Thursday, March 31, 2011

To Be a Friend of God, or Not

I had planned on a short note this month, but that fell apart so here goes. Oh well, maybe next month.

I ran into a former church member recently and they told me of someone who is teaching a class at their church. I thought it a bit strange as I’m pretty sure from outward appearances and decisions/choices this person has made through the years that they are not a Christian. I can only go by the words/lives/actions of people and base my decision on the outward appearances. However, I cannot judge the heart of a person. God knows whether a person is one of His or not. The rest of us have to make an educated guess.

That got me to thinking of a conversation I had with a couple of “pastors” several years ago about someone teaching a class that was to help people get closer to God. My part of the conversation went something along this line:

I love movies, especially old movies from the 30’s to the 50’s. The 60’s brought about a major change in the American culture and it took its toll on the quality of movies coming out of Hollywood so I don’t watch many from that decade.

Nevertheless, one of my favorite actors of all time is Sean Connery. Almost every movie and every role he has played through the years appeals to me or draws my interest. I know little about him except the fact that he’s Scottish, 6 ft 2 inches tall, and was born in 1930. He was paid around $17,000 for starring in the first James Bond movie (Dr. No), made $17.5 million dollars for the movie “The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen” which he called a “nightmare”. I tend to agree with him.

I could decide that I wanted to hold a class for people to teach them how to become a friend of Sean Connery. We could go over all of the facts of his life, cover all of his movies, find out his favorite foods, his shoes size, favorite color, favorite vacation spots, his political views, his pets names, etc. We could get to know many facts about him and learn almost everything there is to know about him. But how could I teach someone to become his friend if I have never met the man or don’t actually know him. I could teach a class about him, but not a class on how to know him.

So how could someone who goes against a large portion of Jesus’ teachings and ignore biblical advice from Pastors and Counselors, be put in a position to teach a class about how to get closer to God? As a Pastor, one of the main responsibilities you have is to look after your flock (members) and be sure that anyone who is put in a position of teaching anything has a sound Christian foundation. As a Pastor, you will be held accountable for any of the teachings your members receive from your church. If someone is not qualified or becomes disqualified due to their decisions/choices, you must remove them from any position of leadership until the situation gets corrected.

One of the absolute certainties of the Bible is that God wants you to be a friend of His. Without getting too deep in theology and losing you, here’s the condensed version of this;

* God is absolutely perfect. He cannot have imperfect things around Him.
* God created the world and the universe. He also created Adam & Eve and place them in a perfect place, the Garden of Eden.
* Satan is an angel that was in Heaven and thought that he was as mighty as God is and wanted the other angels to follow him instead of God. Thus, God kicked him out of Heaven, along with the angels that decided to follow Satan.
* Satan and his followers came to Earth and found Adam and Eve. After a discussion with them, they deceived Adam & Eve into following his advice and sinning, becoming imperfect. Since they were imperfect, they could no longer hang around God and they were banished from the Garden of Eden and no longer had direct communication with God. This filtered down to all of the descendants of Adam & Eve which includes everyone.
* God longed for Adam & Eve (as well as all of their descendants) to be able to have communication with Him so He sent His Son, Jesus, to the Earth to pay the price for their (and our) imperfections. His death provided payment for their and our sins.
* If we turn (repent) from our wrongdoings/imperfections/sins and ask Jesus to pay for our sins, we can have a walk with God, be part of His kingdom, and reside in Heaven with Him for eternity.

Abraham was the first one mentioned in the Bible that God called friend. If we look at Abrahams life, we can see what we need to do to be called a friend of God.

Abraham placed his trust in God. This is not easy since we as humans, especially men, want to be in charge and control our situations and destiny. We have to learn to trust God with our lives and futures. Psalms 91:1-2

Abraham communicated with God. You cannot have someone and call them your friend without communicating with them. Though we cannot pick up the phone and call God, we can communicate with Him through prayer and by reading His word, the Bible. John 15:12-17

James 2:23 tells us of the greatest characteristic of Abraham. Abraham is the patriarch of the Jewish people. God called him to be the father of the nation of Israel. In this verse, we see one of the highest titles, if not the highest, that can be given to anyone. "He was a friend of God." Abraham is the only one referred to as a "friend of God" in the entire Bible. Let’s look and see why Abraham's was called the friend of God.

