That was great. Spirit of the living girl. Thank you for this wonderful moment. Thank you for your blood.
It's one that we find peace. It's in that blood that lies the truth that we believe in. Thank you for shedding that blood. Thank you for bringing us back to our Father.
We pray that you speak to us this evening. You teach us and you give me our strength. Give me our strength. I will convey your message.
You want to change your life? For better. In Jesus' name. Wow.
When I wrote a David called me and said, I will be speaking today. You know, I was sleeping. It's all about me. I was like, oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
I will. No worries. And my wife came in after we handed the call. She asked me, what happened?
I said, I wrote a David called me. I was speaking. I said, I will be sitting there. I said, yes.
And all of a sudden the weather changed. I started feeling cold. Wow. It's a beautiful thing to share the word of God.
And I must say, this is a family, which I'm proud to be part of. And I appreciate the leadership of this church. Thank you. I appreciate the leadership of this church.
For giving me the opportunity. It's time for you. I'm just pulling and I'm a walking progress. progress and every day I'm praying for the presence of God in my life and in my family and but it's a wonderful thing and I feel honored to be here.
I will, so when immediately I dropped the call and my wife came to tell me what I changed. So I, everywhere I go I start hearing messages in my head, go to the superstar, you know, something keeps playing out in my head, you know, and I was there just praying God what you want me to say, you know, you know, we all have messages sometimes we keep that the cave I'm called upon, everything just went off, I couldn't even, you know, but in that process, if someone came up in the radio and what the friend we have in Jesus and I was just enjoying the music and it touched my heart about that, what the friend we have in Jesus. It's a privilege to worship God. So I, sorry, I printed the lyrics of this song out and I started reading, listening to it.
You know, it's an old song, we've all listened to it before, so, and I started seeing the qualities that make Jesus an outstanding friend like, you know, a unique one which I would like to share with us tonight. So Jesus Christ, our much less friend, we all have a definition of a friend is or your friend is supposed to be in our mind. Am I right? So if I have now, who is a friend?
I know we all have one. And you know, the funniest thing about this is, 10 years from now, your answer is my name won't be the same because you might have grown, your responsibilities might have changed, you know, and you might start defining who a friend is in another way. So I, and I'm trying to prepare what I'm going to talk about, I just sucked the Google and I said, who is a friend? And I saw so many descriptions of who a friend is to people.
I have some of them here. One says your friend is someone who understands your past, believes in your future and accepts you just the way you are. There's no, it's just there hanging around nobody claimed that. Wow.
So another person said, this is an Irish proverb. He says, a good friend is like a four leaf clover, hard to find and lucky to ask. And I'll say, a friend is one who overlooks your broken friends and admires the flowers in the garden. I love that.
And I'll say, there's nothing better than a friend unless it's a friend with chocolate. And you know, we all have that definition in our mind, who a friend is supposed to be, you know. So what it's amazing that in John 15, verse 15, Jesus called us, friend. Wow.
He says, I no longer call you slaves because a master doesn't confide in slaves. Now you are my friends. Since I have told you everything the father told me. What amazes me in this passage is a factor.
We serve a God or we worship a God. That's not common. Some people carry their God. We serve, we worship a God.
That talks. And you know, he's a communicator. He talks, you know, someone that we can have a discussion with. And that's exactly what happened here.
I no longer call you slaves because a master doesn't confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends. Since I have told you everything the father told me isn't that wonderful. Now I was just looking.
What are the attributes that makes Jesus Christ our much less friend? What makes Jesus Christ a unique friend? What are the attributes? The first one is our body and spirit.
It's got empathy. It's our mediator. You know, I mean, what's your friend without love and hope? You know, is our director and it's so faithful.
These are so unique. These qualities are unique. I don't think you can find them anywhere. And the point is even if you are lucky to find it, can you balance it?
Can you give the same thing? So the lyrics and the lyrics of that song, what a friend we have in Jesus, it says, what a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to be. What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer. So that's not a leader's first one, body and bear.
So what's the body? We have to know the menial of the body. What does body mean? Before you even appreciate someone that can be a for you.
So say, body is something that's exacting or oppressive or difficult to bear. So I had it at Egypt scene anxiety here, death. You know what I said? In Matthew 11 verse 28 to 30.
Home to me, all of you who are weary and carry everybody, I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you because I am humble and gentle at heart and you will find rest for your souls. The yoke is easy to bear and the body I gave you is light.
So I was thinking about Mr. Kane in the Bible. We know the story of Kane and Ibel. So I call him Mr.
Kane. So he had a discussion with God at some point. So in Genesis chapter 4, it's very, it's very, it's chapter 4. So I'm going to start from verse 6.
