Friends Serve Their Friends
How to Friend • Sermon • Submitted
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Transcript
Intro
What is up y’all! I am so excited about tonight. And not because we are having cupcakes. NO! That sounds amazing, but that we are together, starting a new series on friendships.
How many of y’all have googled, “HOW TO...” Fill in the blank? Google has become a second nature to use. Or even youtube! Right?
I typed “How to…” and let google auto fill, this is what comes up:
… take a screenshot
… tie a bow tie
… delete instagram
… make french toast
… play wordle
There all useful searches. Taking a screenshot probably is for you mom or grandma. Tie a bow tie? GOOD LUCK! Even watching step by step tutorials, I still can’t do it. How to delete instagram, is for those who want to go on a social media cleanse, or if you just went through a bad break up. French toast is amazing and wordle is so much fun! I was addicted when it first came out.
But the list never pertains to friendships. “How to friend”.
how to be a good friend.
how to make friends
how to keep friends.
how to change friends.
how to lose friends.
If I had these in my pocket when I was in middle school I would have been so much better of a friend. Because lets be real, who here knows how to be a good friend? I did not and was not a good friend. I would always be so shady as a friend. They would want to hang out and I would dip out at the last second. Or my least favorite thing I would do is completely ignore my friends whenever I was in a mood. Earbuds in and just completely blow past them. I know so rude definitely not a good friend at all!
I wish someone would have told me, “This is how you friend.”
Tension
WHY IS IT HARD TO FRIEND?
We’ve said this time and time again, when you put two imperfect and broken people and throw them into a relationship, the outcome sometimes is not good. It is hard to maintain the peace in friendships.
WHY? Because friendships take a lot of work.
Growing up our friendships came naturally. No one told us how to be a friend.
When we were young, that kid has a cool ball I like, he is my friend now.
That kids house has better toys, were best friends.
That kid is in my grade…class…we have baseball in common…He or she has this, and I want it so I’ll be his/her friend.
I can benefit from this person so I will now be their friend.
And listen, this is natural, just because it comes natural doesn’t mean our friendships are going to be perfect by no means.
Just what I was saying, we tend to look for how people can benefit us. What they have, what they can get us to be. And I like this series because we are going to turn our entire world for a spin on how we approach friendships. Complete game changer.
Truth
Turn with me to John 13.
The worlds how to friend is to see what they can do for you. We are going to look what Jesus says on how to friend.
It was late one night right before the passover celebration, when Jesus and the 12 disciples were getting ready for passover. Up in the room they were staying in, they were sitting around a table, dimly lit by a candle. They were all talking about their days in the city and what they saw Jesus do.
They were probably joking and laughing as they were about to eat. Jesus was silent looking at his friends that he has made on his days on the earth. Remincing and thinking about how he loves this group of guys more than anything. And in his spirit he knew something was going to happen, what was meant to happen from the very beginning. And he knew his authority that the Father has given him over everything and that He had come from God and he was about to return to God.. But he still loved this group so much.
(VERSE 4-5)He got up. He took off his outer robe and grabbed the servants towel , wrapped it around his waste. There was a bowl standing right by the door where they would wash their feet, and he grabbed it. Going by one by one, kneeling at his friends feet. Washing them. It was dead silent. After done with one, he goes to the next. Tears welling up in the eyes of his friends. “What is he doing?” Peter was thinking in his head. “This is the Messiah the King and he is washing our feet.” Jesus finally gets to Peter, and Peter exlaims, “Jesus! What are you doing?” Jesus replies softly, “What I am doing, you will not understand now, but you will understand later.” And Peter crying, “NO! You are too great! You will not wash my feet, you are far greater than me.” Then Jesus tells him, “Unless I wash you, you will not belong to me.”
Peter jumps up, “Wash my entire body then! I want to be apart of you!” Jesus, slightly grinning at the passion that Peter haves towards him, “You’re body doesn’t need to be clean, if its already been washed. But only your feet. And all of you except one is clean.” And after getting up from washing their feet, he put his coat back on and asked the disciples, “What was I doing?” They all looked around no one saying anything, Peter wiping his tears away, James blowing his nose, because he was sobbing like a baby. No one had an answer for him.
13 “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16 Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.
Jesus showed us by example “How to friend.” This is Lord of Lords, King of Kings, GOD IN THE FLESH! Instead of demanding things from the disciples. Instead of seeing what the disciples could do for him. He grabbed a towel and took on the role of what a servant, THE LOWER CLASS PEOPLE, would do and served.
GOOD FRIENDS SERVE THEIR FRIENDS.
They don’t look to see what they can get from them. Or how they can serve me.
How do we start serving our friends?
First, we be humble. lay aside ourselves. Jesus knew (v.3) his social status and where his authority came from. He laid aside his own wants and desires. He knew in that room that Judas was sitting their, he got down and washed the feet of the man who was going to betray him, and he still went through with it.
We have to lay aside our pride. Showing our love for our friends. 1 Peter 5:5
5 In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because,
“God opposes the proud
but shows favor to the humble.”
“Clothe yourselves with humility toward one another.”
Second, we serve our friends through thought. serving our friends means to think about your friends. What are their likes, dislikes, but most importantly what are their struggles? How is their home life? Think about them in that sense and serve them. Help them in anyway possible. One thing to show anyone who is hurting, is being an ear for them to speak too.
Third, by listening. Listen to them. Hear them out. Ask deep questions and then listen! And actually listen and try not to fix. Remember what they said, pray for them, and follow up with them on that. Write what they told you down if you have too.
Fourth, continual prayer. Pray for them. Pray continually for your friends. Pray for their struggles. If they are not believers, pray that their will be an oppurtunity to share the gospel with them, and that they will trust in Jesus! If they are hurting pray for them.
This is not going to solve all of your friend problems, but this will be so powerful moving forward. Being a friend means serving your friend. Putting your friends needs above your own, not expecting anything in return.
Its going to take work, but you won’t have to do it alone on your own power, but by the power of the Holy Spirit.
WHAT A GREAT WAY TO REPRESENT CHRIST TO OUR FRIENDS AND CLASSMATES.
Lets go back to the story, and look at what Jesus is doing. I want this to change our hearts! Jesus, comes down and cleanses our sins on the cross just as he cleansed the disciples feet. He washes us.