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Power Point with Jack Graham

Jack Graham - You've Got A Friend In Me

May 17, 2026 | 27:29

Jack Graham - You've Got A Friend In Me
Dr. Jack Graham's mission is to glorify God by introducing Jesus Christ as Lord to all people.
#Love #Family #Commandment #Peopleinyourlife #PresenceofGod #FruitoftheSpirit #Marriage #Divorce #Father #Prayer #Success #JackGraham

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Power Point with Jack Graham | Jack Graham - You've Got A Friend In Me | May 17, 2026
  • ♪♪♪
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  • There is no person that god cannot save!
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  • There is no promise that god will not keep!
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  • There is nothing that our god cannot do!
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  • ♪♪♪
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  • This is our message series called a christ-centered life,
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  • And the title of today's message from john's gospel,
  • 00:00:44.501 --> 00:00:47.370
  • Chapter 15, is you've got a friend in me, and his name is
  • 00:00:47.370 --> 00:00:55.311
  • Jesus. what is a christ-centered life? what does
  • 00:00:55.311 --> 00:00:59.649
  • That mean? we're discovering what that means in the upper
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  • Room with jesus, with his disciples, his chosen and
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  • Called apostles, but the words that jesus gave so long ago in
  • 00:01:06.556 --> 00:01:10.493
  • That upper room as his life and his legacy to that generation,
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  • But to all generations. and jesus filled that room with his
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  • Presence and with so many wonderful promises.
  • 00:01:19.035 --> 00:01:23.239
  • It was the passover night, the last time jesus would share the
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  • Passover with his disciples because he himself is the
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  • Passover lamb and would give the final and ultimate
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  • Sacrifice. so he gathers his chosen in a cloistered room,
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  • Just jesus and his men. he makes all of these astonishing
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  • Promises, talks to us about preparing a place for us in
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  • Heaven, speaks to us about peace, not as the world gives,
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  • But the peace that only god can give. he speaks to us of prayer
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  • And the power of prayer and answered prayer because in
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  • Christ we have access to the throne room of god. he speaks
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  • To us about the power and the presence and the promise of the
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  • Holy spirit, which is key to all of this because the holy
  • 00:02:13.623 --> 00:02:17.927
  • Spirit lives in us. the presence of christ is the
  • 00:02:17.927 --> 00:02:21.531
  • Presence of god's spirit, his spirit living in us.
  • 00:02:21.531 --> 00:02:26.135
  • So he delivers all of these promises and at the close of
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  • Chapter 14, after they have observed the passover meal
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  • Together and after judas had exited the room to go about the
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  • Betrayal of our lord, they exit the room themselves and they
  • 00:02:39.115 --> 00:02:45.355
  • Begin to walk in the darkness. it was the road to the cross.
  • 00:02:45.355 --> 00:02:49.392
  • Jesus is literally hours away, minutes away, if you choose to
  • 00:02:49.392 --> 00:02:53.763
  • Say it, minutes away from the cross when he would die on the
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  • Cross for our sins, because god loves us so very much. he
  • 00:02:58.234 --> 00:03:03.606
  • Looked at the world and said, i love you this much, and he
  • 00:03:03.606 --> 00:03:05.708
  • Stretched out his arms and he died on the cross.
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  • So now he's walking with these disciples and as he's walking
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  • On this road down to a place called gethsemane, where he
  • 00:03:15.318 --> 00:03:18.655
  • Would pray and surrender his life to the will of the father
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  • To offer his life and there to be arrested. and as he walks
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  • With these men, he says this, beginning in verse 12, "this is
  • 00:03:27.930 --> 00:03:33.903
  • My commandment." imagine walking with jesus because you
  • 00:03:33.903 --> 00:03:37.340
  • Are, if you're a christian and hearing this. "this is my
  • 00:03:37.340 --> 00:03:41.244
  • Commandment that you love one another as i have loved you."
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  • This is on repeat from earlier in the upper room when he said
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  • In john 13:34, "a new commandment i give to you that
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  • You love one another as i have loved you." and so he says it
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  • Again.
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  • And then this great verse, "greater love has no one than
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  • This, that someone laid down his life for his friends." "you
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  • Are my friends. if you do what i command you," "no longer do i
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  • Call you servants for the servant does not know what the
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  • Master is doing, but i call you," don't miss this, "i call
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  • You my friends."
