The Model Friend, Part 2

Turn with me in your Bible, if you would, to the third chapter of 1 Thessalonians, as we look once again at the model friend.

You know, I think that God and His providence, in terms of our study on Wednesday night and on Sunday morning, has brought us to a point where He's trying to get our attention about something. We talked about friendship on Wednesday night the last couple of weeks. We're talking about the model friend on Sunday morning in 1 Thessalonians chapter 3. And our study of Ecclesiastes and 1 Thessalonians kind of go together. And God and His providence is trying to help us understand our need for friendship, and to be the kind of friend God wants us to be.

I'm afraid that too many of us are looking for the right kind of friend instead of focusing on being the kind of friend that we need to be. And I truly believe that God is working in all of our hearts to get us to understand that there's a certain kind of friend that we need to be. And that's why the study of Ecclesiastes and the study of 1 Thessalonians is so important, especially as we look at the model friend.

So let me read to you these verses in chapter 3, because we'll bring it to a conclusion today, but it'll refresh your memory as to last week and, of course, for this week as well.

Paul says, And so it came to pass, as you know. For this reason, when I could endure it no longer, I also sent to find out about your faith, for fear that the tempter might have tempted you and our labor would be in vain. But now that Timothy has come to us from you and has brought us good news of your faith and love, and that you always think kindly of us, longing to see us just as we also long to see you, for this reason, brethren, in all our distress and affliction, we were comforted about you through your faith.

For now we really live, if you stand firm in the Lord. For what thanks can be rendered to God for you in return for all the joy with which we rejoice before our God on your account, as we night and day keep praying most earnestly that we may see your face and may complete what is lacking in your faith. Now may our God and Father himself and Jesus our Lord direct our way to you, and may the Lord cause you to increase and abound in love for one another and for all people, just as we also do for you, so that he may establish your hearts without blame in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.

Paul was a model friend. Paul was a great friend. Yes, Paul had several friends. You can read about him in 2 Timothy chapter 4 and Romans 16 and all throughout his epistles as he talks about different friends of his and the kind of impact they made in his life. But Paul's focus was not on making friends. His focus was on being the kind of friend that modeled, to the people he was with, Christ himself. He wanted them to see the Lord, to know the Lord, to understand the Lord. So his whole life was a model, an example.

That's why he could say, follow me as I follow Christ. Because Paul was a follower of Christ. And so as you go through 1 Thessalonians chapter 3, you realize that Paul is describing the kind of relationship he has with those in Thessalonica. And that his friendship with them was one that went beyond just a pastor-parishioner kind of friendship. He was truly their friend. And so there are three characteristics, at least three, I'm only pointing out three to you in our study, that describe Paul's model friendship.

And that is, number one, the model friend sacrifices personally. We talked to you about this last week. That he was left all alone in Athens. He was there to suffer affliction on his own and persecution on his own and face hardship on his own. But he was willing to give up Silas, willing to give up Timothy, that they might be in the ministry toward those in Thessalonica. Paul's whole life was about sacrifice. In fact, if you read 2 Thessalonians 4 verse 6, he says, my life is being poured out like a drink offering.

Why? Because that was the last and final act of the sacrificial system. He says, my life has come to an end and I've sacrificed my life and now I'm being poured out like a drink offering. And the time of my departure is at hand. He knows that he's about to die, but he also knows that his whole life has been a sacrifice for the needs of others. Because that was his purpose for living. That's what he did. In fact, he said in Acts chapter 20, and I just love this because it's so good, he says in verse 24 of chapter 20 of Acts, I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself so that I may finish my course in the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God.

I do not consider my life of any importance, of any worth, except to do one thing, to finish the course that God has given me. Remember what Paul says in Galatians chapter 6 verse number 3, he says, if anyone thinks he is something, when in actually he is nothing, he deceives himself. That's just so good. If you think you are something, when in all reality you are nothing, you deceive yourself. Deception lies in the fact that I think I'm pretty good. I'm well off. I'm all this and I'm all that. And if anybody had to boast in anything, it would be the apostle Paul.

Caught up in the third heaven, minister of the gospel, used to plant many churches, write 13 epistles of the New Testament.

But Paul makes it very clear, if any man thinks he is something, anything at all, when in reality you are absolutely a zero, you have deceived yourself. That's just a powerful statement. It's hard for us to grasp, because we think so highly of ourselves. Paul never did that. That's why he could sacrifice himself personally. Because he didn't consider his life that great. But he considered everybody else's life much greater than his. So he lived a life of sacrifice. That's why we said last week that we get so consumed with our problems, we can never be concerned with someone else's pain.

