WEBVTT

1
00:00:02.399 --> 00:00:06.200
<v Speaker 1>Hello everyone, and welcome to Pastor Rick's Daily ho the

2
00:00:06.320 --> 00:00:10.599
<v Speaker 1>Bible teaching ministry that's here to encourage and inspire you

3
00:00:10.839 --> 00:00:16.440
<v Speaker 1>every day. And today we're continuing our series called Awesome Relationships.

4
00:00:16.760 --> 00:00:19.960
<v Speaker 1>In it, Rick Warren shares practical ways to help you

5
00:00:20.079 --> 00:00:25.000
<v Speaker 1>take your relationships with family, friends, co workers, and even

6
00:00:25.120 --> 00:00:29.960
<v Speaker 1>God from ordinary to extraordinary. And this is a series

7
00:00:30.120 --> 00:00:33.000
<v Speaker 1>you don't want to miss. And now here's Rick with

8
00:00:33.200 --> 00:00:37.399
<v Speaker 1>part one of a message called becoming best Friends with God.

9
00:00:37.759 --> 00:00:41.840
<v Speaker 2>Now, what kind of relationship does God really want with you?

10
00:00:42.399 --> 00:00:43.320
<v Speaker 3>You ever thought about this?

11
00:00:44.359 --> 00:00:47.799
<v Speaker 2>What kind of relationship does God really want?

12
00:00:49.679 --> 00:00:49.880
<v Speaker 3>Your?

13
00:00:49.920 --> 00:00:54.359
<v Speaker 2>Relationship to God has many aspects. God is your father.

14
00:00:55.359 --> 00:00:59.240
<v Speaker 2>Here's your creator. He is your maker. He's your judge.

15
00:00:59.320 --> 00:01:03.200
<v Speaker 2>He's your man, he's your lord, he's your redeemer, he's

16
00:01:03.240 --> 00:01:10.040
<v Speaker 2>your savior, and he's many many other things. But most

17
00:01:10.120 --> 00:01:16.120
<v Speaker 2>shocking of all is this, God wants you for a friend.

18
00:01:16.799 --> 00:01:19.680
<v Speaker 3>Whoa who who wh wh whoa whoa whoa? God wants

19
00:01:19.799 --> 00:01:21.480
<v Speaker 3>me for a friend. Yes, he does.

20
00:01:22.400 --> 00:01:27.680
<v Speaker 2>The Bible says in James chapter four, verse eight, draw

21
00:01:27.760 --> 00:01:32.359
<v Speaker 2>close to God and He'll draw close to you. It's

22
00:01:32.400 --> 00:01:36.439
<v Speaker 2>just pretty simple. You draw close to God and he

23
00:01:36.519 --> 00:01:39.480
<v Speaker 2>will draw close to you. Now, when we want to

24
00:01:39.519 --> 00:01:42.200
<v Speaker 2>know what God's relationship is like, we need to go

25
00:01:42.239 --> 00:01:44.319
<v Speaker 2>back to the very beginning of time and look at

26
00:01:44.439 --> 00:01:49.719
<v Speaker 2>the original ideal relationship in Eden. Because when God created

27
00:01:49.959 --> 00:01:56.319
<v Speaker 2>Adam and Eve, they enjoyed this incredibly close, intimate friendship

28
00:01:56.519 --> 00:02:02.200
<v Speaker 2>with God. There was no religion, There were no rituals,

29
00:02:03.280 --> 00:02:06.760
<v Speaker 2>there were no rules except don't need that one tree.

30
00:02:06.760 --> 00:02:09.080
<v Speaker 2>That was the only rule said you can do anything else,

31
00:02:09.360 --> 00:02:15.439
<v Speaker 2>just one rule, no regulations, know all of the rigamarole

32
00:02:15.520 --> 00:02:18.960
<v Speaker 2>that you find in so many religious things today. It

33
00:02:19.080 --> 00:02:23.439
<v Speaker 2>was just a friendship. And the Bible says that Adam

34
00:02:23.479 --> 00:02:26.080
<v Speaker 2>and Eve delighted in God.

