PHI-10-260412 - length: 87:05 - taught on Apr, 12 2026
Class Outline:
The best mirror is a longtime companion.
Welcome To
BARAH MINISTRIES
An Online Christian Church
Teaching the Word of God
Verse-by-Verse
RORY CLARK
Pastor-Teacher
Good Morning!
My name is Pastor Rory Clark. Welcome to a Bible lesson with Barah Ministries, an online Christian Church teaching the Word of God verse-by-verse to the hearers the Lord provides.
No matter where you are in the world, no matter how the Lord gets this Bible lesson to you, thanks for listening!
Studying the Bible every day is one of the best gifts you give yourself.
TODAY’S BIBLE LESSON
What Do Your Friends Mean to You?
LESSON INTRODUCTION
Another question to ask is, “Who are your true friends?” Friendship is one of the greatest gifts of this life. Here’s a quote credited to Sarah Valdez…
ON FRIENDSHIP
“A friend is one of the best things you can be
and one of the greatest things you can have.”
Sarah Valdez
Being without friends is painful. My best friend went home to be with the Lord seven months ago, and while I’m happy for him, his absence created a mental devastation and an emptiness in my soul that is indescribable. I’ll never get over it.
If you ask why most marriages fail, it’s probably because they don’t start as friendships. Instead, they start with a sexual transaction. True friendship is an unshakable foundation for a relationship.
The Lord tells us the importance of friendship in Proverbs, Chapter 17, Verse 17…
PROVERBS 17:17
A friend loves unconditionally AT ALL TIMES, and a friend is born for adversity.
True friends are those with us in times of need…they can be counted on in good times and in bad…they admire who you are and who you are not. In today’s lesson, there’s a lot to learn from the things Paul says about his true friends.
And honoring the Lord’s command, we’ll celebrate the Lord’s Supper. Get your bread and your wine ready…settle in…and join us.
OPENING SONG INTRODUCTION
Let’s hear some music! Certainly, it’s great to have people as friends. It’s even greater to know the friendship of the Lord Jesus Christ, because He’s an eternal friend. The Lord describes His friendship to believers in Christ in Deuteronomy, Chapter 31, Verse 8…
DEUTERONOMY 31:8
“…the Lord is the one who goes ahead of you…He will be with you…He will not fail you or forsake you…so do not fear or be dismayed.”
True friendship never fails. As we learn in this next song, we are best when we can say of a friend YOU ARE ALWAYS NEXT TO ME.
MUSIC - OPENING SONG
Let’s Hear the Singing of the Lord’s Praises
YOU ARE ALWAYS NEXT TO ME
Qim
OPENING PRAYER
Let us pray...
We’re grateful to You Heavenly Father for providing us with the absolute truth courtesy of the Word of God…
Father, thank you for being our God…thanks even more for being our friend… thank you for providing us with people who become friends…people who imitate your unconditional love, forgiveness and grace…people who have our backs…
…as we learn during today’s lesson, help us call to mind our true friends…help us see their value…and encourage us to let them know how much they are loved…
…we ask this through the power of God the Holy Spirit…in Christ’s name...Amen.
TODAY’S BIBLE LESSON
What Do Your Friends Mean to You?
LESSON PART ONE
We continue our study of the apostle Paul’s letter to the Philippians. Today we’ll close out our study of Chapter 2. This letter is a message to the members of the church at Philippi and to the rest of us Christians about the value of JOY regardless of circumstances.
It is also a letter of gratitude to friends. Epaphroditus, one of Paul’s trusted friends, was a member of the Philippian church. He brought a financial gift from this church of friends to provide for Paul’s care while he was in prison. In Philippians, Chapter 4, Verse 18 Paul acknowledges the gift…
PHILIPPIANS 4:18
But I (Paul) have received everything I need in full…I have abundance…I am
amply supplied…having received from Epaphroditus the financial gift you Philippians have sent…it is a sweet-smelling aroma…it is an acceptable sacrifice…it is well-pleasing to God the Father.
