the friend you've always wanted, part 1

The series
This series is called, “the friend you’ve always wanted.” Now, I know what many of you are thinking. He is going to take about how the best friend you could ever have is Jesus. Although that is true that Jesus is our friend, that’s not what I am talking about. Instead, I am talking about human friendships. We are calling it the friend you’ve always wanted because we are going to challenge each one of you to be the friend you have always wanted. Too many times, we point to other people and say, they are a bad friend, they are mean, they are rude, they are this and they are that, but this series is not going to be about other people, this series is going to be all about each one of you asking the questions, “Am I a good friend?”

This week
The importance of Christian friends

1. Christian friends should not be your only friends.

Christian friends should not be your only friends, but they should be your best friends. That is really important because there is a line that we need to draw here.

Why is it important that we don’t just have Christian friends?

There are 2 passages that give us commands on what we are supposed to do as Christians. Here they are:

Matthew 28:19-20
Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Acts 1:8
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

How are we supposed to tell people about Christ if we don’t have any friends that are not Christians?
Now, you could tell people about Christ that aren’t Christians, but how are they going to trust you and see how it works in your life if you aren’t friends with them?

2. Christian friends are not always good friends.

A real Christian friend is someone who actually builds you up and encourages you. Someone who doesn’t drag you down, that doesn’t lead you to more sin.

· Christian school doesn’t make you a Christian
· Coming to Edge doesn’t make you a Christian either.
· Going to McDonalds doesn’t make you a hamburger.

If you have friends that are Christians, but you know they are bringing you down, you may need to distance yourself.

1 Corinthians 15:33
Do not be misled: "Bad company corrupts good character."


3. Christian friends will be your greatest friends

Out of all the friends you have, you need Christian friends the most. If they are living as a Christian (not perfect, but striving to follow Christ), then they are going to become your most valuable friends. Why would Christian friends be so valuable?

EXAMPLE of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and the feiry furnace (Daniel 3)

What does this story have to do friendships?
These 3 guys stuck together in their faith in God and did amazing things because of their faith. Do you think they could have done it alone? Maybe, but it would have been a whole lot more difficult. Having friends that shared in the same faith, gave them the power to stand up to the King and the strength to be thrown into a furnace together. That is the power of having Christian friends.