In our Sermon according to the text this morning, a friend in need is a friend indeed simply mean "a friend who will help someone when help is needed is a true friend.
Friends are important to everyone and a friend loves you in the midst of deepest troubles and difficult times. So, for a friendly relationship to exist, you must establish a friendship covenant. This friendship relationship is bound up in promises and obligations. It is a relationship of both commitment and action.
We shall be taking a closer look at the friendship relationship between David and Jonathan.
David is the eighth son of Jesse and was the youngest according to 1 Samuel 17: 12 and 1 Samuel 17:14, while Jonathan is the son of King Saul according to 1 Samuel 19:1. The bible told us in 1 Samuel 18:1-4 that these two people were knitted in soul with love to the extent that they established a covenant between themselves in 1 Samuel 20:14-17.
Don't forget the topic of the sermon is "a friend in need is a friend indeed". David was envied by Saul, the father of Jonathan because of the victory recorded in killing Goliath of Gath and the songs of victory being accorded to him by the women in 1 Samuel 18:5-9. As a result of this, Saul wanted to kill David in 1 Samuel 19:1 but the Lord was with David to the extent that Jonathan, Saul's son had to expose his father's plan to kill David his friend to him (David). Jonathan therefore demonstrated the Word of God in Proverbs 18:24 by being a friend that stick closely than a brother to David.
Jonathan made David to escape his father's plan to kill his friend (David) to the extent that Jonathan's father, King Saul Spoke harshly to his son in 1 Samuel 20:30-34.
At the end of it all, Jonathan kept his own side of the covenant by allowing David to escape his father in 1 Samuel 20:42. So, David on the other hand also kept the covenant between himself and Jonathan to the extent that the bible said that David composed a lamentation for him and his father in 2 Samuel 1:17 and also went further in 2 Samuel 1:25-26 to express the villain of Jonathan and his distress at his death.
David, after getting to the throne did not forget the promise, he made to Jonathan with the covenant coveted between both of them. He (David) decided to sought out for leftover in the family of Jonathan his friend in order to show kindness to him according to 2 Samuel 9:1. He (David) therefore sought out Jonathan's son called Mephibosheth and cared for him in the absence of his father Jonathan who was his friend according to 2 Samuel 9:7.
What are the lessons to learn from the story of the relationship between David and Jonathan?
1. We can see a true friendship existing between both David and Jonathan. The bible said in 1 Samuel 18:4 that Jonathan was happy and clothes David with his royal robe while his father, King Saul envies David.
2. We can see that Jonathan delighted in David according to 1 Samuel 19:2. He likes David for who he was and stood by him when the going get tough.
3. Jonathan was not selfish despite that his father told him in 1 Samuel 20:31 that David will be king as long as he lives and that he (Jonathan) will not succeed him on the throne.
4. Jonathan care for the safety of David according to 1 Samuel 20:9.
How then can we be a friend indeed to Jesus Christ?
1. We should cultivate a personal friendship relationship with Christ through Communion. The question is "how frequently do we have a one-on-one relationship with Christ in our individual closets?" The bible in Exodus 33:11 said that the LORD would speak to Moses’ face to face as one speaks to a friend.
2. We should obey Jesus Christ and do what he requested us to do for him. John 15:14
3. We should expand His vision for him as stated in Matthew 28: 19-20.
4. We should have Christ unwaveringly and sacrificially. He demonstrated His own side by laying it all down for us. We ought to love Him in spite of difficulties and making self-sacrifices for him with our time, with our money and even with our lives.
In conclusion, Jesus Christ calls us His friends according to John 15:14-15 and He encouraged us as believers to do His Commandments which in John 15:12 to love one another. In John 15:13 Jesus reiterated that there is no greater love than a man laid down his life for his friend. Jesus Christ laid down His life for us on the cross at calvary and if we must show our sincere love for him, we too ought to lay down our lives for Jesus Christ.
The bible in our text of the sermon in that Proverbs 17:17 compares friendship with loyal brotherhood: "A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity". Good friends’ weather thick and thin together, instead of abandoning each other when the going gets rough. There will be times in our relationship with God when things become difficult. But Christ has already promised us that He will never leave us or forsake us according to Deuteronomy 31:8.
Let us pray!
Our Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you for calling us your friend and not a servant because you said a servant knew not what his master’s does. Thank you for caring so much about us to reveal the hidden secret things of your Kingdom unto us. We appreciate the trust you had in us as your sons and daughters, and please forgive us in whatever area we have not been a friend indeed to you. We pray that through your mercy and grace, we will aspire to be a friend indeed to you all the days of our lives in Jesus Name. Amen!