  • 00:04:25.755 --> 00:04:31.527
  • Now let that sink in for just a moment. the god of creation,
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  • The lord of the universe, the savior of the world says, i'm
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  • Inviting you to be my friend. you have a friend in me. we
  • 00:04:47.310 --> 00:04:53.549
  • Understand jesus is lord, jesus is savior. we understand many
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  • Things about our lord, but it blows my mind to think that i
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  • Could be a friend of god. god said this to abraham back in
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  • The old testament. it's the only one mentioned in the old
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  • Testament of which it says that abraham was a friend of god.
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  • And you know why he followed the lord by faith. he trusted
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  • In god. and so god said, abraham is my friend.
  • 00:05:24.380 --> 00:05:28.584
  • And so now jesus is repeating this to his disciples. and
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  • Remember what he says in the upper room to these chosen one
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  • Includes us because later he prays us in and seals it in for
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  • All of us because he says, i pray for not only these, but
  • 00:05:39.695 --> 00:05:43.266
  • Those who come after. so he's talking about you and me. he's
  • 00:05:43.266 --> 00:05:46.135
  • Talking to you and me. and he says, you are my friends.
  • 00:05:46.135 --> 00:05:51.140
  • Let's pick it up again in verse 15 "for all that i have heard
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  • From my father, i have made known to you," just like a good
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  • Friend sharing secrets with a friend sharing insights, jesus
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  • Is doing that. and then he said, "you did not choose me,
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  • But i chose you and appointed you that you should go out and
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  • Bear fruit and that your fruit should abide. so that whatever
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  • You ask," he goes back to prayer. "whatever you pray, you
  • 00:06:15.998 --> 00:06:19.001
  • Ask the father in my name, he may give it to you." "these
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  • Things i command you, what that you say it, love one another."
  • 00:06:22.104 --> 00:06:30.079
  • So consider, first of all, that we are made for friendship with
  • 00:06:30.079 --> 00:06:37.386
  • God. we are created for a relationship with god. that is
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  • Why we are here. that is why he created all of humankind. it's
  • 00:06:41.724 --> 00:06:48.664
  • Been said many times that relationship, about
  • 00:06:48.664 --> 00:06:51.234
  • Relationships, that life is all about relationships. the rest
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  • Is just details. so concerning life, god made us for
  • 00:06:55.338 --> 00:07:03.479
  • Relationships and the rest is his details as he directs us.
  • 00:07:03.479 --> 00:07:10.353
  • And yet so many people are lonely and empty and don't have
  • 00:07:10.353 --> 00:07:14.557
  • Good relationships.
  • 00:07:14.557 --> 00:07:15.725
  • Loneliness is at epidemic pandemic proportions in our
  • 00:07:15.725 --> 00:07:19.161
  • Nation and really around the world. millions of americans
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  • Are very lonely. and this includes the older and it
  • 00:07:23.599 --> 00:07:26.936
  • Includes the younger. it's a big problem among young people.
  • 00:07:26.936 --> 00:07:30.640
  • Even though, even though there are more social connections on
  • 00:07:30.640 --> 00:07:35.478
  • Media and posts and clicks and connections, it seems that we
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  • Have fewer and fewer real friends. we have ai friends.
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  • Maybe you have business friends, but do you have real
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  • Friends?
  • 00:07:55.097 --> 00:07:57.033
  • I was reading a story about a world war i experience. a man
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  • Was on the battlefield and his company retreated, but in the
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  • Retreat, his friend was wounded and he realized it when he got
  • 00:08:07.543 --> 00:08:12.949
  • To safety that his friend didn't make it. so he was going
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  • To go back to find his friend. his commanding officer said,
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  • Don't do it. it's too dangerous. you can't go back.
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  • He commanded him not to go. but this man went anyway, and he
  • 00:08:26.262 --> 00:08:31.334
  • Ran through bullet fire, weapons fire, and literal fire.
