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we’re going to go into this first week
of what God’s placed on my heart
it’s family Sunday and some people are
dressed beautifully together and some
people didn’t get the memo
and so they dressed how they wanted to
um but what we what we wanted to do is
have people dress alike and with their
friends and their family and they’ll be
pictures that’ll be taken in all this
other stuff but God is really placed on
my heart this this idea of family fr am
ILY friendly it’s friends and family but
I begin to ask God like okay Lord you
want friendly Sunday what do you want me
to talk about how do you want me to talk
about this this seems like a concept
that may be a little far-fetched for
some people we’re talking about family
in church and God begin to just download
to me the importance of having friends
in your life um it’s an epidemic running
rampant in church that many people do
not have real friends if we were to take
it into a context where it was just me
and you just us talking a lot of people
do not have friends that what I are what
I call every season friends friends that
will be there when you’re up friends
that will be there when you would now
friends that are there when it’s all
good friends that are there when it’s
and when it’s all falling apart
see a lot of us with the age that we
live in right now many of us have
digital friends Facebook for oh yeah I
know what they do it you’ve never talked
to him you just talking I commented on
something they said last week we have
digital friends and and and we have
friends that we work with that we call
friends but you know if something ever
went wrong you would never even think to
dial their number we have we have this
idea of friends that we go to school
with or friends by association um but if
we really pull back all of the
and all of the curtains and all of the
things that we try to do to insulate and
secure ourselves to make us feel like
we’re not losers and that we’re a part
of society and we’re doing good many of
us don’t have real friends we don’t have
friends friends that are like family or
family and I’m beginning to listen and
look at it and I was like God is that is
that an example that that’s really in
the Bible he said it’s all through
Scripture he said where there were
people who were not born into the same
family but they were so close to each
other that their destinies aligned and
they reached purpose together and I
begin to think about that with us being
the body of Christ and how God’s whole
thing is unity in our lives and all this
other stuff today I want us to just
really evaluate our lives and see if
there are any people in our lives that
are really friendly to us friends who
have been invited into the innermost
parts of our life that they’re like
family friends that know our ugly
secrets oh you know you know the friends
that that when you and your husband are
in an argument you can come into their
house and still be in an argument
see y’all faith because y’all know
usually this is house go no we’re gonna
honor the bing-bong yeah hi how are you
or you’re in the car you going off your
the phone ring hello but but I’m talking
about those friends who know you were in
the thick of it and you can be
transparent hey y’all give us one second
don’t ever do that again or what about
those friends that you actually call
when you have no money oh because we’ll
go to we’ll go to Arvest in Bank of
America and overdraft at 22 percent
because our pride is so high that we
wouldn’t ask people who said they were
there for us oh come on y’all now we’re
going to get real real today
do you have anybody in your life that
can tell you your child is bad no no no
I love him but he’s bad do you have any
friends in your life that can say you’re
working out of pride that decision you
just made that was pride and you don’t
excommunicate them out of your life
because they told you something that you
needed to hear I’m just business self
evaluation right now do you have any
friends any people that are in the
intricate parts of your life right now
that when you say it’s God they can
challenge it now I’ll see y’all what God
told me to marry him
now you just met him last week you don’t
have a job any ugly what did now you see
the parameters of relationships a lot of
time only go until we’re uncomfortable
and at the moment we get uncomfortable
that we probably are not going to be
friends anymore the calls get less and
less I stopped getting invited to the
parties and what we do is we recycle
friends we change friends if I ask you
in your life many of us have a three to
five year cycle of friends as much just
turnover and it’s new people and and
people you used to hang with and you
used to be with and you used to because
at some point it goes from just being a
friend to being framily to where it goes
from just being acquaintances and we
have the standoffish all we know each
other we hang out we go places together
to being intimately involved in each
other’s life and my prayer for every
person and I believe God’s will for
every person is to have family to have
people who can walk with you through
life people who will be able to tell you
about you people
who are going to be honest even at the
expense of making it uncomfortable
between y’all and I’m and I’m telling
you this because this is a topic we
don’t talk about in church this is this
is not we just talked about love your
enemy love your free and love everybody
but we don’t talk about loving those
people who are supposed to keep you
accountable for the purpose and the
wheel that God has called you to and I’m
just here to submit to you this is what
