Abraham, Friend of God: Accepting the Invitation

Introduction

Take a moment. The God who created all things, the King of kings, the one who holds the nations in his hand, calls you "friend." This isn't a figure of speech. This isn't just a nice image. It's what Jesus declares in John 15:13-15: "Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends, if you do the things which I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant doesn't know what his lord does. But I have called you friends, for everything that I heard from my Father, I have made known to you."

This morning, Jean Clavin Nana opens the Word on this theme: God's friendship. And he does it with a smile, because how could you not smile when talking about such a privilege? You could have all the riches, all the titles, all the success in the world. Nothing compares to this honor: being called a friend of God.

This isn't reserved for Abraham, or Moses, or a few giants of the faith. This friendship is for you today. The Lord stands at the door and knocks. It's up to you to open it.

Sermon Outline

1. What Is God's Friendship?

The dictionary defines friendship as a relationship between two people marked by harmony, warm understanding, bonds of trust, mutual goodwill: a relationship free of hostility, suspicion, or deceit. Trust reigns. Security reigns.

That's exactly what God offers you. And here's something essential to notice: he's the one who comes to you. You don't climb up to him. He comes down, he reaches out his hand, and he says: "No longer do I call you servants, but friends." God takes the initiative.

We don't benefit from a shallow friendship. We benefit from the friendship of the Creator, the one who carries you and holds you up no matter what hard times you're going through. As Paul says, all things work together for the good of those who love God.

2. God Takes the Initiative: From Adam to Abraham

From the very beginning, from the Garden of Eden, we see the early signs of this friendship. In Genesis 2:19-20, God forms the animals and brings them to the man "to see what he would call them." God includes the man in his work. He could have done it all alone. He's the master, the ultimate authority. He needed no one. Yet from the founding of the world, he chose to bring humanity alongside him.

Then there are these touching scenes where, in the cool of the evening, the Lord came walking with the man in the garden. This relationship of love, this relationship of friendship, was already being woven.

With Abraham, again it's God who comes. In Genesis 12:1-3, the Lord says to Abram: "Leave your country, and your relatives, and your father's house, and go to the land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation. I will bless you and make your name great. You will be a blessing." The Lord comes to seal this friendship. He comes looking for him. This isn't a passing encounter: God offers you a complete life plan, a lasting, strong relationship marked by blessing.

3. Friendship Expressed Through Covenant and Revelation

God's friendship shows itself first through covenant. In Genesis 15:7-18, God tells Abraham: "I am Yahweh who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give you this land to inherit it." Abraham takes a heifer, a goat, a ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon, and divides them. And when the sun sets, a smoking furnace and a flaming torch pass between the pieces: God makes covenant with his friend. This friendship is not superficial. It is sealed by the Creator himself.

It also shows itself through revelation. What marks a true friendship is that things are shared. God wants to share his intentions, his plans. In Genesis 18:17, before destroying Sodom, the Lord says: "Will I hide from Abraham what I do?" And he reveals his plans to him. That revelation allows Abraham to intercede, to enter into a saving negotiation with God, until Abraham obtains this: if there are only ten righteous people in the city, it will be spared (Genesis 18:32).

Understand what this means for you. When you're in a relationship of friendship with God, he gives you the privilege of moving a decision. He puts the destiny of nations in your hands. Today, conflicts are breaking out everywhere. One single person, bending their knees, can change the destiny of a nation. That's the strength you carry, because you are a friend of God.

4. Who Does God Reserve His Friendship For?

God loves all people. That's why Jesus came down while we were still sinners. But the Psalmist specifies: "Yahweh's friendship is with those who fear him. He will show them his covenant." (Psalm 25:14). And Jesus says: "You are my friends, if you do the things which I command you." (John 15:14).

God's friendship is available. It's up to you to step into it. Do you fear the Lord? Know that you are a friend of God. Do you do what the Lord commands? Know that you are a friend of God.

The fear of God isn't terror. It's honor. You honor God in your actions, your words, your thoughts, your attitudes, your choices, your decisions. You respect what is sacred, in a world that respects nothing anymore. It's with reverence that you enter into relationship with the Lord of hosts, because he is great, all-powerful, and awesome.

God's friendship is also for those who walk in integrity. In Genesis 17:1, God sums it all up: "Walk before me, and be blameless." Integrity opens the door to closeness. When Job walked in integrity, the Lord could boast of him before the devil: "Have you considered my servant Job?" You don't live in friendship with God while walking in deceit, compromise, hidden sins, or a lukewarm faith content with just a little.

5. Three Biblical Examples: Moses, David, Daniel

Moses spoke with God face to face, as a man speaks with his friend (Exodus 33:11). This friendship began with an encounter: the burning bush. God revealed his concerns to him (the suffering of his people oppressed in Egypt, Exodus 3:9-10), then entrusted him with a mission. Moses answered the call; he didn't shrink back. From this position as friend, he could intercede. When Miriam was struck with leprosy for speaking against her brother, Moses interceded, and she was healed. Remember this: when you are a friend of God, your prayers are effective.

