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Night 1 | January 7th

Friendship with God

Start Right. Finish Strong.

Speakers
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Sarah Blount
Lead Pastor
Worship
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Isn't He Worthy
New Song Worship
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High Praise
Maverick City Music
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Holy Spirit Come
Vineyard Anaheim
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Jesus At the Center
Israel Houghton
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All Hail King Jesus
Jeremy Riddle
Notes

First Time Guest? Let us know!


Psalm 25:14
The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear him, and he makes known to them his covenant. 

Sod = Intimate Counsel & Advice or Secret Counsel.

Whether we translate the first word 'secret' or 'friendship,' the sense is substantially the same. Obedience and the true fear of Jehovah directly tend to discernment of His purposes, and will be… rewarded by whispers from heaven.
Maclaren

The human soul longs for friendship.

Psalm 25:14
The friendship (SOD) of the Lord is for those who fear him, and he makes known to them his covenant.

Friendship with God:
That it is possible 
How it is possible

Isaiah 41:8
But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, the offspring of Abraham, my friend;

Exodus 33:11
Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. 

Friendship arises out of mere Companionship when two or more of the companions discover that they have in common some insight or interest or even taste which the others do not share and which, till that moment, each believed to be his own unique treasure (or burden). The typical expression of opening Friendship would be something like, "What? You too? I thought I was the only one.
C.S. Lewis

Philippians 2:5-8
Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Hebrews 2:16-18
We also know that the Son did not come to help angels; he came to help the descendants of Abraham. Therefore, it was necessary for him to be made in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. Then he could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people. Since he himself has gone through suffering and testing, he is able to help us when we are being tested.

John 15:13
Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.

HOW do we live into this incredibly possible intimate friendship with God?


1 OBEY HIM

John 15:14-15
You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.

Friendship with Jesus can't be disconnected from obedience to His commands.
Guzik

Jesus has done his part in becoming like us- now it's our turn to spend our days beholding him & obeying him so we can become like him.

2 Chronicles 16:9
The eyes of the LORD search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.

God shows much more of himself to some people than to others—not because He has favourites, but because it is impossible for Him to show Himself to a man whose whole mind and character are in the wrong condition. Just as sunlight, though it has no favourites, cannot be reflected in a dusty mirror as clearly as in a clean one.
C.S. Lewis


2 BEHOLD HIM

2 Corinthians 3:18
And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

Romans 8:29
For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

Our destiny is to become like Jesus. Not to BEHAVE like him or ACT like him, but to BECOME like Him. And becoming is tied to beholding.

Following Jesus is not about acting & behaving but about beholding & transforming. 

Romans 12:1-2
With eyes wide open to the mercies of God, I beg you, my brothers, as an act of intelligent worship, to give him your bodies, as a living sacrifice, consecrated to him and acceptable by him. Don't let the world around you squeeze you into its own mould, but let God re-mould your minds from within, so that you may prove in practice that the plan of God for you is good, meets all his demands and moves towards the goal of true maturity.

Beholding beauty produces fascination, and fascination is the best way to transform a person.
Whitefield

This is the way the human heart is made, and it is the model for Biblical discipleship. We "see" someone who is beautiful. We become fascinated by Him. And then we joyfully and gladly reorient our lives to behold more of that Person and desire to be a part of His people.
Whitefield

Friendship with Jesus is not about being religious in your habits but about becoming like Jesus. 

We devalue the ordinary when, in fact, God uses the ordinary and mundane as the primary context for our formation
Whitefield 

When spiritual disciplines or practices that revolve around JESUS become your routine, beholding Jesus becomes your routine.  

We become beholders of Jesus by deciding that we are going to become students of the beauty of Jesus.  

Candor = Vulnerability, openness & transparency. Not holding anything back.
Constancy = Commitment. Sticking with something.

A true friend always lets you in and never lets you down.