HOW TO BE A FRIEND OF GOD PART 8

TEXT- JAMES 2:20-24

INTRODUCTION

IF YOU COULD CHOOSE ANYONE YOU WANTED TO BE YOUR FRIEND, WHO WOULD IT BE?

PERHAPS, SOME WOULD CHOOSE A WELL KNOWN CELEBRITY OR SPORTS STAR.

OTHERS PERHAPS WOULD RATHER NOT CHOOSE ANYONE BECAUSE THEY DON'T WANT TO TAKE THE RISKS THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH FRIENDSHIP.

RECENTLY, JUST AFTER MY FATHER DISCOVERED HE HAD HEART PROBLEMS HE SENT ME A LETTER WHICH HE FOUND.

THE TITLE OF IT IS, "FROM A FRIEND" AND I'D LIKE TO READ IT TO YOU.

DEAR FRIEND,

HOW ARE YOU? I JUST HAD TO SEND A NOTE TO TELL YOU HOW MUCH I CARE ABOUT YOU.

I SAW YOU YESTURDAY AS YOU WERE TALKING WITH YOUR FRIENDS. I WAITED ALL DAY HOPING YOU WOULD WANT TO TALK WITH ME, TOO. I GAVE YOU A SUNSET TO CLOSE YOUR DAY AND A COOL BREEZE TO REST YOU - AND I WAITED. YOU NEVER CAME. IT HURT ME - BUT I STILL LOVE YOU BECAUSE I AM YOUR FRIEND.

I SAW YOU SLEEPING LAST NIGHT AND LONGED TO TOUCH YOUR BROW SO I SPILLED MOONLIGHT UPON YOUR FACE. AGAIN, I WAITED, WANTING TO RUSH DOWN SO WE COULD TALK. I HAVE SO MANY GIFTS FOR YOU! YOU AWOKE AND RUSHED OFF TO WORK. MY TEARS WERE IN THE RAIN.

IF YOU WOULD ONLY LISTEN TO ME! I LOVE YOU! I TRY TO TELL YOU IN BLUE SKIES AND IN THE QUIET GREEN GRASS. I WHISPER IT IN LEAVES ON THE TREES AND BREATHE IT IN COLORS OF FLOWERS, SHOUT IT TO YOU IN MOUNTAIN STREAMS, GIVE THE BIRDS LOVE SONGS TO SING. I CLOTHE YOU WITH WARM SUNSHINE AND PERFUME THE AIR WITH NATURE SCENTS. MY LOVE FOR YOU IS DEEPER THAN THE OCEAN, AND BIGGER THAN THE BIGGEST NEED IN YOUR HEART!

ASK ME! TALK WITH ME! PLEASE DON'T FORGET ME. I HAVE SO MUCH TO SHARE WITH YOU!
I WON'T HASSLE YOU ANY FURTHER. IT IS YOUR DECISION. I HAVE CHOSEN YOU AND I WILL WAIT - BECAUSE I LOVE YOU.


YOUR FRIEND,
JESUS

OUT OF ALL THE PEOPLE WE COULD CHOOSE AS OUR FRIEND, NONE OF THEM WOULD BE A BETTER FRIEND THAN THE LORD.

THIS MORNING OUR TEXT IS FOUND IN JAMES 2:20-24 AND THE TITLE OF MY MESSAGE IS, "HOW TO BECOME A FRIEND OF GOD".

HERE IN THIS PASSAGE WE FIND JAMES WRITING TO SOME CHRISTIAN JEWS ABOUT ABRAHAM; ONE OF THE GREATEST PATRIARCHS OF ALL TIME.

NOTICE IN THE LAST PART OF VERSE 23 THAT JAMES TELLS US THAT ABRAHAM WAS "CALLED THE FRIEND OF GOD".

SOME MAY BOAST ABOUT THEIR PRESTIGIOUS FRIENDSHIPS, BUT IT IS AN EVEN GREATER PRIVILEGE TO BE CALLED A FRIEND OF GOD.

THIS MORNING I WOULD LIKE US TO EXAMINE THREE REASONS WHY ABRAHAM WAS CALLED THE FRIEND OF GOD AND SEE HOW THESE THREE CHARACTERISTICS CAN HELP US BECOME A FRIEND OF GOD.