The importance of a friend (part 3)

I have already made two posts on this subject and today I would like to try to summarize the last part. Obviously I was talking to them about the importance of being able to have healthy, healthy friendships, how one can develop those friendships, how one can take care of some friendships, or how one can influence others, how one must learn to value others. those people that God places around us and also understand that we cannot be a 20 bill, I have that stuck there, we cannot be a 20 or 100 bill for everyone. With some I'm going to like others maybe I'm not going to like him so well. It is in my character and although I try to make adjustments that will be the reality. Some will like me fat even if I'm not, others will like me skinny, how skinny I am.

But the point is, my brothers, that the last part of this message focuses, I would say, on the most important part of what friendship is or where friendship is meshed and founded. And this is, in our friendship with God. Our connection relationship with God. And I understand, my brothers, that in our experience of faith, in our life of faith, we have different ways in which we can approach God. Obviously we approach God as our God, as our Lord, as the king over our lives, terms in which we define that relationship that exists. And therefore, when we see him like this at that height, at that level, as that God who is indeed great, who has been the creator of heaven and earth, who reigns above the universe and as if to say, throwing it right there above but who at the same time is a God who is very close to our hearts.

That implies that it is a sense of reverence that we have to give to that relationship, a level of respect that is due to God at that level. Another way in which we also address God is when we see him as a Father. And I know that perhaps for some in the background of our psychosis so to speak, there are many people who perhaps do not have the best example of a father, physical, in the flesh, here on earth, and therefore it is difficult for them. proceed with God as if he were a dad too.

But precisely because God is that Father who is also perfect, he helps us to heal and restore those wounds from the past that perhaps a father caused in us and God restores that paternal image, in the midst of our lives, or maternal image as well, so to speak, because the Bible also describes God as a Mother, a hen who cooes us under her wings and protects us as well. He also identifies God thus.

But also obviously, my brothers, and this is where this part is that is very beautiful, it is the mere fact that God also has that side that is very personal, that is closer to one, that is like a friend in the midst of our lives. That person, that corduroy, as they say, who we can count on. And of course, that sense of friendship is transmitted much more through the person of Jesus.

And look, in the Bible, I can say that there are very limited examples of people who identify themselves as friends of God, or who had a certain intimacy with God directly. Who was one of them? Abraham, of course, Abraham. Look, Abraham there are two passages that I found, one is in Second Chronicles, chapter 20 and in James 2:23, which are two of the verses that speak specifically that Abraham was considered a friend of God directly.

Another example that we can mention who is it? Enoch. Why Enoch? Enoch walked with God, this is how the Bible identifies him, as a man who walked with God and if I remember the story correctly, he did not see death, but similar to who else? Elijah, he was caught up with God. The man did not see death definitively. So, Enoch there's another example that I hadn't considered that one.

Who else? To Moses. Sure, Moses. Tell me here in the Bible can you tell him, or can you attribute to him the fact that he spoke with God face to face? To Moses, God definitely had a relationship of intimacy, of friendship, of closeness with Moses that no other person had. Imagine, he even managed to see the back of God.

There was a friendship there. But from then on there aren't many others that the Bible can say were truly friends of God, that they were close to God. Even Jesus himself, you do remember that I have told you this too, that even Jesus himself had his levels of friendships with the people he had around him. And I go back and say it, he had his group of 12 disciples, but within those 12 disciples he had 3 very particular ones, with whom he went away to pray with them, and of those 3, there was only one that Jesus allowed to lay her head on his chest. Only one, John, the beloved disciple.

And look, I am going to tell you this, I understand without a doubt, that this relationship of friendship with God is based on love. If there is no love, there is nothing. If love does not exist in a relationship, whatever the relationship, look, you can obviously think, one thinks of a marriage relationship, if there is no love in a marriage relationship, things dry up.

If there is no love between a relationship between a father with his sons, a mother with her daughters, things go right. If there is no relationship between a teacher and her students, that teacher-student dynamic is going to be very difficult. The first time the student gives her a problem, the teacher says, go back the same way you came, then.

If a nurse does not feel love for her patients, the treatment she will give him, every time she has to poke him, she will make him suffer, I can't find the vein, and she tortures the poor man or the poor woman or the poor child . There is no love in that deal.

What's more, a paramedic, if I take Nelva as an example, think about having to respond to emergencies at any time of the day, don't you think that a person like her is going to need love to be able to care for a stranger in some situation on the street? Of course you need love. Maybe there are some paramedics who don't see it that way, but I understand that Nelva does see it that way, that's why she's here, whole in one piece, and she hasn't lost her mind like others.

