Sunday Morning - March 22, 1998
Text: Genesis 18:17-19 "And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do;
18. Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? 19. For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him."
FRIENDS KNOW
John 15:15 "Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you."
ABRAHAM WAS GOD'S FRIEND
Isaiah 41:8 "But thou, Israel, art my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend."
ABRAHAM WAS FRIENDLY
Genesis 18:3-5 "And said, My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant:
4. Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree: 5. And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort ye your hearts; after that ye shall pass on: for therefore are ye come to your servant. And they said, So do, as thou hast said."
BE FRIENDLY
Proverbs 18:24 "A man that hath friends must show himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother."
ABRAHAM MY FRIEND FOR EVER
2 Chronicles 20:7 "Art not thou our God, who didst drive out the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel, and gavest it to the seed of Abraham thy friend for ever?"
FRIENDS ARE IN THE LIGHT
Genesis 18:17-19 "And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do;
CALLED THE FRIEND OF GOD
James 2:23 "he [Abraham] was called the Friend of God."
OBEDIENT FRIEND
John 15:13-15 "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life [hate your life] for his friends. 14. Ye are my friends, if [hate your life] ye do whatsoever I command you.
ARE WE A FRIEND?
John 12:25 "He that loveth his life [is not a friend] shall lose it; and he that hateth his life [is a friend] in this world shall keep it unto life eternal."
John 14:21 "He that hath [esteemeth, present active] my commandments, and keepeth [guard, present active] them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him."
INFORMED SERVANTS
15. Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you."
TURN AT HIS REPROOF
Proverbs 1:23 "Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you."
I KNOW ABRAHAM
Genesis 18:19 "For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him."
HE KNOWETH THEM
Nahum 1:7 "The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him."
I KNOW THEM
John 10:27 "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:"
FRIEND OF THE WORLD
James 4:4 "Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God."
ABRAHAM WAS OF THE DAY
Genesis 18:1 "And the LORD appeared unto him ...in the heat of the day [all light];"
LOT WAS OF THE EVENING
Genesis 19:1 "And there came two angels to Sodom at even [some light]; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom:"
NAKED FRIEND
Matthew 22:9-14 "Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage.
10. So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests.
11. And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment:
12. And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.
13. Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
14. For many are called, but few are chosen."
SEEING ABRAHAM IN AND YOU OUT
Luke 13:28 "There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out."
THAT SERVANT KNEW
Luke 12:46-48 "The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers [a]pistos, no faith].
47. And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.
48. But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more."
HONORABLE FRIEND
Luke 14:8-10 "When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room; lest a more honourable man than thou be bidden of him;
9. And he that bade thee and him come and say to thee, Give this man place; and thou begin with shame to take the lowest room.
10. But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have worship [glory] in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee."
UNUSED KNOWLEDGE PUFFETH UP
1 Corinthians 8:1 "Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth."