Recognizing Your Friends & Enemies | Part 1

[Music] let's pray father we thank you for your word we thank you for the gift of your spirit I pray father for all who would be under the sound of my voice Lord those here in this assembly those that are watching this live feed at this moment lord I pray that you would bless our hearing that we would receive revelation knowledge wisdom spiritual understanding or give us conviction of truth words of faith words of salvation father I ask that you speak through me the words that you would have spoken that your spirit would speak by me that your word would be on my tongue that you would make my tongue the pen of a ready writer that I might write on the hearts and minds of these are people your anointed word removing their burdens and destroying their yokes forever as we boldly declare that Satan is defeated we are redeemed and Jesus is Lord in Jesus name Amen amen and you may be seated all right we read before the prayer in the in the book of fact of Matthew chapter number 11 Matthew chapter number 11 I want us to drop down to verse number 28 we're gonna look at this again verses 28 through 30 now over the next few weeks in this teaching or for the next few parts in the series we're gonna be looking at these verses quite a bit and there's some things that I want to pull from verse 29 that I may not get into and in this service but there is a statement that you've been hearing me say that I want to make again at the offset of this new series and that is every relationship in your life is making something easier every relationship makes something easier now whether that thing that's being made easier is good for you that's another story so we started this teaching with the first volume identifying your strengths and weaknesses because I don't need any help with my weaknesses can you see them into there and so the this carries over into your strengths and weaknesses carries over into your relationships because every relationship is designed to make something easier in your life so Jesus here in Matthew chapter 11 is saying come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy-laden you're having a struggle this thing is hard for you he says I will give you a rest come unto me and I will give you rest let's just read that part out loud ready read come unto me and I will give you rest so what's he saying he's saying enter into a relationship with me because what was a struggle for you by yourself you'll be able to rest and that thing that was a struggle when you come unto me hallelujah Jesus is that friend that sticketh closer than a brother we're going to talk about biblical friendship we're gonna talk about what it means to be a true friend what it means to be called the friend of God what it means when the Bible says that Jesus is a friend of sinners we're look at what it means to say I have a friend and that you are my friend I know for Christian eyes as parents watching our babies grow up and they're just it's happening so fast you know to see just that Lana's going into middle school and now James is going into high school just to think about how fast these babies are growing up if parents who relate it's just almost unreal how could this happen so fast but if there's anything that we've come to appreciate it is the relationships that they develop that we see bring out their strengths that we're able to look at and say you know what we're watching their walk with the Lord develop and grow by that relationship and if you're a parent you know you've seen your children pair up with the wrong group and have the wrong friends and then the little signal went off you know like I got to pray on this one right here because I know my child's weaknesses I know their vulnerabilities and I feel like that relationship right there might expose that and and might be damaging to God's plan in their life so parents I know you can relate when you when you think about the friendships that come into our life we were visiting with the Euler's recently and here they come up from Tampa to head up our school and we didn't see all that God had planned and how knit their three boys would become with our kids and how he they testify their boys are stronger than their walk with the Lord because of their friendship with our children and we're saying the same thing about our kids and his parents he rejoiced when you see that your children are in the eoq with other friends that are enhancing their faith wall and enhancing their their time and god's word--and and in the praise to God you know that you're not next to a friend that you're afraid to put your hands in the air and and magnify Jesus next to but you got a friend you hang out you crack jokes you do things together but at the same time you both though your hands and worship together now that's a beautiful friendship well imagine now how much more our Heavenly Father is viewing our relationships and in the fruit of those relationships and do the friends in our life are they increasing are they aiding our walk with the Lord are these relationships strengthening our faith strengthening our our walk in truth because that's the kind of friends God's called us to have it's the kind of friend they Jesus is come on somebody getting into the yote with Jesus has brought things into my life that I could have never done had he not been my friend and giving me a strength to do some things that I never knew I have the ability to do can you say Amen some of you are walking a walk right now with the Lord that you could not have walked without him you are loving folk you used to not love you are speaking things you used to couldn't imagine yourself speak you are doing things that in your past you