Love is needed. And in that friendship relationship love is needed. If I ask you a question, this is something I talk about in level four discipleship class, if I ask you this question, what is the purpose that love seeks to achieve? If I put you to think there, what is the purpose that love seeks to achieve? How many have taken level 4? Here I have some, the most recent ones are out there, they are thinking about what it was that he had said. think.

What is the purpose that love seeks? Check this out, I'm going to do a Bible verse exploration with you. How many know what First John says, chapter 4, verse 8? What does this passage say? There is even a song, exactly, that God is love. The Bible says it, God is love, it comes back and repeats it...

This is what First John says, chapter 4, verse 8 and 16, twice: God is love. And Romans, chapter 5, verse 5, there is also another passage that I use that says, that the love of God has been poured out on us.

Now, what was the best way, the best expression that God made regarding his love? Sending his son Jesus. It was the best expression of love that God made for us. John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that he gave his Son." It was a different perspective to think about a verse that is so well known.

It is in the person of Jesus where we see how that love of God takes care of itself, in a tangible way. Now, if that love has been demonstrated in the person of Jesus, how can we respond to that love of God? What is one of the commandments that Jesus left us? Example, Matthew 22, what does it say? You will love God with all your strength, with your heart, with all your mind, with all your soul. In other words, with everything you are going to love God. Don't leave a drop out.

And what does he say afterwards? The second commandment is just as important as that, will you love whom? Tell the person next to you, I love you. Say it. To make it easier for you, tell him: I love you with the love of the Lord who is perfecting himself in me every day. And even if it is difficult for me, I want to obey that mandate.

Listen, look at what you said, I decide to obey that mandate. Do you know why? Because it is a command from God. Loving is not an option, loving is a mandate which we have to obey. Oh, but pastor, they step on my calluses all the time. Hold the stomp. Oh, he loves me... that boy. Mistress. That every time they set me up at work. Mistress. And turn the other cheek.

Without a doubt, this is where it is verified that loving God and neighbor is a mandate, in those verses that we have mentioned. Therefore, loving is a decision. You decide to love your neighbor. You decide to obey that command of God or not. You decide to comply with what God asks of you or not. It's in you. What's more, I always like to take it to this level, you decide to obey God's command to love yourself too.

Hey, do you love yourself or yourself? Do you give your love from time to time? Or are you one of those who whip themselves, Opus Dei type? Now look, let me ask a little deeper question. And I'm basing this question on biblical verses, brothers, I'm not pulling things out of my sleeve, it's clear, I'm going to get to a point. I always like to emphasize this.

There are two verses that I want to mention for this question, one is in First John chapter 2, it says like this, verse 9 to 11:

“If anyone says that he is in the light but hates his brother, he is still in the dark. He who loves his brother lives in the light and there is nothing to make him fall, but he who hates his brother -this is his neighbor- lives and walks in the dark and does not know where he is going because the darkness has left him. blind…"

The second verse I want to read is First John chapter 3, verse 14, which is a little deeper than this, it says:

"We have passed from death to life and we know it because we love our brothers - look at that - If you want to know if there is a dead side in you, do not wait for a stroke, better see, analyze if you are loving his brother, his neighbor, around him as God commands.

“He who does not love is still dead, we know – verse 16 – we know what love is because Jesus Christ gave his life for us and so we too must give our lives for our brothers…”

Verse 18, “My little children, may our love not only be in words but also be demonstrated by deeds…”

This is the question I want to ask you. How can we demonstrate in a practical way our love for God and our neighbor? How can we demonstrate it in practice? Because it is not just looking at the other person and saying, I love you in the love of the Lord because it is being perfected in me, because I alone cannot do it. No.

I am going to give you another biblical example, look, Matthew, chapter 25, Jesus is speaking to the people and he says:

“The just are going to ask, Lord, when did we see you hungry and gave you food, or when did we see you thirsty and gave you a drink, or when did we see you as a stranger and gave you lodging, without clothes and gave them to you, or when we saw you sick or in jail and we went to see you. And the Lord King will answer him saying, I assure you that everything you have done for one of these, my smallest and most humble brothers, you did it for me."

A second passage that I can refer to is that of John, chapter 13, I like this a lot, verses 12 to 15. Look how he says this story:

“After having washed his feet, Jesus put on his toga, his clothes, got up again at the table and said to them, have you understood what I have done? Jesus begins to ask his disciples, have you understood what I have done? You call me Master and Lord and you are right, because I am. If I, the Master and the Lord, have washed your feet, you should also wash one another's feet. I have given you an example so that you do the same thing that I have done to you…”

How can we show that love in a practical way, my brothers and sisters? serve. Serve the people around you in some way or another. From those closest to your family nucleus to those who are foreigners, in the way that God allows you to do it. Serve the people. In all the relationships, look, this for me was like a light that illuminated me. Suddenly I sang, ha, I had a light. And a wind tried to come to turn it off but it did not turn it off because the light bulb stayed on.

