January 15, 2017
Scripture:
Hymn 323 - There’s a friend for little children
Prayer
Last time, we spoke about roots, and the importance of having a personal time in the Bible and prayer. Today, let’s talk about friends. The Bible has a lot to say about friends. Even Jesus said, “No one has greater love than to lay down his life for his friends.” That makes us think about what He did for us.
We’ll look at two things: 1. How to choose good friends, and 2. How to be a good friend.
Firstly, choosing good friends. This is very important.
Proverbs 13:20. Here we have two types of friends; the wise and the foolish. The Lord tells us to choose wise friends, and then we will be wise. That is what Proverbs has encouraged us to be all along. However, those who have foolish friends will be destroyed. 1 Corinthians 15:33. If we’re in bad company, we can be persuaded to do bad things that we wouldn’t otherwise do.
Proverbs 22:24-25 These verses tell us not to be friends with an angry man, because we will learn his ways. That goes for other wrong behaviours, too. Friends can teach us bad habits, and hurt our relationship with the Lord.
Psalm 119: 63 gives us more good advice. The Psalmist’s friends were people who honoured the Lord, and loved His word. Our friends impact our lives, so that’s an important quality.
Secondly, the Bible has some things to teach us about being a good friend.
Proverbs 18:24 If we are friendly, loving, and kind, we will have more friends than if we were angry and unkind. The Lord is the friend that sticks closer than a brother, and He never changes.
David and Jonathon were close friends. Jonathon stood up for David against his father, King Saul, and was devoted throughout David’s trials.
Proverbs 17:17. Though we or our friends go through difficulties, our friendships should remain strong. Jonathon wasn’t looking to get the kingdom for himself; he wanted David to be king, and himself second to David. We shouldn’t be friends to get something, but to give and to encourage others.
There is a story told of an Olympics held long ago, where three men (one American, and two Japanese) were competing for gold, silver, and bronze in pole vaulting. They all jumped, and the American won gold. However, before the Japanese could jump again for silver and bronze, it got too dark out, and they had to stop for the night. In the morning, to their surprise, the judges had already awarded one of them silver, and the other bronze, for no apparent reason. The man who was awarded silver thought that this was unfair to his friend, so when they returned to Japan, he had the two medals cut in half, and then spliced back together, so that they each had half a silver, and half a bronze medal. They were called the “friendship medals.”
Proverbs 17:9 When we are close friends with someone, we may learn some bad things about them. A good friend will not gossip about these things, and tell others about them. As they say, “With friends like that, who needs enemies?”
Proverbs 17:17 Friends should encourage each other, like iron sharpens iron. We need to help each other along the path of life.
As the Lord’s children, we are to love even our enemies, so may we learn from these thoughts about being friends.
1 Thessalonians 1:6-10
Paul is actually saying he is also follower. They were to follow him as he followed God. Follower is like disciple.
The Word of God is important. In 1.Peter 1:23 we are told it’s not corruptible. Not only does it show the way of salvation, but also it is a guide to direct our path.
In verse six you might think that one would mention the joy before the affliction. Darby translates affliction as tribulation. If you read about the Covenanters you’ll find that between 1660 and 1670 18,000 of them were killed for their faith. There are some who know tribulation more than others. This is what throws some atheists off. They think that a God of love would never allow something like that to happen. But these Covenanters were faithful even in death. Back in 1 Peter 1 verses 6 and 7 we see that the trial of faith is precious. For those 18,000 the grave is not the end. They have an eternity where there is praise, honor, and glory. God is righteous, and there is a reward waiting for them. Those that killed them will also pay. God will have the last say.
We have here the “joy of the Holy Ghost”. We sometimes sing “We joy in our God, and we sing of that love”, and we know that the Lord gives joy to His own. It seems we have the Trinity in this. Joy is also one of the fruit of the Spirit.
Thessaloniki happened to be on a central trading route. The word spread quickly. They might have received ridicule for turning from idols. This also might have attributed to the affliction.
God’s Word had a big impact on them and changed their behaviour. This had a positive affect on others. They weren’t keeping their faith in a private closet. Others saw them happy in their new found Saviour. There appears to have been believers in Macedonia and Achaia. Even they were encouraged by the Thessalonians.
In verse six the Thessalonians were receiving the Word, but in verse eight they were sounding it out. It didn’t just limit to the locals. It was spread abroad “in every place”.
The Thessalonians turned to God from idols; this is a good example of a conversion. They then served the living and true God which is a big contrast to the idols who where absolutely dumb and couldn’t do anything. They were then waiting for the Son from heaven, and we are still waiting.
We see in verse ten that Jesus had come from heaven, went into death and came from death, and because of this we are delivered from the wrath to come.
All five chapters in this book have some reference to the Lord’s coming.
Hymn 216 - How good is the God we adore
Prayer