Sunday Evening Worship & Word | Pastor McCool “I Have a Friend”
by Mark McCool
First Apostolic Church of Knoxville (Knoxville, TN)
Kind: sermon
Scripture: Proverbs 18:24, Proverbs 17:17, John 12:1-3, John 12:4-8, Matthew 26:50, Proverbs 25:19, Zechariah 13:6, James 4:1-7, John 15:12-13, John 15:14-19, Acts 2:38, James 2:23-24

Source: https://acts238.life/repository/sermons/mark-mccool--sunday-evening-worship-word-3
Published by Acts 2:38 Life from the sermon transcript on that page.
Free to copy and share with attribution.

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thank you praise team for leading Us in worship you ought to be excited in this house tonight about being a conqueror and being a winner in Christ no matter your situation if you're serving Jesus you're a winner today hallelujah hallelujah well Glory I'm going to let you move to your seats we greet everyone in the precious name of Jesus we welcome you to Sunday night here at First Apostolic church we say welcome to all of our guests who are joining us whether you're here in this building or you've tuned in on all of those multi-media platforms that we are blessed to be able to use to carry the gospel we greet those who are joining us in our community in our city in our region and yes around the world we thank you for being with us in service but I'm also so excited to see all the home folks that are here and thank you for worshiping with us and being with us tonight give honor to all of our leadership to our Bishop and to our pastoral staff to our ministers and Elders to all who are making this service possible we never should fail to give thanks to the opportunity that God has given us all to minister in whatever her field and with whatever abilities and talents that he's afforded us to minister there are many things that go into having a good worship service first of all you've got to have a house full of worshipers and I that's what we have here at First Apostolic church we have a house full of worshipers and then there are those who are doing some of the technology responsibilities and tasks and I'm so thankful for all of those who worship while they work thank you for ministering I need not make another uh mention of that laundry list of those wonderful things but thank you everyone for your ministering what a marvelous message we heard this morning I want to be full of fuel how about you I don't want to be running on empty thank you Pastor Anthony for ministering to us with Mighty word today and I hope that the word of the Lord would again reach down and touch us not because of who's speaking for I am nothing but I'm thankful that God his word is always anointed it's always settled and it's fresh and new to us I would call your attention this evening to a couple of passages that are in the Book of Proverbs I'll read two verses that are but are in two locations so just follow with me we'll go first to Proverbs 18 24 and then we'll drop back one chapter to Proverbs 17 17. first Proverbs 18 24 then Proverbs 17 17. Proverbs 18 24 States a man that hath friends must show himself friendly and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother Proverbs 17 17 States a friend loveth at all times and a brother is born for adversity for a few moments I would speak to you on this subject are you friends with Jesus are you friends with Jesus let's pray savior I love you I thank you for the wonderful praise and worship that we've already mildly experienced I thank you for the work that has been done through healing and through prayer now God I pray that now your word would Minister to us Lord it would give us direction would give us strength would give us power to do all that we must do and we should do in your kingdom Lord we thank you for this opportunity in Jesus name we pray amen closer than a brother how close is that I'm an only child so I cannot from personal experience speak to the relationship of siblings but I have observed the typical relationship of Brothers for most of the brothers that I hang around with much and observe I will find they quarrel they disagree and they'll even fight with each other brothers however it is not uncommon for them to put their differences aside and become allies friends and brothers United if any one of them is accosted or attacked by someone else in other words I can fight with my brother but you better leave him alone I am also blessed to have many that I truly call friends I'm comfortable with having many friends when I evaluate the relationships that are defined by the classic word a friend a friend classically is designed or rather defined as a person who you like and enjoy being with a person who helps or supports someone or something that's a friend I've also come to realize in this social media age with which we live that many are sensitive about how many friends they have how many friends or followers they can collect with a push of a button and they'll say friend me follow me and I'll friend you back in fact there are some that are so sensitive about it you have committed nearly the unpardonable sin if you ever unfriend or unfollow them on social media what's the problem it's some drastic thing but you see I want to examine the relationship that we all have tonight with the ultimate friend and that's Jesus I want Jesus to be my friend how about you I submit that Jesus not a dog is your best friend it has been said that dogs are man's best friend but I submit to you Jesus is the best friend you