But look, in all the relationships that you have, my brothers and sisters, all the relationships that you have, as I said, from the most intimate nucleus of your home, be it your partner, your children, some other family member, even people in the work, people here at church, people in your neighborhood, at the gym, wherever you go, look, if you serve in any way, if you serve someone, you are showing your love for God. Because after all, what you do for that person, you are doing to God himself, you are doing it.

and this is very interesting because this has another side. Because when we do the opposite, when we hurt, when we accuse, when we hit the other, do you know who we are doing it to? I want you to assimilate this, my brothers, because nothing more than having said it makes me want to throw myself on my knees and ask for forgiveness, because I break that relationship of friendship with God at those times.

On the one hand I am praying, Lord, I want greater intimacy with you, and on the other hand I am cutting off that prayer. When love is the basis of every relationship that I establish, be it family, friendship, work, or ministerial, what am I doing, my brothers? I am reflecting the image and character of God. When I serve someone, when I show that love in service to someone, I am reflecting the love, the image and the character of God to that person. Even if that person does not see it that way, but at least I know that before God that is what I am doing.

Therefore, I return to that initial question that I asked at the beginning. What is the final purpose that love seeks to achieve after having said all this that I said? But Pastor Omar, you were not talking about God's friendship. Yes. Love is looking for what? Remember? No? What love seeks is to return once more to its originator. If love is God and love comes from God through the person of Christ, and that love is manifested in us, it is because I forgot to say a verse. Do you know what Second Corinthians chapter 5 says, verse 17 to 20? If I say it like this, many of you will know what it says, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature. They were waiting for the pastor to say the first part.

If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature. Old things have passed away, behold, all things have become new. Who knows what comes next? Okay, let me help you, verse 18.

And all this comes from God who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us what? What ministry gave you? Tell yourself, God has given me the ministry of reconciliation.

Verse 19, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, there is the answer to our question, what is the purpose of love? Back again to the originator of all things.

"...Reconciling the world with itself, not taking into account men their sins and women too and children and young people, we are going to add everyone and grandfather and grandmother, they all fall on that list, and he commissioned us to we the word of reconciliation.

Verse 20, “…. So we are what? We are ambassadors of Roberto Miranda. We are ambassadors for Gregory Bishop. We are ambassadors for Tito Jackson who must be voted for. We are ambassadors in the name of Christ as if God were running through us, we pray in the name of Christ the best friendship we can have with God is when we respond to him in love through the love we give to others, and that just as God reached out to us with his love, we seek to reach out to others and lead them once more into that love relationship with God.

Look, even the dog and the cat, direct that love relationship with God. They are God's creation, why? How many pray for their dogs or their cats or their parrots or whatever? Someone once asked me the question, if our pets go to heaven. I am with Fanny, Fanny is a deaconess here in the church and she says yes. I say yes. There I am going to have all the withdrawal from animals that I have had in my life.

Doesn't it say in Revelation that the lion and the lamb are going to dwell together? The dogs… look, let me not go off on a tangent. Let me go back to friendship. I'll talk about that topic another day. There are some out there who are saying, this pastor Omar, like… yes, obviously if you haven't had a pet, well…

Look, even if it was a hamster or something.

Look my brothers at this question that I have discussed here with you and I have other things, but I will not be able to finish everything. But, this is the basis of what our friendship relationship with God is. The last verse that I want to mention is the first verse that I used when I started this topic. And this I do want us all to read, John, chapter 15, verses 14 and 15. This was the verse that I used to start this whole conversation about friendship. This is where we see Jesus speaking in a very intimate moment with his disciples and he tells his disciples:

“…You are my friends if you do what I command you….”

My goodness, what kind of conditional friendship. Do you remember the example that I gave you of my son that I was playing with him and suddenly because I was not playing according to his rules, he told me, ah, well, you are no longer my friend. Only because I wasn't playing by his rules. It is as if Jesus himself told us, do you want to be my friend? Well, here are my rules. If you do not fulfill them, then you are going to be an acquaintance, nothing more.

Verse 15, “…I will no longer call you servants because the servant does not know what his master is doing but I call you friends because all the things that I heard from my Father, I have made known to you…”

Listen to me, the best bochinches in the whole world Jesus made known to his disciples. Divine bochinches, so to speak. Not of us, of human category. The secrets of heaven, it sounds prettier that way. Jesus made them known, not just anyone, he made them known to his friends. This on the one hand makes me understand, it is clear, this makes me understand, I am very sure of this, I dare to write it on a stone, that what this verse means is the desire, the intention of God with each one of us. To have that connection, that close relationship with each one of us, that relationship of friendship. He does want us to be able to see him as God, as Lord over our lives, that we can see him as Father and that we give him the respect that he also deserves, but look, from time to time we can get closer like Jesus did.

