Sermons / Sermon Discussion | Let's Be Friends: Part 1 - John 15:9-17

Scripture Reference: John 15:9-17 Main Idea: The highest calling of a Christian is to have friends, and be friends, in such a way that the world sees it, recognizes it, and is drawn toward a friendship with God because of it. Observations: - The same way that God has loved Jesus, Jesus has loved me. The same way that Jesus has loved me, I should love my fellow believers. - The love I give and receive in a christian friendship is not based on any kind of merit - Love for other believers in this way is a command, not a suggestion Jesus elevates and promotes the friendship relationship Application: How to be a Christian Friend: - Be friends with Jesus by believing in Him - Be intentional to find your close circle of friends within Christian Community - Be emotionally-vulnerable (vs.17) - Be missionally-intentional (John 13:35) Questions: 1. Thank you for leading us in the Word in John 15. One thing I would appreciate you to expound on is: how to sacrificially love our brothers and sisters like Christ with healthy boundaries. 2. How can Christians build deep friendships that move beyond simply being nice to each other at church to actually doing life together? If Christian friendship isn’t supposed to be based exclusively on shared interests, similar experiences, or what someone can offer us, how should we be thinking about choosing the people we invest deeply in? 3. Actively pursuing friendships can feel intimidating, and I know of people who have claimed that they “don’t need friends” because they recharge best by being alone. Is there space for this from a biblical perspective? What counsel would you give to introverts (or the loved ones around them) who may have decided that it’s just easier to be alone, or otherwise don’t put a high value on intentionally? 4. Can you clarify during the Sermon Discussions podcast that your brief statement on "politics" is not meant to give license for professing Christians to sin with their politics? 5. You provided the definition of Christian friendship as a relationship built on mutual affection for Christ that is both missionally intentional and emotionally vulnerable. How does this look differently between a spouse, children, and others- specifically emotional vulnerability? 6. I have always found it interesting that laying down your life for friends is described as the greatest love, as opposed to laying down life for family. What does it mean that Jesus says in John 5:13, that no one has a greater love than this? 7. If our strongest common identity is supposed to be in Christ, why can it still be so difficult to feel a sense of belonging with Christians who are different from us? Thank you for listening and sending in your questions. As a reminder you can send your questions to SermonQuestions@ubcbeavercreek.com.