Paul wrote this letter to express gratitude to his friends in Philippi.
In Philippians, Chapter 2, Verses 1 to 11 we learned the importance of attitude. As we Christians review our lives, comparing them with Scripture, we ought to see an amazing resemblance to the life of Christ. Second Timothy, Chapter 3, Verse 12 says…
SECOND TIMOTHY 3:12
…all who desire to live godly lives in union with Christ Jesus will be persecuted.
As Christians, we will see our lives filled with adversity and suffering, much of it undeserved, provided by God for our edification. The Lord knows how to make us tough. Inside, we’ll ask “why” about the suffering…which is the lousiest question we ask ourselves…and Scripture gives us the answer in John, Chapter 15, Verse 20…
JOHN 15:20
“Remember the word that I (the Lord Jesus Christ) said to you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, and they did, they will also persecute you…”
We sign up for persecution when we become Christians, and it’s important to have the right attitude about it.
In Philippians, Chapter 2, Verses 12 to 18 we learn about mindset. As we Christians fix our eyes on Jesus, God the Holy Spirt develops in us an attitude of submission and service. Service is both an opportunity and a requirement for Christian JOY. When we serve, we imitate Christ who came to earth to serve. In John, Chapter 13, Verses 13 to 15 the Lord says to his disciples…
JOHN 13:13
All of you call Me Teacher and Lord…and all of you are right…for so I am.
JOHN 13:14
So if I, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, and I did…you also ought to wash one another’s feet.
JOHN 13:15
For I (the Lord Jesus Christ) gave you an example…and you should do as I did to you.
It makes sense. Christians are to follow Christ’s example in all things. But we’re not Jesus Christ. We didn’t die on a Cross to serve. And we’re not Paul. We did not suffer beyond measure for the sake of disseminating the gospel of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles.
We are just ourselves. We are the little people. So what does the submissive mind look like among regular people? How do we serve? Paul give us two examples of great friends who are regular people in the next passage of study…Philippians, Chapter 2, Verses 19 to 30…
PHILIPPIANS 2:19
But I (Paul) hope the Lord Jesus allows me to send my friend Timothy to you shortly, so I may be encouraged when I learn of your condition.
PHILIPPIANS 2:20
For I have no one else of kindred spirit who will genuinely be concerned for your welfare.
PHILIPPIANS 2:21
For most seek after their own interests, not the interests of Christ Jesus.
PHILIPPIANS 2:22
But you know of Timothy’s proven worth, that he served with me in the furtherance of the gospel like a child serving his father.
PHILIPPIANS 2:23
Therefore, I hope to send Timothy immediately, as soon as I see how things go with me…
PHILIPPIANS 2:24
…and I trust in the Lord that I will also be coming to you shortly.
PHILIPPIANS 2:25
But I thought it necessary to send Epaphroditus to you…my brother, my fellow worker, and my fellow soldier in the spiritual battle, who also is a messenger from you to minister to my financial need…
PHILIPPIANS 2:26
…because he was longing with concern for all of you and he was distressed
because you heard he was sick.
PHILIPPIANS 2:27
Indeed he was sick to the point of death…but God the Father had mercy on
him…and not on him only, but also on me but also on me so I would not be filled
with sorrow.
PHILIPPIANS 2:28
Therefore, I have sent Epaphroditus eagerly so that when you see him again you will rejoice and so I may be less concerned about you.
PHILIPPIANS 2:29
Receive Epaphroditus then…you who are in union with the Lord…with all JOY… and hold men like him in high regard…
PHILIPPIANS 2:30
…because Epaphroditus came close to death for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was deficient in your service to me.
Here’s the structure of the passage.
STRUCTURE OF THE PASSAGE
Verses 19 to 24
Timothy…a man with a servant’s mindset
and a servant’s training
Verses 25 to 30
Epaphroditus…a man who put his life
on the line for others
Let’s study the passage verse-by-verse and we’ll learn about a couple of regular living breathing Christians in service to the Lord. They are people much like us. Philippians, Chapter 2, Verses 19 to 21…
PHILIPPIANS 2:19
But I (Paul) hope the Lord Jesus allows me to send my friend Timothy to you shortly, so I may be encouraged when I learn of your condition.
