READ | SERMON NOTES
Summary l “Before discipleship, there must be relationship,” a tagline of the Care Group Ministry in Christ Methodist Church. Relationships start with friendship. Friends are those who understand us and know everything about us but still choose to love and support us. “A friend is the one who comes in when the whole world has gone out” (Grace Pulpit). We can all be assured that we have such a friend in Jesus.
1. Are you a friend of God?
What does it take to be a friend of God? Broadly speaking, faith without works is dead (James 2:18-24).
Why was Abraham called a friend of God (Isaiah 41:8 and 1 Chronicles 20:7)?
– Genesis 12: Abraham obeyed God’s command to move and relocate to another land. Like Abraham, we need to display active faith rather than be passive listeners.
– Genesis 15: Abraham believed in God’s promises. This faith he had was accounted as righteousness.
– Genesis 17: his name was changed from Abram to Abraham, the father of many nations.
– Genesis 21: the promise was fulfilled as Sarah bore a son, Isaac.
– Genesis 22: Abraham acted on his faith. As he went to the mountain with Isaac in obedience to the command to sacrifice Isaac, Abraham said in faith, “we will come back”. Abraham so loved God that he was willing to sacrifice his one and only son.
We are friends of God, not by our own goodness but by a divine privilege extended to us. None of us has the right to come before a Holy God. Our Heavenly Father loves us (John 3:16) and demonstrated this love through the sacrifice of His only Son for us. In light of His great love, we need to show visual action in our love for God and corrective action for our sinful behaviour.
Do we focus too much on studying the Word and do not progress to the loving and living out of the Word? Do we focus on the act of worship without the act of loving God? May our worship be stripped of perfection, production, and performance to simply dwell in the presence of God. Love leads to obedience.
2. Are you a friend of friends?
What does it take to be a friend of friends? Love without works is dead (John 13:34-35).
What sort of friends are we? Are we the blood-sucking type of friend or the life-giving one? Are we empathetic to those who are undergoing hard situations and experiencing pain and grief? Are we gracious and understanding, and praying for such friends?
True friends speak the truth in love and with action. They are not keyboard warriors but will stand up, speak up, protect, and defend. They accept us for who we are, but they are also truth-tellers, correcting us when we are wrong and not overlook sins in our lives. To spur one another on, we can set up an accountability system which is God-centric and open to the truth about us as shared by friends.
True intentional discipleship is where we glorify God by loving each other.
(Sermon notes by Angela Goh)
PONDER | REFLECTION QUESTIONS
- Consider how God has spoken to you through this sermon What are 3 points that stood out for me in this sermon?
- What are 2 questions (or things) that I struggled with?
- What is the 1 promise that I may rest on, or 1 thing that I may do?