God told me to preach so you could be
mad at him if you don’t like this but
I’m just here to submit to you that I’ve
been around Church all my life and I’ve
seen people pour out their lives for
years ministering to people touching
their lives and die lonely I’ve seen I
know I’m serious I’ve seen people that
they make one mistake publicly and all
the people who were their friends turn
their back on them I mean gave you a
platform put you in a place to be able
to do anything at the moment you made a
mistake done with you
see what you got to understand is if
you’re not discerning of the people that
are in your life you will be fooled to
thinking somebody has a deeper whale
than they actually do for you and you’ll
step in trying to cannonball and you’ll
stand up because it’s shallow so you’ll
try to jump into the relationship but
it’s only a little bit of water there
and what God desires is not for
everybody in your life to be your family
but you got to have at least a couple to
be the ones and this is the thing many
of us have never prayed for that we’ve
prayed for our marriage partner and when
when some of y’all say that’s my family
that’s the one no the two shall become
y’all need somebody to does everybody
understand what I’m saying everybody
needs those people in your life and as I
begin to look at description I begin to
look at
family I begin to look at relationships
like David and Jonathan and you can go
search this later in in the Bible but
first samuel 18 says that Jonathan was
knitted to the soul of David that
Jonathan loved him asks his own soul
like it said that they were talking and
it was like man there was an instant
connection and these two dudes wrote it
out together I mean I even recall a time
where Saul um Jonathan dad was trying to
kill David and he told him he sent word
to him he said hey bow don’t come to
dinner tonight bro the spaghetti is
spiked don’t come – trying to kill you
he understand what I’m saying he he
cared for him he was there in the height
he worked through a family crisis with
him you think about these things that
God desires for us to have and I’m not
trying to discourage anybody’s like I
knew it I was coming in search of Dan
he’s just going to remind me that I’m a
freaking loser I don’t have any money I
don’t have no friend I’m having any
money my dog won’t even come when I
asked like come now what I’m trying to
do is just change your perception maybe
to be believing God for something new
maybe instead of believing God for a car
or a house maybe we’ll believe God for
friendship that will help us reach
purpose maybe instead of believing God
to be the CEO of a company let’s ask God
to have somebody that will stick with us
through the hard in the bad times and
you see that relationship in Jonathan
and David you see that relationship in
Ruth and Naomi um some of you know that
that naomi was roofs mother-in-law so
this tells me something beautiful that
it doesn’t have to be an age thing there
can be a generational gap and you still
can be friends in a place that that will
help your life and I want you to see a
in roof chapter 1 verse 16 they became
such good friends that this was Ruth
what she said um Ruth replied don’t urge
me to leave you and turn back from you
where you go
going where you stay guess who’s
sleeping next to you your people will be
my people and I love this your God will
be my god where you die now this is
gangster imma die and there I will be
buried right on top of you may the Lord
deal with me be it ever so severely she
didn’t care the cost if even death
separates you and me I want you to see
this she had found a relationship that
was so valuable to her that she said it
doesn’t matter what happens we gonna be
together we are going to the deposit you
make in my life
in the exchange that we have is so great
and so valuable that I cannot lose this
she was even said if you’re gonna die
we’re gonna die together now I want you
to see that this is not just something
we should desire this is something we
should be see the difference is
everybody wants this but do you want to
be it I want everybody to understand
that the Bible tells us and we’ll get to
the scripture in in a minute but I just
a paraphrase it that if you want friends
you have to show yourself y’all mean you
stuck up you got too much clicks oh I
don’t like that I don’t like that and I
don’t like that stop it because what God
wants to give you is who you are my
question is if God gave you who you were
would you be satisfied if the level of
your consistency is what he gave you
would you be a good friend if if if the
way that you responded in hard times if
that’s what you had would you be a good
friend would you want you as a best
friend see because what the challenge is
today is for us to come off of our high
horses in our places of Pride and be
able to get to a place where we say God
moves me make me let the fruits of the
spirit take root in
my life so I can be the friend that
sticks closer than a brother that I can
be the friend that helps walk somebody
through a hard time that I can be the
friend and I know for some of you you
say I need I needed a word about my
healing I needed word about deliverance
I mean where all that comes in
friendship let me help you James tells
us that if you’re if you’re sick he said
um – – y’all can get together and begin
to believe and you ask the elders to
come and pray for you and if you believe
for that thing to be changed in your
life you can be healed healing happens
in community and many of us are walking
outside of community or we have
communities that don’t keep God’s center
we have communities that are based
around other things other than God and