  • 00:08:31.334 --> 00:08:35.938
  • And he picked up his friend and he came running back to safety
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  • With his friend. and when he arrived, he laid his friend
  • 00:08:41.811 --> 00:08:44.747
  • Down, but his friend was gone. his friend was dead. and the
  • 00:08:44.747 --> 00:08:49.552
  • Commanding officer almost cynically said, well, look, do
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  • You think it was worth it? your friend is dead. and the brave
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  • Soldier said, yes, it was worth it. because when i got to him,
  • 00:09:04.266 --> 00:09:09.905
  • He said, i knew you'd come.
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  • That's what god has done for us in christ. he sent his only
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  • Son, jesus christ, on a rescue mission when we were dead in
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  • Our trespasses and sin. and he took the risk and he died in
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  • Order that we could be forgiven, in order that we
  • 00:09:27.857 --> 00:09:29.792
  • Could be changed. this is a true friend. what a friend we
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  • Have as jesus. and i can just imagine jesus when he returns
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  • To the throne room of god and maybe an angel ask him, was it
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  • Worth it? and he said, yes, it was worth it because so many
  • 00:09:42.505 --> 00:09:49.011
  • Have said, i knew you would come. jesus comes for you and
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  • He's coming today.
  • 00:09:56.152 --> 00:09:57.353
  • Now there are all kinds of friends. of course, there are
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  • Casual acquaintances. we have lots of friends like that, even
  • 00:10:00.556 --> 00:10:05.094
  • In the room today. friends that we meet at church or casual
  • 00:10:05.094 --> 00:10:09.031
  • Acquaintances in the neighborhood. these are the
  • 00:10:09.031 --> 00:10:10.866
  • People that sort of come in and out of our lives and they touch
  • 00:10:10.866 --> 00:10:14.070
  • Us perhaps in a good way for a moment, but it's just casual.
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  • Then there are fair weather friends. anybody had a fair
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  • Weather friend? you know what that is. on the good days,
  • 00:10:24.046 --> 00:10:28.017
  • They're on the good days, but nowhere to be found on the bad
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  • Days.
  • 00:10:34.323 --> 00:10:35.491
  • But then there are true friends, as the proverbs says,
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  • Friends that stick closer than a brother. "a friend loves at
  • 00:10:38.561 --> 00:10:45.801
  • All times and a brother is born for adversity."
  • 00:10:45.801 --> 00:10:52.575
  • Are you looking for a true friend, a real friend? jesus is
  • 00:10:52.575 --> 00:10:55.444
  • That kind of friend because jesus meets all the
  • 00:10:55.444 --> 00:10:58.681
  • Qualifications and characteristics of a friend
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  • Like that. he is someone who loves us unconditionally and
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  • Unwavering and undeserved love. he gives sacrificially instead
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  • Fastly. he said to those disciples in john 13:1, his
  • 00:11:10.159 --> 00:11:14.497
  • Opening atmosphere was, “he loved them to the end, even
  • 00:11:14.497 --> 00:11:19.535
  • Though they failed him in many ways.” he said then, i have
  • 00:11:19.535 --> 00:11:23.139
  • Called you my friends.
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  • ♪♪♪
  • 00:11:25.207 --> 00:11:35.651
  • The bible is the bestselling, most translated, and most
  • 00:11:36.786 --> 00:11:40.489
  • Quoted book of all time, and yet so many have neglected
  • 00:11:40.489 --> 00:11:43.959
  • Reading or have completely missed what the bible is all
  • 00:11:43.959 --> 00:11:47.663
  • About. in a world of chaos and confusion uncertainty out
  • 00:11:47.663 --> 00:11:51.000
  • There, the bible is the only constant. the only certainty is
  • 00:11:51.000 --> 00:11:54.503
  • Jesus himself and his word, who is the same yesterday, today,
  • 00:11:54.503 --> 00:11:58.107
  • And forever.
  • 00:11:58.107 --> 00:11:59.308
  • And i want to help you see god's word with clearer eyes.
  • 00:11:59.308 --> 00:12:02.444
  • By sending you my brand-new book, “the jesus book, reading
  • 00:12:02.444 --> 00:12:06.615
  • And understanding the bible for yourself.” the jesus book is my
  • 00:12:06.615 --> 00:12:10.386
  • Thanks for your best gift to help powerpoint to share the
  • 00:12:10.386 --> 00:12:14.423
  • Unchanging truth of god's word and the testimony of jesus
  • 00:12:14.423 --> 00:12:18.093
  • Around the world. so request your copy today.
