What it Means to Be Jesus' Friend

John 14:2-3 (NIV)

In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you.

I go to prepare a place for you.  3 And if I go and prepare a place for you,

I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.

We use this as a scripture of comfort & to refer to the Second Coming

          This scripture is connected to something Jesus says later…

John 15:12-15

My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 (Now) I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends,

for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.

Why would Jesus call them friends when in a few days they would receive His Spirit

and become sons?

1 John 3:1

Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us,

that we should be called children of God!

A servant does what they’re commanded, without understanding – Responsibility

Children abide in the house forever (John 4:35) – Relationship

Friend understands the process – Revelation, Relationship & Responsibility

Friend: Groomsman doing things on behalf of the Groom, for His bride – the church

Process:

First, the groom leaves the father’s house and the bride is chosen 

Mohar (dowry) – the Bride price (ex. Lobolo)

          “He purchased with His own blood” – Acts 20:28

First stage of the wedding: 

Betrothal ceremony (engagement) lift up a cup of wine and drink it to seal the betrothal

From that moment the bride is consecrated to the husband

Then the groom leaves (no date is set, as in our custom)

          Goes to “prepare a place” for the bride

Once everything is prepared, the groom returns

Usually at night, with a procession through the streets

Matt 25:6

At midnight a cry was heard: 'Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!'

While the groom is gone, because no date is set for his return,

the bride must be ready:

Matt 25:13

Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.

From the time the groom leaves until he returns, the Friend is important…

The Friend acts on behalf of the Groom while he is away

Esther 2:9

Now [Esther] pleased [Hegai], and she obtained his favor; so he readily gave beauty preparations to her, besides her allowance. Then seven choice maidservants were provided for her from the king's palace, and he moved her and her maidservants to the best place in the house of the women.

Responsibilities of the Friend

1.     Assist the bride in preparing for the wedding

a)    Gives the bride beauty preparations as the groom desires

A major key is to know the Groom, what He likes and how He likes it

Eph 5:27.  That He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot (stain) or wrinkle (drug on the ground) or any such thing, but that she should be holy (separated) and without blemish (worthy).

2.     Give the bride her allowance, so she can have what she needs

3.     Compel people to come to the wedding party

Matt 22:9-10

Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding.' 

o   Luke 14:23  Compel (force) them to come in, that my house may be filled

10 So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good. And the wedding hall was filled with guests.

Why is this message so critical now?

We have not understood what it means to be His Friend

We must be more intentional about “preparing the Bride”

In our Western culture Church is an institution

Our approach to preparing the Bride has been so tied to ‘get people into the building’

Get people into the building and let the preacher and the choir do their jobs

Since we are restricted in church attendance

Churches are recording church services and putting them online

Online church is not just recording church

If we’re not careful, creating another audience, not the church

To be a good Friend…

Ø  We must live as the consecrated betrothed – set aside, first stage of the wedding

Ø  We must give the bride her allowance

Ø  We must invite anyone to His party