That was never the apostle Paul. He had so many beatings and so many afflictions and so many persecutions and shipwrecks and all kinds of heartache and pain, and all that he went through in his life, and yet his concern was for the churches. His concern was for the people of those churches, that they walk with the Lord and that they honor the Lord. That was his major concern. One man said that true fulfillment never comes through self-gratification, but self-sacrifice. That's true. We think that true fulfillment comes when I am gratified.

But no, true satisfaction comes, true fulfillment comes when I can sacrifice myself for the needs of others. That's why Paul, in Acts 20, verse number 35, said, Remember the words of our Lord Jesus. It is more blessed to give than it is to receive. I wish we really believed that. I wish you and I could really take that to heart and say, You know what? That's really true. So I'm going to spend the whole Thanksgiving season and the whole Christmas season sacrificing myself because it's more beneficial to give than it is to receive.

What if you went through the holiday season never wanting to receive anything from anybody else? And every gift you received, you gave it away to somebody else because you wanted to bless someone else. You wanted to sacrifice yourself for someone else. You wanted to give more than you've ever given before to those who are in need. You see, we don't really take to heart the words of our Lord Jesus that it's more blessed to give than it is to receive because we love so much to receive. But that's because we think so highly of ourselves.

Paul never did that. He said, For me to live is Christ, to die is gain. I live for Christ. I don't live for myself. I live for Christ. To die is gain. And so he would sacrifice himself personally on behalf of those in Thessalonica by giving himself away, by allowing Timothy to be gone from him so he'd be isolated all by himself in Athens. But number two, those who sacrifice personally are those who strengthen spiritually.

They strengthen others spiritually. That's what Paul did. He said these words. He said, I want to strengthen and encourage you. I want to establish you and encourage you. That's why I'm sending Timothy to you. I'm really concerned about where you are spiritually. And the word establish or the word strengthen is the word steroid zone. We get our English word steroid, right? Athletes are on steroids because they want to increase what? Their strength and their speed. Paul says, I want to increase your strength.

I want to increase your speed. It's a word that means to firmly bond together. It's a word that means to fasten and to fix. And that's what Paul wanted to do for them. He wanted to establish their hearts. He wanted to encourage their hearts because he was concerned about their spiritual welfare. All model friends are concerned about the spiritual welfare of those they say are their friends. That's their number one concern.

Are they walking with the Lord? Are they serving the Lord? Are they honoring the Lord? Are they pleasing to the Lord? Are they sharing the Lord? That's what a model friend does. And that's where the Apostle Paul was. He wanted to establish them. Isn't it interesting? Same word is used over in 2 Peter 1. 2 Peter 1 verse number 12 when Peter says, I will always be ready to remind you of these things even though you already know them and have been established in the truth which is present with you. Same word is used.

You know why I remind you of these things, Peter says? And when you read Peter's 2nd epistle twice, he says, I'm writing these things to stir you up by way of remembrance. Why? Because repetition is the mother of learning. Right? And so it's about repeating the same thing over and over and over again so that people's hearts are strengthened and established in the faith. And so if you find me repeating myself over and over and over again, the reason I'm doing that is because I want to establish your hearts in the faith.

I want to strengthen your hearts. And that's what Peter did. And this is what Paul is doing by sending Timothy back to them again in order to strengthen them spiritually. The Bible says over in 2nd Thessalonians 2, verse number 15, So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught, whether by word of mouth or by letter from us.

And now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope by grace, comfort and strengthen, same word, your hearts in every good work and word. Then verse 3 of chapter 3, But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one. See, it's God's Word that does that. I love what the psalmist says in Psalm 119. The psalmist says these words, If your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction.

I will never forget your precepts, for by them you have revived me. He says down in verse number 107, I am exceedingly afflicted. Revive me, O Lord, according to Your Word. Verse 116, Sustain me according to Your Word, that I may live, and do not let me be ashamed of my hope.

Verse 76, O may Your lovingkindness comfort me according to Your Word to Your servant. The psalmist knew that in order to be strengthened, to be established into faith during affliction or persecution or hardship or pain, that somehow it would be the Word of God that does that. So Paul sends his number one protege back to them to strengthen and encourage them.

To, as was said on Wednesday night in Ecclesiastes chapter four, when it says, Two are better than one, because they have good return for their labor. For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is no other one to lift him up. To encourage them is to lift them up. How do you lift up someone else? How do you, not just physically, when someone falls, physically you wanna help them up, but so many times we fall spiritually. How do you lift them up?