that’s what I want to talk about to you
today because I really do believe that
God has a purpose and a plan for each of
your life that is bigger than you but
it’s going to take others to help you
reach it and help you keep on track and
to help you stay in the place God’s
called you to but many times we’re
looking for people to come into our
life’s to just Pat us on the back and
tell us we’re doing a good job and keep
us feeling good and we need some friends
to get down in the dirt with us to be
able to stand with us to be able to pray
for us you can’t be my friend if you
can’t pray for me no that doesn’t mean
we can’t have a relationship but that
title of friendship this type of godly
friendship that we’re talking about you
cannot be my friend if you cannot go to
God for me because there’s some times
where I’m not going to have the words to
say and I need my friend that’s close to
me to look into my eyes and be like bro
you ain’t even gotta say nothing father
I thank you for my brother I thank you
for my sister I know that they’re going
through they shouldn’t even have to tell
you but see when we talk about that type
of stuff that’s relationship like job
and his friends
see see y’all wouldn’t be able to be
jobs friends because job lost everything
y’all know everybody everybody quotes
job like like they no joke no no baby
Joba lost everything his wife his
children his land he lost everything but
the bible tells us about three of his
friends and three of his friends it said
when they heard of all that job had
suffered they got in the corner and said
did you hear what happened to Joe they
didn’t do that because that’s what most
of us would have done we would have gone
and tried to figure it out and talked
about it in all this
they were in three different regions of
the land and nobody even had cell phones
or communication all of them people were
so sensitive to the needs of their
friend that they all left what they were
doing and they went to be with their
friends and listen what the Bible says
it’s in job chapter 2 verse 11 this is
so powerful it says the friends got
there and they sat down with him on the
ground for seven days and seven nights
and no one spoke a word to him they were
just there for him see I want to show
you biblical friendship isn’t it not
that I got a run in and save you but I’m
gonna be there with you I’m gonna I’m
gonna sit down in this crap with you
even though it didn’t happen to me I’m
here for you what kind of relationship
do you have with somebody when they’re
mourning over everything that they lost
that they sit down and they don’t even
say anything
but their presence brings comfort just
because they are there for you in a
season of hurt that’s what Joe’s friends
did and I bet and you know I just see
things in movies so I know there was
some awkward moment
seven-day you said tonight sitting there
not saying nothing they didn’t tell us
they eaten or anything I don’t know if
they was fasting but I bet I bet on that
eighth day somebody was like I’m hungry
and other ones like I was waiting for
somebody to say something and maybe
there was a moment of joy I don’t know
this is just my imagination but but
maybe after all of that sorrow somebody
cracked a joke or somebody passed gas
you know you everybody crying like ah
like did some of y’all are just too sage
for these messages y’all have to go
somewhere else but maybe maybe I mean
just maybe something happened that that
just let them see that man just being
here was enough but this is a beautiful
thing those same three friends got to
watch God restored double to joke
everything he lost but what is the
friends being there at those seven days
what if that was the seven days that the
enemy was going to break his faith well
what if what if those were the seven
days that it was all hinging upon Jobe
still believing because you got to
remember how job starts it says um the
enemy comes to God and says um I can get
the job and he’s like no job is my
servant he’s going to be faithful he’s
going to stay with me he said no no no
the only reason he does that because you
got a hedge of protection around him to
take that take that hat off of them take
that hedge of protection I bet you I can
get them and God said I will do that and
I will prove to you that job will be
faithful through every trial and the
enemy ran crazy some of y’all have gone
through divorce after divorce you’ve
gone through bankruptcy you’ve seen your
kids walk away from you all these other
things and God’s just trying to see
where you be faithful but the key to all
of this is he had three friends family
that weren’t trying to get something
from job they were trying to give
something to job and my question to all
of you is what type of friend are you
what type of friend are you to those who
are going through what type of friend I
know that it’s it’s hard to be there for
everybody but are you there for somebody
I’m not asking you to be the savior of
the world because some of you right now
are trying to put on the Superman cape
we don’t need a Savior we already got
one of those he he already died for my
question to you though is are you being
the one to stand in the gap for somebody
in their time of need
you see friends like Jesus Mary Martha
and Lazarus see I love this one because
a relationship that you have with your
family should be a real relationship see
when Jesus meets Mary and Martha that’s
got a nice little dinner party and
they’re talking like all sit down thank
you Jesus let me wash your feet with my
hair look at this Remy like I end in
there okay we have a multi-ethnic
audience let me explain what I just said
black women wear weave okay many of them
okay not all of them but many of them
and there is a grade of hair called Remy
and so anyway just want to bring the
cultures together but she wasn’t feed
with the hair they had a great meal
they’re all walking together and so
they’re in relationship they’re having a
good friendship but then trial his
Lazarus he gets sick and they said oh no
problem no problem the savior of the
world that’s my boy can y’all go tell
Jesus that’s the one that he loves he’d
even say his name
that’s how close they were the one that
he loves is sick he should come Jesus
waited for days
to come and reply to this call now he
could have came at the moment but
sometimes a relationship what you want
to happen in relationship is not what’s
intended to happen in relationship and
many times this is where friction
happens and this is where many
relationships and friendships in this is
where family becomes back to friends and
we have no more relationship it’s
because I wanted you to do something you
didn’t do it and so we’re done you said
you were going to do this you went back
on your word and you miss mistrusted or
you misrepresented it so it’s finished
and so what ends up happening is Jesus
is like on the fourth day just rolling
in martha sees them from a ways off she
said they’re too good they’re going to
spoon right there and I can just see her
just ready but I want you to see the
transparency of their relationship right
here in John chapter 11 verse 21 I’m
just trying to paint a picture for you
of real relationship and real friendship
look what it says it says Lord I mean
mat biting the bottom of her limb and
probably tears started to come if you
had been here my brother would have not
died and I love the fact that the Bible
chronicles this because they could have
just fast forwarded to the end where we
know Lazarus he rises from the dead but
they put authentic relational components
in for us to see that when you have real
friendship with people there’s going to
be friction time if you’re throwing
every friend away because something went
wrong they just fake I just they just
say you’re fake for not trying to make
that relationship work no I want you to
see this is the prime example Martha
Mary could have been done with Jesus but
when he showed up he said baby girl this
is not going to end in death this is
God’s gonna get the glory
out of this thing the same way I’m
coming to tell you today there’s some
relationships that God has called to be
lifelong relationships that you need to
turn back they look like they’re dead
but God’s saying you know what I’m going
to resurrect those things because I’m
the one that can do that you don’t even
have to worry you just have to desire
for my will to be done in that
relationship and God can do it now on
the other hand there are some
relationships that have to be cut off Oh
y’all thought I wasn’t gonna go there oh
you thought this was over no no there’s
some relationships that need to be
sniffed and sniffed quickly why because
those relationships are not rooted
grounded and founded in the Word of God
I want everybody to go to Ecclesiastes
chapter 4 so that you can understand the
power of family the power of friendship
the power of having people that are in
your life to walk with a community it
says two people are better than one for
they can help each other do what succeed
two people are better than one because
they can help each other
say the word with me succeed how many
people want to succeed in life how many
people want to do everything that God’s
called you to do okay so you can’t do it
alone all you IND ESCP are you
independent women in the room are all
the people who I got my own I’m doing it
myself
hear me what I’m saying God is telling
you right now to are better than you
hear me say that to you because they can
help you succeed every married couple
that is one now you need at least one
more married couple that is intricately
in your life they know how many times
you cheated they know what your
struggles are they know it because they
will help you succeed see and I know
that’s all in your business right now
where we can just start from right here
we’re at a good place right now they
don’t need to know all of our business
because we was ratcheted back in the day
and we don’t know no somebody needs to
know they need to be able to see in here
and I
that messes with your probable god knows
well God said this too he’s trying to
let you know that your success is based
on relationship with others and I dare
say to somebody that that’s the reason
the business didn’t succeed is because
you tried to do it by yourself that’s
the reason that that some of the things
that you put your hands to as up because
God said that’s going against my work I
want you to walk with others I want you
to get counsel with others I want you to
stand I want you to get a business
partner not at the end I got to be the
boss I got to be the CEO there is no
successful CEO who has done anything by
herself I listen to podcasts all the
time listening to reading biographies
they always find people that are
like-minded going the same directions
that many times are better than them and
they partner up to see success and this
is what God is telling us if one person
falls verse 10 the other can reach out
and help but someone who falls alone is
in real trouble that’s the whole reason
I’m ministering this to you I don’t want
you to fall alone God doesn’t want you
to fall alone I just need you to hear my
heart for a second that God’s plan was
not to sit you on this earth and see if
you make it that wasn’t his intention
let’s see if the let’s see if they can
kid no his intention is for you to
succeed Jeremiah 29:11 I quoted almost
every Sunday because it’s so powerful he
said I have plans for you plans to
prosper you not to harm you to give you
a hope in a future I want you to succeed
but you’re going to need other people to
help you do it and so where we see the
best example of this in the church is in
acts 2:42 I want everybody to just turn
there and this is where we’re going to
end this service but I hope what happens
in your life and in your ministry and in
your family
leave from this point on is that you get
framily that you get friends that are in
your life that can walk with you to
every situation and this is what happens
in acts two I don’t know if many of you
know this but today is Pentecost today
is Pentecost and something like what’s
been a cause okay 50 days after Easter
the resurrection the Holy Spirit came to
the disciples for the very first time
and this is what was prophesied when
Jesus was telling the disciples they’re
like no you can’t leave us Master we
want to be with you and he said no
listen y’all want me to go cuz after I
leave another one’s coming and he’s
gonna be the helper and the comforter
and he’s gonna tell you all things and
he’s going to walk and talk with you and
when you want to do something crazy he’s
gonna help you not do it he’s gonna be
the Paraclete the one that comes
alongside to help I thank God for the
Holy Spirit I don’t know how people live
without him but I thank God somebody
just takes five seconds and thank God
for the Holy Spirit I know there was
times where I was about to mess
everything up and something told me
don’t do that that was the Holy Spirit
god I thank you reason I’m married today
is the Holy Spirit see see see what you
don’t understand is it’s not a it it’s
it’s a him it’s the Godhead it’s three
and one as a whole nother sermon that
I’m gonna have to preach at another time
but this is when we celebrate the Holy
Spirit coming to humanity which gives us
the power to walk right and do right and
live right and not text back and enter
because what we try to do is live the
Christian life
powered by good wheel it’ll never work
but if you put premium in this Christian
life the Holy Spirit is that it won’t be
by might it won’t be by power but it’s
gonna be by the it’s gonna be on the
spirit and see many of us don’t live by
the spirit we live regular and hope God
blesses it but but what Pentecost did
was give us access to God in our
everyday life when we talk about we walk
by faith and not by sight who’s giving
you those instructions the spirit that
that’s what it is and and so Pentecost
we celebrate the the holy spirit it’s 50
days after the resurrection and so what
happened on that day many people don’t
correlate it together it starts out with
the Holy Spirit coming down like a
rushing mighty wind people start
speaking in tongues but the people
thought they were gone on patron they
thought they was drunk things like these
people just tripping and then Peter said
no no no no they’re not they’re not
drunk they’re these people are about to
turn the world upside down because
they’ve gotten a power source that’s not
of this earth that’s um Acts chapter 2
verse 14 I’m just starting to paraphrase
because I can teach that whole thing
okay but what happens is is Peter starts
talking about what happens at salvation
I’m preaching to all of these people on
the day that the Holy Spirit came and
3,000 people joined the church God saved
that day okay I’m waiting for God to
revive us back to that place but but I
think I found the key to it that after
they received the Holy Spirit and after
they got saved they instinctively
developed family go to acts 2:42
instinctively like what do we do is
$3000 black white red yellow we have
never communicated together together
Jews and Gentiles different economic
classes all the system that we saved
with the family of God what do we do you
create family watch this acts 2:42 it
says the believers formed a community
and it said and all the believers
devoted themselves to the Apostles
teaching and to fellowship and to
sharing in meals including the Lord’s
Supper and to prayer and watch what
happened and a deep sense of all came
over them all and the Apostles performed
many miracles signs and wonders cuz they
got a right relationship with people and
all the believers met together in one
place and shared everything they had
they sold their own property and
possessions and shared the proceeds the
money with those in need they worshiped
together at the temple each day they met
in homes for the Lord’s Supper and they
shared their meals with great joy and
generosity and all the while they were
giving everything they praised God and
enjoyed the goodwill of all the people
and watch the result it starts with the
Holy Spirit coming but watch the result
of people becoming framily
getting in right relationships with
friends look what happens it says and
each day the Lord added to their
fellowship those who are being saved
what I’m trying to say to you is if you
were getting right friendship with
people it would become attractive to the
god you serve people will look at the
relationships that you and your wife you
and your husband you singly have with
other people and what it’ll do is people
say how did they get that well why are
they so happy why when they post on
Instagram and Facebook it looks genuine
I got a photo shot my happy like what
what what is it why does it look like
they actually care about each other what
do they have and then they’ll say
something like this what must I do the
problem is the church doesn’t make
relationship look attractive
I look at people in the world and be
like man maybe I should start drinking
because they have fun with what they’re
