Message Notes

YAG RETREAT
Session #6
Monday, 30 May 2005
Evening Message
Text: John 15
“You are My friends”

1. The possibility of a friendship with the Lord (Old Testament)

a) Abraham          (“Friend of God”- Isaiah 41:8)

i) Called          Genesis 12

ii) Instructed          Genesis 12-22

iii) Protected

iv) Tested          Genesis 22

v) Blessed          Genesis 12-25

b) What is God looking for in a friendship?

i) Interactive Faith          Romans 4; Hebrews 11

ii) Fear of God          Genesis 22:12

iii) Deed          Genesis 22:15

iv) Obedience          Genesis 22:18

2. Friendship with the Lord Jesus Christ (New Testament)

a) Friendship Proven          John 15:13

i) Greatest demonstration of friendship

ii) Laying down one’s life for a friend

b) Friendship offered          John 15:14

i) Profundity (not ordinary)

ii) Condition of Obedience

c) A Deeper level          John 15:15

i) Teacher-disciple relationship

ii) Master-servant relationship

iii) Friend-friend

iv) “All things made known”

3. The Circles of Friends

a) Noticeable Circles

i) Seventy disciples          (Luke 10:1)

ii) Twelve Disciples          (Matthew 10:1)

iii) Three disciples          (Peter, James and John- Matthew 17:1)

b) Forging of Jesus’ circle of friends

i) Calling

ii) Training (discipling)

iii) Learning (practising)

c) Recognizable traits

Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus.

Acts 4:13

d) The things that bind Believers together as Friends of Jesus          (Cf. Ephesians 4:1-16)

i) A Common Faith

ii) A Common Love

iii) A Common Cause

4. The Power to become all that God wants us to be

i) Power of the Spirit of God

ii) Power of a Fully united Church (Many models in the NT era)

5. Discussion

a) Personal Endeavour to Discover and develop Friendship with the Lord Jesus

b) Practical Steps that need to be taken

c) Discover- by exploration/experimentation

d) Unafraid of mistakes and failures

e) Chart and measure growth of friendship