Well, you do it through counsel, right? The Bible says over in the book of Proverbs, these words, Proverbs 27 verse number nine, Oil and perfume make the heart glad, so a man's counsel is sweet to his friend.

When you counsel someone, you lift them up. You give them the word of truth and you help build them up. It says in verse number five of Proverbs 27, Better is open rebuke than love that is concealed. Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but deceitful are the kisses of an enemy. The wounds of a friend are faithful. So when you lift someone up, you're gonna help them get up. And if you're speaking in a spiritual sense, you wanna lift them up by way of counsel, you wanna lift them up by way of comfort, you wanna lift them up by way of confrontation, if they're involved in sin.

Isn't that what friends do? They don't let friends sin successfully. They want them to be deterred from their sin. They wanna turn them from their sin. That's what true friends do. So they see you walking in the wrong direction, they wanna get a hold of you and turn you around because they want you to follow the Lord. That's what a model friend does. And Paul says, we've sent Timothy to you that we might strengthen and encourage you to give you the counsel you need, to give you the comfort you need, to give you the scriptures that will solidify your faith that you might walk in the Lord.

So important. So friends, a model friend sacrifices personally. The model friend strengthens spiritually. And number three, the model friend supports effectively.

Supports effectively in four areas. One is evaluation. Evaluation. In 1 Thessalonians 3, Paul says this. For this reason, when I could endure it no longer, I also sent to find out about your faith for fear that the tempter might have tempted you and all our labor would be in vain. You know what, I could not stand the fact I did not know where you were spiritually. So in order to support you effectively, Timothy's going back and he's going to evaluate your spiritual condition to make sure that you had not been tempted by the evil one and drawn away from the faith.

He says this is an accountability trip. So we might know where you are spiritually. Paul was always concerned about that. You see, he had no idea what had taken place since he left. And the only way to find out is to send someone there and to look at them and to examine them and to evaluate what has happened spiritually.

Why? Because what he did not know, he did not know if they were rocky soil or thorny soil from Matthew chapter 13, right? Those who jump on the Jesus bandwagon and receive with excitement the truth of God's word because they received the word with joy amidst much opposition. But were they still walking with the Lord? Or were they, in fact, rocky soil? Because of persecution and affliction, they fell by the wayside and apostatized the faith. Or were they thorny soil? The kind of soil that lets the deceitfulness of riches and the desires of this world choke out the seed of the word of God and they then fall away.

He didn't know that. You see, you never really know that about somebody, do you? I've been pastoring for 40 years. And you know what? The one thing that I found out more so than any other thing is that the people of the church are more self-deceived than they ever thought. We tend to think that everybody sitting in the pew right now is a Christian. I'm here to tell you they are not. Just because they say they are, doesn't mean they really are. I've seen people come and go over the years in their walk with the Lord.

I've seen people baptized and are baptismal, make a profession of faith, but years later they have turned their back on the Lord, they have gone the way of the world, they have no interest in the things of God, they never go to church anymore. What happened to those people? Oh, they made a profession of faith. They got on the Jesus bandwagon. But they truly weren't born again. Or they would have endured and persevered to the end because Romans 15 tells us that God gives us the gift of perseverance to endure through difficult times, to endure through hardship.

See? Paul didn't know that. But I've come to realize over these 40 years of ministry that there's a lot of people who think they're saved, but they are not. And they've deceived others into thinking they're saved. That's just a very dangerous place to be. And you've got to know for certain you're truly born again. You know the Lord. You're truly walking with the Lord. I'm going to do a new series. I'm not sure when I'm going to do it yet. It's called, What is a Christian? What is a Christian? Because most people don't know what a Christian is.

So it will be a 10-part series called, What is a Christian? Because so many people are confused about Christianity. And what does it mean to be a true follower of the Lord Jesus Christ? This is so important. So Paul's concerned about that. And rightly so. He's a true friend. Right? So he's going to send someone back, Timothy, his best, so that he could evaluate what was happening in their lives to make sure that they had not been tempted by the evil one. Paul would say to those in Corinthians, in Corinth, in 2 Corinthians 11.3, he says these words.

2 Corinthians 11.3. But I am afraid that as a serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ. Paul was concerned about those in Corinth, that their minds would be led astray from their purity and devotion to Christ. Earlier he would say in chapter 2 of 2 Corinthians that he was not ignorant of Satan's devices. He knew how Satan operated. He was concerned for those in Thessalonica because he knows how Satan operates. And so what better way to strengthen and encourage them but to support them through the process by sending Timothy back to evaluate what's happening in their lives.