could have never foreseen yourself do but being in the yoke of Jesus is making this faith thing easy come on somebody hallelujah so jesus said come unto me all ye that labor so so you're putting forth effort you're heavy laden you're bogged down your burden down and he said and I will give you rest now notice where this rest comes from because there's the difference between you going to the Lord in prayer and giving him a burden that you know you're going to take back within 30 minutes and you just gave it to the Lord in prayer for the sake of being able to say yes I've prayed about this now stay with me here for a minute when we go to the Lord and we give him our burden and we share our heart and we share our burden of the Lord that's one thing but when you come to Jesus and you say Lord I'm not just giving you this thing that's heavy for me this one thing in my life that I think you that only you can deal with but Lord I'll take care of the rest but Lord I'm coming to you and I'm entering the guilt with you I want a relationship with you see notice what he says in verse 29 he says take my yoke upon you read it out loud take my yoke upon you he's saying you got to get in the yoke with me if you want a relationship with me to make things easy if you want to see the benefit that I can bring into your life you've got to get in the yoke with me this is a covenant the word yoke is symbolic of a covenant this is referring to a friendship a covenant relationship covenant relationships are partnerships you know I don't know how many people in this society really understand what a covenant is but a covenant is a promise or a commitment that is made between two parties and most covenants are designed for strengths and weaknesses so I'll give you a scenario let's say you've got a family called the Williams family and the Williams family are excellent farmers man they can Grove some some some stuff some legal stuff good stuff tomatoes and cucumbers turnip greens squash and okra corner you understand got to make sure this family gets the right reputation up in here so that's the Williams family problem is they live in a culture where their enemies that break into their fields and steal their crops now the Williams are good farmers but the King fight not a king fight they get whipped all the time and so they've know this family of the role called the bird family now the birds man they can't grow nothing but they can fight but it's hard to fight when you're hungry so the Williams family and the bird family come together and they say no Williams say you know our thing we're gonna do is we're gonna provide you food to eat and you're gonna protect our crops in the births at all should we love to fight I dare somebody to come on this property they said well we don't keep you fed if you'll keep the burglars off our land and so they come together and in certain cultures and in in certain cases biblically in the Old Testament you see this you would have a representative from each family come forward and they would make a covenant and those two representatives would verbally discuss the terms of that covenant what they're agreeing to do it all be laid out and they would cut a covenant and in and in and in some cases the names would even change where they would be called the Williams bird family so now they actually come become one they're no longer the Williams family they no longer the bird family they're the Williams bird family and they're operating as one because they've entered into a covenant that was based on strengths and weaknesses now you have to recognize that when Jesus King he came to establish a covenant before he went to the cross in Matthew 26 he lifted up that cup to his disciples and he said drink of this cup it is symbolic of my blood of the new covenant Jesus on that cross entered into a covenant a covenant that you and I are able to enter into by faith he entered this covenant with you and me and that covenant satisfies our weaknesses with his strength there is a holy exchange that takes place in this covenant yeah biblically when you read the word yoke it's talking about a covenant first Corinthians chapter 6 says for us not to be unequally yoked together san-craig and 6 says don't be unequally yoked together with unbelievers 2nd written 6 verse 14 it means don't enter into a marriage don't enter into a covenant friendship with someone that is not a believer because then you're unequally yoked okay it's not a true partnership so when Jesus says here in verse 29 take my yoke upon you you're saying now that lord I am entering the yoke with you now a Yelp would be used to to to take two oxen and make them operate as one and so Deuteronomy I think it's 21 teaches that anytime you put an animal in a yoke it's got to be an equal guilt in other words you can't yoke an ox with a donkey because the donkeys stubborn the donkeys slow the donkeys not as strong so the Ox would end up dragging that donkey if he was in a covenant with him all right and so that that donkey would become a burden to the ox and not only would the Ox not only would he not be profitable to pull the wagon or the plough but not all those he pulling that plough he's pulling he's pulling his donkey and it came James that word is a sand you don't want any dragon you ass everywhere you go you understand baby so I say there to wake up sleep everybody say oh I was reading from the King James and there a lot of people that understand that kind of relationship because the ones always a drag but God's called us to be in relationships where I'm not having to drag you to church drag you into prayer drag you into the word drag you into faith drag you into blessing know we're equally yoked so where