This thought-provoking episode invites listeners to reflect on the unmatched friendship that Jesus offers to every believer. We discuss the importance of maintaining a faithful walk with Christ and the responsibilities entailed as His friends. Jeff Archie uses biblical scripture and real-life parables to highlight the path toward everlasting friendship with the Lord. With a focus on redemption, obedience, and spiritual growth, this episode of International Gospel Hour challenges and encourages believers to uphold their commitment to their greatest friend and savior, Jesus Christ.
00:10:24 Parable of the Talents and Final Thoughts
SPEAKER 01 :
What a friend we have in Jesus! All our sins and griefs to bear. Oh, I love that old hymn and the assurance it gives. Today let’s talk about Jesus, the best friend ever. That’s today from the International Gospel Hour. Stay right here.
SPEAKER 02 :
On Jordan’s thorny banks I stand.
SPEAKER 03 :
Hi, this is Jay Webb for International Gospel Hour. For 90 years, churches of Christ have proclaimed God’s Word through International Gospel Hour. You are about to listen to another Bible-based lesson with Jeff Archie of International Gospel Hour, starting now.
SPEAKER 02 :
I am bound for the promised land.
SPEAKER 01 :
Well, greetings, everyone, and thank you for joining us again today for our broadcast from the International Gospel Hour. We also appreciate our J-Web, and you’ll hear from Jay throughout our broadcast. He’ll share with you some good materials and opportunities for you to use in your study of the Word of God. If you are a new listener to the International Gospel Hour broadcast, well, from time to time we like to pause and welcome our new listeners. We’re always appreciative of our regular listeners. But for our new listeners, let’s share with you a number of other options for your listening pleasure and Bible study. Now, you’re currently listening to our daily 15-minute broadcast, available five days a week. And we’re thankful for you tuning in to this station of which you are listening. Now, as I say at the end of the broadcast, friends, keep listening, and please do that right here on this station or platform of your choice, and make International Gospel Hour part of your daily study. We also have our weekly 30-minute program that’s on many of these broadcasts, many of these stations and platforms as well, and occasionally you may hear our shorter segments, Are You Listening?, 60 Seconds for the Savior, and A Couple of Minutes for Christ. 60 Seconds for the Savior is also viewed on our social media page in audio form. We also have a weekly TV broadcast via our YouTube channel, which is International Gospel Hour, and we’re on a number of over-the-air television markets and throughout the world. If you go to our website at internationalgospelhour.com, scroll down just a bit, you’ll see all of our programs, even our Hispanic podcast, Cristiano Spileas with our friend and brother Marlon Ratana of SpanishBibleSchool.org. How thankful we are for every opportunity to speak the oracles of God, 1 Peter 4, 11, and to declare the whole counsel of God, Acts 20 and verse 27. So thank you once again for joining us and stay right here where you listen to International Gospel Hour. As I began the broadcast, I come back once again that I speak today of the best friend we will ever have. Oh, what a friend we have in Jesus, but… Make no mistake, friends, a friend we should be to him. Our text today is John 15, beginning with verse 12. This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this than to lay down one’s life for his friends. You are my friends if you do whatever I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing, but I have called you friends for all things that I heard from my Father I have made known to you. Now, of course, this is written unto his apostles, to whom he is speaking, verse 12, and he reminds them of the command to love one another and a pattern that all of God’s people, that Christians, should follow today. We see the great love Jesus had in giving his life for us. Verse 13. Thus, friends, we are compelled to be the right kind of friend to Jesus. Verse 14. An obedient friend to do what he commands. Jesus is the best friend. The best friend ever. But do not miss this, friends. We are his friends if we do what he commands. He’s given to us. What will we give to Him? Let’s think on this today, but first, a few words from our J-Web.
SPEAKER 03 :
Hello, friends. Please know that any previous broadcasts from the International Gospel Hour are available at our website, internationalgospelhour.com, and also available on several podcast platforms. Maybe we’re on your favorite podcast site. Just search for International Gospel Hour and you can find previous broadcasts. They’re always there 24-7 for you to listen or even to download. And now, let’s continue our study.