doing and we’re so deep in spiritual and
backstabbing with what we do I’m going
to talk real about it because if we’re
going to see a world transformed and
drawn into us we got to get this friend
thing right
it’s going to take us being able to
identify and qualify our own problems in
our own life and being humble to be
transparent before people to let God
work in the areas that nobody’s been
able to touch you need family you need
friends in your life that are like
family because it will help you so you
same time like where your points we only
got five minutes left what you about to
do I’m just going to list them out to
you because you and God are going to
have to wrestle with this like this is
not for me to tell you how to do this
this is for me to tell you that it’s
needed in your life you need friends you
need people that are going the same
direction as you and so let me say it
very clearly many of the people you
consider friends are not friends because
they’re going to opposite direction no
no let me help you and I’m not saying
that little pool keeping your friends
since forever you’re not saying I grew
up together we’re together we friends we
boys he know my secrets and all these
other stuff but if God is not the center
of that it’s going to cause destruction
for you so let me just give you some
scripture in these points and then you
wrestle with this and we’ll let the Holy
Spirit do his folk this so family
matters okay so this is what I want you
to write down my family should be
committed to God’s Word
the people who are your friends that are
like families should be committed to
God’s Word it said that all the
believers devoted themselves that means
they were committed to something my
question to you is what are your
so-called friends committed to what are
they committed to some of them are
committed to make up some of them are
committed to money some of her committed
to sex some of them are committed to up
doing or doing out doing somebody else
they’re there they’re committed to
grieve they’re committed what are they
committed to my
and my admonishment through the word is
the people that are in your family
should be committed to God’s Word look
what it says in Psalms chapter one it
says all the joys of those who do not
follow the advice of the wicked or stand
around with sinners or join in with
markers but they delight in the law of
the Lord that’s the Word of God
meditating on it day and night look at
the benefit of having these type of
people in your life
they are like trees planted along the
riverbanks that means they’re always
getting nourished no matter if it rains
or not they’re always getting water
that’s why if you see a tree that is
next to water it can be summer winter
spring fall there always have leaves
because they are connected to a source
we did a series a while back called
charged up James talking about
connecting to the source if you don’t
have friends who are connected to the
source they’re going to wither and die
at some point I need you to see it it
says they bring and bear fruit in each
season their leaves never wither and I
love this I need friends that prosper in
all they do if we mow in the lawn you
prosper in it boy look at them edges if
we’re playing a game
they’re big tennis and when I’m saying
you need people in your life that are
prospering and all they do so your
friends or your family needs to be
committed to God first
the second thing this is all in the
scripture my family or my family should
be committed to fellowship you got a
fellowship with people man you got to
get in white company with people you got
to have people over your house even if
it ain’t all the way like you own it
because we make so many excuses to not
have real relationship with people
get a meet at Starbucks it don’t matter
but you have to fellowship with people
why are we doing this picnic after
church because we want to give an
opportunity that you have no excuse to
come fellowship with other people no
excuse the foods taken for care of the
entertainment is taken care of it’s too
hot it’s too cold it’s raining go here
go home
but after hearing this message but
you’re going to go home lonely and to be
on Instagram seeing what they doing what
they doing what they do and God said I
have people that are around that are
waiting to connect they may not be white
they may not be black they might be tall
they might be you know we have images of
what we think our friends should look
like don’t worry about the package worry
about the content God loves people in
your life to help you develop and this
is the problem with many people
especially my generation the younger
generation and we love the fellowship we
love it but we fellowship with people
who are going the wrong way so let me
help you realize how detrimental
fellowshipping with the wrong people is
first Corinthians 15 verse 33 don’t be
fooled by those who say these such
things for bad company corrupts good
character I don’t care how good you are
get around some bad people they’re gonna
turn you back no I was called to be the
light in the darkness to them I was
called to stand flat-footed and declare
I will not be ashamed of the GUP Jesus
even sent his disciples out too cuz he
knew nobody is supposed to go into those
environments alone you need
accountability I’ll give you one more
cuz some of y’all like nah no no I’m not
a little Ray Ray that’s my dog til I die
proverbs 22 verses 24 and 25 don’t
befriend angry people some of y’all just
lost friends
don’t befriend angry people or associate
with hot-tempered people or you will
learn to be like them and endanger your
soul your mind your will and your
emotions so you have to be committed to