This is God talking to Kane. I believe we all know the story. Why are you so angry? The Lord asked Kane.
Why do you look so dejected? You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if it refused to do what is right, then watch out. Sin is crouching at the door.
He got to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master. Wow. But Kane wouldn't listen.
God specifically mentioned sin. And what amazed me was how Kane rehucked it when it did what he wanted to do anyway. So verse 13, Kane replied to God, my punishment is too great for me to be a. You have banished me from the land and your presence.
And I got my attention. Wow. This is Kane. You have banished me from your presence.
My sin is too, my punishment is too great for me to be a. This is us. Kane has a way of detaching us from the presence of God. And I don't think anyone can survive the weight of sin.
It's too heavy. And that's what Jesus Christ came to do. Body and bear. One of the bodies is seen.
It came to be very seen. You know, just like what the only body says. Here comes the land that carries away the sin of your world. You're seeing my sin.
Isn't that lovely? Another body, anxiety. Like I said, fear, death. There's a body as well.
What Jesus Christ said, come to me. All of you that are weary, that are hired. You know, you've tried all your best. And carry everybody's.
I will give you rest. You know, that's like, I'm sure what I'm doing. I'm sure what I'm saying, I will give you rest. And another thing that captured my mind in that passage is, let me teach you.
Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you. That sounds like a passage in John 14 to me. I'll send you someone.
You know, be a teacher, a confeder. You know, let me teach you. Even with times Jesus Christ physically, I'm a voiceless teacher. Are we ready to allow him?
Let me teach you. And the ultimate goal of that teaching is you will find rest for yourselves. The rest is good. Rest is good.
So let's look at another quality. Empathy. I love that word because when I started my first job, back when I drew it, that was a word, back when the word that was given to us, you must have empathy for customers. You must put yourself in your shoes.
That's the best way to solve them, that's the best way to solve them, right? And I wanted to run in with the word until I found it in Jesus Christ as well. The Bible says in Hebrew 2, verse 14 to 18, because God's children had human beings made of flesh and blood, the sun also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death.
Only in this way could he set free hall who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying. We also know that the sun did not come to help angels. It came to help the descendants of Abraham, which you and I belong. Therefore, it was necessary for him to be made in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that it could be our merciful and faithful high priest before God.
Then it could offer his sacrifice that will take away the sins of the people. Since he himself has gone through suffering and testing, he is able to help us when we have been tested. Honestly, when I was reading this passage, I felt like, okay, God captured everything. If he hadn't come in form of human being, we would have been saying, you know what, you can't just sit there and think it's easy down here.
You know, you don't know what it means to be a man on this planet. But it came himself. It felt the same thing we are feeling right now. It was humiliated.
It was light on, you know, but it didn't work. It's too, it's soft right. I mean, what kind of friend is that? Let's look at another one.
I love this one so much. A mediator. And I put in bracket high priest because it's a similar role. With a mediator, a person who attempts to make people involved in a conflict come to an agreement, a go between.
God is holy. And the Bible says, for all I've seen and come short of the glory of God. So now, holy God cannot behold sin. And there's an ongoing conflict.
As a matter of fact, I've read this in the Bible where people try to come to his presence, you know, he killed them. He killed them. He couldn't even come to his presence. They don't have what it takes.
But Jesus Christ came as a mediator, our high priest. In Romans 5, verse 18 to 19, it's a yes. It ends one sin, brings condemnation for everyone. But Christ, one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God, a new life for everyone.
Because one person disobeyed God, many became sinners. Wow. But because one other person obeyed God, many will be made righteous. So let's look at what the definition of a high priest, Hebrew 5, verse 1 to 5.
And by the way, Hebrew is a good book, which I will encourage or story. Trust me, if you have the time, it's a good book. You know, it gives a deep exposition on Jesus Christ's role, what he came to do and what he achieved for us. So one to five, he says, every high priest is a man chosen to represent other people in their dealings with God.
It presents their gifts to God and others and offers sacrifices for their sins. And he is able to deal gently with ignorance and reward people because he itself is subject to the same weaknesses. This is why he must offer us sacrifices for his own sins as well as theirs. And no one can become a high priest simply because he wants such an honor.
It must be called by God for this work just as Aaron was. This is why Christ did not honor himself as human. It could become high priest. No, it was chosen by God who said to him, you are my son.
Today, I have become your father. So now we know the definition of a high priest. So Jesus Christ, our high priest. Look at Hebrew, chapter 8, verse 1 to 6.
Here is the main point. And by the way, if you are wondering, I'm reading from New Living Translation. It's a very good translation in case you want to try it out. So here is the main point.
We have a high priest who sat down in the place of honor beside the throne of the majestic God in heaven. They are in ministers in the heavenly tabanakum, the true place of worship that was built by the Lord and not human hands. Wow. I marveled when I read that.
