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This morning I want to talk to you briefly about the need and power of friendship. 

Have you ever hear someone say “I don’t need anybody” - “I don’t care what anybody thinks'' - that is a person you should pity, a person who needs to be prayed for.

First and foremost pray that that person stumbles on some wisdom because they have no clue even about the nature of God’s creation, because nothing God created can exist on its own. 

If truth be told independence is an illusion which is why the bible never speaks of independence, freedom yes but independence, no because it is an impossible feat amongst human beings. God Himself is the only being that is self-existent. 

And then another reason to pray for someone with this attitude is to sincerely not care what anyone thinks, to live life feeling you are unaccountable to anyone is not a merit of honor, it shows either one’s inability to love or no one they feel love them or they can trust to love.. 1 John 4:8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love and for this reason alone let’s us know anyone with this mindset truly needs our prayers.

Jonathan and David (1 Samuel 18-20)

One of the most famous stories about friendship in the Bible is the story of Jonathan and David . Saul was the first king of Israel and Jonathan was his son. Jonathan would have been the next king in Israel, but his father Saul had disobeyed God to the point of having the kingdom taken away from him. God had already chosen David to be the next king of Israel.

Even though Jonathan knew that David would be the next king, he befriended the young man. Jonathan was willing to trust God’s decision in the choice of the next king, while accepting that this meant Jonathan would never be king.

Saul tried to kill David but Jonathan helped him escape. When it was clear that King Saul would not allow David to live, Jonathan put himself at risk to protect David. Jonathan confronted Saul concerning David at which time Saul’s anger was turned toward Jonathan.

If listening to this story left you thinking how great a friend Jonathan was to David, you missed 2 very crucial points.  

1.  Jonathan made friends with David’s because he chose to protect what God ordained.  In order to be a real friend you have to respect the other person, see potential in them, and prayerfully know they have the hand of God on them and they are submitted to his will in their life.
2. Jonathan was more committed to God and  righteousness than he was with a desire to be the heir to the throne. Because Jonathan trusted God, David could trust him. 

So times we are too quick to claim one a friend when they may just be an associate, no more no less. Those you call friends, can you trust them?  

And if you do what is that trust built on, because how long you’ve known someone is oftentimes not enough, trust should always be built on integrity and based on who they trust.

If they are a liar, then trust they will eventually lie to you.  I had an incident recently where someone stopped speaking to me because I wouldn’t lie to them and when the very thing they wanted to lie for went south, they came to their senses.

When you, like Johnathan trust God first, you stand on principle, I am not going to lie for you, on you or to you.  A real friend rather than agree to lie for you, they will help you come up with an alternative solution.  Be careful of those who are quick to lie for you, because those same one’s it will not take to much persuasion for them to lie on you and to you

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