at
the center of any friendship is because with
God's wisdom. Each party in the friendship can
help anchor each other, which is something that
an unbeliever -believer friendship convo cannot
do. It's so important to keep certain people
in our inner circle and other people in our outer
circle. Jonathan was in David's inner circle.
Jonathan helped to anchor David so many times
and vice versa. But some of David's own brothers
had to be in his outer circle. Why? Because they
did not share a common faith in God. They discouraged
David more than they encouraged him. Jonathan
and David were brothers in Christ. They prayed
for each other, encouraged each other, respected
each other, and most of all, they pointed each
other back to God. Our last scripture today is
James chapter 2 verse 23 in the ESV version,
and it says, And the scripture was fulfilled
that says, Abraham believed God and it was counted
to him as righteousness. And he was called a
friend of God. Not only do we have to keep God
at the center of our friendships or any relationship,
we have to remember that Jesus is our first and
most important friend. He is the one who sticks
closer than a brother. He is the one who laid
down his life for us, his friend, so that we
could live. With all the friendships we have,
he will be the one we can always count on. And
this is so important to know so that we can avoid
putting our faith in people. Even in a godly
friendship, we don't put our faith in the next
person. We put our faith in God that he will
help the next person do the right thing. I trust
you because I trust God in you. We have to put
our faith fully in Jesus, because Jesus is a
firm foundation. He is our rock. While friendships
are always changing and evolving, because we
grow into who we are as we get older. And the
person your best friend was last year might not
be the same person that they are this year. And
I'm gonna tell you something that takes a whole
lot of stress off. That's okay, because we have
friends for a season, but we have Jesus for eternity.
So our points for today are one. God will remove
and add certain people in our lives. Because
after all, there's a season for everything under
the sun. Two, Jesus needs to be at the center
of any relationship. And three, God does want
us to have friendships. He made us for fellowship.
but he also made us to have fellowship and friendship
with him, so that we can have friendship and
fellowship with the right people. So, if you
have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ,
then this Faith to See message will help you.
But if you don't have a personal relationship
with Jesus Christ, then I invite you to give
your heart to the Lord today. To receive him
into your heart go to Romans 10 9 through 10
It says that if you confess with your mouth the
Lord Jesus and believe in your heart That God
has raised him from the dead You will be saved
for with the heart one believes unto righteousness
and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation
If you said this prayer with sincerity you are
saved and now have eternal life with Jesus You
are saved from all your sins past present and
future sins may commit. This truth is not a free
past to sin anytime. Instead, Jesus gives you
power over all wrong choices and empowers you
to spread the gospel to others. You are saved
forever and your name is written in the book
of life.