FRIENDSHIP, AS SEEN IN JONATHAN & DAVID
\nBy David J. Riggs – http:\/\/www.BibleMatters.com<\/p>\n
Intro.
\n A. The need for friendship among human beings is selfevident.
\n 1. Jesus, Himself, had those who were especially close to Him –
\n Peter, James, and John – as is shown in several passages.
\n Matt. 17:1; Mark 5:37; 14:33
\n B. To have friends, we must be a friend. Prov. 18:24
\n 1. This is easier said than done. How does one go about being a
\n friend?
\n C. One of the greatest friendships revealed in the Scriptures, is
\n that of Jonathan and David.
\n 1. By looking at their friendship, we can discover a few
\n secrets to good friendships.<\/p>\n
I. HONESTY. 1 Sam. 20:1-3
\n A. David was completely honest with his friend Jonathan concerning
\n his troubles, even though Jonathan’s father was the cause.
\n 1. Jonathan was just as forthright about his conviction that
\n David’s fear was unfounded.
\n B. The strongest bonds are created by those who allow their
\n friends into innermost places of the heart – revealing the
\n hopes, dreams, and fears.
\n 1. A good friend is someone we can turn to for advice. Prov.
\n 27:9
\n 2. A good friend keeps things confidential. Prov. 16:28; 17:9
\n 3. Honest counsel can strengthen the friendship. Prov. 27:17
\n a. As a hard iron or steel will bring a knife to a sharper
\n edge, so one’s friend will make one’s expression on
\n one’s face look better.
\n b. Friendship destroys depression, and puts one in a better
\n mood. makeup.
\n 4. One should never try to win friends:
\n a. By flattery. Prov. 27:14
\n b. By gifts. Prov. 19:6
\n c. By money. Prov. 19:4; 14:20-21<\/p>\n
II. MUTUAL AID. 1 Sam. 20:4-7
\n A. Jonathan and David had a genuine concern for one another’s
\n welfare, and were willing to aid one another.
\n B. Everyone needs a friend who cares enough to do whatever it
\n takes to help him in time of need.
\n 1. Friendship is like a good plant. It requires cultivation and
\n watering to make it grow.
\n C. True friends will point out a sin or fault, though it might be
\n painful for them to do so. Prov. 27:6; Psalm 141:5
\n 1. A friend will not be negative only. They will be praising
\n and encouraging, but when the time comes for rebuke, they
\n will do that as well.
\n D. Friendships can be better and stronger than family ties. Prov.
\n 18:24b; 17:17b; 27:10b
\n 1. A friendship that springs from appreciation and practical
\n helpfulness is likely to be more deeply seated and lasting
\n than one based upon blood relationships.
\n 2. A fleshly brother will object to being disturbed by
\n listening to a tale of woe concerning his brother’s
\n misfortune.
\n a. The brother reasons, concerning himself, that he has
\n made his life good by sound judgment and hard work
\n and his brother should learn to do the same.
\n b. On the other hand, a close friend will give a listening
\n and sympathizing ear.<\/p>\n
III. COMMITMENT. 1 Sam. 20:14-17
\n A. Jonathan and David made a covenant with each other, promising
\n fidelity for all time.
\n 1. They did, indeed, stay friends through thick and thin until
\n they were parted by death.
\n B. True friendship is unchangeable and constant. Prov. 17:17a
\n 1. One should never forsake his friend. Prov. 27:10
\n a. Long standing friendships should not be dropped for no
\n compelling reasons.
\n b. One who has been a friend to the family should not be
\n forgotten or neglected.
\n C. True friends are valuable.
\n 1. We must cultivate the ties that bind our hearts in Christian
\n love.<\/p>\n
IV. LOYALTY. 1 Sam. 20:30-34
\n A. Jonathan made his stand for his friend who was right and
\n against his father who was wrong.
\n 1. One of the greatest things in Jonathan’s life was when, a
\n few years later, Saul had the army of Israel hunting David,
\n he went out into the forest to encourage David in the Lord.