35
00:02:27.319 --> 00:02:29.879
<v Speaker 3>And He delighted in them.

36
00:02:30.719 --> 00:02:32.840
<v Speaker 2>That's the way God wants to have the relationship with you.

37
00:02:32.960 --> 00:02:36.840
<v Speaker 2>He was just a simple, loving relationship. And they were

38
00:02:36.879 --> 00:02:40.159
<v Speaker 2>made to live in God's presence continually, and you were

39
00:02:40.199 --> 00:02:45.520
<v Speaker 2>made to live in God's presence continually. But that ideal

40
00:02:46.560 --> 00:02:51.400
<v Speaker 2>got ruined by sin. Sin broke the friendship. Sin broke

41
00:02:51.759 --> 00:02:56.240
<v Speaker 2>the relationship, Sin broke the fellowship, and the friendship with.

42
00:02:56.280 --> 00:02:57.599
<v Speaker 3>God was lost.

43
00:02:58.599 --> 00:03:00.840
<v Speaker 2>And when you go through this book, the Bible and

44
00:03:00.879 --> 00:03:03.840
<v Speaker 2>the Old Testament is about two thirds before we get

45
00:03:03.840 --> 00:03:07.240
<v Speaker 2>to Jesus. In the Old Testament, there are not many

46
00:03:07.319 --> 00:03:11.240
<v Speaker 2>people called friends of God, not many at all. In fact,

47
00:03:11.280 --> 00:03:15.639
<v Speaker 2>in the Old Testament, only a very few people had

48
00:03:15.639 --> 00:03:19.240
<v Speaker 2>the privilege of being a friend of God. Abraham was one.

49
00:03:19.319 --> 00:03:23.280
<v Speaker 2>He was called the friend of God. Moses was a

50
00:03:23.319 --> 00:03:26.599
<v Speaker 2>friend of God. David was a friend of God. The

51
00:03:26.639 --> 00:03:30.039
<v Speaker 2>Bible says Enoch was a friend of God. But there

52
00:03:30.120 --> 00:03:32.800
<v Speaker 2>weren't a whole lot of these people. Job was a

53
00:03:32.840 --> 00:03:36.319
<v Speaker 2>friend of God. But most people did not have a

54
00:03:36.400 --> 00:03:41.080
<v Speaker 2>personal friendship with God in the Old Testament. In fact,

55
00:03:41.240 --> 00:03:44.360
<v Speaker 2>most of the time, guilt and fear was more common

56
00:03:44.520 --> 00:03:49.360
<v Speaker 2>in relationship to God than was love and friendship. In fact,

57
00:03:49.560 --> 00:03:52.719
<v Speaker 2>in the Old Testament, the Old Testament priest had to

58
00:03:52.800 --> 00:03:56.759
<v Speaker 2>prepare weeks and weeks and sometimes months to get ready

59
00:03:56.919 --> 00:03:59.199
<v Speaker 2>to go into God's presence. There wasn't just something you

60
00:03:59.240 --> 00:04:03.639
<v Speaker 2>could do any day, anytime he wanted. But then Jesus

61
00:04:03.759 --> 00:04:08.439
<v Speaker 2>changed the situation, oh Man radically, and when he died

62
00:04:08.719 --> 00:04:12.759
<v Speaker 2>on the cross and paid for our sins. The Bible

63
00:04:12.800 --> 00:04:16.720
<v Speaker 2>says that the veil between the Holy of Holies and

64
00:04:16.800 --> 00:04:20.600
<v Speaker 2>the outer Court, that the Holy Place was ripped from

65
00:04:20.600 --> 00:04:24.600
<v Speaker 2>the top to the bottom, symbolizing that The separation between

66
00:04:24.720 --> 00:04:27.680
<v Speaker 2>God and man that had been going on for hundreds

67
00:04:27.720 --> 00:04:30.519
<v Speaker 2>and hundreds and thousands of years was no longer there.

68
00:04:31.839 --> 00:04:32.639
<v Speaker 3>That Jesus had.

