WEBVTT 00:00:07.559 --> 00:00:10.140 In today's Faith to See message, we will talk 00:00:10.140 --> 00:00:13.300 all about keeping God at the center of our friendships. 00:00:13.859 --> 00:00:16.879 Our first scripture today is 2 Corinthians 6 00:00:16.879 --> 00:00:20.539 verse 14 in the CSB version. It says, Do not 00:00:20.539 --> 00:00:24.140 be mismatched with unbelievers. For what do righteousness 00:00:24.140 --> 00:00:26.820 and lawlessness share together? Or what does 00:00:26.820 --> 00:00:29.260 light have in common with darkness? So let's 00:00:29.260 --> 00:00:31.600 break this scripture down. This scripture is 00:00:31.600 --> 00:00:33.840 not saying that we can't be acquaintances with 00:00:33.840 --> 00:00:36.179 unbelievers or even friends with unbelievers, 00:00:36.219 --> 00:00:38.539 but we can't have them be in our inner circle. 00:00:38.679 --> 00:00:41.399 But let's say you just got saved and you still 00:00:41.399 --> 00:00:43.740 have a lot of friends who are in the world and 00:00:43.740 --> 00:00:45.700 unbelievers and they're not helping your walk 00:00:45.700 --> 00:00:47.659 with Christ. In fact, they're hurting your walk 00:00:47.659 --> 00:00:50.840 with Christ. Well, then it's time to set up boundaries 00:00:50.840 --> 00:00:53.320 where they are no longer in your inner circle. 00:00:53.340 --> 00:00:56.500 Because if we don't set up boundaries, then we'll 00:00:56.500 --> 00:00:58.960 start to become influence. Some people we have 00:00:58.960 --> 00:01:00.950 to limit how much connect - that they have to 00:01:00.950 --> 00:01:03.170 us. But other people, I'm gonna be honest, we 00:01:03.170 --> 00:01:06.310 have to end the friendship. And sometimes this 00:01:06.310 --> 00:01:09.230 can be easier said than done. But we need to 00:01:09.230 --> 00:01:11.829 remember the Israelites. The reason God said 00:01:11.829 --> 00:01:13.890 that Israel should drive out the other nations 00:01:13.890 --> 00:01:16.950 was because God didn't want Israel to be influenced 00:01:16.950 --> 00:01:19.530 by the other nations. And when they were disobedient 00:01:19.530 --> 00:01:21.689 to God and didn't drive out all the nations, 00:01:21.769 --> 00:01:25.290 then they started to adapt and adopt the pagan 00:01:25.290 --> 00:01:27.790 practices. Because when we keep hanging out with 00:01:27.790 --> 00:01:30.569 people who don't have any reverence, respect, 00:01:30.769 --> 00:01:33.650 or understanding of God, it really doesn't help 00:01:33.650 --> 00:01:35.790 us grow in our relationship with God either. 00:01:36.090 --> 00:01:38.829 Another example of that is King Jehoshaphat. 00:01:38.969 --> 00:01:41.909 He was a king who kept his eyes on Christ. In 00:01:41.909 --> 00:01:44.370 fact, he was a part of the few kings of Judah 00:01:44.370 --> 00:01:46.969 who actually kept their eyes on God. But later 00:01:46.969 --> 00:01:49.870 in his life, despite the prophet's warnings, 00:01:50.230 --> 00:01:53.530 he kept making alliances with Ahab and his family. 