PHILIPPIANS 2:20
For I have no one else of kindred spirit who will genuinely be concerned for your welfare.
PHILIPPIANS 2:21
For most seek after their own interests, not the interests of Christ Jesus.
Who is Timothy? He was a man who embodied the Christian conduct Paul espouses in Philippians, Chapter 2, Verses 3 and 4…
PHILIPPIANS 2:3
Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit (which is excessive pride in self)… but with humility of mind keep on regarding one another as more important than yourselves…
PHILIPPIANS 2:4
…and do not only look out for your own personal interests, but also look out for the interests of others.
Timothy was unselfish. He loved to serve. He was raised and influenced by strong Christian women. Second Timothy, Chapter 1, Verse 5…
SECOND TIMOTHY 1:5
I (Paul) am mindful of the sincere faith within you Timothy, which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice…and I am sure this faith in the Lord is in you as well.
Timothy was sincere. He was concerned about people’s spiritual lives. He was a hard worker and an imitator of Christ…First Corinthians, Chapter 4, Verse 17…
FIRST CORINTHIANS 4:17a
Because I want you Corinthian believers to be imitators of me, I (Paul) have sent Timothy to you, who is my beloved and faithful child in union with the Lord…
Timothy was Paul’s valued friend, and what made him a friend is that Timothy could be trusted. Who are the people in your life that you trust?
Paul had plenty of friends in Rome (he mentions them in Romans 16), but none of them could be counted on to make the trip to Philippi with the letter to the Philippians. Paul knew he could count on Timothy in all things. That’s a true friend.
The Lord is gracious enough to supply us with friends for life. These people we
can count on to do anything. I am grateful for this set of friends in my life. My true friends are people with a genuine concern for others, and they demonstrate the concern. They don’t just talk about it.
Timothy was trained…Philippians, Chapter 2, Verses 22 to 24…
PHILIPPIANS 2:22
But you Philippian believers know of Timothy’s proven worth, that he served with me in the furtherance of the gospel like a child serving his father.
PHILIPPIANS 2:23
Therefore, I hope to send Timothy immediately, as soon as I see how things go with me…
PHILIPPIANS 2:24
…and I trust in the Lord that I will also be coming to you shortly.
Paul didn’t thrust Timothy into immediate service. Paul trained Timothy. He was Paul’s protégé, and as such he encountered suffering through the training…Second Timothy, Chapter 3, Verses 10 and 11…
SECOND TIMOTHY 3:10
Now Timothy…you followed my teaching, my conduct, my purpose, my faith, my patience, my unconditional love, my perseverance…
SECOND TIMOTHY 3:11
…my persecutions, and my sufferings, like the ones that happened to me at Antioch, and Iconium, and Lystra. Through the persecutions I endured, and out of them all the Lord rescued me!
Paul encourages Timothy to press on in the faith…Second Timothy, Chapter 3, Verses 13 to 15…
SECOND TIMOTHY 3:13
Evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.
SECOND TIMOTHY 3:14
However, you Timothy are to continue in the things you have learned and in the
things you have become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned
them…
SECOND TIMOTHY 3:15
…since from childhood you have known the sacred writings in the Word of God which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith placed in Christ Jesus.
Paul encouraged his friend in Second Timothy, Chapter 4, Verses 1 and 2…
SECOND TIMOTHY 4:1
I (Paul) solemnly charge you (Timothy) in the presence of God the Father and in the presence of Christ Jesus, the judge of the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom…
SECOND TIMOTHY 4:2
…to preach the Word of God…being ready to preach in season and out of season…being ready to reprove, to rebuke, and to exhort with great patience and with great instruction.
Second Timothy, Chapter 4, Verses 5 and 6…
SECOND TIMOTHY 4:5
Timothy…be sober…and be on the alert in all things…endure hardship…do the work of an evangelist…and fulfill your ministry.