  • 00:12:18.093 --> 00:12:21.030
  • You can go to jackgraham.org
  • 00:12:21.030 --> 00:12:22.665
  • Or simply text the word book to 59789.
  • 00:12:22.665 --> 00:12:27.169
  • We know that god's word is powerful. it is the story of
  • 00:12:27.169 --> 00:12:30.206
  • Salvation through christ, with the scarlet thread of
  • 00:12:30.206 --> 00:12:33.142
  • Redemption running through its pages from beginning to end.
  • 00:12:33.142 --> 00:12:37.446
  • That's why i call it the jesus book. i hope you'll take the
  • 00:12:37.446 --> 00:12:40.449
  • Step to request my new book, the jesus book, so you can see
  • 00:12:40.449 --> 00:12:44.119
  • The word of god come alive in you and abide in you
  • 00:12:44.119 --> 00:12:47.489
  • Now and forever.
  • 00:12:47.489 --> 00:12:48.724
  • Thank you so much for being a powerful part of god's word
  • 00:12:48.724 --> 00:12:52.428
  • Through powerpoint. changing hearts, changing lives
  • 00:12:52.428 --> 00:12:56.131
  • Till the whole world hears.
  • 00:12:56.131 --> 00:13:05.808
  • ♪♪♪
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  • Our savior, our god is not a distant deity way out there
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  • Somewhere. the god who made us, who created us is willing to
  • 00:13:16.952 --> 00:13:24.827
  • Step into our lives, willing to live in us. and you know, a
  • 00:13:24.827 --> 00:13:31.267
  • Good friend is someone you like to be around. a good friend is
  • 00:13:31.267 --> 00:13:36.438
  • Someone you enjoy their company, right? too many people
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  • See jesus as some kind of austere, pious, recluse, you
  • 00:13:41.877 --> 00:13:50.286
  • Know, a religious person. and that you really couldn't get
  • 00:13:50.286 --> 00:13:54.823
  • That close to him. that's the opposite of jesus. little
  • 00:13:54.823 --> 00:13:59.094
  • Children enjoyed the presence of jesus. sinners, party goers
  • 00:13:59.094 --> 00:14:07.102
  • Like jesus and invited them, him to their home, though he,
  • 00:14:07.102 --> 00:14:10.806
  • He celebrated life with them. he never sinned with them. and
  • 00:14:10.806 --> 00:14:14.043
  • Yet even the enemies of jesus called him the friend of
  • 00:14:14.043 --> 00:14:19.415
  • Sinners. it wasn't a compliment, but aren't you glad
  • 00:14:19.415 --> 00:14:23.018
  • That jesus is the friend of sinners? because that would
  • 00:14:23.018 --> 00:14:26.221
  • Include you and me and all of us for all of us have sinned
  • 00:14:26.221 --> 00:14:30.359
  • And come short of the glory of god.
  • 00:14:30.359 --> 00:14:34.229
  • And so there's a true friend who's always there when needed,
  • 00:14:34.229 --> 00:14:41.503
  • Who's always present. and jesus is that real friend. and that's
  • 00:14:41.503 --> 00:14:44.873
  • Why i often say that jesus is not someone i just know about.
  • 00:14:44.873 --> 00:14:50.179
  • He's someone i know and someone i love because i spend time
  • 00:14:50.179 --> 00:14:54.083
  • With him. i know him for all these years. he has walked with
  • 00:14:54.083 --> 00:14:57.019
  • Me and been with me and he has with you as well. if you have
  • 00:14:57.019 --> 00:15:02.191
  • Him in your life.
  • 00:15:02.191 --> 00:15:04.660
  • Unfortunately, some people really don't have this
  • 00:15:04.660 --> 00:15:07.096
  • Relationship that we're talking about this. when you hear in
  • 00:15:07.096 --> 00:15:11.000
  • Church, like churches like ours, you need to have a
  • 00:15:11.000 --> 00:15:13.435
  • Relationship with god. some people scratch their head and
  • 00:15:13.435 --> 00:15:16.205
  • Says, what does that even mean? a relationship with god? how
  • 00:15:16.205 --> 00:15:19.041
  • Can a human being have a relationship with god? how does
  • 00:15:19.041 --> 00:15:23.412
  • That happen?
  • 00:15:23.412 --> 00:15:24.713
  • Well, first of all, it happens through the ministry and the
  • 00:15:24.713 --> 00:15:26.715
  • Work of the holy spirit. because the holy spirit
  • 00:15:26.715 --> 00:15:31.320
  • Reproduces christ in us and replicates his love and his
  • 00:15:31.320 --> 00:15:35.024
  • Grace. his very presence is in us. so i sense his presence. i
  • 00:15:35.024 --> 00:15:41.230
  • Know his presence. he's there.
  • 00:15:41.230 --> 00:15:46.268
  • It tells us that we are chosen in verse 16. look back at verse
  • 00:15:46.268 --> 00:15:51.173
  • 16 of chapter 15, it says, "you did not choose me, but i chose
  • 00:15:51.173 --> 00:15:54.843
  • You and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit."
  • 00:15:54.843 --> 00:15:59.681
  • And why does he choose us in this way? well, because he
  • 00:15:59.681 --> 00:16:02.384
  • Simply loves us. not because we were lovely or even likable,
  • 00:16:02.384 --> 00:16:09.992
  • But because of his own love. this is the kind of friend we
  • 00:16:09.992 --> 00:16:14.363
  • Have in jesus. someone who knows all about us, who knows
  • 00:16:14.363 --> 00:16:18.834
  • All about you, the good, the bad and the ugly, your flaws,
  • 00:16:18.834 --> 00:16:22.905
  • Your failures, your sin, your selfishness, and he chooses you
  • 00:16:22.905 --> 00:16:26.575
  • Anyway. you know what this is called? grace, favor. you are a
  • 00:16:26.575 --> 00:16:35.484
  • Favored friend.
  • 00:16:35.484 --> 00:16:38.387
  • And he accepts me and you in spite of what we have done by
  • 00:16:38.387 --> 00:16:42.291
  • His grace. he loves me before i love him. scripture says that
  • 00:16:42.291 --> 00:16:50.866
  • He loved us. we love him because he first loved us. and
  • 00:16:50.866 --> 00:16:56.738
  • We are no longer slaves, jesus said. now, in one sense, we are
  • 00:16:56.738 --> 00:17:01.276
  • Still slaves. in that, as the new testament teaches us, we
  • 00:17:01.276 --> 00:17:08.283
  • Are bondservants now of jesus christ. we are his slaves. we
  • 00:17:08.283 --> 00:17:12.154
  • Are his servants and we gladly serve him. we are owned, bought
  • 00:17:12.154 --> 00:17:17.793
  • And paid for in full with the blood of christ. we are owned
  • 00:17:17.793 --> 00:17:21.430
  • By the lord jesus christ. yes, we are slaves, but he said, i
  • 00:17:21.430 --> 00:17:24.566
  • Don't call you slaves, i call you friends.
  • 00:17:24.566 --> 00:17:28.737
  • In the ancient world, some kings would have slaves around
  • 00:17:28.737 --> 00:17:35.244
  • Them as the slaves of the court. they were the slaves
  • 00:17:35.244 --> 00:17:39.214
  • That served the king next to the king. and often, we're told
  • 00:17:39.214 --> 00:17:42.317
  • In history, these slaves became intimates, friends of the king,
  • 00:17:42.317 --> 00:17:47.122
  • And he would share secrets. they would hear the things all
  • 00:17:47.122 --> 00:17:49.625
  • About the king and all about the kingdom because they were
  • 00:17:49.625 --> 00:17:52.027
  • So close. it is like this when jesus is talking about, you're
  • 00:17:52.027 --> 00:17:55.964
  • Not slaves of the king now, you're friends of the king as
  • 00:17:55.964 --> 00:17:59.735
  • Well. jesus said, you are my friend. i know him and he knows
  • 00:17:59.735 --> 00:18:05.641
  • Me. and this is possible because of the relationship
  • 00:18:05.641 --> 00:18:10.145
  • He's established at the cross. we're no longer at war with
  • 00:18:10.145 --> 00:18:13.782
  • God, enemies of god, but we are the friends of god.
