Welcome to this edition of PowerPoint with Jack Graham. A little later in the program we'll tell you how you can get a copy of Dr. Graham's book, Man of God.
But first, here's the message, The Gift of Friendship. There's significant episodes in the life of David. And you could spend a long time in the life of David.
He is one of the most compelling, interesting, dynamic personalities in history. Certainly when we read the Bible, we cannot miss David. And he is described as a man after God's own heart because he did the will of God in his life. To be a man after God's own heart is a process of faith. is to be committed to following Christ passionately, purposefully in your life every day. That's what it means to have a heart for God. And I want to have a heart for God.
I want my heart to reflect a love for Christ and a commitment to Christ that truly makes a difference in my life, in my work, and my relationships. One aren't all that interested in relationships. You know, we get up, a lot of us leave in the darkness, and we drive to work, spend all day.
We come down our street, we hit our garage door opener, and we roll into the garage and shut the door and walk inside, maybe work in our backyard, which is sort of the moat around our castle. And we rarely talk to our neighbors. Many of us do not even know our neighbors' names. We don't have relationships at the office. We don't have relationships in our neighborhoods because we just don't value friendship. We, for some reason, have the idea that we don't really need friends.
We buck up and muscle up and think that we can make it on our own. And yet to do this is to deny a basic human need. When God created the man, He created the man, said the man is good, and then declared it is not good that man should live alone. Now primarily that speaks of the relationship of a man and a woman, and God created Adam's wife. But the principle is also true in terms of relationships beyond the marriage.
We were not meant to live alone. And I don't want any of you to underestimate the value of friendship, the value of having a friend, because they are, these friends are vital parts of our lives. Thank God for friendship.
A real friend is a true gift from God. Now in our scripture, 1 Samuel chapter 18, Saul is still the appointed king of Israel, though he is no longer the anointed king of Israel. David is the anointed king.
He is the king in waiting. David has slain the great giant, as we saw the last time that we were together. And it's just a matter of time when David ascends to the throne, and he will go through a tremendous battle against Saul and the carnal forces of Saul in order to ascend to the kingdom and to his kingship. But all the while, Saul, who is the king, is sinking deeper and deeper into sin and uselessness. After the slaying of the great giant and David became the most popular man in Israel, Saul became insanely and violently jealous of David.
And this young man who is destined for the throne ends up in a tremendous battle against the king. Saul desires ultimately to kill David. And David begins running for his life like a fugitive, hiding in deserts and dens.
He is living in the furnace of affliction. And God often puts us, by the way, when He's making us into becoming a man of God, He often puts us through the fire and through difficult tests, even with people, in order to strengthen us and prepare us for leadership and the responsibilities. But in the midst of this conflict and in the midst of David's ascent and rise to power, God did something for David that I pray, God, that you will allow God to do for you. God gave David a friend, a friend by the name of Jonathan. And what an influence, what an encouragement, what a strength this friend was to David. Verse 1 of chapter 18 says this, now when he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit, note that word knit, it was knit to the soul of David and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. Then look down at verse 3, then Jonathan and David made a covenant because he loved him as his own soul and Jonathan took off the robe that was on him and gave it to David with his armor, even to his sword and his bow and his belt. Now let me just say parenthetically before we proceed in this conversation about this manly friendship, that some have tried to take these verses and use it as an illustration for some kind of a perverted or homosexual relationship.
None of that here. That is absolutely false, that is an abuse of the Scripture and anyone who says that about the David-Jonathan relationship is simply twisting the Word of God. So this is a Godly relationship, it is a spiritual relationship, but it is a relationship that is perhaps unique in all of the Bible. This lifelong, loving friendship between David the shepherd and Jonathan the son of Saul.