SECOND TIMOTHY 4:6
For I (Paul) am already being poured out as if I am a drink offering…and the time of my departure from the earth has come.
Paul trained his friend Timothy as his replacement, and Timothy served well. There’s nothing like having a friend like Timothy who has a passion for service to others.
Next Paul turns our attention to another “ordinary” friend…Epaphroditus. Here’s what Paul has to say about him in Philippians, Chapter 2, Verses 25 to 30…
PHILIPPIANS 2:25
But I thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, my fellow worker, and my fellow soldier in the spiritual battle, who also is a messenger
from you to minister to my financial need…
PHILIPPIANS 2:26
…because Epaphroditus was longing with concern for all of you and he was distressed because you heard he was sick.
PHILIPPIANS 2:27
Indeed…Epaphroditus was sick…to the point of death…but God the Father had mercy on him…and not on him only…but also on me so I would not be filled with sorrow.
PHILIPPIANS 2:28
Therefore, I have sent Epaphroditus eagerly so that when you see him again you will rejoice and so I may be less concerned about you.
PHILIPPIANS 2:29
Receive Epaphroditus then…you who are in union with the Lord…with all JOY… and hold men like him in high regard…
PHILIPPIANS 2:30
…because Epaphroditus came close to death for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was deficient in your service to me.
Epaphroditus had no concern about himself, even though it would have been wise. He was deathly ill. He found the strength to deliver a financial gift to Paul, to stay with Paul in Rome to minister to him, and to return to Philippi with Paul’s letter. Instead of his major concern being his sickness, Epaphroditus didn’t want his friends in Philippi to worry.
Epaphroditus had JOY regardless of circumstances. Paul says in this passage that Epaphroditus is a man with faith in Christ…a brother…that he is spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the world…one person at a time…and that he is a defender of the faith. All of this while battling a deadly illness.
Timothy and Epaphroditus have one thing in common. It’s passionate concern for others. When you think of your best friends, you will likely see the same concern. There is nothing better than surrounding yourself with “others first” individuals who know the JOY of sacrifice and service.
People who put your interests ahead of their own deserve your support, especially when they are providing you with a life sustaining service. The Lord encourages you to do this in First Thessalonians, Chapter 5, Verses 12 and 13…
FIRST THESSALONIANS 5:12
But we request of you, brethren, that you appreciate those who diligently labor among you, and have charge over you in the Lord and give you instruction…
FIRST THESSALONIANS 5:13a
…and that you esteem them very highly in unconditional love because of their work.
It’s my pleasure as a Pastor to consider you my friends and to serve you and sacrifice for you so you can get to know the Lord Jesus Christ before you meet Him. I have little care for the rewards, although I know they are there. My concern is being pleasing to the Lord in all respects, and to hear the precious words from the Lord articulated in Matthew, Chapter 25, Verse 21…
MATTHEW 25:21
“His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things…enter into the joy of your master.’”
It is my prayer that you are the kind of friend who can hear the same words from the Lord when you meet Him face-to-face.
When we return from the break, we’ll request an offering and then we’ll celebrate the Lord’s Supper.
FIVE-MINUTE BREAK
THAT’S WHAT FRIENDS ARE FOR
Dionne Warwick, Elton John, Gladys Knight, and Stevie Wonder
TODAY’S BIBLE LESSON
What Do Your Friends Mean to You?
OFFERING INTRODUCTION
When we present the gospel of Jesus Christ to unbelievers, they give to us by
listening attentively. It’s one of the most gratifying experiences in life when an unbeliever really wants to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ. The gift of listening is the gift of intimacy. In Luke, Chapter 8, Verse 8 the Lord makes a request…
LUKE 8:8
“He who has ears to hear, let him hear what God the Holy Spirit is saying to the churches.”
When you give to Barah Ministries, you make it possible for us to present the gospel Jesus Christ to people all over the world through the Internet. People are listening! The gospel of Jesus Christ needs to be heard.