69
00:04:32.519 --> 00:04:35.959
<v Speaker 2>Built the new bridge, and now there was no separation

70
00:04:36.079 --> 00:04:40.319
<v Speaker 2>between us and God, and everybody had access. It wasn't

71
00:04:40.360 --> 00:04:42.800
<v Speaker 2>one priest, one day of the year got to go

72
00:04:42.879 --> 00:04:45.079
<v Speaker 2>in and feel God's presence in the Holy of Holies.

73
00:04:45.199 --> 00:04:50.480
<v Speaker 2>Now anybody, anybody could have God's presence in their life

74
00:04:50.560 --> 00:04:57.720
<v Speaker 2>all the time, and direct access was once again available.

75
00:04:58.399 --> 00:05:01.759
<v Speaker 2>You didn't need a priest, you didn't need anybody else.

76
00:05:01.839 --> 00:05:03.800
<v Speaker 3>You could go directly to God.

77
00:05:04.279 --> 00:05:06.199
<v Speaker 2>The Bible says it like this, They're on your outline

78
00:05:06.279 --> 00:05:11.240
<v Speaker 2>Romans Chapter five, Verse ten and eleven. We were restored

79
00:05:11.519 --> 00:05:15.879
<v Speaker 2>to friendship. Circle that we were restored to friendship with

80
00:05:16.040 --> 00:05:20.240
<v Speaker 2>God by the death of his son while we were

81
00:05:20.279 --> 00:05:25.079
<v Speaker 2>still his enemies. So we will certainly be delivered from

82
00:05:25.120 --> 00:05:31.800
<v Speaker 2>eternal punishment by his life. Now we can rejoice in

83
00:05:31.879 --> 00:05:37.560
<v Speaker 2>our wonderful new relationship with God. Notice this is a

84
00:05:37.600 --> 00:05:39.759
<v Speaker 2>new relationship. They didn't have this in the Old Testament.

85
00:05:39.920 --> 00:05:41.519
<v Speaker 2>They didn't get to do what you get to do.

86
00:05:42.319 --> 00:05:46.199
<v Speaker 2>All because of what our Lord Jesus Christ has done

87
00:05:46.720 --> 00:05:52.480
<v Speaker 2>for us in making us circle this friends of God,

88
00:05:53.000 --> 00:05:55.160
<v Speaker 2>all because of what the Lord Jesus Christ has done

89
00:05:55.160 --> 00:05:57.839
<v Speaker 2>for us in making us friends of God. You can't

90
00:05:57.879 --> 00:06:01.240
<v Speaker 2>buy friendship with God. You can't earn friendship with God.

91
00:06:01.439 --> 00:06:03.839
<v Speaker 2>You can't be good enough to have friendship with God.

92
00:06:04.040 --> 00:06:08.360
<v Speaker 2>You can't bribe God, or bargain with God or bereat God.

93
00:06:08.639 --> 00:06:12.120
<v Speaker 2>You can't do anything to have a friendship with God.

94
00:06:12.160 --> 00:06:16.519
<v Speaker 2>Accept this received God's gift, which was paid for by

95
00:06:16.600 --> 00:06:21.040
<v Speaker 2>Jesus Christ, the forgiveness of your sins, the restoration of

96
00:06:21.040 --> 00:06:24.879
<v Speaker 2>a relationship. It's God's grace and jesus sacrifice. And Jesus

97
00:06:24.920 --> 00:06:28.879
<v Speaker 2>says this in John fifteen fifteen, I no longer call

98
00:06:28.959 --> 00:06:35.399
<v Speaker 2>you servants. Instead, I call you friends. Do you realize

99
00:06:35.399 --> 00:06:39.600
<v Speaker 2>how radical that is for the God of the universe

100
00:06:39.680 --> 00:06:41.160
<v Speaker 2>to say I want you.

101
00:06:42.480 --> 00:06:47.399
<v Speaker 3>For my friend. Let that sink in for a minute.

102
00:06:47.839 --> 00:06:50.800
<v Speaker 2>The God that created the entire galaxy say I want

103
00:06:50.839 --> 00:06:56.000
<v Speaker 2>you for my friend. Now this word here where Jesus says,

104
00:06:56.160 --> 00:06:59.360
<v Speaker 2>I don't call you servants anymore, I call you my friends.