can have I'm here to tell you he is that friend that our text spoke about that sticketh closer than a brother now look I like my dog we're buds we're Pals he follows me he you know when I'm in the house he becomes my shadow but I've got news for you there is a friend that's sticketh closer than a brother I'm thankful to know Jesus and I want everybody who can hear me tonight to understand just how important it is to make sure that Jesus is your friend and you are friends with Jesus so I began looking at some examples in the word of the Lord of those who could truly be called or interpreted as friends of Jesus in The Book of John the 12th chapter we begin reading verse number one it says then Jesus six days before the Passover came to Bethany where Lazarus was which had been dead whom he raised from the dead there they made him a supper and Martha served and Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him then Mary then took Mary a pound of ointment of spiknerd very costly an anointed defeat of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair and the house was filled with the odor of the ointment notice Martha served Lazarus fellowshipped and Mary anointed Jesus feet and washed them Mary Martha and Lazarus of Bethany were investing in a personal relationship with Jesus and their family our text said to have a friend you must be friendly if you want Jesus to be a friend you need to be friendly with Jesus in their culture it was indeed an act of service to wash the feet of a friend or a guest at your home it was symbolic not only of cleansing the feet but it was symbolic of submission and welcoming that individual had come into your house too many say I want to be a friend of Jesus but they never assume a posture of of a submissive servant to his word or to his teachings they rarely serve or fellowship with him if you want to make friends with Jesus you must love being in his presence somebody can say they're your friend all they want to if they don't like to hang around you I kind of don't think they may really be your friend they may be an acquaintance there's a difference in having a friend and having an acquaintance the word acquaintance I Define it as well as a person one knows slightly but not a close friend that's what an acquaintance is you see there's too many that want Jesus to be an acquaintance I'm familiar with him if you ever had somebody ask you do you know so and so and such and such sometimes I have to answer well not personally I've heard of them but there's too many that want to say well I've heard of Jesus I'm somewhat acquainted with him but he's really not my friend in fact if you remember over in the book of Acts the 19th Chapter there were Vagabond Jews who claimed to be exorcists they were sons of a Jewish priest the sons of skeva and they claimed to be exorcists and they ran into a guy that had an evil spirit and when they ran into that guy that had an evil spirit they tried to cast that evil spirit out and they said it this way we want to cast you out and I'm paraphrasing with Jesus of whom Paul preached and you know what the evil spirit said back to him that he said Jesus I know and Paul I know he said but who are you you know what it was they didn't have Jesus and a personal relationship they had just heard Peter preach about it they knew the power that went along with it but they had never really got to know Jesus they just wanted to make a proclamation when they had a need you see there's too many folks that only want to call on Jesus when they have a need and they've never established a friendship with him Jesus is more than just something you call on like a fifth wheel for a flat tire Jesus needs to be your friend in the good times and in the bad times too many just want to call on Jesus when they're in trouble oh he's your friend and he wants to help you but if you don't know it and you're just vaguely acquainted with him there's a problem there I got news for you those who avoid his presence or only visit his house out of necessity or tradition do not appear to be Jesus Friend you mean we've got to go to church again listen what did that original definition tell us a person who you like and enjoy being with Jesus is here in the house and I enjoy being with Jesus and being with his family that's my friends you're my friends I get excited about getting in the house of the Lord we ought to be excited about special events man we're having a camp meeting I'm going to get to go to church three times this week I'm excited about it why because my friends are going to be there Jesus is going to be there all of Jesus other friends are going to be in the house are you friends with Jesus tonight now I don't mind telling you there's some special benefits of having a personal relationship with Jesus what would his friendship mean to this family in Bethany now think about it just a minute now the way the scripture is presented it's not necessarily in chronological order and I think as I read it it will bear this out for if you go back one chapter we read in chapter 12. about Martha washing or rather about Mary washing the feet of Jesus but if you go back to John 11 here's what it says now a certain man was sick named Lazarus of Bethany the town of Mary and her sister Martha notice verse number two it was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair whose brother Lazarus was sick now I understand this is in verse or rather chapter 11 chapter 12. had Lazarus sitting at the table