Title Friend (John 15:13-15)
It seems that Korean cinema has reached its heyday. Shiri, J.S.A, and this year's 'Friend' are running a box office run to break a new record with the most audiences. He said that it had already surpassed 3 million, and he was also nominated for the Grand Bell Award. This isn't about promoting a movie at this time of "We are friends, a child", when the Busan dialect was popular. A significant problem is pointed out in the content, first of all, it is drawn with a universal sentiment of friendship, but it is very different from the real world. And secondly, it is expressed in a violent and regressive form. A savage friendship that generously gives her girlfriend to her like a sexual plaything? The unfiltered overuse of sexually explicit abusive language should not be overlooked.
But what is the cause of the box office success? It appeals to the retro sentiment that depicts the past, that is, it stimulates nostalgia. Another reason is that the theme setting is good. Because friendship is one of the eternal themes of our lives, and friends are necessary and precious to all.
We want to think about a few things about friends at this point.
First, do I have true friends? Dear classmates! Do you have true friends? So, is that friend really a true friend to you? We must have true friends. If not, that's really sad. There is a saying that a person can live without relatives, but cannot live without friends. I hope you all find good friends, make friends, and be together. Because a good friend is a precious asset in life, and having good friends is a blessing.
Second, there is a saying that you go to Gangnam with your friends. This is a true statement, but also a scary one. The way a person goes depends on what kind of friends they make. Life is different. The destination will be different. It all depends on what friends you meet and who you are influenced by. One day in a Persian fable, a traveler came across a lump of clay soil while walking down the street. But, I stop and ask the soil how good it smells. How do you smell so good? Because I am with the rose, I am influenced by the fragrance of the rose and give off a good fragrance.
That's right. Depending on who you meet, who you hang out with, and what kind of friends you are with, it can smell or stink. You can be a good person or you can be a bad person. It can be a happy life, or it can be a difficult life. Our lives are inevitably influenced by the encounters and social interactions we meet. When you meet and date good personalities, your character will become beautiful. If I meet and get along with people of good faith, I will soon imitate that good faith. On the other hand, if I meet and date someone with a personality disorder, my personality deteriorates. When you meet and get along with a robber, you naturally have no choice but to cooperate with the robber. So, you need to meet good people. I need a good friend.
Third, then what does a good friend look like? First of all, a friend who understands me, there must be no gap between me to say anything. And it will be a friend who stays with me, a friend who does not leave and does not abandon me in particularly difficult times. He is also a friend who is on my side and does not betray me. Finally, a friend who blesses me, prays for me, and rejoices in my happiness.
Do you have any friends like this? How would you like to have a friend like this? To us, in today's text, the Lord tells us that He will call us friends. "You are my friends," he says, "and I will not treat you as slaves." This is the word of God, and this is the gospel. What a wonderful and wonderful word of the gospel.
First, today Jesus is our very good friend.
Our good friend Jesus speaks today. “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for a friend. If you do what I have commanded you, you are my friends.” Jesus, the love that dies for a friend, speaks of this great friend's great love. And it didn't end with a horse game or a feast. Jesus gave his life for us, for us, to be our true friend. And with the power of resurrection, He is a helper in today's life, a comforter, and a person who overcomes tribulation. Also, he ascended to heaven and became a good companion on the road ahead, and he is the eternal companion that leads to heaven.
The Lord is the Son of God. He is the Creator, Judge, and God. That the Lord is our friend. Although we are sinners, the Lord came into this world to be the sinner's friend. The Lord wants to be your friend. Jesus wants to fellowship with us. He wants you to meet and walk along the road together, to sit face-to-face and have conversations with each other, big or small, to be a friend who worries and comforts you, and to be a true friend.
Jesus is an unchanging friend. Jesus is our true friend yesterday, today, and forever. There are three things that do not change in this world. First, 'Jesus' love' for us does not change. Some people worry about this. 'Will Jesus love someone like me?' The love of Jesus is unchanging love. I bless you that you can trust this love with peace of mind. Jesus loves us and me.
Second, it is 'Jesus' promise.'
Jesus never forgets the covenant he made with us, he remembers and fulfills it forever. Our Lord, who promised, "Behold, I will always be with you, even to the end of the world" (Matthew 28:20) is with us 365 days a year, 24 hours a day, and always takes care of us until we reach a high place safely. is to give.
Third, it is the 'word of Jesus'. Even if all things change, the words of Jesus never change or disappear. It is the word of absolute immutable truth. The Lord Himself said, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away." (Luke 21:33). The Lord says “I will not leave you, nor will I ever leave you.” The Lord alone is the object of our love and faith. There is no better friend than Jesus. Only Jesus can be a true friend, an eternal friend.
So, please walk the path of life with the Lord. There is no problem in walking with the Lord as your friend. I am happy to walk with the Lord, who is a true friend. The Lord will be your good guide. The Lord leads us in a good way. Dear saints! The Lord has promised to be with us forever, He has promised to give us eternal life, and He has promised to keep us. Believe that this promise of Jesus is eternal and unchanging, and I pray that you will hold on to this promise of the Lord and live until the day you go to heaven.
Also, I hope you will live your life proud of your very good friend, Jesus. In the text, Jesus said that we can become friends with Jesus only when we do what He commands. Then, folks, what did Jesus 'command' to us? If we can briefly summarize the core, it is 'love of God and love of neighbor'. But the most fundamental command among them is the salvation of souls. Because there is nothing more precious than evangelism that saves human souls and corrects character. That's why the Bible says, "Preach the word, in season and out of season, always be diligent" (2 Timothy 4:2). “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15). We must become those who preach the gospel wherever and every day without ceasing. How could the Lord not boast of this good friend? The name we must risk our lives to cry out is Jesus Christ. Jesus is our flag, our song, and the only gospel. This is evangelism.