we're entering this thing together and you don't want to be drugged into sand drugged into the world come on somebody so that those relationships are strengthening either your walk with God or your walk in the world jesus said take my yoke upon you he's saying enter the yealt with me so we have to imagine this life of okay Lord I'm entering the yoke with you and when I enter the yoke with you notice who it is that is doing the conforming watch verse number 29 here read with me read it slow up to that semicolon okay ready read take my yoke upon you and learn of me now let me stop right there time out in the in when you when you would take on an ox for an example and put that ox in the yoke with another ox you would if you had a young ox an immature ox that you wanted to develop to learn the path to take with the wagon to learn how to plow a straight road then you would put that young ox with a mature stronger disciplined ox so that that that mature strong discipline ox is training this young immature ox that has the physical strength has the endurance has the ability but hasn't been trained hasn't adapted yet to the ways of the land so you would put this this young immature ox in the yoke with a mature developed ox so the one is training the other now when Jesus was called and is the friend of sinners this is so important that you get this because there are people that want to live in the world live in sin do what they want to do and then say well you can't judge me Jesus is the friend of sinners but wait a minute here who is in whose yoke who is the stronger wise ox and who is the young immature ox because I'm here to tell you you don't put you don't get in the up with Jesus and teach him how to go to the club you don't get in the up with Jesus and teach him how to cuss folk you don't get in the up with Jesus and teach him how to sin come on now somebody say amen to that no Jesus didn't say let me take your yoke upon me and learn of you I didn't need to teach Jesus my wings come on somebody is there anybody here you didn't need to teach Jesus your ways not that you could you get what I'm saying he says read with me take my yoke upon you and learn of me he said you learn of me you do this like I do it you go the path that I go you take the walk that I walk you say the words that I say you think the thoughts that I think you get in the up with me I know you think you can't think like that I know you think you can't talk like that I know you think you can't live like that but that's because you tried to do that without being in the yealt with me but once you get in the yoke with me what was impossible to man is possible with God that's what he's saying here see that's why you can you can you can visit an assembly you can visit a congregation a church as a spectator and kind of ease drop in and listen you know and you contemplate whether or not you really want to give your life to the Lord and you you can you can you can be like David's wife who observed his worship through a window and and be critical of what you saw through that window but kingdom living is not for spectators it's for participators and as long as you look in observation and say man I could never live like that I could never love like that I could never leave my ways and walk with the Lord like that it's because you're judging a life outside the yoke when you enter the earth with Jesus you find what looked impossible before him becomes totally different in him you've heard my own testimony the day I accepted Christ at that little Missionary Baptist Church and went down to that altar and prayed and accepted the Lord my family we all went out to Ryan Steakhouse and we were eating in a rolls and a honey butter I went ahead and set the record so that nobody would be offended and they wouldn't put any crazy expectations on me I told everybody my family about 11 us at the table I said look I'm saying I believe in Jesus I'm gonna get baptized and I'll be at church every Sunday morning if I make it but I won't be back at that b2u thing they was talking about and I won't be in no evening service I got things to do I'm sure not gonna be there on a Wednesday night I got to work next morning and I'm not coming to Sunday school because that's just too much they're going overboard so I'll be there on Sunday morning that's it see that's me just saying but I just got in the yoke he's here saying once I got in the yoke I found myself preaching I found myself sharing the world I found myself saying things like that I just say that did that just come out of me that I just say no to that am i what is happening to me I've got in the old with Jesus I was back at BTU that night I was in the evening service I finally figured out the hymn book cuz there's a child I rode my bicycle to the church on Wednesday night my friend and I rode our bikes we was gonna be Christians and we rode our bikes to this church and I got that church on Wednesday night and they were and we got in a little late and it was singing out the hymnbook and the man was up in the front doing this number right here something like this right here and man he was going and we looked and I could not figure that out for the life me cuz I could not stay with him when I read a book you read this line then that line then that line that line you don't read this line they're gonna read this one then this one then this one I go back up and read out I live man we closed the book walked out to church one of the Deacons follow us out he says he said boys you all right like yeah we don't understand him but we gon gotten he up with Jesus figured out the hymn book come on it limited me they're gonna move on is there anybody here living a life now that you could