Grace Fellowship Church Pastor/Teacher Jim Rickard Thursday, August 12,

Doxology Praise God, from whom all blessings flow; Praise Him, all creatures here below; Praise Him above, ye heavenly host; Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.— Amen.

Memory Verse John 15:13, “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.”

John 15:12-14 Impersonal Love Motivates Divine Good Production!

Doctrine of Friend, Friendship with God.

I. General Definition: In Greek culture, the supreme duty of a friend was to sacrifice himself for his friend.

Qualities of a friend.

1. Friendship could only exist between good men, men who lived pure lives, free from greed, lust, and violence.

2. Friends had complete agreement on all subjects and good will toward one another.

3. Friendship was based on love.

4. Friends would not ask one another to do what was wrong and only did good to one another.

5. Permanence and stability in friendship were the product of mutual loyalty.

6. The golden rule for a friend was to put himself on the same level as his friend.

Greeks believed that a man could have only a few real friends and that a pair of friends was the true ideal.

II. Etymology - Greek: a. PHILOS, φ ί λος, is a primary adjective translated “friend(s)” that means, “beloved, dear, friendly or friend(s).” It is a term of endearment.

It is having a special interest in someone. One who is on intimate terms or in close association with another.

Friendship = PHILIA used only once in the N.T.

Friendship = PHILIA used only once in the N.T. James 4:4. “You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”

III. Corporate Friendship with God.

Friendship with God is the same between true Israel (Jewish dispensation believers who are Jews) and the Church, John 3:29.

John 3:29, “He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. So this joy of mine has been made full.”

John the Baptist is calling himself a friend of the Lord Jesus Christ who is the bridegroom of the Church, His bride, (Eph 5:24-28, 33; with Rev 19:7).

Therefore, he, a Jewish dispensation believer, is calling himself out as different from the Bride of Christ, the Church.

Therefore, we see a difference between believers of the Age of Israel and Church Age, yet both groups have the opportunity to be a “friend / loved one” of God.

Grace Fellowship Church Thursday, August 12, 2010 Tape # Friendship with God, Part 1 Upper Room Discourse, Part 401 John 15:13-14; 3:29 James H. Rickard Bible Ministries 2010