The ministers in the heavenly tabanakum, the true place of worship that was built by the Lord and not human hands. And since every high priest is required to offer gifts and sacrifices, our high priest must make an offering too. If you were here on hand, it would not even be a priest since they are already a priest who offered a gift required by the Lord. The servant is the system of worship that is only a copy, a shadow of the real one in heaven.
The way Moses was getting ready to build the tabanakum, God gave him this warning. Be sure that you make everything according to the pattern I have shown you here on the mountain. But now Jesus, our high priest, has been given a ministry that is far superior to the whole priest who is the one who may date for us a better covenant with God based on better promises. Jesus Christ, our much less friend.
I mean, who can do this for you? I was surprised. You get familiar with some Bible passages that you don't even care to understand what he's saying. When I found out here that the system of worship here on hand is a shadow, is a copy of the real one in heaven.
I was like, wow, wow, wow. Then that lost prayer that will be done on hand as it is in heaven. It made another sense to me. God is so precise.
It doesn't joke around. And that is the place that Jesus Christ is sitting in heaven as our high priest. He's a true friend. He's never tired.
He never said, you know what I'm going for my do not. Can I just have a break? All is walking for you and hi. Let's look at another quality.
So, oh. So, the next one is love and hope. The concept of love is making a new, you know, I'm seeing that concept in a different life recently. Love.
Most of the time as human, we love with a condition. If I'm going to love you if you remain like this, I'm going to love you if you still have your head and not going bored. But it's amazing. It's amazing that Jesus Christ loves us unconditionally.
You know, I love you. You are not yet on heads, but he loves you. And one of the Bible passages I love so much again is John 3 16, for God so loved the world. One, you know, the devil has a way of striking our mind with a false information that I sure is God loves you with all these things you are going through.
Are you really sure? Come and look at the life. Just check this out. I'm going to tell you that God loves you.
Jesus loves you. Let's look at John 15 verse 9 to 14. He says, I love you. And by the way, what we have there, you can give without loving, but you can't love without giving.
I don't know who who I call. So, I didn't quote anybody. So, but it made a lot of sense to me. You can give without loving.
I mean, you can give to have peace. Just have it. And let me just, you know, just go, go. You can't love without giving.
Maybe my wife can testify to that. I'm not sure. You can love without giving. So, let's see what Jesus gave.
I loved you even as a father has loved me. Remain in my love. When you obey my commandments, remain in my love just as I obey my father's commandments and remain in his love. I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy.
Yes, your joy will overflow. This is my commandment. Love each other in the same way I have loved you. There is no greater love than to live than one's life for one's friend.
You are my friend if you do what I command. There is no greater love to live than one's life for one's friend. I mean, who can live that life for me? The first thing, you know, even if you see one, the first thing is not has, it's what's going to be my reward for it.
Well, Jesus Christ gave his life and it didn't just give it. It gave it out of love. He had a choice. Well, he chose love.
And let's see what other things he gave us. Hebrew 6, verse 16 to 20. He says, for example, there was God's promise to Abraham. Since there was no one greater to swear by God's hook and hold in his own name, saying, I will suddenly bless you and I will multiply your descendants beyond number.
Then Abraham would have recently and received what God had promised. Now when people take and hold, they call on someone greater than themselves to hold them to eat. And without any question, that hold is binding. God also bound himself with an hold so that those who received the promise could be perfectly sure that it will never change his mind.
So God has given both his promise and his hold. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who are fled to aim for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. This hope is a strong and trustworthy handker for our souls.
It leads us through the cotton into God's inner sanctuary. Jesus has already gone in there for us. He has become our eternal high priest in the heart of Melchizedek, by the friend we have in Jesus Christ. This hope is a strong and trustworthy handker for our souls.
It leads us through the cotton into God's inner sanctuary. How many of us remember it is finished? We all remember it is finished. The Bible says the cotton gave way.
I was reading a comment. He says, you know what? The cotton started giving away from the top, not from down. If you take me from down, I think someone is coming from this thing.
But God himself started it from the top and he gave us an access. I know what. Sometimes we think, and what about that? People have died by getting into their presence without doing their writing.
People have lost their lives. Now Jesus Christ gave us a hope. Now we can call God our Father. Isn't that lovely?
Let's look at another quality. Geranto, wow. Geranto is a person, organization, and I think that guarantees something. So as a financial background, anyway, I love the word Geranto.
Just like my first job, we were told to get some Geranthers in case we misbeaved so that they can go for our Geranthers. Now, the financial time for a Geranto is an individual who promises to pay a borrower's debt in the event that you borrow a default on the alone obligation. Geranthers pledge their own assets as collateral against the loans. So where do we fit in here?