In John 15:13-15, Jesus used the term "friend or friends". He told His disciples that they were no longer slaves, or servants, but were His friends. I believe it is a great privilege to be called the "Friend of God, or Friend of Christ."

Proverbs 18:24 tells us that friendship in this connotation is speaking of intimacy or more than just a close acquaintance. "One who is attached to another by affection". So, we must understand that there was a reason why Abraham was called "The Friend of God." It is possible to be a child of God and not be a friend of God.

It is possible to be saved and not have that intimate relationship with God that would qualify us as His friend. Let's examine why Abraham carried this title. In Genesis we will see four characteristics that he possessed and why he was called the Friend of God.

I. He Submitted To The Direction of God. Genesis 12:1-4.
God told Abraham to pull up stakes and leave his home. In doing he will enter a complete new lifestyle, a new occupation, and head to a new land. Abraham didn't even know where he was going or what was ahead. He just got a message from God and took off.

How many of us would accept that same call from our employer? Monday morning the boss calls us in and says, "We are going to transfer you." We say, "Where will I be going?" The boss replies, "I cannot tell you yet, but just have your bag packed by tomorrow and I will take you there."

How many of us would go?

It didn't make sense to the natural mind. He was to forsake every security he has enjoyed. He did not know his destination. He didn't know how far he was going.

But Abraham submitted to God’s direction. Hebrews 11:8

What if God told you to go somewhere or to do something? How would you react? If you’re like me, we have questioned and argued with God. We’d want some answers to our questions before we sent out.

That's not submission to God's direction. We cannot be called the "Friend of God" as long as we question or resist God's direction in our life.

There are three reasons why Abraham obeyed.
Because of his confidence in God's will. (that's faith)
Because of his conscienceless of God's will. (that's submission)
Because of his commitment to God's will. (that's obedience)

Abraham did not demand an explanation. Faith does not need an explanation. He obeyed. He submitted to God's direction.

If we study the various victories that are recorded in the Bible we will find that each victory was a result of the obedience of the Children of Israel rather than their mightiness or their ability.

God wants those who will follow Him without reservation.

II. Abraham also separated from the Godless crowd. Genesis 14:21-23
Take a look at the impact of these verses. Abraham had defeated these five kings of the north, and the king of Sodom, out of appreciation, wanted to give him a reward but Abraham didn’t want it and took nothing from him even though he was beginning a long journey. He doesn't know how far he will be going because he is obeying God.

Now he is faced with a circumstance that if he will allow the king of Sodom to reward him for his victory Abraham can profit financially if he will just be a little flexible. But Abraham was the friend of God, and he did not want it to appear that he was endorsing the ungodliness of Sodom. 1 Thessalonians 5:22

Abraham was called the "Friend of God" because he was willing to be separated from the ungodly city of Sodom. His nephew Lot had chose to follow his own desires. We see Lot’s progression in sin as he first pitched his tent toward Sodom the wicked city and he lost his possessions, and his family! If we expect to be the "Friend of God", we must follow the example of Abraham.

We cannot be the friend of God and the friend of the world at the same time.
We are in this world, but we do not have to of the world.
We can choose to serve God even though the godless world is all around us.

Also we notice that Abraham was willing to stand on the dependability of God. Genesis 15:1-6.

God's promise to Abraham was to bless all the nations of the earth. However, he did not have an heir and was getting on up in years go the circumstances were against him. Even with the bad odds, Abraham stood on the dependability of God and placed his full trust in what God said. The true friend of God is the Christian that is willing to stand on the Word of God. Romans 4:20-21

III. Abraham stood on the promise of the God being dependable.
With all I’ve been through in my years here on Earth, I can tell you for sure that you can also stand on promise of God. What He has promised, He will do.