and her anointing the feet but this was just a review of what had happened Mary apparently had anointed Jesus feet and this supper had taken place and Lazarus who would later be sick in 11 it's being re told in 12 so it's not necessarily chronological order what I'm trying to say is they already had a relationship with Jesus before Lazarus got sick they were already friends they had already shipped and communed with him they had already served him and fellowship and she had washed his feet that had already happened they didn't do those things because Lazarus was raised from the dead they did it establishing a personal relationship with Jesus verse 3 said therefore his sisters send unto him saying Lord behold he whom thou lovest is sick your friend is sick friends have the right to ask friends for help sometimes wow talk about a friend that could show up talk about a friend with influences I I remember I I don't remember the name of it but there used to be a game show that was on and they asked difficult questions and you had the right one time to call a friend be pretty nice to be able to call Jesus wouldn't it I'm gonna phone a friend wasn't it amazing that Mary and Martha when Lazarus was sick they already had the contact number and knew how to get in touch with Jesus they knew who it was they were supposed to call on Jesus was already a friend of Lazarus it's they said you know Lazarus the one that Jesus loved notice the chronology then when Jesus heard that he said that sickness is not unto death but for the glory of God and the Son of God might be glorified now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus he already had a relationship with them they were already friends when he had heard therefore he was sick he Abode two days still in the same place where he was then after that Seth he to his disciples let us go into Judea again his disciples say unto him Master notice this the Jews of late sought to Stone me and goeth thou feather again now please understand this relationship Jesus in his speaking speaks in the authority in one breath of deity but in the next breath of humanity because he was what God manifest in flesh he could speak with the authority of deity but also speak to humanity and his disciples are reminding him hey I don't know if we ought to go back through Judea I don't know if we ought to go back to Bethany and then they ought to get you yet he had told them minimize the situation he said this he's not sick unto death he was comforting them and minimizing the the the need because he said God's going to get Glory out of this yet he was willing to take a risk in his Humanity to go back and meet the need of his friend Lazarus I'm here to tell you when you're a friend of Jesus you have all rights and privileges of that friend you can ask him and you can request him he's willing to give you comfort but he's also willing to take a risk for you I got news for you he laid down his life for you that's what kind of friend he is he's a friend that sticketh closer than any brother oh Hallelujah friends with Jesus tonight so notice in John 15 he said this this is my commandment that you love one another as I have loved you greater love hath no hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for a friend he was willing to take a risk but I take you again to The Narrative of the story for John 11 11 said these things said he and after that he said to them our friend Lazarus sleepeth but I go that I may awake him out of sleep now in humanity Lazarus was dead but with deity he said oh he's asleep I'm gonna go wake him up when Humanity has exhausted its resources and everything looks hopeless when you're friends with Jesus a Miracles getting ready to take place let me tell somebody in this house you've tried to accomplish all you can in your flesh it's time to make friends with Jesus because he wants to do the supernatural in your life he still knows how to heal he still knows how to raise from the dead then said the disciple Lord if he sleeps he shall do well they're back in human mode albeit Jesus spake of his death but they thought that he had spoken of him of taking of rest in sleep then Jesus said unto them plainly sometimes a good friend has to get blunt and honest then Jesus said unto them plainly Lazarus is dead you know sometimes Jesus has to speak to us a little a little bit blunt and strong sometimes he does it through his word preacher you stepped all over my toes tonight it wasn't me I'm just preaching what the Holy Ghost told me to preach if your toes were sticking out there maybe they needed to be stepped on if an anointed man of God if an anointed messenger from Heaven speaks to you sometimes it hurts but it has to get our attention Jesus said plainly Lazarus is dead Humanity can't fix this and I'm glad for your sakes that I was not there to the intent that you may believe you've got a lack of faith and I I see something about to happen sometimes when you're friends with Jesus he has to refresh your faith as well nevertheless go unto him then said Thomas which is called didymus unto his fellow disciples let us also go that we may die with him for Oh Thomas if you know if you know his history we refer to him a lot of times as doubting Thomas he just wasn't a real positive guy apparently he followed Jesus but he had something negative to say about it notice that this is the same one that said unless I see the nail scars his hand unless I put my my hand in his side I won't believe