So you support someone effectively, number one, through evaluation. Are they walking with the Lord? Are they serving the Lord? Listen, if you're a true friend of someone, that's your number one concern.

Do they really love the Lord? Do they go to church? What church are they in? Is it a strong Bible teaching church? Is it a weak church? Is it a building that calls itself a church, but in reality it's not a church? Are you concerned about their spiritual welfare? If you're a parent, aren't you concerned about your children's spiritual welfare? Where do they go to church? Are they walking with the Lord? Are they growing in their walk with the Lord? Are they serving the Lord? That's the number one concern of a true friend, a model friend.

Because I'm concerned about your spiritual welfare. That was Paul's concern. And so, he sent Timothy back to support them effectively. Number one, through evaluation.

Number two, through affirmation. Affirmation. Look what it says. He says, Now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us good news of your faith and love, and that you always think kindly of us, longing to see us just as we also long to see you. For this reason, brethren, in all our distress and affliction, we were comforted about you through your faith. For now we really live since you stand firm in the Lord. Isn't that great? Paul says, we live. We really live. Why? Because there's no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.

Right? Third John 4. So Paul says, we sent Timothy to you, we got the report back, and we are comforted. Why? Because we're really living because of what God has done in your life. We have seen the outwork of the word of God that effectively works in those who believe. That was chapter 2, verse number 13. We've seen it. We've heard of it. Timothy's reported back to us. Oh, the joy that we have. This is all about affirmation. He's encouraging them. He's saying, we are so proud to see what's going on in your life because of what God has done.

He says this, he says, verse 9, For what thanks can we render to God for you in return for all the joy with which we rejoice before our God on your account. Wow, what a verse. We're rejoicing on your account. And you know what? We're giving thanks to God for that. Notice, he's not thanking Timothy.

He's not thanking Silas. He's not thanking himself. He's thanking God. They're just vessels. Vessels in the hand of the living God. And so he gives praise and thanks to God for what God has done in their lives because he wants to attribute everything to God himself. See that? And so there's this support that comes and it's so effective because it's by way of evaluation, it's by way of affirmation, and then it's by way number three of augmentation or addition.

Look what it says. It says in verse number 10, As we night and day keep praying most earnestly that we may see your face and may complete what is lacking in your faith. He's going to add to, he's going to increase their faith by giving to them the truth of the word of God. We want to complete catartizo is the word it's used in the mending of nets it's used in the fixing and fasting of broken bones. It's a unique word. But evidently there's something lacking. They weren't going to know everything there was to know about the Lord.

So we're going to complete we're going to bring together that which is deficient in your faith. Timothy's brought back this report, we've heard what he has said, but we realize also that there's something lacking in your faith and that we long to see you because when we do see you we're going to put this together for you to help you in your walk with the Lord. What a great way to demonstrate your love for someone else. Evidently their faith was lacking. Now you know what faith is? Faith is trusting obedience.

It's trusting the truth of God's holy word. It's believing absolutely and behaving accordingly. That's what faith is. If I believe absolutely in who Christ is, I will then behave accordingly to what God's word says. That's true faith. If I say I believe absolutely but do not behave accordingly James says you've deceived yourself and you don't have true faith, true saving faith. Because true saving faith believes what God says and then behaves accordingly.

Trusting obedience. And Paul says we want to increase this. We want to complete what is lacking in your faith. So he's going to do that because he wants to enlarge their faith. He wants to expand their walk with the Lord. He wants to extend their testimony all around the community. So he knows the only way to do that is to complete what is lacking in their faith. And the only way to do that is to give them the truth of the word of God. Paul would say over the book of Colossians chapter 1, these words.

He would say in verse number 28 we proclaim him admonishing every man, teaching every man with all wisdom so that we may present every man complete in Christ. We just admonish, we teach, we instruct, we proclaim because we want every man to be complete in Christ. And over in 2 Timothy chapter 3 you know these words. Verse 16, all scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, reproof, correction, training in righteousness so that the man of God may be adequate equipped for every good work.

In other words, God's word is complete and sufficient in and of itself in order to, and the same word is used there, katartizo, to make the man of God complete. So the word of God completes you. So Paul knows that in order for him to do this with those who doesn't like him, they must know the truth of the word of God. That's why over in the book of Ephesians, Paul says this, Ephesians chapter 4, and again these are familiar words to us. Ephesians 4, Paul says these words in verse 11, and he gave some as apostles and some as prophets and some as evangelists and some as pastors and teachers for the equipping of the saints for the work of service.