00:01:53.890 --> 00:01:57.590 And Ahab was one of the most wicked kings of 00:01:57.590 --> 00:02:01.090 Israel. Jehoshaphat kept making alliances with 00:02:01.090 --> 00:02:04.409 Ahab's children. He even gave his own son to 00:02:04.409 --> 00:02:08.129 marry Ahab's daughter, which in turn led Judah 00:02:08.129 --> 00:02:11.979 fa - into idol worship and whether he made alliances 00:02:11.979 --> 00:02:16.580 with the wicked king for peace or money all of 00:02:16.580 --> 00:02:20.020 his plans and alliances failed our second scripture 00:02:20.020 --> 00:02:23.860 today is first Samuel 18 verses 2 through 4 in 00:02:23.860 --> 00:02:27.810 the ESV version it says From that day, Saul kept 00:02:27.810 --> 00:02:30.330 David with him and he did not let him return 00:02:30.330 --> 00:02:33.030 home to his family. And Jonathan made a covenant 00:02:33.030 --> 00:02:36.550 with David because he loved him as himself. Jonathan 00:02:36.550 --> 00:02:38.629 took off the robe he was wearing and gave it 00:02:38.629 --> 00:02:42.069 to David, along with his tunic and even his sword, 00:02:42.490 --> 00:02:45.710 his bow and his belt. When we think about godly 00:02:45.710 --> 00:02:48.069 friendships and keeping God at the center of 00:02:48.069 --> 00:02:51.490 our friendships, I immediately think about Jonathan 00:02:51.490 --> 00:02:54.349 and David, which brings me to the first thing 00:02:54.349 --> 00:02:56.699 we need to know from this. the scripture is God 00:02:56.699 --> 00:02:59.219 needs to be at the center of our friendships. 00:02:59.539 --> 00:03:02.560 Their friendship had godly friendship goals written 00:03:02.560 --> 00:03:06.060 all over it. It says that Jonathan loved David 00:03:06.060 --> 00:03:09.639 as his own. Jonathan was the king's son and David 00:03:09.639 --> 00:03:13.099 was the sheep herder, but Jonathan valued his 00:03:13.099 --> 00:03:15.860 friend. A big reason that God needs to be at 00:03:15.860 --> 00:03:18.620 the center of any friendship is because with 00:03:18.620 --> 00:03:21.960 God's wisdom. Each party in the friendship can 00:03:21.960 --> 00:03:24.479 help anchor each other, which is something that 00:03:24.479 --> 00:03:27.199 an unbeliever -believer friendship convo cannot 00:03:27.199 --> 00:03:30.180 do. It's so important to keep certain people 00:03:30.180 --> 00:03:33.060 in our inner circle and other people in our outer 00:03:33.060 --> 00:03:35.680 circle. Jonathan was in David's inner circle. 00:03:35.879 --> 00:03:38.620 Jonathan helped to anchor David so many times 00:03:38.620 --> 00:03:41.919 and vice versa. But some of David's own brothers 00:03:41.919 --> 00:03:44.900 had to be in his outer circle. Why? Because they 00:03:44.900 --> 00:03:47.939 did not share a common faith in God. They discouraged 00:03:47.939 --> 00:03:50.840 David more than they encouraged him. Jonathan 00:03:50.840 --> 00:03:53.900 and David were brothers in Christ. They prayed 00:03:53.900 --> 00:03:56.860 for each other, encouraged each other, respected 00:03:56.860 --> 00:03:59.639 each other, and most of all, they pointed each 00:03:59.639 --> 00:04:03.060 other back to God. Our last scripture today is 00:04:03.060 --> 00:04:06.460 James chapter 2 verse 23 in the ESV version, 00:04:06.699 --> 00:04:09.479 and it says, And the scripture was fulfilled 00:04:09.479 --> 00:04:13.159 that says, Abraham believed God and it was counted 00:04:13.159 --> 00:04:16.720 to him as righteousness. And he was called a 00:04:16.720 --> 00:04:19.800 friend of God. Not only do we have to keep God 00:04:19.800 --> 00:04:22.399 at the center of our friendships or any relationship, 00:04:22.720 --> 00:04:25.620 we have to remember that Jesus is our first and 00:04:25.620 --> 00:04:28.480 most important friend. He is the one who sticks 00:04:28.480 --> 00:04:31.339 closer than a brother. He is the one who laid 00:04:31.339 --> 00:04:33.879 down his life for us, his friend, so that we 00:04:33.879 --> 00:04:36.610 