Yes, Jonathan was the son of Saul and in that sense he was a prince in Israel and so now these two men meet and they are knitted together in heart and in soul. Samuel Taylor Coleridge said that a friend is like a sheltering tree and just as a tree must be planted and a tree must be cultivated and nurtured, so should friendships like trees be planted in our lives and we should cultivate them and take care of them. This is a day to take care of your friends because a friend is a rich resource from the hand of God, a rare find in a believer's life. It's important that you not try to have too many close friendships. Sometimes it tells us that friendship must be cultivated and you can really only cultivate a few deep, deep friends. In fact, there's a verse in scripture and it's Proverbs 18 verse 24. You may want to write it down. I'm going to read it to you.
This is from the New American Standard Version. It says, a man of many friends comes to ruin. Interesting verse, isn't it? A man of many friends comes to ruin.
Why? Because it takes time, effort, and energy, and yes, even money to really cultivate friends. Friends are costly.
It will cost you in prayers and devotion and commitment. And a friendship and the need for friendships is not a sign of weakness, it is a sign of strength to hook up with godly men in friendships that are based upon a relationship in Christ. To deny friendship is to deny your basic humanity. Listen to this, even Jesus, even Jesus had close, intimate friends. I mean, he loved everyone and he ministered to people who came into his pathway. But he chose 12 men to be with him and these were his closest friends. But even among the 12, there were three, Peter, James, and John, that were seemingly the inner circle of the disciples. God doesn't have favorites, Jesus didn't play favorites, but he does have intimates. And then even among the three, there was one who went all the way to the cross when Jesus died.
Peter denied and others fled. John, the son of thunder, I mean, he was the guy who was so angry one day, he said, let's just pray that God will send down judgment upon these people and kill them all. I mean, he was the son of thunder. But he learned in a relationship with Jesus as he was so close to Christ to hear the heart of God for people. He would later write, for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son. The son of thunder became known as the apostle of love because Jesus changed his life. And so friendship, if God the son needed friendship, all of us need connections, relationships in life.
You're listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham and today's message, the gift of friendship. Our world desperately needs men of God, strong men who model gentleness, lead with humility and speak the truth in love. We want to help you identify the traits of a real man of God by sending you Dr. Jack Graham's insightful book, Man of God.
Our thanks for your gift today. In it, Dr. Graham gives you biblical insights to what a true man of God looks like to his spouse, his family and the world. To request your copy of Man of God, call 1-800-795-4627. That's 1-800-795-4627.
You can also text PowerPoint to 59789. And don't forget to visit jackgram.org where you can shop our e-store, give a gift online or sign up for Dr. Graham's free daily email devotional. Our website again is jackgram.org. Now let's get back to today's message, the gift of friendship. This friendship, this relationship is a selfless friendship. I see that in verse 1, 1 Samuel 18. It says that Jonathan was knit to the soul of David and Jonathan loved him, note this little phrase, as his own soul.
Do you see that there? As his own soul. Now every man, every woman for that matter, has a basic love of self. We take care of ourselves. I mean, it's healthy, it's wholesome to have a respect for yourself and even a love for yourself. Jesus said that we're to love our neighbor as what?
Ourselves. I can't love my neighbor if I first do not have a healthy love and respect for myself. I can't love you until I first love me. Now those of us who know Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we have an advantage because you see the Jesus in me can love the Jesus in you. And we have an immediate connection in Christ, we have a spiritual relationship in Jesus though these must be developed and yet we have this advantage in life because we have these built-in friendships, this brotherhood in Christ. If I hate me, if I don't like me, what do you think I'm going to do to you?
I'm going to dislike you. And a lot of guys, this is a problem because we don't love self in the way that self ought to be loved but we loathe self and we don't have the basic self-respect and self-esteem that we need and therefore because we don't have a healthy self-image, we are unable to love someone else. Our own wives, our own kids and certainly friends as we ought to love one another. But when I am secure within myself, when I am strong inwardly, I no longer feel threatened by others.
Do you see that? I no longer feel threatened by others. Like David and Jonathan, their souls were knit together and I can share myself because I feel I have something worthwhile to share. Now think with me just for a moment what we have in Christ. Knowing Christ is knowing that we are accepted by Him. Now when I accept the truth that God accepts me, that's salvation. And when I accept the fact that Christ has accepted me, watch this, I can accept me. And that's self-esteem, it's really Christ's esteem. And when I accept the fact that God accepts me, then I accept me, then guess what happens next?