not have imagined you would live before you accepted Jesus Christ amen so see when you enter the yealt with Jesus now what you could not have done without him you're able to do with him and if you know it say it with me because every relationship is making something easier in your life come on somebody and so when you walk with Jesus love is easy faith is easy truth is easy righteousness is easy because I'm in the yoke with the one that literally wrote the book I'm in the yoke with the one whose name is little I'm in the yolk with the all-wise all-knowing infinite God how can I not do things I could have never done without him once I get in the yoke with him hallelujah what it comes down to if there are there individuals that don't want that life therefore they don't enter that yoke he said take my yoke upon you and learn of me learn of me that means I'm conforming to him I'm being transformed to his ways this relationship is not about oh I'm saved now I live in sin no it's now I'm saved I'm in the yoke and I'm living in being ahead in the paths of righteousness for his namesake even the pack even the paths of righteousness that you see me own they are not for my name's sake because my name did not have the power my name did not have the ability my name did not have the conviction to walk in the paths of righteousness I'm walking in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake my life is a testament of his power his grace his love his wisdom his ability to take an old messed-up person like me and reshape me and redefine me and fill me with his spirit and teach me his work and bring things out of me that I didn't know we're possible glory to God [Applause] you getting the help with Jesus you look back man and that role is straight and that wagon is full but you're pulling it on forward and you're thinking Lord how am i achieving all this I don't even feel like I'm bearing any weight that's what he's saying here take my yoke upon you for my yoke is and my burden is C if if living by the word for you is hard and if bearing the call of God in your life is heavy you might not be in the open come on somebody so you might look at something I don't know how y'all do all that well it isn't you you'd have to be in the open to understand come on somebody hallelujah now amen oh yeah we clap we gonna clap a little patty cake yeah now let's do this too like I got I got I got a lot of ones to look at amen go into second rent in six let me just say somewhere in this series I want to deal again with meekness because jesus said take my yoke upon you and learn of me for I am meek meekness is power under control amen one of the fruits of the spirit is temperance that self-control meek individuals are powerful people because they have themselves under control don't ever mistake meekness for weakness have you ever seen a massive levy or our dam that's used to to produce electricity for major cities and they hold back these massive rivers the Hoover Dam think about the massive size of the Hoover Dam it's taken all that water and it's controlling it and then using it to generate power you've got to see meekness that way come on somebody so you just cuz I don't say a lot you say just gonna say like don't mean I don't have a lot because the Bible says a fool will utter everything he knows or everything he thinks and you can't always uh tur everything you think I learn you know what you know what it took me to learn you can't say everything you think marriage man my man Chris I'm a preacher when they come up I say whoa I'm glad we had two labs cuz I was alone in the doghouse you can't say everything you think you got to keep some of that tempered pray on it meditate on it some of that won't ever come out once you think about it some of it will but it'll come out differently my powerful and pleasant amen so meekness and we talked about last week it's not just you know how we speak and how we deliver but it is it is also how we receive and so I want to deal more with that because Jesus said learn of me for I am meek so he's saying that we can receive of him because his method is meekness hallelujah and that's so important in any relationship see we should model every relationship on our life after the one we have with Jesus so Jesus had learn of me for I am meek but his also saying when you're in the yoke with me things are going to be easier so we've got to learn how to take the same principles that Jesus gives us in relationship with him and then apply those same principles and our friendships howling and we needn't begin to address enemies yet so wait a minute we got a lot to cover here all right second Corinthians chapter 6 you there say Amen all right watch this in verse number 14 I don't get anything out of this all right hey men praise the Lord well I'm not saying these things to give you a chill bump or to see who can jump up and hop a Pew I'm saying this so that you can get truth that will change your life because this word is profitable for instruction amen it's packed with wisdom if we would just apply it amen all right second friend is chapter 6 watch this he says in verse 14 be not unequally yoked together with unbelievers that means not cordial doesn't mean you're not nice just means I can't be any up with you all right what's this be but be not unequally yoked together with unbelievers for what fellowship that word fellowship comes from the Greek word Koinonia hallelujah I love seeing Edward it sounds good Collin yeah Coenen here is a word that represents partnership you have a part I have a part you give I receive I give you receive coning in alright so he says here what fellowship what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness they don't