We've always been defaulting. Debt is a weight. It's a body. We've always been defaulting.
And Jesus Christ came and gave his blood, his life as an asset. You know? Against our debt. Let's see, Hebrew 7, verse 16 to 25.
Jesus became a priest not by meeting the physical requirement of belonging to the tribe of Levi, but by the power of a life that cannot be destroyed. And the Samus pointed his house when he prophesied, you are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek. Yes, the old requirement about the priesthood was set aside because it was weak and useless. For the law never made anything perfect.
But now we have confidence in a better hope through which we draw near to God. This new system was established with a solemn hope. Aaron's descendants became priests without such an oath, but there was an oath regarding Jesus. For God said to him, the Lord has taken an oath and will not break his vow.
You are a priest forever. Because of this oath, Jesus is the one who guarantees the better covenant with God. There were many priests under the whole system, for debt prevented them from remaining in the office. They couldn't last forever.
And though they were priests, they couldn't last forever. Because Jesus lives forever, his priest would last forever. Therefore, he is able once and for all to save those who come to God through him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf.
What a friend. I mean, if you find a friend like this here on her, I can assure he is not going to live forever. Nobody is going to live forever on this planet. But Jesus Christ, the guarantor, our guarantor of the better covenant with God, lives forever.
As a matter of fact, there is a vast revival that says Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today and forever. What a friend. It isn't, you know, isn't it wonderful for someone like this to call you a friend? I mean, we were supposed to be bounding and just our face down, you know, not to look his face, but he says, you know what?
Let's take this to another level. No, my friend. Let's look at another quality. Faithfulness.
And it says, frame in hard hair to promises or in observance of duty. I love that sign that says, observance of duty. Hebrew 10 verse 19 to 23. And so, there are brothers and sisters.
We can boldly enter Evans' most holy place because of the blood of Jesus. But is that Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the cotton into the most holy place. And since we have a great high priest, Uru's over God's house, let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts, fully trusting in for our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ's blood to make us clean. And our bodies have been washed with pure water.
Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. John 14 verse 1 to 6. Do not let your heart be troubled. Trust in the Lord.
Trust in God. And trust also in me. There is more than enough room in our Father's own. If this were not so, would I not have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?
When everything is ready, I will come and get you so that you will always be with me where I am. And you know the way to where I am going. No, we don't know the Lord. Brother Thomas said.
We have no idea where you are going. So how can we know the way Jesus told him? And this is affirmative. It says, I am the way, the truth and life.
No one, absolutely no one, come to the Father except through me. Jesus Christ, our friend. In conclusion, it is a common saying that friendship is my choice. In life, we couldn't choose our appearance, place of birth, given names, skin color, height, and so on.
One of the areas where we have a choice in life is friendship. We have the ability to choose who we call friends. Jesus had a choice as well. Boy, he chose you.
He chose me as well. John 15, verse 16, you did not choose me, but I chose you. And appointed you that you should go and be a fruit and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you have, you should remain, that whatever you have, the Father in my name, it may give you. Also, John 3, verse 16, for this is how God loved the world.
He gave his only son so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. Also, in John 10, verse 17 to 18, the Father loves me because I sacrifice my life. So I may take it back again. No one can take my life from me.
I sacrifice it voluntarily. For I have the authority to lay down, then, when I want to undertake it again, for this is what my Father has commanded. Jesus Christ, our choice. No one can take my life from me.
I sacrifice it voluntarily. Choice is the greatest gift God gave in my name. You can see it in Joshua 24, verse 15. He says, but if you refuse to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve.
Would you prefer the God, your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or will it be the God of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord. Also in the tournament, let's say, we are sustain. Now listen.
Today I am giving you a choice between life and death, between prosperity and disaster. Brethren, just like how our Jesus Christ, our Lord Jesus Christ, our choice of friendship, you also have one. And fortunately for us, go cool and I have made this decision easier for us. When it persuaded us to choose life in Determiny, 30, verse 19, you say, I call everyone and hurt as witnesses today against you that I have set before you life and death, blessing and causing.
Therefore choose life that both you and your descendants may leave. And I love this quote from Charles Poisson. He says, every Christian, every Christian man has a choice between being humble and being humbled. It's a choice.
Are we ready to receive him as a friend? Or if we already have him as a friend to keep him as a friend, we have a choice. Let's pray. We thank you for your word.
Thank you for speaking to us. We thank you for this beautiful moment. Thank you for dying for us. Thank you for resurrecting the power day.
Thank you for giving us life. Thank you for calling us friends. Thank you for this relationship. We pray that grace to remain in your presence forever and to always call you as friends and to have a deep understanding of your friendship.
We pray for this grace tonight in Jesus' name. Amen.