Same word used there, katartizo, to the building up of the body of Christ until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God to a mature man and to the measure of the statue which belongs to the fullness of Christ. So Paul says God's given, gifted men to the church to mend the church, to bring the church together, to complete what is lacking in their faith. And the way you do that is through the preaching and teaching of the word of God. There's another way to do that.

It's through prayer. Over in Colossians 4, Paul says this, Epaphras who is one of your number, a bond slave of Jesus Christ, sends you his greetings always laboring earnestly for you in his prayers that you may stand katartizo, complete, perfect in Christ. So not only does preaching complete what is lacking in your faith, but prayer completes what is lacking in your faith. So Paul is going to come to them, not just preach to them, he's going to pray for them. Why? Because prayer is the driving force behind all things spiritual.

And so you pray that God will increase what is lacking in their faith. Oh, by the way, there's something else. Not just prayer, not just preaching, but there's something else that completes what is lacking in your faith. 1 Peter 5, verse number 10, And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace who called you to his eternal glory in Christ will himself perfect, complete, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. In other words, he is going to complete what is lacking in your faith, not just through preaching, not just through prayer, but through persecution.

That's how God works. That's what God does. Well, they were already going through persecution, they were already going through hardship, so Paul's going to pray for them, because that's what he's doing, and at the same time he wants to come to them because he wants to complete what is lacking in their faith. What a friend. What a godly friend. What a model friend. Would it be that we would be that kind of friend? Right? That we'd be so concerned about someone else that we would sacrifice personally for them?

We would strengthen them spiritually, and we would support them effectively by way of evaluation, by way of affirmation, by way of augmentation, and by way of supplication or petition. Look what Paul says. He says these words. Now may our God and Father himself and Jesus our Lord direct our way to you, and may the Lord cause you to increase and abound in love for one another and for all people, just as we also do for you, so that he may establish your hearts without blame in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.

He prays for them. He brings them before the Lord. He prays that God would do... He prays that they would abound in love. They would overflow in love. Now remember, he's already affirmed the fact in chapter 1 verse number 3 that they are working because of their love for the Lord. He said in chapter 3 verse number 6 that Timothy brought them good news about your faith and your love, but now he says, look, I am praying that that love would abound even more. Go way beyond what you're already doing.

That's just a great way to express yourself to these people. Look, I know that you love one another, but you need to love one another more. Peter would say, love one another fervently. It's a word used of stretching your hand as far as it could possibly go because with all the energy and with all the drive and with all the passion, you want to love someone else. I'm asking God to overflow your hearts with love for one another. Did God answer that prayer? Yeah, he did. Look at 2 Thessalonians chapter 1 verse 3.

Paul says, We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brethren, as it is only fitting because your faith is greatly enlarged and your love for each one of you toward one another grows even greater. God answered the prayer, not just about increasing and completing their faith, but that they would abound in love. Why? Because he prayed according to the will of God. He prayed in line with the will of God, the desire of the will of God. And so he prayed that these things would happen, and they were happening.

But not only the love for one another, but he says and for all people. That's the unbeliever. Not just the believer. Love for all people. Isn't it sad when believers don't have a love for the unbeliever? So many times we look at the unbeliever with such disdain.

Well, they don't know the Lord. Listen, they do what they do because they don't know the Lord. I mean, what do you want them to do? They're not sons of your father in heaven. They're sons of their father, the devil. So what do you expect them to do? Devilish things. Immoral things. Deceitful things. But that doesn't mean you don't love them. And Paul says, I want your love to overflow. Not just for one another, but for all men. Because when we got to Thessalonica, guess what? You weren't our brothers.

You were sons of your father, the devil. But we shared the gospel with you. And you came to saving faith. And now you believe that we're brothers and sisters in Christ. But we loved you enough to share the gospel with you. We loved you enough to take you through the difficulties, to show you what it means to follow Christ. That's what we did. But I've seen Christians over the years have disdain even for their family members that don't know Christ. And they claim to know Christ and love Christ. Listen, if you love the Lord, not only do you love one another, but you love the unbeliever.

Why? Christ says, pray for those who persecute you. Matthew chapter 5. Verse number 44. Pray for your enemies. Paul says in Galatians 6, verse number 10, do good to all men, especially to those of the household of faith. So you're doing good to all men, not just those in the household of faith, especially those people. But do good to all men. Return good for evil. Don't return evil for evil. Always return good for evil. But you might keep burning coals of shame upon the head of those who want to rebel against God.