\n 1 Sam. 23:15-18
\n B. True loyalty builds lasting friendship.
\n 1. A good friend will be there in time of need.
\n C. One of the great sorrows of Job was that his friends had turned
\n against him. Job 19:19
\n 1. They were miserable comforters in Job’s time of need. Job
\n 16:2
\n 2. Probably when his own son Absolom was trying to take over
\n the kingdom by force, David wrote Psalm 69:20.
\n D. Of course, one should not stand with his friend if he is wrong.
\n 1. However, a good friend is able to see that encouragement is
\n needed, and they will be there to lend a helping hand.<\/p>\n
V. GENUINE EMOTION. 1 Sam. 20:41
\n A. When David and Jonathan realized they had to separate from each
\n other, and they might never see each other again, they kissed
\n each other and wept together.
\n 1. David wept even more than Jonathan.
\n B. Great friendships are characterized by strong feelings.
\n 1. We, especially men, must not be embarrassed to express our
\n emotions.
\n C. After Jonathan’s death, David expressed in a Psalm the great
\n love he and Jonathan had for each other. 2 Sam. 1:25-26<\/p>\n
VI. LIKE PRECIOUS FAITH. 1 Sam. 20:42
\n A. David and Jonathan’s friendship had a spiritual dimension to
\n it. They both had strong faith in the Lord.
\n 1. Swearing was allowed under the Old Covenant, and the both
\n swore goodness to their descendants forever.
\n a. This is why David years later blessed Jonathan’s son
\n Mepibosheth who was lame in both of his feet. 2 Sam.
\n 9:7
\n B. To reach the highest level, true friendships must be based upon
\n a mutual faith and commitment to the Lord.
\n 1. We sing a song which says, “Make friends of God’s
\n children.”
\n 2. Indeed, we should cultivate the friendship of fellow members
\n of the body of Christ.
\n 3. Christians are to be friendly, kind, and given to
\n hospitality. Rom. 12:13; 1 Pet. 4:9; 3 John 13-14
\n 4. The rush of modern living has interfered.
\n a. Nowadays, everyone wants their privacy respected, but
\n one’s “want of privacy” should not cause him to neglect
\n hospitality and friendships.
\n b. Courtesy, kindness, and helpfulness will never go out of
\n date.
\n C. Friendship with the wrong kind of person can be harmful. Prov.
\n 22:24
\n 1. Indeed, there is great danger regarding evil companionships.
\n 1 Cor. 15:33
\n 2. We should be companions of those who fear God. Psalm
\n 119:63<\/p>\n
Concl.
\n A. Jonathan and David in the most difficult trials of their lives
\n discovered the secrets of a great and godly friendship.
\n B. The value of our friends should lie in quality, rather than
\n quantity.
\n 1. One good friend is worth more than ten who are not so
\n good.
\n 2. One personal friend is worth more than a hundred “fair
\n weather friends.”
\n 3. Certain types of friends can be a detriment to our
\n relationship with God.
\n 4. Having too many friends can conflict with our service to
\n God.
\n C. In closing, let us never forget the one true great friend,
\n Jesus Christ who laid down His life for us. John 15:13<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
FRIENDSHIP, AS SEEN IN JONATHAN & DAVID By David J. Riggs – http:\/\/www.BibleMatters.com Intro. A. The need for friendship among human beings is selfevident. 1. Jesus, Himself, had those who were especially close to Him – Peter, James, and John – as is shown in several passages. Matt. 17:1; Mark 5:37; 14:33 B. To have […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[4214,286,4236],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.churchedge.com\/illustrations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4773"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.churchedge.com\/illustrations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.churchedge.com\/illustrations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.churchedge.com\/illustrations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.churchedge.com\/illustrations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4773"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.churchedge.com\/illustrations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4773\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.churchedge.com\/illustrations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4773"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.churchedge.com\/illustrations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4773"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.churchedge.com\/illustrations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4773"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}