David feared God and gave him glory. Pursued by Saul, who wanted him dead, he refused to lay a hand on the Lord's anointed. Even when that anointed one had become his enemy, David wanted to honor the Lord. It was also David who set his heart on building a temple for the Lord. When God told him it would be his son Solomon and not him, David obeyed with humility. That's the mark of a friend of God: obedience within the relationship.

Daniel walked with God from his youth. This friendship showed itself in the fiery furnace and in the lions' den: the Lord delivered him from the most difficult situations. Let's honor the children's ministry leaders who teach our kids; it's often from childhood that God builds a life and weaves a friendship.

And Abraham? Scripture states it plainly: "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness, and he was called the friend of God." (James 2:23).

6. The New Covenant: This Friendship Is for You Today

Under the new covenant, the cross is an act of love, but also an act of friendship. Jesus says it himself: there is no greater love than laying down one's life for one's friends. He doesn't lay down his life for his servants. He lays it down for his friends. That's why he declares: "No longer do I call you servants, but I have called you friends."

This friendship is sealed by the covenant of blood that reconciles you with God. And it becomes real through revelation, by the Holy Spirit. Jesus promises this in John 14:26: "The Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things, and will remind you of everything that I said to you." Today, you receive the revelation of God's heart through his Spirit.

This friendship wasn't reserved for Abraham, Moses, Daniel, or the disciples. It didn't end when Jesus's time on earth ended. It is for every child of God. In Revelation 3:20, the Lord stands at the door and knocks. He wants to build a strong, close relationship with you.

This friendship will transform your life. Fear will disappear: what is there to fear when the Lord of lords is your friend? Faith will grow stronger, because you walk face to face with him. Joy will be renewed. Peace will fill your heart. Your battles will become his battles. You will lay everything down at his feet, he will fight for you, and you will remain in his rest. And above all, you will take great delight in doing his will.

God never abandons his children. He will defend you as he defended Abraham. He will speak to you as he spoke to Moses. He will protect you as he protected Daniel. He will reveal his heart to you as he revealed it to Abraham. Will you step out of the posture of a mere servant to take hold of his outstretched hand and enter this new dimension: friend of God?

Key Takeaways

• God always takes the initiative. He comes down to you, he calls you friend. You don't climb the mountain to reach him: he comes looking for you.
• God's friendship shows itself through covenant and revelation. He seals his word, he shares his plans with you, he includes you in his work.
• Two things open the door: fear of God and integrity. Honor God in every area of your life, and walk before him without deceit.
• As a friend of God, your prayers are effective. You can intercede, bend your knees, and change the destiny of nations, just as Abraham and Moses did.

Personal Application

• Do I live with God like a mere servant waiting for orders, or like a friend who shares life with him?
• In what concrete area of my life do I still need to let God come to me? Where am I resisting his outstretched hand?
• Is there a compromise, a deceit, a hidden sin blocking this friendship? What do I need to surrender to God today?
• Who or which nation is the Lord calling me to intercede for this week, bending my knees like a friend?

Scriptures Cited

• John 15:13-15 · "No longer do I call you servants, but friends."
• Genesis 2:19-20 · God includes the man in his creation.
• Genesis 12:1-3 · Abraham's calling and blessing.
• Genesis 15:7-18 · The covenant sealed with Abraham.
• Genesis 17:1 · "Walk before me, and be blameless."
• Genesis 18:17-32 · God reveals his plans to Abraham and the intercession for Sodom.
• Exodus 3:9-10 · The burning bush and the sending of Moses.
• Exodus 33:11 · God spoke to Moses face to face.
• Psalm 25:14 · "Yahweh's friendship is with those who fear him."
• James 2:23 · Abraham was called the friend of God.
• John 14:26 · The Holy Spirit will teach you all things.
• Revelation 3:20 · "I stand at the door and knock."

FAQ

What is God's friendship according to the Bible?

It's a relationship of covenant and revelation initiated by God himself. He comes down to humanity, he shares his intentions, he makes his heart known. John 15:15 defines it clearly: the servant doesn't know what his master does, but the friend receives revelation. This friendship is marked by trust, mutual goodwill, and an absence of deceit.

Who does God reserve his friendship for?

Psalm 25:14 says it plainly: "Yahweh's friendship is with those who fear him." And Jesus adds in John 15:14: "You are my friends, if you do the things which I command you." Two concrete conditions: reverent fear of God and walking in integrity, as Genesis 17:1 sums up in its word to Abraham.

Can I really be called a friend of God today?

Yes. God's friendship was never reserved for Abraham, Moses, or Daniel alone. Under the new covenant, the cross sealed this friendship for every child of God. Revelation 3:20 shows Jesus standing at the door and knocking: it's up to you to open it. The Holy Spirit reveals the Father's heart to you today (John 14:26).