Consider God's promises.
He has promised to save all who will call on His name. Romans 10:13
He has promised to care for us in the deepest hour of sorrow. 1 Peter 5:7
He has promised to never leave us nor forsake us. Hebrews 13:5
He has promised to meet our needs. Philippians 4:19

IV. He Was Willing To Sacrifice His Dearest To God. Genesis 22:1-6
Abraham had a strong faith. However a faith that has not been tested is faith that cannot be trusted. Twenty-five years had passed between the promise of God and the actual delivering of that promise and now God says, "Sacrifice him."

Abraham was the friend of God because he allowed nothing to shake his confidence in the love of God. Abraham was willing to sacrifice that which was dearest to him and He was going to literally kill Isaac, his promised son. His intention was to plunge the knife into the heart of his dearest son, prepare him for the burnt offering, and then burn him on the altar of God. God had to stop him. Hebrews 11:17

Would we pass the test? God expects you and I to surrender all that you have or own to Him.
Our home
Our business
Our children
Our plans and future

God expects you to sacrifice all that we count dear and precious to Him, or else we can forget about being the friend of God. Remember, He has already done all of that for us. He sacrificed that which was the dearest to His heart on Calvary's cruel cross so that you and I may have eternal life and has already shown Himself a friend to us.

Now when are we going to show ourselves to be friends of God?
Begin first of all by accepting Him as your Savior.
Trust Christ for your salvation.
Trust Him with our lives.
Be willing to follow His direction.
Totally surrender to Him.

A friend places no boundaries on his heart, but places everything upon the altar of sacrifice for God. Abraham was the friend of God. How about you and I today? I wonder how close we can come to being classified as the "Friend of God."

God and you only know the true relationship you and He have. Is it just a “casual” relationship, or is there some depth to it. A real, true longing desire in your heart to live for God and serve Him is the best way to be a friend of God. That means 24/7-365.

* No partying and living for the world on weeknights and heading to church to
praise Him on Sundays.
* No immoral relationships, then telling others how much you love Him.
* No shady business deals and praising Him for the outcome.
* No drugs, no drunkenness, no hatred, no unforgiving spirit, no pride, no lust, no
murder, no lying, no habitual laziness, no stealing, no anger, no envy, no greed,
and even no racism.

God doesn’t want you to be a mindless robot or to have no fun, anyone who knows me knows I’m all about fun, but He goes give us guidelines to use to follow Him if we are to call ourselves His. He expects us to do all within our power to follow His guidelines if we are to be considered a friend of His. From my personal experience, it’s all worth it.

Forgive me for sounding “preachy”, old habits die hard.
__________________________________________________________
Psalm 91:1-2 (English Standard Version)
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.

I will say to the LORD, "My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust."

John 15:12-17 (ESV)
"This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. These things I command you, so that you will love one another.

James 2:23 (ESV)
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.

Proverbs 18:24 (ESV)
A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

Genesis 12:1-4 (ESV)
Now the LORD said to Abram, "Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."

So Abram went, as the LORD had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.

Hebrews 11:8 (ESV)
By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.

Genesis 14:21-23 (ESV)
And the king of Sodom said to Abram, "Give me the persons, but take the goods for yourself." But Abram said to the king of Sodom, "I have lifted my hand to the LORD, God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth, that I would not take a thread or a sandal strap or anything that is yours, lest you should say, 'I have made Abram rich.'

1 Thessalonians 5:22 (ESV)
Abstain from every form of evil.

Genesis 15:1-6 (ESV)
After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: "Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great." But Abram said, "O Lord GOD, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?" And Abram said, "Behold, you have given me no offspring, and a member of my household will be my heir." And behold, the word of the LORD came to him: "This man shall not be your heir; your very own son shall be your heir." And he brought him outside and said, "Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them." Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring be." And he believed the LORD, and he counted it to him as righteousness.

Romans 4:20-21 (ESV)
No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.

Romans 10:13 (ESV)
For "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."

1 Peter 5:7 (ESV)
casting all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you.

Hebrews 13:5 (ESV)
Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."

Philippians 4:19 (ESV)
And my God will supply every need of yours according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

Genesis 22:1-6 (ESV)
After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, "Abraham!" And he said, "Here am I." He said, "Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you." So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar. Then Abraham said to his young men, "Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you." And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. And he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So they went both of them together.

Hebrews 11:17 (ESV)
By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son

No comments: