A Friend Closer Than A Sister

Sunday School

Sunday mornings at 10:00am

Mar. 03, 2024

 Rick Robledo
 1 Samuel 20
 N/A

Series: “After God’s Own Heart”

“A Friend Closer Than A Brother” - Pastor Rick Robledo - March 3, 2024

 

 

 




“Greater love has no one than this; to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”

John 15:13.  

 

  1. As Jonathan Loved David, Jesus _____________ and ________________ Himself to us.   
  • 1 Samuel 18:1 - After David had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan became one in spirit with David, and he loved him as himself.

 

  • 1 Samuel 18:1 (ESV) - …the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.   

 

  • Deuteronomy 6:4-9 - 4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.[a] 5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

 

  • Colossians 2:1-3, ESV   - For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, 2 that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ…

 

 

  1. As Jonathan did for David, Jesus __________________ a _________________ with us.
  • 1 Samuel 18:2-3 -  2 From that day Saul kept David with him and did not let him return home to his family. 3 And Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself.

 

  • Luke 22:20 - 20 In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.

 

  • 1 John 4:19 - we love because he first loved us.

 

  • John 15:12-17-  12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. 17 This is my command: Love each other.

 

  1. As Jonathan gave to David, Jesus gives us a new ____________________ in Him. 
    • 1 Samuel 18:4. 4 Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his tunic, and even his sword, his bow and his belt.

 

 

  1. As Jonathan was to David, Jesus is our ____________________________.  
    • 1 Samuel 19:4 - 4 Jonathan spoke well of David to Saul his father and said to him, “Let not the king do wrong to his servant David; he has not wronged you, and what he has done has benefited you greatly.   

 

  • 1 John 2:1 - My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 

 

 

Proverbs 18:24 - "A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother"

 

 

Two Friends from WWI - C.S Lewis & J.R.R. Tolkien

  • C.S Lewis - “Friendship is the instrument by which God reveals to each of us the beauties of others.”      

 

  • J.R.R. Tolkien - “I am glad you are here with me Sam, here at the end of all things.”    - Frodo Baggins to Samwise Gamgee; “Lord of the Rings – Return of the King”