mingle what communion the root there is the word commune where we get the word communicate communication is an exchange true communication is the exchange of information if you say something and I didn't hear it then we're not communicating and you say stuff to folk that they don't receive and that's not communication so we have to learn how to speak because communication isn't exchanged he says what communion hath light with darkness verse 15 what Concord hath Christ with Belial or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel and what agreement hath the temple of God with idols for you are the Temple of the Living God as God has said I was will in them and walk in them and I will be their God and they shall be my people wherefore because of this come out from among them and be you or Church separate saith the Lord and touch not the unclean thing and I will receive you and will be a father unto you and you shall be my sons and daughters saith the Lord Almighty that's all self-explanatory let's go back to Psalms The Book of Psalms 119 Psalms 119 so as you listen you know and meditate on what we're discussing here take inventory of the relationships in your life and what are they making easier Psalms 119 and we'll look at it in verse 63 and by their I'm here in pages psalm 119 verse 63 let's read this one out loud together ready read I am a companion of all them that fear thee and of them that keep thy precepts so who do you hang out with she said I am a companion of all them that fear thee and of them that keep that pre-set he said that's who I hang out with if you look up I am companion in the hebrew is gonna say something like this who I hang out with I don't know about that but it sounded funny all right I am a companion of all them that fear thee so if you don't fear the Lord and you don't keep his precepts I can't hang with you because there's some things I'm coming out of that I need to walk with people that's gonna keep me out of I don't need to walk with somebody's gonna make some things I don't need to do easy to do alright drop down to verse number 115 verse 115 depart from me ye evildoers 1 read the rest for I will keep the commandments of my god so I can't hang with you alright go back to Psalms 1 Psalms 1 First Division so I'm going I'm going the other end of the book Psalms 1 man we might should bring the youth to a pastor Peter brainy Youth over here for this series all young uns need did you ever you were young in country church alright watch this as solemn as one verse number one blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly I'm walkin not in the counsel the information the advise of the ungodly nor standeth in the way of sinners nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful notice the regression here a man is blessed when he's not walking in the advice counsel information of the ungodly see a regression from your walk with God starts off as a walk I'm walking with the wrong crowd now he said nor stands in the way of sinners now I'm no longer walking I'm standing and then he says nor sits now I'm seated this things done got so comfortable I sit down you know when somebody's trying to you know peg you and you really don't want to receive what they got you keep walking you'll be busy when you ain't busy you was headed to the register but now you've got to go to aisle 16 because they on how to but if you walk with the wrong crowd long enough next thing you know you come to a stop and then now he says you're seated now you've gotten so relaxed and that advice you're sitting down in it it's a regression but the what we should be doing verse 2 is is the man that's blessed his delight is in the law of the Lord and in his law doth he meditate day and night and he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water he's planted he's not moving he's not leaving this walk with God and he's bringing forth fruit in his sea and his leaf is not withering and whatever he does prospers hallelujah now let's do this come over with me to Romans I'm going all over the Bible and I know you were close to Rowan's while ago we could have went there but I'm trying to get you to learn the Bible so go with me to Romans chapter 1 Romans chapter 1 will find a stopping point here in the next 45 minutes I mean four or five minutes maybe I'll finally deny you're cracking jokes and all kinds of stuff all right almonds chapter one let's look at it in verse number eleven Romans 1 verse number 11 hey there alright watch this I'm gonna read it from the King James at 1611 old faithful King James come on somebody and then I'm gonna read it from the amplified alright which kind of amplifies it takes some of the words and defines and for he expounds on it yeah verse 11 for I long to see you Paul writing to the Romans he says for I long to see you that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift and in context here spiritual gift cuz some people read spirits good thing old men ones spiritual gifts no whatever the Spirit gives us a gift okay so don't don't limit that to a list of four things whatever the Spirit gives us a gift all right and so that this is this is a charisma this is a grace this is a gift this is an impartation this is something they needed it's spiritual okay he says I long to see you that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift to the end you may be established so Paul says I got something spiritual for you that's going to establish you and I can't wait to see you so I can impart unto you this gift see whatever you receive of someone that is spiritual that is a spiritual grace that is a spiritual gift I was ministering at a funeral today one of our members and after the the services of Brother