As we begin a new year and a new decade we also begin a new series that is designed to help us bring focus to the year 2010.  Everything in life begins and ends with God, and so we begin with Him as our focus.  The Bible tells us that God called Abraham his friend.  Jesus also declared that His disciples were His friends.  So what does it mean to be God’s friend?  What does that look like? Is it automatic, or something which must be pursued?

(2 Chronicles 20:5-7 NIV)  "5 Then Jehoshaphat stood up in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem at the temple of the LORD in the front of the new courtyard 6 and said: "O LORD, God of our fathers, are you not the God who is in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you. 7 O our God, did you not drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend?”

(Isaiah 41:8-10 NIV)  ""But you, O Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, you descendants of Abraham my friend, 9 I took you from the ends of the earth, from its farthest corners I called you. I said, 'You are my servant'; I have chosen you and have not rejected you. 10 So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

(James 2:20-24 NIV)  "You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? 21 Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness," and he was called God's friend. 24 You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone."

 (John 15:12-17 NIV)  "My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit--fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. 17 This is my command: Love each other."

(Exodus 33:11 NIV)  The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young aide Joshua son of Nun did not leave the tent.
(James 4:1-4 NIV)  "What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? 2 You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. 3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. 4 You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God."

 (John 15:18-21 NIV)  "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19 If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. 20 Remember the words I spoke to you: 'No servant is greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. 21 They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the One who sent me.

 Digging Deeper

1. What does it mean to be a friend?  How would you define it? What do you have to do to have someone as a friend? How does that translate to being a friend of God? What kinds of things must we do to be considered His friend?

2.  Jesus’ teaching in John 15 leads to His statement that He considers His disciples as friends.  Read John 15:1-17 several times, at least once out loud.  What does He mean when He tells us to “remain in me”?  What does verse 7 tell us about remaining in Him? (Note two key phrases:  “my words in you” and “ask what you wish.”  What do those phrases teach us about remaining in Him?

3.  What specific things does Jesus say that His friends do in John 15:1-17 (note especially verses 7-17)?   What would that look like in your life today?  Which of these are you doing as part of your friendship with Him?  Which do you need to start doing?

4.  Are you a “friend of God”?  A friend of Jesus? Why or why not?  

Played: 48 | Download | Duration: 00:33:29