because he'd been late when Jesus showed up now this is earlier who he's walking with he said he's gonna go let's go with him and die there's also always seems to be a negative voice even when there's an Act of Faith going on so in John 11 17 we read then when Jesus came he found that he had laying in the grave four days already he's speaking of Lazarus now Bethany was nine Jerusalem about 15 furlongs that's nearly two miles so they'd walked a couple of miles and many of the Jews came to Mary and or Martha and Mary to comfort them concerning their brother all they're having visitation they're comforting Mary and Martha then Martha as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming went and met him she didn't really got there she went out to find him Mary sat still in the house then said Martha unto Jesus Lord if thou had been here my brother had not died you're my friend if you'd have been here we love you Jesus if you'd been here he wouldn't die but I know that even now whatsoever thou will ask of God God will give it thee Jesus said unto her thy brother shall rise again that should have settled it Martha saith in him I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day Jesus said unto her I am the resurrection and the life he that believeth on in me though he were dead yet shall he lift what a friend to have what connections to have let me tell you there's something there's some relationship there's not some situation may have died in your life your flesh can't fix it but I'm here to tell you the Holy Ghost the power of Jesus your friend can fix that thing and resurrect it in your life whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die believeth thou this what Revelation from a friend but the narrative continues she said to him yea Lord I believe that thou art the Christ and Son of God which should come into the world and when she had said so she went her way and called Mary your sister said she basically said I did all I can do with him Mary said okay Mary her sister secretly saying the Master's come and calleth for thee and as soon as she heard it she arose and came unto him now Jesus was not yet come into them but it was in the place where Martha met him Martha left and Here Comes Mary here comes the friends and the Jews then which were with her in the house comforted her when they saw Mary that she rose up hastily went out followed her saying she goeth unto the grave to eat there oh isn't she so pitiful we're gonna have pity party with her Humanity can weep with you but Humanity can't raise the Dead Humanity can give you sympathy and empathy but Humanity cannot resurrect a lifeless brother then when Mary was come where Jesus was and saw him she fell down at his feet say Lord if thou had been here my brother had not died he got to hear the same friendship message that Martha had given when Jesus saw her weeping the Jews also weeping which came with her he groaned in the spirit and was troubled a real friend hurts when you hurt Jesus hurts when we're hurting and he said where have they laid him they said unto him Lord come and see verse 35 States Jesus wept once again in his Humanity he began to cry at the loss then said the Jews behold how he loved him oh they must have been really close friends some of them said could not this man which opened the eyes of the blind have caused that even hit this man should not have died some mourned other second guests Jesus therefore again groaning in himself cometh the grave it was a cave and a stone lay upon it Jesus said take ye away the stone now he's still dealing with friends they've got a relationship but when you're friends with Jesus sometimes he will expect you to do the unorthodox he said take away the stone Martha the sister of him that was dead said then Lord by this time he stinketh for he hath been dead for four days Jesus said on Earth said I not unto thee that if thou wouldst believe there's the key do you believe on Jesus if you're going to be a friend You've Got to Believe on Jesus thou should see the glory of God then they took away the Stone from the place where the dead was laid and Jesus lifted up his eyes and said father I thank thee that thou has heard me and I knew that thou Hearst me always but because of the people who stand by I said it that they may believe that thou has sent me and when he does had spoken he cried with a loud voice Lazarus come forth oh what a friend oh what a friend and he that was dead came forth bound hand and foot with grave clothes and his face was bound about with a napkin Jesus said unto them loose him and let him go God knows how to reach down to our Humanity if we're friends with Jesus and do some things that seemed impossible he can heal relationship he can resurrect marriages he can lives that seem so torn and broken Jesus knows how to say Lucy and let him go he knows how to say move the stone oh Hallelujah but I want you to notice something real important Jesus made them remove all the man-made obstacles that they had put there in the first place they said you move the stone Jesus didn't put the stone there so he wasn't going to move it did he have the power I got a feeling if he could raise him from the dead he could say Stone move and it rolled on had he wanted to he could have said grave clothes be removed where he's bound and take the napkin away and it could have instantly disappeared Jesus said loose him let him go let me tell you some of the limitations that we place on ourselves Jesus already wants to do the miracle but we've placed some blocks on ourselves and we need to take some of those things away we need to start removing the bonds and the separation that we've put in in his way and let Jesus our friend do the work because you know what happens when Jesus raised him from the dead Not only was his friend and his friend's family who were all his family a witness to what had taken place verse 45 said then many of the Jews which came to Mary and had seen the thing which Jesus did believed on him when God does a miracle in your life it will be a witness to unbelievers let me tell you don't be ashamed to have a testimony of Deliverance testimony of a resurrection of what God has done it wasn't by chance it wasn't by accident God does Miracles Jesus Christ Living in US does Miracles and we need to testify so that others might believe on him we want to introduce our friend to other folks that he can be their friend too so I ask you tonight what kind of friend are you to Jesus four Jesus had some who claimed to be his friend that were a bit unsavory in the relationship Matthew 26 47 it said why he spake Lo Judas one of the twelve came and with him a great multitude with swords and stayed from the chief priests and Elders of the people now he that betrayed him gave him a sign saying whomsoever I shall kiss the same as he hold him fast for with he came to Jesus and said hail master and kissed him and Jesus said unto him friend wherefore art thou come then came they and laid hands on Jesus and took him can you imagine being the intimate intimate Inner Circle of the twelve that Jesus called you friend and yet you betray him with a kiss to identify him be reminded that this is the handiwork of the same fellow who was present when Mary was anointing the feet of Jesus and he questioned Mary's lavish spending with the precious ointment if you recall in John 12 then said one of his disciples Judas Iscariot Simon's son that should be trapped why was not this ointment sold for 300 Pence and given to the poor and verse 6 identifies him it says this he said not that he cared for the poor but because he was the thief and had a bag and bear what was put therein and Jesus said let her alone against the day of my burying hath she kept this she's anointing my body in advance this is prophetic sometimes God is doing a mighty work symbolically and those who would steal folks Joy want to stand back and criticize Judas was a thief he didn't care about the poor but he tried to take a Pious posture as being worried about a waste taking place with the oil Jesus went on to see the poor always ye have but me ye have not always what kind of friend am I to Jesus Proverbs 25 19 said confidence in an Unfaithful man a time of trouble like a broken tooth and a foot out of joint I fear too many of us figuratively would make Jesus need a dentist and a podiatrist because when he needs a faithful friend and a faithful man we're not there Zechariah 13 6 said it this way and one shall say unto whom hands then he shall answer those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends what kind of friend are you to Jesus what can a friend am I to Jesus you see there's some relationships that simply will not mix James 4 said it this way from whence come Wars and fighting among you come thy not hints even of your lust that war in your members you lust and have not you kill desire to have and cannot obtain ye fight in war yet ye have not because you ask not and you ask and receive not because you ask a miss that you may consume it upon your lust ye adulterers and adulteresses know ye not that the Friendship of the world is enmity with God you can't be friends with the world and Friends With Jesus therefore will be a friend a friend now some of you are confused as I speak about Jesus and God in case you didn't know Jesus was and is God manifest in flesh I am not being polemically Incorrect and I'm certainly doctrinally right on when I speak of Jesus and God in these instances for if you aren't friends with Jesus you must find yourself friends with the world verse 5 said do you think the scripture saith in vain the spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy but he giveth more grace wherefore he saith God resisteth the proud but giveth Grace unto the humble submit yourselves to God resist the devil and he'll flee from you what kind of friend am I to Jesus musicians come quickly how do I get to be a friend to Jesus Jesus said to his disciples ye are my friends this is in John 15 14. he said ye are my friends if you do whatsoever I command you what is Jesus calling us to do henceforth I call you not servant for the servant knoweth not what the Lord doeth but I have called you friends for all things that I have heard of my father I have made known unto you Jesus is not keeping any secrets from you friends share secrets Jesus told us he said I got to go away for if I go not away comforter cannot come he said I've got to go there's many mansions for you I got to go away Jesus is not keeping secrets from you he gave us a simple way he said you're my friends if whatsoever I command you that's what you're going to do now you say preacher it seems like every time you preach you get back around to acts the second chapter you got that did you I I'm glad you're intuitive and have great insight because when Peter preached from the word of God when they were pricked in their heart they said men and Brethren what shall we we Define shall shell is