SPEAKER 01 :
Friends, think about it. To the sinner, Jesus is the best friend ever. You know, a friend to the sinner, Jesus loves at all times. Is that not what Proverbs 17, 17 teaches? how he will stick closer than a brother, Proverbs 18.24. The greatest sacrifice ever given was Jesus Christ, Hebrews 10.4. It was his blood and none other that could redeem us. And we think of the beautiful text of John 3.16. You know, an animal’s blood is neither your friend nor mine. It took the blood of Jesus Christ. Jesus paid the ultimate price and the only price for redemption. Ephesians 1 and verse 7, In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace. And again from our lesson text, Greater love hath no man than this, than a man lay down his life for his friends. John 15 verse 13. When we think about Jesus and His teaching of believing in Him, John 8, 24, He taught us the importance of repentance and commanded it in Luke 13, 3, and confessing Him in Matthew 10, 32, and He commanded the necessity of baptism from Mark 16, 16, He that believes and is baptized shall be saved. He told the church at Smyrna in Revelation 2 and verse 10 to be faithful unto death, and He expects us to be faithful. And friends, watch now. We become His friends if we do what He commands. Back to our lesson text. John 15, 14. You are my friends if you do whatever I command you. And we’ve talked about those commands of Christ of how we are obedient to the gospel of Christ. You see, to the sinner… One may not realize it. Jesus is the best friend ever. There is none other. And when they turn and see the love of that best friend and they turn and they are obedient unto him, he becomes their friends because they have done what he has commanded. There is great hope for the sinner. There is great hope to change hearts for the world when one comes to Christ and the gospel of Jesus Christ. Friends, I want to pause here for a moment. I want to return to our J-Web. Very quick promo for our friends at HouseToHouse.com.
SPEAKER 03 :
Please check out our fellow laborers at HouseToHouse.com, an outstanding website for topic research and excellent media section and some free materials. While there, please request a free copy of House to House, Heart to Heart. Check it out today at HouseToHouse.com.
SPEAKER 01 :
Dear friends, May I also mention very quickly here that we understand that you may have a preferred method of study. For example, a lot of times we refer to things online, but we also realize that that may not work for you. Your preferred method of study would be, say, if it’s video, we can help you there. an open Bible study. We have friends throughout Churches of Christ in your area that will meet you at a coffee shop or restaurant. We can also do correspondence by mail. There are a number of tools that we can do to help you in your study of the Word of God. You can contact us at our toll-free number, 855-444-6988, and we’ll be glad to help you all that we can. Let’s continue our study of Jesus is the best friend ever, not only to the sinner, but to the faithful. As I mentioned, upon obedience to the gospel, remember one is to remain faithful to the Lord, Revelation 2 and verse 10. One cannot simply obey the gospel and then go back and live any way they want. That would not reflect repentance that Jesus commanded in Luke 13, verse 3. And when one is baptized into Christ, as Jesus commanded in Mark 16, 16, we learn from baptism in Romans 6, 3-6, that one is raised to walk in the newness of life, and the old man of sin is crucified. You know, when we take a look in the Bible at the young man Timothy, he was a great example of faithfulness, for Paul said of him in 1 Corinthians 4, 17, He told the church at Corinth, For this reason I have sent Timothy to you, who is my beloved and faithful son in the Lord, who will remind you of my ways in Christ as I teach everywhere in every church. You know, Paul stated that Timothy was faithful to the Lord. A definition of faithful is to be firm, to be trusted and reliable. And indeed, Timothy was all three. He could be trusted, he was reliable, he was firm in what he believed. And Timothy was to in turn teach those things of remembrance in Christ. In Christ one has forgiveness, Romans 8, verse 1. All spiritual blessings, Ephesians 1, verse 3. Being reminded of this, one is able to strengthen one’s faithfulness. And faithfulness does require consistency, of course, because Timothy was to teach everywhere in every church to be consistent. So, friends, when we think about faithful living, it’s also going to be part of the judgment. You know, in Matthew 25, verses 21 and 23, Jesus commended, or the Lord there, commended those servants. Well done, thou good and faithful servant. Thou hast been faithful over a few things. I will make thee ruler over many things. Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord. That’s the wonderful parable of the talents and how the five-talent man, the two-talent man, used their talents, used their funds to work accordingly, just as the Lord commanded. And friends, when the Lord is gone, He wants us to be faithful as well. You know, Jesus is the best friend ever. Well, friend, are you His friend? And will you be His friend forever? To the sinner, you must come to Jesus Christ, as we stated earlier. To the faithful, you must continue to be faithful to Christ. There’s no such teaching as a once saved, always saved. No, we must remain faithful. And we cannot go back to the very thing that we put to death in the waters of baptism, Romans 6, 3-6. And friends, we must press onward. Once again, I’d like to remind you of what was stated earlier in our broadcast to check out our website at internationalgospelhour.com for any previous broadcast from International Gospel Hour. Just go to the top of the page and see Previous Shows and that will help you find the program of which you’re looking for. If there is a certain program, please let us know and we will help you find that program. We’re also reminded of our friends at HouseToHouse.com. Please check out their excellent media section and the free materials they have available. And as always, friends, if there’s a preferred method of study that will help you, please reach out to us at 855-444-6988, and we will try our best to meet your request. We want all to study and to know the Word of God and to grow in the grace and the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, 2 Peter 3.18. And we’ll do that again at another time. Thank you for joining me today on the International Gospel Hour broadcast. I’m Jeff Archie, and friends, keep listening.