fellowship but let me take it one step
further you need to be committed to
fellowship with real believers not just
people who go to church I’m talking
Christ followers okay
this third one your family should be
committed to prayer
it says they they shared but they came
together to pray and I told y’all before
like I go through things in my life me
and my wife and I we need people in our
life that can pray for us every day is
not good for the pastor okay I want
everybody to understand that this is not
a life of roses this is a life that we
all have to walk out our salvation with
Jesus Christ and so when I call somebody
I remember this one time I call one of
my homeboys I was like bro I’m really
struggling with masturbation man I just
I really need you to pray for me is like
man sure
whoo that’s crazy bro all right then
what get all right then
I just tried to open up and let you into
a place in me but what I found out later
he was struggling with the same thing
and his relationship with God was not
centered at that time and so he could
not be the one to help me up in my time
that I bought he was in the ditch with
me and so what I’m telling you is you
need some friends that leaves if y’all
go for your fall at separate times do
you hear what I’m saying like okay your
turn boom okay your turn boom like we
need to have a pattern don’t fall with
me both of us would you do what you do
we just hear what I’m saying to you
that’s what that’s what the word is
telling us so clearly is that we have to
have friends that are committed to
prayer okay
the Bible tells us where two or three
are gathered in his name if they ask for
anything anything and everybody here
would have think anything they said
don’t have what they ask my question is
when’s the last time you prayed with
somebody about something you’re
believing God to do we’re just missing
an ingredient one plus one equals two if
two of what me you Larry get together
and we can pray about anything
cancer is that concluded in anything yes
anything I’m trying to challenge you
your friends will push you to that but
my question is will your friends even
bring up prayer it’s prayer of first
response or a last result y’all they
bout to die we need to pray
now we need it’s been six weeks the
situation is gone now we need to pray
but what happens at the mention hey it’s
looking bad let’s pray it’s just looking
it n even there yet it’s looking bad
let’s pray and I’m saying these things
because maybe these are some things that
you need to put your homeboy your
homegirl yo bestie yo partner whoever
you got you need to put them up against
because this is what the word says when
when revival happened when miracles
happen is when family friends that were
like family got in the right place and
they were committed to God’s Word they
were committed to fellowshipping
together they were committed to praying
for each other and the last one is they
were committed to sacrificing for each
other now this is a nasty one because it
says in there that they would sell their
own possession they sold their car their
house their Jordans their clothes their
stocks they sold them and joyfully and
generously gave them to everybody in
need now pass the hold on wait a minute
I don’t even give bums money you hear
what I’m saying like pastor what I’m
telling you right now is if we’re going
to really see a revival happen in the
church we may have to reprioritize this
American dream that has been planted
into our hearts and our minds we may
need to reprioritize all these man-made
systems who told you that you have to
have a house with bedrooms that nobody
stays in that’s stupid that’s poor
stewardship who told you you need three
cars and it’s two people in the house
what else to want to drive on the
weekend and I’m not saying there’s
anything wrong with those things but if
those things have you
and you don’t have those things and
there are people around you suffering
what kind of friend are we because it’s
going to take sacrifice for you really
to be a friend that sticks closer than a
brother but that’s what it is Fletch TM
iPhone I want everybody to see and hear
what God is saying in this place is that
you need to be the type of friend see
somebody said well person like we’re not
finding one of those do they sell them
somewhere is there somewhere I can get
on good friends calm no no it’s the law
of attraction become it you’ll attract
it so be a friend that’s committed to
God’s Word be a friend that that
literally loves the fellowship be a
friend that will pray at the drop of a
dime I hate when people say yeah I’ll
pray about that I pray about that
no you’re not we standing here right now
let’s just pray be a friend that
sacrifices for somebody and God will
surround your life with friends that
will begin I don’t care how older you
are because some people say man I’m too
old for that I missed that I’ve already
gone through my friendship patience and
all this other stuff I’m done no no God
still has purpose on your life if you’re
still drawing air it’s time for you to
walk into everything that God has called
you to be
can I just tell you one thing because
people were in right relationships and
acts 2:42 these are the things that
happen it’s that miracles happened these
people were joyous and generous and
salvations happened dots
I want to rerun last scripture to you
and then we’re going to pray scriptures
proverbs 12:26
it says the righteous choose their
friends let’s stop the righteous don’t
just befriend people who around cuz we
work together and we are the righteous
the people who are right standing with
God they choose no this this I can’t
have that a part of my life because if I
start doing that then then I’ll ah it’ll