Lord came up to me and he said been visiting the church he said every time I come there he said you say something that penetrates my heart he said I'm not always had that happen and I said brother that's the Holy Spirit if you go into any church and the words minister it penetrates your honor that's the Holy Spirit he he said he's imparting something he he says yeah but I get it every time I come there like when you keep coming in because when you go to a place and you feel like there's an impartation are you hanging out with an individual and when you walk away you feel like something was imparted you know listen you must be real you you can you can walk into some relation to leave dream you go somebody's house for dinner you like baby can we never go over there again don't for wore me out and there are people that can be dreaming I mean we don't need a deposit and give but then there are other people that step in our life and they just they just impart they bless and in policy and I long to see it because there's something I want to deposit in you there's something I want to impart in you it's a it's of the Spirit it's a spiritual gift it's going to establish you if you get this impartation these are the kinds of relationships we need this is this is what we need these impartation that are going to grow us spiritually first well he says that is that I may be comforted together with you here we go read the rest by the mutual faith both of you and me hey now you know that right there just broke it down he said I long to be with you the Lord's given me something to impart unto you is spiritual and it's going to establish you he said but at the same time when I'm with you I'm comforted now Paul's the minister but he's receiving and he's saying because when I'm with you we have this mutual faith both you and me and it builds up and it's strengthens when this faith is mutual that's why it's so important that you have men and women in your lives friends in your lives that have a mutual faith because when you enter into fellowship with those believers everybody leaves edified everybody leaves built up just having that mutual faith does it mean I don't have bad days no it doesn't mean that but I have a friend that when I'm having a bad day they build me back up they don't let me stay down I don't need anybody to help me stay down when I'm down you don't want to go tell somebody hey man you know listen it's been one in weeks you know this has been one of the hardest weeks I've had in a long time and then the guys say back man you say it say that cuz I'm in having a bad week too man let's just go get us a drink [Applause] now that gonna help me well I tell y'all laughing this uh mixed drinkers in here right now boy y'all laughing you know misery loves company but when I'm miserable I don't need to be hanging around with somebody that's miserable I can't help you you can't help me we both going to be in a mess you need to get in some relationships and some conversation say hey you know we need to stop right here cuz I'm broke down and you're broke down we can't help each other let's just pause this until at least one of us get better cuz you ain't even listening what I'm saying you're just listening to see when I'm gonna get through talking so you can tell me your story and how bad it is compared to mine no I need some ice gonna build me up I need somebody's going to strengthen me and when I go to talkin fear they're gonna talk faith and when I go to talking doubt they go talk belief and when I go to talk and hate they go on top love and when I go talk leaving they talking reconciliation when I talked about giving up they talkin about staying faithful I need somebody that's gonna be a counterbalance to when things go south they're taking me north come on somebody that's the kind of friendships we need in our lives now we have to be meek and we have to understand our own strengths and weaknesses because that'll make us compassion on other people and not judge them because if you're my friend and I can't tell you I'm struggling without you judging me struggling what you struggling with are you sure you're saved what's your prayer like then what's your prayer life been like no wait a minute I'm getting concerned here are you praying you know the Bible tells us we should pray without ceasing and I'm sitting here that you're not praying like you should matter of fact were you at church last window you weren't at church last Wednesday the pastor spoke on this man your sin is finding you out I mean I'm already down you don't stuck your long self-righteous finger in my face I feel worse I won't ever tell you I'm down again I'm at my worst day ever and you ask me I'm doing like great never better Jesus is Lord right on brother I walk away like you only knew no I need I need a mutual faith that understands life that understand struggle that understands there's gonna be good days and bad days that the rain falls on the just and the unjust that understands that that there are seasons to life and I may be in a valley I may be on top of a hill but I need to know that the same God is faithful in both that though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death he I will fear no evil because the same God that was with me in the valley is the same god that's gonna lead me to the table he's the same God I need the kind of friends that are gonna be with me in the valley and be with me on the table will crowd with me and encourage me when I'm down and shout with me when I get my victory mutual faith that will speak the love and speak it in truth and guide me and counsel me and instruct me without condemning me mutual he said I long to be with you