Jordon Gilmore
Friendship Series – Part 3
Main Text: John 15:12–15
- Jesus calls us friends, not just servants.
- Friendship with Jesus is both a gift and an example for how we should live with one another.
Key Recap from Previous Messages
- Friendship is a gift from God.
- We are called friends of God.
- Jesus is the perfect example of friendship.
- True friends know and understand each other.
- They genuinely like each other.
- They share common interests.
- They desire to spend time together.
- They help and protect one another.
Transition to Human Friendships
- God designed us for companionship (Gen. 2:18 – “not good for man to be alone”).
- Friendship runs as a theme throughout the whole Bible—from Genesis to Revelation.
- C.S. Lewis: “Friendship is unnecessary … it gives value to survival.”
Challenges with Friendship
- Many resist friendship due to hurt, fear, or personality defense mechanisms.
- We often default to family ties (“blood is thicker than water”), but Proverbs reminds us:
- “A friend sticks closer than a brother” (Prov. 18:24).
- “Better is a neighbor nearby than a brother far away” (Prov. 27:10).
- Real friendship requires vulnerability and effort.
Biblical Example: David & Jonathan (1 & 2 Samuel)
- Unlikely friendship: Jonathan (royal heir, trained warrior) & David (youngest shepherd boy).
- Despite natural rivalry, Jonathan loved David “as his own soul.”
- They formed a covenant, symbolized when Jonathan gave David his robe, armor, and weapons.
- Their friendship endured family conflict, jealousy, and political tension.
- David later honored Jonathan’s son (2 Sam. 9) because of this covenant.
