WISDOM IS CALLING about FRIENDSHIP

 

It has been said that of all the things upon the earth a faithful friend is the best.

The Bible tells us of the   WISDOM    of having good friends. 

Eccl. 4:9 – 10 reveals “two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor.  For if they fall, one will    LIFT    up his companion.  But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up."                                

Prov. 27:17 tells us, "As iron sharpens iron, so a man SHARPENS the countenance of his friend."

In 1 Sam. 18 we read of a great friendship between David and Jonathan.  18:1 After David had finished talking with Saul, he met Jonathan, the king’s son. There was an immediate bond of love between them, and they became the best of friends. 3  And Jonathan made a solemn pact with David, because he loved him as he loved himself.

In Philemon 1:1 Paul starts his letter off with how he thinks about Philemon

“Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, …… to Philemon our beloved FRIEND  and fellow laborer,

While it is wise to have good friends, one should beware of the  WARNINGS   that God’s Word has about having the WRONG kind of friends.  Without a doubt, our friends influence us. 

“He who walks with the wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed.”   Prov. 13:20

Friends are like buttons in an elevator.  They can take you up or they can take you down.
 There are a number of verses in the Word of God that issue strong WARNINGS.

Prov. 28:7  Whoever keeps the law is a discerning son,

              But a companion of GLUTTONS shames his father.

 Pr 29:3  Whoever loves wisdom makes his father rejoice,

But a companion of   HARLOTS   wastes his wealth.

Pr 20:19  He who goes about as a talebearer reveals secrets;

               Therefore do not associate with one who    FLATTERS   with his lips.

I Cor. 15:33, "Do not be deceived: Evil company  CORRUPTS      good habits."

You may have heard it said this way: (You lay down with dogs you get up with fleas or One bad apple spoils the whole bunch or you mess with skunks you will surely stink.)

 

A     WISDOM IS CALLING

Prov. 12:26 say, "A   RIGHTEOUS man should CHOOSE his friends CAREFULLY, for the way of the wicked leads them astray." 

Prov. 22:24-25 says, "Make NO friendship with an angry man, and with a furious man do not go, lest you learn his ways and set a snare for your soul.”  

 

Psalm 1:1 says, “Blessed is the man who does not   WALK  with the company of the ungodly, nor even STANDS near the way of sinners, nor SITS in the seat of the scorners.”  We must take  PRECAUTION  in whom we associate with.

 

 

 

An example of a BAD friendship and the horrible consequences that can come from that friendship can be found in II Sam. 13 where Ammon, the son of David, is encouraged to fulfill sinful desires by his good friend Jonadab.  Because of Jonadab’s advice, Ammon rapes his half sister Tamar. Ultimately Absalom murders Ammon because of this.  Ammon would have been far better off if he did not have a friend like Jonadab.  He needed a friend to confront his sinful thinking, not one who encouraged sin.

 

In choosing your friends you will be wise to choose very carefully and exclude those from your inner circle those who would pull you down.

A     WISDOM IS CALLING

Ps. 119:63 says, “I am a companion of all those who   LOVE   you and those who keep your precepts.”   In other words my friends love the Savior, the Scriptures and the saints.

 

We have read the WARNINGS of bad friendships.  Let talk for a moment about the WAYS to develop great friendships for developing a great friendship takes time and work.  Someone said   "I went out to find a friend and friends were no where to be found.   I went out to be a friend and friends were found everywhere."  

Years ago Dale Carnegie wrote a book that teaches us WAYS to make friends. 

He titled it How to Win Friends and Influence People. In it he gives six simple, but profound steps.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We all need to remember that we don’t    take   friends, we   make    friends.
 
King Solomon, long before Dale Carnegie, wrote in Prov. 18:24 that a “man who has friends must show himself friendly.” 

As we think about having friend we should also think about being a friend.  In the Book of Proverbs Solomon will reveal quite a few QUALITIES a friend will have and display.

 

# 1 In Prov. 17:17 he wrote that "a friend   LOVES  at all times and a brother is born for adversity."  

Ø  "A friend is someone who knows all about you and loves you just the same."

 # 2 Prov. 27:10 says, "Do not forsake your own friend, or your father's friend."  A key quality is   LOYALITY.  "A friend is someone who comes in when the whole world goes out."

A true friend will always be your defense attorney before they become your judge.

# 3  In Prov. 27:9 he wrote, "Ointment and perfume delight the heart and the sweetness of a man's friend comes from his counsel."  Friends   LIFT    their friends up. 

The Indian word for "Friend" literally means "One who carries my sorrows upon his back." 

I love reading how the apostle Paul was encouraged by Titus.  Check these verses out in 2 Cor. 7 starting at verse 5. For indeed, when we came to Macedonia, our bodies had no rest, but we were troubled on every side. Outside were conflicts, inside were fears.6  Nevertheless God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus,

Paul received the TITUS TOUCH!!!!

# 4  In Prov. 27:17 he wrote, "As Iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend."   Friends should be able to  LEARN   from one another.

# 5 In Prov. 27:6 he wrote, "Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful."   Friends do not   LIE  to each other. Friends are honest. 

Not only do they not lie to their friends, they don’t lie for their friends.

A good friend will confront you instead of condoning your sin. 

“A friendship cemented together with sin will not hold.”

# 6  A Friend is someone who will    LISTEN   to you and then give great insight.  Friends are great advisors.  Prov. 11:14 says “In the multitude of counselors there is safety.”

# 7 A friend is someone you can  LAUGH   with.   Friends add joy to life.

No man is useless as long as he is a friend.

# 8 A friend will    LAY   down their life for the friends.

John 15:13 “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends”

NOTE: Jesus is the greatest friend you will ever have – He died for you!!

 

WISDOM IS CALLING TO YOU TO HAVE AND TO BE A GREAT FRIEND!   THERE IS WISDOM IN HAVING FRIENDS BUT WARNING NOT TO HAVE THE WRONG FRIENDS.  THERE ARE WAYS TO MAKE FRIENDS AND WE HAVE SEEN WORDS THAT DESCRIBE A REAL FRIEND!

SO WHAT KIND OF FRIENDS DO YOU HAVE AND WHAT KIND OF FRIEND ARE YOU?