Thank you for supporting this ministry with your generosity. Your unselfish giving is a reflection of our God, and it gives people around the world a chance to respond positively to an eternal, life-giving gospel message…the salvation offer of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Let’s hear a thoughtful and inspiring offering message from Deacon Denny Goodall.
THE OFFERING
Deacon Denny Goodall
OFFERING VERSE
JOHN 13:34
A new command I (the Lord Jesus Christ) give to all of you…that you love one another unconditionally…just as I have loved you…unconditionally…so that you also love one another unconditionally.
OFFERING SONG
THERE IS NONE LIKE YOU
Instrumental Version
THE LORD’S SUPPER CELEBRATION
At the Cross, the Lord Jesus Christ Taught Us the Power of Friendship
Welcome to The Lord’s Supper Celebration, the most intimate expression of our love for the Lord Jesus Christ in The Christian Way of Living.
The Lord demonstrates His desire for a deep, intimate, and personal relationship with His believers by creating a way to keep on sharing His body and His blood with us, just as He did with His apostles on the night before His death. Luke, Chapter 22, Verses 14 to 16…
LUKE 22:14
When the hour had come and His crucifixion was near…the Lord Jesus Christ reclined at the Passover table…and the apostles reclined with Him.
LUKE 22:15
And the Lord said to the apostles, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover meal with you before I suffer…”
LUKE 22:16
“…for I (the Lord Jesus Christ) say to you that I shall never again eat this
Passover meal until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God the Father.”
In First Corinthians, Chapter 11, Verse 26, the apostle Paul says, on behalf of the Lord…
FIRST CORINTHIANS 11:26a
…as often as you eat this bread (representing His body) … and as often as you drink this cup (representing His blood)…as part of the Lord’s Supper Celebration…
FIRST CORINTHIANS 11:26b
…you proclaim as a reality and you announce the significance of the Lord Jesus Christ’s death on the Cross…and His resurrection from the dead… until He comes again at the second coming.
During the Lord’s Supper Celebration, Jesus wants His believers to REMEMBER. When we look back to the Cross we REMEMBER how the Lord rescued us from the kingdom of darkness…we REMEMBER the Lord’s sacrifice, shedding His blood to cover our sins…we REMEMBER the gift of the resurrection life the Lord orchestrated, bringing us into His kingdom of light…and we REMEMBER with anticipation that the Lord is coming again.
As believers in Christ, when we celebrate The Lord’s Supper, we ask ourselves in reflection, “What did the Lord Jesus Christ do for us at the Cross?” At the Cross, the Lord Jesus Christ taught us the power of friendship.
We know the Lord is a friend to all of His creatures because He laid down His life for us at the Cross.
We know the Lord doesn’t have any enemies except those who voluntarily reject Him. Their rejection of the Lord doesn’t the Lord’s attitude toward them.
The Lord gives us friends…people who are on our side. What is friendship?
FRIENDSHIP
A voluntary state involving mutual trust, support, and affection between people… preferably long lasting…with a concern for listening to, serving, and enjoying a relationship of reciprocation in all things.
The Lord embodied all the characteristic of a true friend…deep and unconditional love…sacrifice…kindness…mercy…loyalty…sound advice…forgiveness…and perseverance through the ups and downs of life.
The Lord wants us to demonstrate the same friendship toward each other.
Friendship is intimate. Friendship requires vulnerability. Friendship is a commitment to the well-being of others. Friendship is trust-based.
Friendship is two sided. Friendship involves giving, expecting nothing in return.
Friends bring Kleenex when we are crying. Friends give hugs when we need to feel secure.
Friendship is nurturing. Friendship is unselfish. Friendship prefers communication and closeness.
Friends bear each other’s burdens. Friends make things easy when they are hard.
Friends are around when things get tough.
Friendship is love in action.
The Lord wants us to become good friends. The Lord wants us to spread our friendship throughout the world as a reflection of Him. Psalm 113, Verse 1…
PSALM 133:1
Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for the brethren who dwell together in unity!