  • 00:18:13.782 --> 00:18:18.387
  • And he can be your personal savior, master, and friend. if
  • 00:18:18.387 --> 00:18:27.329
  • You will choose to say yes to him. and when you know jesus,
  • 00:18:27.329 --> 00:18:30.999
  • The friend of friends, you discover a relationship that is
  • 00:18:30.999 --> 00:18:34.436
  • Beyond any human relationship you could know.
  • 00:18:34.436 --> 00:18:37.139
  • And so that brings me to the second thing, and that is
  • 00:18:37.139 --> 00:18:39.508
  • Friendship with jesus changes the way we live. if you're a
  • 00:18:39.508 --> 00:18:44.313
  • Friend of him, he changes us. "you are my friends," he said.
  • 00:18:44.313 --> 00:18:52.221
  • "if you do what i command you." and what did he command us to
  • 00:18:52.221 --> 00:18:59.294
  • Do? to go and bring spiritual fruit. he said, stay with me,
  • 00:18:59.294 --> 00:19:06.001
  • Walk with me. let's work together in this and we're
  • 00:19:06.001 --> 00:19:09.671
  • Going to bear spiritual fruit like branches. we're branches
  • 00:19:09.671 --> 00:19:12.741
  • And we're not straining to do it. we're not striving to do
  • 00:19:12.741 --> 00:19:14.076
  • It. we're just doing it because we're connected to the life
  • 00:19:14.076 --> 00:19:15.410
  • Source. the true vine, jesus' life flows in us.
  • 00:19:15.410 --> 00:19:16.745
  • And so when we walk with jesus like this, we begin to
  • 00:19:16.745 --> 00:19:26.288
  • Reproduce spiritual fruit. have you noticed that friends,
  • 00:19:26.288 --> 00:19:32.894
  • Especially if they've been friends for a long time, start
  • 00:19:32.894 --> 00:19:37.599
  • To act alike? you show me your inner circle of friends and
  • 00:19:37.599 --> 00:19:43.739
  • I'll show you the kind of person you're going to be in
  • 00:19:43.739 --> 00:19:47.075
  • Short order. because we start pretty much acting like the
  • 00:19:47.075 --> 00:19:50.646
  • Friends we choose. why you should choose your friends,
  • 00:19:50.646 --> 00:19:53.682
  • Young people, especially hear this, choose your friends
  • 00:19:53.682 --> 00:19:56.418
  • Wisely.
  • 00:19:56.418 --> 00:19:57.586
  • But you know, when we have friends like that, we start
  • 00:19:57.586 --> 00:19:59.821
  • Acting like, we can finish each other's sentences, laugh at
  • 00:19:59.821 --> 00:20:01.156
  • Each other's jokes. some people even start to dress alike and
  • 00:20:01.156 --> 00:20:02.491
  • Look alike. you ever notice how couples, you know, deb is,
  • 00:20:02.491 --> 00:20:10.332
  • There's no question, deb's my closest and dearest friend, my
  • 00:20:10.332 --> 00:20:21.443
  • Wife. and because we really love each other, we really like
  • 00:20:21.443 --> 00:20:25.714
  • Each other. i tell young couples, marry someone that you
  • 00:20:25.714 --> 00:20:29.351
  • Not only love and you've got all that vibe going on, but
  • 00:20:29.351 --> 00:20:33.055
  • That you actually like being around. because it's relatively
  • 00:20:33.055 --> 00:20:38.560
  • Simple to divorce your mate, but it's impossible to divorce
  • 00:20:38.560 --> 00:20:45.300
  • Your best friend. so anyway, have you ever noticed how older
  • 00:20:45.300 --> 00:20:50.839
  • Couples start looking alike? it can be a little scary.
  • 00:20:50.839 --> 00:20:57.412
  • Well, the more time you spend with jesus, the more you start
  • 00:20:57.412 --> 00:21:00.248
  • To look like jesus, think like jesus, act like jesus. you
  • 00:21:00.248 --> 00:21:04.886
  • Start thinking like a christian. you start acting
  • 00:21:04.886 --> 00:21:08.457
  • Like a believer. you love and live and bear fruit. as jesus
  • 00:21:08.457 --> 00:21:17.032
  • Said here, you're my confidants. friends are
  • 00:21:17.032 --> 00:21:20.802
  • Confidants. we share secrets. he said, verse 15, look at the
  • 00:21:20.802 --> 00:21:24.740
  • Last phrase of verse 15, it says, "for all that i have
  • 00:21:24.740 --> 00:21:28.176
  • Heard from my father, i've made known to you."