I can accept others. Now when I read about Jonathan here, I am amazed that he became David's friend. In the sense that Jonathan was the king's son, he was Saul's son.
He was potentially the heir to the throne. And yet, knowing that David has been anointed by God to be the king, knowing that David is ascending in popularity and power in the nation, he loves him. There's no jealousy here. There's no envy here.
There's no anger here. There's no putting David down in order to raise himself up. Jonathan was selfless. It was a selfless relationship. It was an unconditional friendship. You see, this is what a real friend does. A real friend elevates his friend.
But not only that, it was a steadfast, lasting friendship. Look down in verse 3. Jonathan and David made a covenant because he loved him as his own soul, and Jonathan took off the robe that was on him and gave it to David with his armor, even to the sword and his bow and his belt. Now a covenant was made. It was unchangeable. It was unbreakable.
Put it down. This friendship never changed. Over in 1 Samuel 20 and verse 42, here's what the Bible says about this covenant. Then Jonathan said to David, Go in peace, since we have both sworn in the name of the Lord, saying, May the Lord be between you and me and between your descendants and my descendants forever. So he arose and departed, and Jonathan went into this city. In other words, this was a spiritual bond that lasted a lifetime.
This friendship was steadfast. Over in 1 Samuel 23, I just want to give you a flavor of this friendship, 1 Samuel 23 and verse 16. I love this verse.
Then by the way, this, let me give you a little background on this verse before we read it. David's down at this point. He's discouraged. Saul is hunting him down, and it looks like some of Saul's men are about to take David out. He's in caves at this point. He's struggling with who he is and what he's supposed to be doing, and he was down, down, down. Have you ever been like that? Jonathan, Saul's son, arose and went to David in the woods and strengthened his hand in God.
Don't you love that? Here's this brother in the battle, and he's down. Again, Jonathan, rather than thinking, oh, wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a minute, David's down. Maybe he's out.
Maybe this is my chance to get back in the picture here for the big job. No, he didn't put him down. He built him up, and he did it by strengthening his hand in God. He encouraged him.
He strengthened him in the Lord. Proverbs 17, verse 17, a friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. That's Proverbs 17, 17, a friend loves at all times, a brother is born for adversity.
You want to find out who your friends are, who your real friends are? Fall down and see who's there to pick you up. Make a mistake and see who's there to encourage you, to pick you up, no matter what.
Get in trouble and find out who will be there to get you out of trouble. A brother is born for adversity, and a friend loves at all times. Listen to Proverbs 27 and verse 10. Do not forsake your own friend or your father's friend, nor go to your brother's house in the day of your calamity, for better is a neighbor nearby than a brother far away. It was a selfless friendship. It was a steadfast friendship.
But there's a third thing. It was a sacrificial friendship. Verse 4, the scene when Jonathan took off his robe that was on him and gave it to David with his armor, even to his sword and his bow and his belt. Jonathan invested in his friend.
Jonathan shared. He had much. He was a prince. David had very little.
He was just a shepherd. And a friend is willing to give to another person in order to profit that person's life. So real friendships are costly. 1 Samuel 20 and verse 4, Jonathan said to David, whatever you desire, I will do it for you. He said, you need something, buddy, and I got your back.
Whatever you need, your heart's desire, I'm going to be there for you. Friendship, this kind of loving, lasting friendship never seeks its own reward. What a friend is Jonathan to David. And ultimately David returned that friendship in many ways when he loved the household of Jonathan and brought Jonathan's crippled son into his own house. That's another story we'll get to later.
But there's one final thing in closing. It was a sanctifying friendship. Word sanctify means to make godly. It was a godly friendship and it built godliness in one another's lives. In the chapters that followed, you will find David is a better man, a more godly man because of his friendship with Jonathan. A true friend, a real friend will make you a better person, a better man. The Proverbs also says a companion of fools will be destroyed.