that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me let me read this from the amplified I'm gonna pray for us and we'll we'll wrap this up watch this i'ma read from the amplified it says this for I am yearning to see you that I may impart and share with you some spiritual gift to strengthen and establish you that is that we may be mutually strengthened and encouraged and comforted by each other's faith both yours and mine that's Christian Fellowship that's Christian friendship hallelujah and if you have those kind of people in your life that's the folk you want in your life if you don't have those kind of people in your life then be that kind of person and he that had friends must first show himself friendly amen hallelu I hope that helps somebody glory to God let me let's pray let's pray and and give this over to the Lord amen father we thank you for your word we thank you for your word and what we thank you that we can call Jesus friend and that we can come into the yoke with Jesus and things that were impossible with us or possible with you Lord and I thank you Lord that you remember that our frame is dust and you know our weaknesses your words as you know our uprising you know our down sitting you know our thoughts afar off your word says that a bruised Reed you won't break a smoke and flex you won't trim you won't discard us because we're broken you won't discard us because we're bruised you came to give strength to our weakness so we we praise you tonight god I thank you that you love us the way you found us but by entering the yoke with you you took us to a place we could not have gone without you all that's so true Lord thank you can you just take inventory for a minute search every head about entering the yoke with Jesus entering the up with Jesus what what he what has he done with your life that you could not have imagined where is he brought you look at the person you have become and when people pull you aside in admiration and respect you tell them man this is the Lord you just don't know what my life looked like you just don't know what my marriage looked like you just don't know what kind of man what kind of woman I was before the Lord saved me and I got in the yoke with him this is his doings and it's marvelous in my eyes so Jesus we give you the praise and we thank you and lord I pray that if there be relationships in our lives friendships covenants that are making the wrong things easier you'd give us wisdom and you'd give us strength to put the needed space we need to put in those friendships and God I pray for marriages here tonight and I pray for marriages husbands husbands and wives tonight Lord that maybe there's a spouse here man or woman and their spouse is unsafe I pray that in this marriage you would give them the wisdom and the strength to win their spouse to you your word says that's doable father I pray for those that feel like they might be friendless tonight in church no that your brother can be your friend your sister can be your friend your mother can be your friend your father can be your friend family can be friends when the Bible says there's a friend that sticketh closer than a brother it's saying you use the relationship with your brother isn't as a way to gauge the relationship you have with your friend let God choose that person to put in your life one of mutual faith so many times we find ourselves connecting with people that are going through things we're going through people that are doing life together I believe there is a married couples here tonight and your your marriage and your friendship with other married couples is going to strengthen their walk with the Lord mutual faith we need friends that relate to what we're going through I know I'm thankful for the friends in my life I'm thankful for my wife she is my best friend there's nothing I can't tell her and I know she won't judge me but she's gonna be compassionate Church God's not calling us to be lone rangers and if you can't recognize them right now ask God to give you the discernment the spiritual guidance to recognize when he's put a friend in your life recognize those friendships so father I pray tonight then you'd order our steps then you would align relationships tonight God friendships of mutual faith relatable that's what makes a relationship we need people that we can relate to and can relate to us see my brother you're married now if all your friends are single they might not be able to relate Oh Lord give us wisdom strengthen our relationships God then will edify our lives and bring comfort and healing and wholeness if you happen to be here tonight and you're with your friend would you stand with your friend come on somebody me that's a beautiful sight right there [Music] my dad when he passed I didn't just lose my dad at that moment I felt like I lost my best friend cuz I felt like so much of what strong in me he gave me he taught me work ethic he taught me integrity and when I was tempted to go wrong and I was lost but I never got into sin I never really got into the world and it wasn't because I feared God because my daddy meant so much to me that I hated the thought of letting him down and he wasn't this mean abusive father he I knew he loved me and he gave me strength there's so much of what I do now and share with my own boys I got from him the right relationships in our life was so important so important I'm loving seeing all these couples standing together my wife right here on the front row I called up here my own Oh she'd be happy with that she friendships we all go through things only somebody that can relate gonna be there I'll pray for you father thank you for these friendships represented here strengthen them married couples I want to say this