“Friendly”: A Sermon Summary
Today’s sermon, “Friendly,” delves into a powerful and counterintuitive idea: that true Christian friendship isn’t always about being conventionally friendly. Instead, it’s about a radical, divine love that finds its strength in weakness and its wisdom in foolishness. We explore this concept through three key passages.
A New Commandment
John 13:34 gives us a new commandment from Jesus: “Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” This isn’t just a suggestion to be nice; it’s a command to adopt a self-sacrificial love that mirrors Christ’s. His love isn’t superficial; it’s a deep, transformative care that serves others, even in humility and vulnerability. Our “friendliness” should therefore be a reflection of this profound, actionable love, not just a casual, polite exchange.
Power in Weakness
In 1 Corinthians 2:3-4, Paul speaks about his ministry in Corinth: “I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power.” This passage reminds us that the power of God’s message doesn’t rely on human eloquence or impressive charisma. It’s often in our moments of vulnerability and perceived weakness that the Holy Spirit works most powerfully. Our “friendly” approach to others shouldn’t be about showing off our strengths but about humbly sharing our faith and allowing God’s power to be evident through us.
God’s Unlikely Choices
1 Corinthians 1:27-28 further reinforces this theme: “God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are.” This is a radical truth about God’s kingdom. God often bypasses the powerful and prestigious to work through the ordinary and overlooked. True Christian “friendship” means embracing and valuing those the world deems insignificant. It’s about seeing people not through the world’s eyes of status and success, but through God’s eyes of love and purpose. Our most meaningful connections may be with those we least expect.
In summary, a “friendly” faith, according to these verses, is one that loves self-sacrificially, embraces vulnerability, and values the humble. It’s a love that mirrors Christ, and it’s a message that’s powerful precisely because it doesn’t depend on human strength or wisdom.