  • 00:21:28.176 --> 00:21:30.812
  • If you're a friend of jesus, you begin to understand the
  • 00:21:30.812 --> 00:21:33.648
  • Things of god and how does that happen? prayer and god's word.
  • 00:21:33.648 --> 00:21:41.390
  • This is why we should all have a time with god alone every
  • 00:21:41.390 --> 00:21:47.896
  • Single day, because the more you're in his word, he said,
  • 00:21:47.896 --> 00:21:50.732
  • Abide in me and my word, he said. abide in me and my word.
  • 00:21:50.732 --> 00:21:55.871
  • So what happens when we're in the word, we learn the ways of
  • 00:21:55.871 --> 00:21:59.207
  • God and the will of god for our lives. he shares life's secrets
  • 00:21:59.207 --> 00:22:04.479
  • With us. he shares his very life with us.
  • 00:22:04.479 --> 00:22:11.553
  • So he picked you, he planned to receive you. you know, we're
  • 00:22:11.553 --> 00:22:16.425
  • All friends and we should love everyone. but the circle, the
  • 00:22:16.425 --> 00:22:24.032
  • Inner circle that jesus had and we should have, should be
  • 00:22:24.032 --> 00:22:26.501
  • Friends of jesus. now hear me well, yes, we love everyone.
  • 00:22:26.501 --> 00:22:34.142
  • God loves everyone. but we have a unique relationship because
  • 00:22:34.142 --> 00:22:39.014
  • Jesus says, as i have loved you, love who? one another.
  • 00:22:39.014 --> 00:22:45.654
  • Yes, jesus, and therefore we are the friend of sinners, but
  • 00:22:45.654 --> 00:22:49.257
  • Our circle, our inner circle should be god's people. that's
  • 00:22:49.257 --> 00:22:54.930
  • True for our families.
  • 00:22:54.930 --> 00:22:56.231
  • And you know, the people you choose as your friends will
  • 00:22:56.231 --> 00:23:00.535
  • Either hold you back or build you up. how many friends do you
  • 00:23:00.535 --> 00:23:03.505
  • Have? they will either elevate your life or decelerate your
  • 00:23:03.505 --> 00:23:12.080
  • Life. a real friend, a man or woman in christ, will help you
  • 00:23:12.080 --> 00:23:18.320
  • To pray more, build bigger dreams and bolder and compete
  • 00:23:18.320 --> 00:23:22.190
  • Harder and live better. the right friends will encourage
  • 00:23:22.190 --> 00:23:25.227
  • You and stretch you and help you succeed. they won't drain
  • 00:23:25.227 --> 00:23:30.632
  • You or deplete you. they will remind you of who you are in
  • 00:23:30.632 --> 00:23:35.270
  • Christ, not who you are or what even you used to be. but real
  • 00:23:35.270 --> 00:23:41.343
  • Friends, like the friends we meet in church, will remind you
  • 00:23:41.343 --> 00:23:46.114
  • Not of what you used to be, but who you are in jesus. that's
  • 00:23:46.114 --> 00:23:50.685
  • What we are about. so celebrate and cherish your friends and
  • 00:23:50.685 --> 00:23:56.725
  • Choose your friends well.
  • 00:23:56.725 --> 00:24:01.429
  • Well one final point in closing, and that is love one
  • 00:24:01.429 --> 00:24:05.066
  • Another like jesus loves you. love one another like jesus
  • 00:24:05.066 --> 00:24:09.938
  • Loves you. this is how the world, this is how the world
  • 00:24:09.938 --> 00:24:14.376
  • Will know you are a friend of jesus. how are they going to
  • 00:24:14.376 --> 00:24:17.345
  • Know that you're a friend of jesus? you say, well, because i
  • 00:24:17.345 --> 00:24:21.883
  • Tell them, okay, that's a good start. but not necessarily
  • 00:24:21.883 --> 00:24:27.422
  • Because of your knowledge of the bible. you should have
  • 00:24:27.422 --> 00:24:31.426
  • Great knowledge of the bible, growing knowledge of the bible.