could live. With all the friendships we have, 00:04:36.930 --> 00:04:39.470 he will be the one we can always count on. And 00:04:39.470 --> 00:04:42.209 this is so important to know so that we can avoid 00:04:42.209 --> 00:04:44.649 putting our faith in people. Even in a godly 00:04:44.649 --> 00:04:46.689 friendship, we don't put our faith in the next 00:04:46.689 --> 00:04:49.389 person. We put our faith in God that he will 00:04:49.389 --> 00:04:52.009 help the next person do the right thing. I trust 00:04:52.009 --> 00:04:55.560 you because I trust God in you. We have to put 00:04:55.560 --> 00:04:58.660 our faith fully in Jesus, because Jesus is a 00:04:58.660 --> 00:05:01.720 firm foundation. He is our rock. While friendships 00:05:01.720 --> 00:05:04.259 are always changing and evolving, because we 00:05:04.259 --> 00:05:06.779 grow into who we are as we get older. And the 00:05:06.779 --> 00:05:08.959 person your best friend was last year might not 00:05:08.959 --> 00:05:10.740 be the same person that they are this year. And 00:05:10.740 --> 00:05:12.500 I'm gonna tell you something that takes a whole 00:05:12.500 --> 00:05:15.519 lot of stress off. That's okay, because we have 00:05:15.519 --> 00:05:18.800 friends for a season, but we have Jesus for eternity. 00:05:19.360 --> 00:05:23.000 So our points for today are one. God will remove 00:05:23.000 --> 00:05:25.560 and add certain people in our lives. Because 00:05:25.560 --> 00:05:28.160 after all, there's a season for everything under 00:05:28.160 --> 00:05:32.000 the sun. Two, Jesus needs to be at the center 00:05:32.000 --> 00:05:36.100 of any relationship. And three, God does want 00:05:36.100 --> 00:05:38.699 us to have friendships. He made us for fellowship. 00:05:38.970 --> 00:05:41.670 but he also made us to have fellowship and friendship 00:05:41.670 --> 00:05:44.290 with him, so that we can have friendship and 00:05:44.290 --> 00:05:47.529 fellowship with the right people. So, if you 00:05:47.529 --> 00:05:49.990 have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, 00:05:50.350 --> 00:05:52.370 then this Faith to See message will help you. 00:05:52.610 --> 00:05:54.470 But if you don't have a personal relationship 00:05:54.470 --> 00:05:56.829 with Jesus Christ, then I invite you to give 00:05:56.829 --> 00:06:00.100 your heart to the Lord today. To receive him 00:06:00.100 --> 00:06:02.779 into your heart go to Romans 10 9 through 10 00:06:02.779 --> 00:06:05.980 It says that if you confess with your mouth the 00:06:05.980 --> 00:06:09.220 Lord Jesus and believe in your heart That God 00:06:09.220 --> 00:06:12.060 has raised him from the dead You will be saved 00:06:12.060 --> 00:06:14.480 for with the heart one believes unto righteousness 00:06:14.480 --> 00:06:17.540 and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation 00:06:17.540 --> 00:06:21.120 If you said this prayer with sincerity you are 00:06:21.120 --> 00:06:24.120 saved and now have eternal life with Jesus You 00:06:24.120 --> 00:06:28.019 are saved from all your sins past present and 00:06:28.019 --> 00:06:31.399 future sins may commit. This truth is not a free 00:06:31.399 --> 00:06:34.519 past to sin anytime. Instead, Jesus gives you 00:06:34.519 --> 00:06:37.939 power over all wrong choices and empowers you 00:06:37.939 --> 00:06:41.420 to spread the gospel to others. You are saved 00:06:41.420 --> 00:06:44.579 forever and your name is written in the book 00:06:44.579 --> 00:06:45.160 of life.