And bad company corrupts good morals. You hang out with fools, you'll be a fool. And that's why you better make sure that you choose your friends careful and that you choose godly friends, friends that will strengthen you, not just buddies that drag you down, the guys you hang out with that don't do anything for you, but men who will challenge you spiritually. Now my best friend is my wife and I hope you can say that your wife is your best friend. But be that as it may, not only do you need to say that your wife is your best friend, but every man needs some men, at least a man or two in their lives that can build them up and encourage them and strengthen them in their faith and hold them accountable in their lives. Proverbs 27 17, mark it down, as iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.
What does that mean? A real friend will put an edge on your life, will sharpen you and strengthen you, will make you better, keener, if you will, polishing you, preparing you for spiritual battle. And the best thing you can have is a friend who loves you enough that his purpose in your life would be to make a better man out of you. A real friend, listen to this, will make you more like Jesus. That's what a real friend does. It is a sanctifying relationship, and that includes being man enough and being friend enough to confront you when you do the wrong thing. Will love you enough never to forsake you when you do the wrong thing, but will love you enough not to condone your wrongdoing and will call you out if you're doing the wrong thing. It's a friend.
It's a life-building relationship. You're listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham and today's message, the gift of friendship. Today's culture has so distorted the concept of masculinity that some even reject it as toxic, but our world doesn't need less manly men. We need more men of God, men who love Jesus, make loving husbands and fathers, and lead as servants. We'd like to help you uncover what God says about true masculinity by sending you Dr. Graham's book, Man of God.
You'll gain biblical insight into how you or the men in your life can live with purpose and passion, putting Christ first and living radically for him. Man of God is our thanks for your gift to help proclaim God's word through PowerPoint. So request your copy when you call today. Call 1-800-795-4627. That's 1-800-795-4627. You can also text PowerPoint to 59789. And don't forget to visit jackgram.org where you can shop our e-store, give a gift online, or sign up for Dr. Graham's free daily email devotional.
Our website again is jackgram.org. Pastor, what is your PowerPoint for today? Everyone grows up looking for friends. Usually your friends are the people you like to be around and the people you enjoy doing things with and certainly having shared interests. Well, that's the starting place for friendship. But there are two things that you simply have to have in your good friends. As a believer in Jesus Christ, it is important that these essentials be a part of your friendship factor. First, a good friend will be one who is faithful to God, faithful to Jesus Christ.
This is the friend that delights in purity and whose influence will always be in the ways of God, the ways of truth and righteousness. And because they love God, they'll be the kind of friend that really cares, that really loves, because the love of God is in their hearts. So when you pick a friend, make sure they know Christ and are faithful to friend. I'm talking about the people you're closest to. We all have acquaintances, and we ought to make acquaintances and share friendship with everyone, especially people who need to know Jesus. But I'm talking about your closest friends, your band of brothers or sisters.
Let these be men and women of God. If someone wants to leave God out of their life, then really that's not the kind of friend you need, because that friend will not build you up, but ultimately could tear you down. The second thing you want is a friend that is faithful to you. You see, a real friend will walk in when everybody else is walking out. A good friend is committed to the best for you and the best in you. Now, I know that friends like these are rare.
They're hard to find. And if you're looking for a friend, yet you have never met Jesus personally, then let me tell you, he is the best friend. He is the greatest friend. He will love you and care for you like no one else. And remarkably, even though he is Lord of life, even though he is God and knows everything about you, your failures, your mistakes, he walks in when the world walks out. He still loves you and will make you his own. As you look for friends, make sure that you come to Jesus first.
He is a friend that sticks closer than a brother. He will forgive you of your sins, give you a brand new life, never let you go, and walk by your side forever. And that is today's PowerPoint. Remember when you give a gift to PowerPoint, we'll send you Dr. Graham's book, Man of God as our thanks. Call 1-800-795-4627.
That's 1-800-795-4627. You can also text the word PowerPoint to 59789. And join us again next time as Dr. Graham brings a message about how God can help you overcome evil with good. Join us next time on PowerPoint with Jack Graham. PowerPoint with Jack Graham is sponsored by PowerPoint Ministries.