  • 00:24:31.426 --> 00:24:34.996
  • Not because you've memorized a lot of scriptures. you know i
  • 00:24:34.996 --> 00:24:39.968
  • Encourage that, but this is not how the world will know that
  • 00:24:39.968 --> 00:24:44.172
  • You're a friend of jesus necessarily. not because you go
  • 00:24:44.172 --> 00:24:48.076
  • To church, it's awesome that it is to be in church, but that's
  • 00:24:48.076 --> 00:24:50.879
  • Not how primarily people know that you're a friend of jesus.
  • 00:24:50.879 --> 00:24:57.953
  • You know how they know if you're a friend of jesus?
  • 00:24:57.953 --> 00:25:02.190
  • Because you're glorifying god, as he told us, by bearing
  • 00:25:02.190 --> 00:25:05.327
  • Spiritual fruit, the character of christ, and the witness of
  • 00:25:05.327 --> 00:25:08.430
  • Your life. that you're loving like jesus loves, that you're
  • 00:25:08.430 --> 00:25:11.499
  • Loving others like jesus loved you.
  • 00:25:11.499 --> 00:25:17.472
  • So here's the question, are you loving others like jesus loved
  • 00:25:17.472 --> 00:25:20.241
  • You? do you love your spouse like that? men, god said,
  • 00:25:20.241 --> 00:25:28.049
  • "husband, love your wives as christ loved the church and
  • 00:25:28.049 --> 00:25:30.685
  • Gave himself for it." do you love like that? love your kids.
  • 00:25:30.685 --> 00:25:35.223
  • Love like jesus loves your kids and loves you. love your
  • 00:25:35.223 --> 00:25:42.797
  • Neighbors, even those that you don't necessarily like, but
  • 00:25:42.797 --> 00:25:51.640
  • Love like jesus loves. you say, well, that's hard to do. yes,
  • 00:25:51.640 --> 00:25:54.376
  • Certainly it is. but he will give us his love, lord, your
  • 00:25:54.376 --> 00:25:58.313
  • Love. i don't like that guy over there, but lord, help me
  • 00:25:58.313 --> 00:26:03.184
  • To love him. help me to learn how to love.
  • 00:26:03.184 --> 00:26:06.888
  • I had a guy in my office years ago who said to me, he made a
  • 00:26:06.888 --> 00:26:10.425
  • Mistake. he said to me, well, i just don't love my wife
  • 00:26:10.425 --> 00:26:13.728
  • Anymore. i had no compassion for that. you know what i said
  • 00:26:13.728 --> 00:26:18.867
  • To him? then learn to love her. jesus said, don't lose your
  • 00:26:18.867 --> 00:26:26.508
  • First love. don't tell me you can't love your wife if you
  • 00:26:26.508 --> 00:26:32.047
  • Claim the spirit of the living god is alive in you. so learn
  • 00:26:32.047 --> 00:26:37.385
  • To love your neighbors.
  • 00:26:37.385 --> 00:26:38.620
  • What about all these that are coming from other countries,
  • 00:26:38.620 --> 00:26:42.724
  • Immigrants?
  • 00:26:42.724 --> 00:26:43.892
  • We're going to love them as our neighbors. we're going
  • 00:26:43.892 --> 00:26:47.529
  • To love people like jesus loves people. we're going to bear
  • 00:26:47.529 --> 00:26:51.666
  • Fruit and more fruit and much fruit because this is how we
  • 00:26:51.666 --> 00:26:55.036
  • Show that we're the friends of jesus.
  • 00:26:55.036 --> 00:26:59.741
  • If you're a friend of jesus, you can never hate someone. if
  • 00:26:59.741 --> 00:27:03.912
  • You're a friend of jesus, you can never harbor unforgiveness
  • 00:27:03.912 --> 00:27:07.949
  • Or bitterness in your heart towards someone because as he
  • 00:27:07.949 --> 00:27:11.086
  • Has forgiven us, we forgive one another. this is what it means
  • 00:27:11.086 --> 00:27:15.890
  • To be a friend of jesus because he is a friend to you.
  • 00:27:15.890 --> 00:27:22.697
  • ♪♪♪
  • 00:27:22.697 --> 00:27:22.697