It is true that Jesus said it in a moment of great pain, but that we can have that confidence to be able to say, Aba, Daddy. One reaches a totally direct level of intimacy and when I hear Jesus saying this, "I do not call them servants" because if I leave you as a servant, you will not know the secrets of the Kingdom. And God wants you to know those secrets.

He wants you to know the secrets that he has for you, for your life, in particular, and he also wants you to know the secrets of how by giving you those secrets in your personal life, how that can bless others around you. how can you pay it like this, pay forward, pay it in advance, to everyone else. Do with others as God does with you.

That is where it is based, my brothers, the principles, the foundations of that desire of God to have that very direct connection with us. We are the ones who walk away many times, but not God.

I come back and say once again, who will separate us from the love of God? All that it says, in fact, let me read it to you, Romans, chapter 8, verse 35, says:

“…Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Tribulation, anguish, persecution, famine, nakedness, or danger, your sword. In the face of all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us, for which I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, neither things present nor things to come, neither height nor depth , nor any other created thing, can what?

To that verse, you know what I also add, look, neither you, nor yourself, nor you yourself can be separated from the love of God. Once that love has been sealed in your heart, you can't even try to leave as many times as you want and God will always come back to catch you once more. Oh, do you want to go? It's like a fish, when it sticks to the line they are fishing, the fisherman gives it a line, go, fight, move away, and you see the heavy moving away, as if tiring it. What the fisherman is doing is tiring the fish, but when the time comes, okay, now it's my turn and he starts pulling, pulling until he catches the fish and looks how cute, they throw the photo at him and he comes back and puts it in the lake again.

Look, my brothers, I use all these illustrations so that we can understand the depth of that love of God. No matter the circumstance, God's love remains faithful, remains constant to reach us in any situation in which we may be. This should fill us with hope and not let us fall before the circumstances and adversities of life.

He wants to be your friend. He wants to call you friend, he wants to call you friend, he wants to reveal to you the secrets of the kingdom for your life and to make known to you all the mysteries that are enclosed in it.

God willing that we can respond to that call to grow in that sense of friendship with God. How do you behave with a friend? So suddenly out of nowhere, look, can we talk? I don't feel well. Hey, let's talk then. So is God.

That you can talk to him at some point, God look, I don't feel well, do you think we can talk? Hey, let's go for a walk in the park and talk. We are going to eat ice cream, we are going to eat a pizza. I have had my best conversations with God eating ice cream at ten at night. But that's me. Some of you may not be able to do it. Eat a better fruit.

We are going to stand up and we are going to pray. Father, we thank you tonight for how beautiful and beautiful you are with each one of us, Lord, and how in so many ways, Lord, you show us your love constantly, day after day, night after night, hour after hour, minute by minute, second by second, in each breath that we take, you show us your love and your desire to be in relationship with us.

Father, you have created us, you have formed us to be in relationship with you and with others around us. And Lord, of all the things that we have talked about on this subject, Father, there are times that even myself while I am preparing there are times that I myself cannot understand why I am talking about this subject, Lord, there are times that I crossed the mind, why don't I talk about prayer, why don't I talk about the fire of God or why don't I talk about some other topic of greater importance, but Lord, for some reason you have made me talk about that topic of friendship .

And as I always ask you, Lord, I pray from the depths of my heart, that this word does not return empty, but that it fulfills the purpose for which I have proclaimed it Lord in your name, believing that it will fulfill that purpose, sir. There are people here who need that sense of connection with each other and with you too Lord. And I only ask you, my God, that day after day, as we spend our lives, Lord, that you help us understand and comprehend the depth of your love.

As the Bible says, your love is too high, too deep, too wide, too long for our minds to understand it, but Lord, you invite us to enter into those dimensions of your love and know who you are as you You know us, Lord.

Father, I ask that as we grow closer to you that you draw closer too, Lord. As your word says, look for me while I can be found, Lord, and we are in that time that you can still be found. Allow us to seek you, Lord, find and know you even more as you know us. I bless your sons and daughters tonight, Lord, take them home with your blessing, my God, that you cover them, Father, I declare your healing from now on over their lives, than the one who is perhaps, Troubled, burdened by something, Lord, see that today I can receive your peace and go calm and easy knowing that you, Lord, in you is the answer, my God.

Grant us a restful sleep, Lord, that despite the circumstances, my God, that you grant us a restful sleep tonight, that we can recover strength and energy so that tomorrow, if it is your will, if you allow it, we can lend a hand to a new day, Lord, with new opportunities, with new challenges and above all with a new opportunity to get closer to you and reflect your love to others.

Bless us all tonight, in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. Thanks God.