Friendship involves unity. Make time this week to thank your friends for their friendship, and make the Lord proud. In addition, be a good friend by imitating the Lord. Now let’s enjoy the elements.
THE LORD’S SUPPER CELEBRATION
Enjoying the Elements
Bread and wine.
The Lord gave us these things to remember Him. We will enjoy the elements together in a few moments as we listen to The Lord’s Supper Song.
Obeying God's command, we keep on celebrating CHRIST and His Cross regularly. We eat to remember who He is as a PERSON. We drink to remember His WORK on the Cross, the voluntary sacrifice He made on our behalf as our sin substitute.
We are grateful for what God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ have done for us. Matthew, Chapter 26, Verses 26 to 28…
MATTHEW 26:26
While they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and after a blessing, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take…eat…this is My body which is being broken for you.”
MATTHEW 26:27
And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you…”
MATTHEW 26:28
“…for this is My blood…the blood of a new covenant…blood poured out for many for the forgiveness of their sins.”
As you enjoy the bread and the wine, enjoy the memory of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ as well.
Now and always, let us keep on giving thanks that we are loved unconditionally and accepted fully by a Lord who is always there for us…He is our friend. He is the One on whom we depend. Let’s keep on being transformed by His life, His death, His burial, His resurrection from the dead, and His Word. And let’s keep on enjoying His unconditional love, His forgiveness, and His grace.
The Lord says in John, Chapter 15, Verse 14…
JOHN 15:14
All of you are My friends if (3) you do what I command you to do.
Brian Doerksen explains in his song WHAT A FRIEND.
THE LORD’S SUPPER SONG
WHAT A FRIEND
Brian Doerksen
THE GOSPEL MESSAGE
The Good News of Jesus Christ’s Salvation Offer to the Human Race
The closing moments of this lesson could be the ten most important minutes of your life. You’ll be introduced to the good news concerning how you can spend all eternity in heaven when you close your eyes in this life. We want you to know that…
GOD WANTS YOU!
He Wants You to Make the Most Important Decision of Your Life
…and what He wants for you is that you make the most important
decision of your life.
The Lord Jesus Christ gave you a powerful weapon and a perfect gift from the moment of your physical birth…CHOICE. You get to choose the life you want to live. The life you are living right now is the sum of all the decisions you have made so far.
The Lord Jesus Christ, the Sovereign God of the Universe and the Savior of all mankind, says there are only two choices for your eternal future…either heaven (the small gate and the narrow way) or the Lake of Fire (the wide gate and the broad way) … described in Matthew, Chapter 7, Verses 13 and 14…
MATTHEW 7:13
“Enter through the narrow gate…for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction…and there are many who enter through the wide gate (into the Lake of Fire).”
MATTHEW 7:14
“For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to the resurrection life (into heaven) … and there are FEW who find the small gate.”
MOST PEOPLE CHOOSE THE BROAD WAY according to the Lord. Which road will you choose for your eternal life? You have the chance to be the eternal hero of your own life by making the right choice.
Those who are on the broad way that leads to destruction believe there is safety in numbers. It is not true. Believing what everyone else believes does not save you. Learning the truth saves you. Placing your confidence in the Lord Jesus Christ for your salvation will save you.
The Lord Jesus Christ is 100% God…that’s why we call Him Lord…and He is 100% Man…true humanity like you and me…that’s why we call Him Jesus…and He is the promised Messiah …that’s why we call Him “the Christ.” In John, Chapter 14, Verse 6 Jesus says HE is the small gate, which makes Him your guide to heaven…
JOHN 14:6
Jesus said to the doubting apostle, Thomas, “I am the way (to salvation) … and I am the truth (through the gospel message in the Word of God) … and I am the resurrection life (eternal life) … and no one comes to God the Father in heaven but through believing in Me.”
God the Father’s plan for your life is simple. When you BELIEVE in His Son it’s your ticket to eternal life. Acts, Chapter 16, Verse 31 says…
ACTS 16:31
“Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved by God, you and everyone in your household who also believes.”