to you don't date and marry married a date you need to make a date night mandatory I think it needs to be at least once a week based on how many kids you got if you got nine kids make it once every two weeks we don't want you running the babysitter off [Music] my wife does something pretty amazing and my oldest owes our one right now maybe I won't get Ewing up here don't baby on my wood and get it get her up Michael someone have her Frey here in a minute come on somebody you come up here lost my train of thought girl my wife does something pretty amazing she she takes our kids on dates one at a time they do date night she went on a date night with jarran a few weeks back he was outside shooting baskets and I went out there and I said Jaron I said give me that ball I was going all the way from the Basques I said if I make this shot I'm giving you $60 he said what I said that's right I shot that shot number net when I was in school we called that none but Rawls he said daddy you're really gonna give me $6 and I say he had recently I said that's to take your mom out to eat tonight he said can we go to Taco Bell I said no take her somewhere nice he said daddy can I keep the change I said no but they do Nate date night she'll take each kid by themselves on a date night just so they can talk and be open without interruption sometimes the people closest to us we don't relate to things what's wrong with family right now is we're not relating where we're on our iPods their iPhones the social media that's why I said don't don't think a friend is outside your family mutual thing couples be each other's best friend show your heart my wife gives me in safe place I can go home and tell her anything it's a safe place she's not gonna judge me getting mad recognizing your friends sometimes it's recognizing people right in your own house I recognize there's somebody right here in this church someone asked my wife to pray and we got a lot to pray about and I've just laid a lot out there but but lord give us the wisdom to recognize the people you've put in their life that are gonna strengthen our walk with you did you pray for that father we come to you in Jesus name thank you for the word that you've sown in our hearts tonight god lord I just thank you for giving us that wisdom Lord give us that just a spirit of discernment father so we'll know the people that you have placed in our lives God or that we just won't be moving so fast that we miss that this is the person you put in our life God give us that discernment Lord God that we would be mutually beneficial to one another that we would strengthen each other's faith gotta thank you for that Lord and I thank you that we don't overlook those in our own household father help us to help us to appreciate father God until and to give grace Lord and to receive grace in our homes God so that we can be beneficial to one another so that we can't encourage one another and lift one another up and as iron sharpens iron God that we would you would give us those that would help us sharpen one another father in Jesus name and God if there be any in our lives father that Lord that are pulling us out of the yoke with you and into the yoke of bondage and into the yoke of our past god I just pray that you would bring conviction Lord God give us the boldness to step out of that yoke father God in Jesus name that we could walk in the yoke with you father we could bring others Lord along with us to walk with you Lord God I pray for every parent here God that you would give us the wisdom to raise our children Lord in a way that they would encourage one another God that they would love each other Lord not only because their parents make them but father they would love and honor one another God and they would walk in truth and love together Lord and together Lord our families or begin to be a light a picture of Jesus and the church Lord a picture of the broad following Lord her Savior Lord let that be in our home so we just give you free reign in our homes Lord in our families father in work relationships god I just thank you for Lord that we are the light of the world and I thank you everyone here God in the workplace God that you would make us a light father in Jesus name and got our pray that you would bring somebody Lord and in every workplace somebody God that we could share our faith with that we would encourage one another not just a church Lord but even at work go we ask you to put the people in our lives that you would have us to sew into God that you would have us to pour our our knowledge and our love and our truth into and go we ask you to send people in our lives Lord that will pour into us God that we can receive their wisdom father in Jesus name we thank you for Lord Jesus name somebody celebrate that amen amen [Applause] I want to pray a prayer of salvation I invite you to pray this prayer with me those watching this live feed I invite you to pray this with me Heavenly Father I believe Jesus came as my friend to die for my sins to raise me out of my bondage out of death to walk in freedom in life in faith and in victory I know no other friend who would give his life for me as Jesus has done so I receive this friendship and I receive this yoke and I desire to learn of you Lord to be like you in Jesus name give me the discernment to recognize the friends you've brought into my life that I might advance in your kingdom in your faith in your word and for your glory in Jesus name Amen [Music]

Channel: WOGM

Views: 6,191

Rating: 4.9136691 out of 5

Keywords: church, sermon, god, jesus, jamesmcmens, wordofgodministries, friends, salvation, holy spirit

Id: u_KPj_gZ9iI

Length: 63min 57sec (3837 seconds)

Published: Fri Sep 21 2018