start corrupting my purpose like I like
you like you’re funny
but but you cannot have access to my
heart like like your you actually are
fine I don’t really like to be your
friend Lord could you change your heart
please but I can’t give you access to my
heart because out of the heart flows the
issues everything in my life is going to
flow out of my heart so if I let you
into my heart and my thing is some
people have condos in your heart that
are destroying your future just look at
the scripture it says the righteous
choose their friends carefully but the
way of the wicked leads them astray I’m
asking everybody to look at the biblical
this is what the Bible’s at y’all and I
don’t know why God wanted me to talk
within my first time ever talking about
family friends that are close like
family but I really think that on this
family Sunday that God’s given us an
opportunity to redirect redirect what
our purpose looks like I don’t want you
to die alone I don’t want when you have
a funeral there to be a hundred or a
thousand or ten thousand people that
knew what you did but didn’t know you
God doesn’t want for you to have a
moment of wondering and brokenness and
you have no one to call but to receive
friends you’re going to have to first
show yourself friendly so I’m not asking
anybody to go out of here and be weird
you know cuz some people are weird you
don’t understand you have has a mic
method looky looky my friends no no I go
actually if they choose carefully
you’re not one note what I am saying is
that maybe this should be added to your
prayer list father I thank you that
you’ll send me godly friends that you’ll
help me reach purpose with I started
praying this about three years ago
because I know I had a lot of people
around me but I didn’t have a lot of
people who knew me I had a lot of people
or I didn’t have a lot of people who
knew me and God strategically started
sending people into my life to be my
friend I didn’t care that I was faster
Mike they didn’t they didn’t care about
they were my friend showed up I’m
cleaning the garage God told me to just
come over here oh you have a
relationship with God the Holy Spirit
actually speaks to you like my other
friends that I thought Wayne was
speaking to them web he was speaking
with him Beyonce was speaking to them
and so all they knew to do is to shake
it and put a ring on it and do all these
other things but when I started
connecting with people who heard from
God I remember one time distinctly five
months ago it may not even been that
long me and Natalie were sitting down
trying to figure out our finances and
some things that had happened and I just
said alright Lord this thing is in your
hands I don’t know how you gonna do this
boom boom
I mean we’re in the living room just
bimbo I said did you run somebody off
she was like no one of my friends was at
the door say man I’m so sorry to bother
you right now but can I come in
I guess you hear so come on let’s see
this is the beautiful thing real friends
they know the boundaries of relationship
he knew he could come over
he didn’t need permission he came over
they said my gods placed this on my
heart I don’t know why this is weird
but I mean my wife just wanted to give
you this I wrote a check to me and my
wife for four thousand five hundred and
some dollars almost five thousand
dollars
now hear me I’m not telling you that
because of the amount I’m telling you
that because it took God speaking to my
friend to meet a need that me and my
wife had at that moment I’m telling you
when you rightly align yourself with the
people God has in your destiny there
will be things that happen it won’t be
money don’t be looking for money look
for God don’t don’t look for a hookup
look for God I was not exposed the
furthest thing from my mind the right
relationship produced What did he say
a miracle I want to pray for you I want
to pray for everybody watching online
but this year will be the year of
cutting off relationships that are bad
for you hear me it’s better to cut them
off and let God bring people then to
wait for God to bring people to cut
other people off okay so just cut them
off and God is waiting for your faith
Act to say okay now I can release these
people into your life so I pray for
every person that’s hearing this message
God is your plan for us to have friends
let’s stick closer than brothers that’s
what your word says God first off we’re
not just praying for those type of
people to come into our life we’re
praying that we would become those type
of people let us be more generous let us
be more caring let us be more
sympathetic father to what others are
going through let us be like job’s
friends God who didn’t even have words
to say but just sat with a friend for
seven days god father whatever that
looks like in our context father take us
away from this mentality father God that
we can have friends that we don’t invest
in to take us away from this mentality
that a like or a comet makes us close
father God I thank you that all of those
relationships have their place but you
want something that will help us reach
purpose
and God I pray that in 2017 it’ll be the
year father of real relationships and
family Father give us the courage to cut
off everything that’s not like you and
God I declare that unity would begin to
run rampant in this church we release
the spirit of freedom that will produce
father God real relationships father God
and I thank you for miracles I thank you
Father God for salvation is coming as we
develop relationships and family have
your way in these people’s lives is my
prayer in Jesus name we agree we expect
a man let’s give God a shout of praise
in this place hallelujah