Those on the broad way that leads to destruction place their confidence in liars. The Lord Jesus Christ warns about them in Matthew, Chapter 7, Verse 15…
MATTHEW 7:15
“Beware of the false prophets (false teachers) … who come to you in sheep’s clothing (appearing harmless) … who inwardly are ravenous wolves (out to destroy your eternal future).”
As ravenous wolves, false teachers want you to respond to a false gospel message. Proverbs, Chapter 14, Verse 12 illuminates the issue…
PROVERBS 14:12
There is a way that seems right to a man (saving yourself by thinking good
deeds will earn your salvation) … but its end is the way of death (the second death in the Lake of Fire).
The Lord Jesus Christ offers the true gospel message and an invitation to be saved in John, Chapter 3, Verse 36…
JOHN 3:36
“He who believes in the Son has the resurrection life (eternal life) right at that moment…but he who does not obey the command to believe in the Son will not see the resurrection life…instead the wrath of God (the Lake of Fire) abides on him.”
RIGHT WHERE YOU SIT…RIGHT NOW…RIGHT THIS MOMENT you can tell God the Father that you are believing in the Lord Jesus Christ for your salvation, and that is the moment of eternal life for you.
Who is this God who saves you? The apostle Paul describes the Lord Jesus Christ in First Corinthians, Chapter 15, Verses 3 and 4…
FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:3
For I (Paul) delivered to all of you as of primary importance the gospel message I also received from God…that it was Jesus Christ who died for our sins according to the Old Testament Scriptures…
FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:4
…and that He was buried…and that He was raised from the dead on the third
day…according to the Old Testament Scriptures…
God’s enemy…Satan…is the sponsor of false teachers, false teaching, and a
false gospel message. You have to be able to discern the difference between
God’s truth and Satan’s lies…John, Chapter 8, Verses 31 and 32…
JOHN 8:31
So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word (the Word of God from a true teacher), then you are truly disciples of Mine…”
JOHN 8:32
“…and you will know the truth (the true gospel of Jesus Christ) … and the truth will make you free.”
Another warning for those who choose the broad way is Matthew, Chapter 7, Verses 21 to 23…
MATTHEW 7:21
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven…
but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven (by obeying the gospel message) will enter heaven.”
MATTHEW 7:22
“Many will say to Me on the day of judgment, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy
in Your name…and in Your name did we not cast out demons…and in Your name did we not perform many miracles?’”
MATTHEW 7:23
“And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you…depart from Me (into the Lake of Fire) … you who kept on practicing a lifestyle of lawlessness.’”
Don’t wait until it’s too late to consider what road you are on! Mark, Chapter 1, Verse 15 says…
MARK 1:15
“The time is fulfilled…and the kingdom of God is at hand…so repent (change your mind about having a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ) … and believe in HIS gospel message.”
The will of God the Father is that you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ so you can have a personal relationship with His Son. Those who choose the narrow way have decided that faith in the Lord Jesus Christ alone is the ONLY ticket to heaven.
Get off of the broad way that leads to destruction! Get yourself on the narrow way that leads to eternal life in heaven right this minute. Jesus Christ is ready to save you. All you have to do is ask.
THE GOSPEL MESSAGE
The Good News of Jesus Christ’s Salvation Offer to the Human Race
CLOSING SONG INTRODUCTION
Let’s close with music! There is nothing better than friends with whom we have history. Here’s Michael W. Smith to teach us that the best FRIENDS ARE FRIENDS FOREVER!
MUSIC - CLOSING SONG
Let’s Hear the Singing of the Lord’s Praises
FRIENDS ARE FRIENDS FOREVER
Michael W. Smith
CLOSING PRAYER
Let us pray...
Almighty God and Father…
Thank you for providing us with enemies who shape us with pain…thanks even more for providing us with friends who give us JOY…
…teach us to be the kind of friends You would be proud of…
…we ask this through the power of God the Holy Spirit…in Christ’s name...Amen.
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