But do you love the unbeliever? This was Paul's petition. This was his prayer. We want you to increase your love for one another and for all men. And he says, these words, so that he may establish your hearts. Strengthen your hearts. Establish your hearts without blame in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints. Paul was always concerned with where people were spiritually. He was never satisfied. Even though, he got a great report back from Timothy and felt comforted by that report and was excited about what was going on.

When he comes to chapter 4, what's he saying? Finally then, brethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, just as you received from us instruction as to how you ought to walk and please God, just as you actually do walk, that you excel still more.

That's what he wants. Never be satisfied with where you are. Always excel still more. He says it down again in verse number 10. For indeed, you do practice it toward the brethren who are in Macedonia, but we urge you, brethren, to excel still more. Look what it says in verse number 9 of chapter 4. He says, now as to the love of the brethren, you have no need for anyone to write to you. Why is that? For you yourselves are taught by God to love one another. Isn't that good? Do you know that as your pastor, I don't have to write to you or tell you to love one another?

I don't have to do that. Why? Because you've already been taught by God to love one another. Well, how do you do that? Romans 5, 5. When you're justified by faith, the love of God is shed abroad in your hearts. It's all over. And the Holy Spirit indwells you. And Galatians 5 tells us that the fruit of the Spirit is love. So Paul says, you know what, I don't need to write to you about loving one another. Because you've already been taught by God to love one another. Because God's in you. God teaches you.

His Spirit instructs you. His Spirit convicts you. You have this love for one another. And so, this is what Paul prays for. We want you to be overflowing in that love for one another. This is a volitional act. This is not some kind of emotional response that we have. This is a choice that you make. Love is a choice, right? It's a choosing to love someone. I don't love you because of what you do for me or what you said to me or how you respond to me. That's just manipulation. I love you, even though you're my enemy.

I love you because you're a child of God. I love you because the love of God is set upon my heart. This is what I choose to do. I want to love you. I don't know how many times I've had guys in my office who come to me and say, well, I don't love my wife anymore. Oh, you choose not to love your wife? No, I just don't love her anymore. Oh, you mean you choose not to love her anymore? No. If you knew what she did and what she said, you wouldn't love her either. I say, love is a choice. You choose to love her.

Well, I can't love her. No, you can. You won't. You won't. Because if you're a believer, the love of God is shed abroad in your heart. And what does John tell you about that? In 1 John chapter 2. 1 John chapter 2 verses 9 and 10 says, the one who says he is in the light and yet hates his brother is in the darkness until now.

The one who loves his brother abides in the light and there is no cause for stumbling in him. I was talking to a man once and I told him, I said, and I read those verses to him. I said, you claim to know Christ and your wife claims to know Christ and you're here before me telling me that you do not love your wife anymore. You want out of the marriage. He said, yeah. I said, well John says you're in the darkness. You're not in the light. So there's a good chance you don't even know who the Lord is.

He got so upset with me. I said, look, I just quote it. I don't make it up as I go. I just read what the Bible says.

She is another believer and if you don't love her as Christ loved the church, you're in the wrong. And how did Christ love the church? Volitionally. He chose to love us. Like he did Israel. I didn't choose you. Why? Because you were greater than anybody else. More powerful than anybody else. I chose to love you simply because I wanted to love you. Deuteronomy chapter 7. But you know what? All through Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers, he never once said to Israel, I love you. Never once. Until Deuteronomy 7.

Because you see, all through those other books, he showed how much he loved Israel. Didn't have to tell them. You see, when you love someone, you don't have to tell them. They just know. How do they know? Because you're willing to sacrifice for them. Personally. You're willing to strengthen them spiritually. And you want to support them effectively. Let's focus on being the model friend. Stop looking for a great friend. And be a great friend. Be that kind of person to others. And watch and see how God uses you to impact their lives for the sake of eternity.

Let's pray together. Lord, we thank you for today. The opportunity you give us to spend time in your word. You truly are a great God. We thank you, Lord, for your word. Help us all, Lord, to be the kind of friends that we need to be for the sake of the truth of the word of God. We love you, Lord. We thank you for this time together. We pray that this week would be a great and glorious week as we look toward the holiday season. All that it means, but especially all that it means in light of what your word has said about who you are and what you're going to do.

Not just in our lives, but in the future. In eternity with you. We thank you, Lord, for this day. In Jesus name. Amen.