a legal term that is used much to mean an imperative it's not an option what shall we do then Peter said repent and be baptized every one of them you want to be a friend of God repent separate yourself from sin and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission for the forgiving Jesus wants to forgive you and be your friend for the forgiving of your sins and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost Jesus wants to be your friend and live in you he said you've not chosen me but I've chosen you oh he wants to be our friend stand with me and ordained you that you should go and bring forth fruit that your fruit should remain that whatsoever ye shall ask of the father in my name he may give it you these things I command you that you love one another you want to have Jesus be your friend love each other we need to care about each other we need to love one another we're all friends of Jesus if we'll love one another and be obedient to his Commandments these things I command you that you love one another if the world hate you you know that it hated me before it hated you if you were of the world the world would love his own but because you're not of the world but I have chosen you out of the world therefore the world hateth you Jesus was God manifest in flesh if you're going to be a friend of Jesus you've got to be a friend of God James said it this way and the scripture was fulfilled with saith Abraham believed God and it was imputed unto him for righteousness and he was called the friend of God you see then how that by works of man is Justified not by faith only you must be faith-filled but you must be submitted committed you must be a believer be faith-filled and faithful when it said Abraham's belief in God was imputed that means it was ascribed or attributed to him righteousness in other words because he believed in God his righteousness in description someone with that much Faith must be a friend of God foreign this world when they see you and see how you act and see how you walk and see how you talk and see how you act in frustrating situations when life is less than perfect the way you react don't you want people to be able to say that must be a friend of God that must be one of those Jesus folks too many times it appears when you're trying to be undercover friends of Jesus I I want the world not of any righteousness that I have but I want it to be like Abraham that it was imputed of righteousness that he was just a friend of God why because the way he conducted himself because of the faith he had I want to ask everybody in the house are you a friend of God if you're a friend of God I want in just a moment to invite all the friends of God together around the Altar for season of communing with him but before I invite you let me tell everybody in this house if there's one here it don't matter if you're my friend or not it does not matter if you have a relationship with anybody in this house if you want to be a friend of God you need to obey his word by coming to an altar and repenting just question I'm sorry for my sinning I'm rejecting the Friendship of the world I want to be friends with you if you're in this house and you haven't been baptized buried in his name a necessary symbolic Act with significant that are spiritual and essential you must be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ you must take his name on I'm his friend now we're friends I've taken his name on and you will receive the gift of the Holy Ghost that's Jesus living in you he says I'm going to come live with you I'm going to come live out what a friend what a friend if there's anybody in this house that you need to repent of the sins I'm going to give you a head start I want you to come forget about what anybody else says forget about what anybody else thinks but if you need to repent I want you to come first but I'm not going to tear it along because I want every friend of God to get ready if you're a friend of God I want you to step out in the aisle and I want you to make your way around this Altar for a season of Fellowship a season of communing with Jesus Jesus I want to be your friend tonight would you come right now would you come worship and praising would you lead us in song Hallelujah foreign [Music] foreign [Music] I am a friend but it's amazing to me that you said yay yay [Applause] let that marinate in your spirit Jesus has called you his friend oh he's called [Music] me praise [Applause] [Music] a friend of Mendes [Music] [Music] would you lift your hands and love your friend right now would you love Jesus would you love Jesus I'm So Unworthy I'm So Unworthy of Your Love Jesus thank you for being my friend thank you thank you for caring for me oh hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah Glory Glory Glory First Apostolic Church let's go from this place tonight so appreciative of the friendship and let's do our part to be Jesus Friend to represent him to love him and to know that he is our provider he is the best friend that anyone can have please remember all the events coming up Wednesday night but we will be worshiping the word Wednesday night bible study this coming Saturday is a special event a wedding one of our kids sister Becca Lynn is getting married but the Canon that's this coming Saturday that's at two o'clock the entire church family is invited to that wedding don't forget that you're dismissed in Jesus name greet each other as your personal protocol permits you to do so