105
00:06:59.519 --> 00:07:02.240
<v Speaker 2>That word in the Greek is not just a casual

106
00:07:02.279 --> 00:07:09.839
<v Speaker 2>acquaintance word. It means a deep, close, personal, intimate comrade.

107
00:07:10.879 --> 00:07:13.519
<v Speaker 2>It's the word used for a best man at a wedding.

108
00:07:14.720 --> 00:07:17.680
<v Speaker 2>You're best man, the guy you depend on the most.

109
00:07:18.399 --> 00:07:21.959
<v Speaker 2>It's the same word used to refer to the king's

110
00:07:22.120 --> 00:07:28.720
<v Speaker 2>inner circle, where the king has lots of acquaintances and thousands,

111
00:07:28.720 --> 00:07:32.360
<v Speaker 2>maybe millions of subjects, but he's got a few close

112
00:07:32.600 --> 00:07:38.680
<v Speaker 2>friends and these are intimate, trusted friends. Now in a

113
00:07:38.759 --> 00:07:42.560
<v Speaker 2>royal court. If you walk into in a royal court,

114
00:07:42.600 --> 00:07:44.560
<v Speaker 2>you're gonna go see a queen or king something like that.

115
00:07:44.680 --> 00:07:46.879
<v Speaker 2>You have to keep your distance. You don't get to

116
00:07:46.920 --> 00:07:49.240
<v Speaker 2>just walk up kenny, king or queen and just talk

117
00:07:49.279 --> 00:07:51.879
<v Speaker 2>to them. You have to keep a certain number of

118
00:07:51.879 --> 00:07:55.120
<v Speaker 2>feet back, you have to bow, you have to do protocol, etiquette,

119
00:07:55.160 --> 00:07:56.720
<v Speaker 2>and all these kind of things. I've actually met a

120
00:07:56.720 --> 00:07:59.680
<v Speaker 2>few kings and queens in my life, and it's it's

121
00:07:59.680 --> 00:08:04.240
<v Speaker 2>pretty formal, because that's why most people react. But if

122
00:08:04.279 --> 00:08:07.199
<v Speaker 2>you are in the inner circle, you're one of the

123
00:08:07.279 --> 00:08:13.480
<v Speaker 2>king's friends. You enjoy close contact, direct access, and confidential information.

124
00:08:15.399 --> 00:08:17.680
<v Speaker 2>Some of you remember the old hymn what a friend.

125
00:08:17.480 --> 00:08:18.399
<v Speaker 3>We have in Jesus.

126
00:08:20.199 --> 00:08:22.480
<v Speaker 2>Well, actually God invites you not just to be the

127
00:08:22.480 --> 00:08:25.360
<v Speaker 2>friend of Jesus, but of the Holy Spirit and the Father.

128
00:08:25.839 --> 00:08:28.600
<v Speaker 2>He invites you to be a friend of the Trinity. Now,

129
00:08:28.720 --> 00:08:33.679
<v Speaker 2>how important is this to God that you actually become

130
00:08:33.919 --> 00:08:34.799
<v Speaker 2>a friend of God?

131
00:08:35.080 --> 00:08:37.600
<v Speaker 3>How important is it? It's extremely important.

132
00:08:38.120 --> 00:08:41.279
<v Speaker 2>Let me show you a couple verses Exodus thirty four fourteen.

133
00:08:42.519 --> 00:08:47.000
<v Speaker 2>He is a God who is passionate about his relationship

134
00:08:47.039 --> 00:08:52.120
<v Speaker 2>with you. Did you know that God gets jealous? The

135
00:08:52.159 --> 00:08:55.080
<v Speaker 2>Bible says God gets jealous when we give our lives

136
00:08:55.120 --> 00:08:57.399
<v Speaker 2>to other things, when we put other gods in our lives.

137
00:08:57.480 --> 00:08:59.440
<v Speaker 2>The God of money, the God of sex, the God

138
00:08:59.440 --> 00:09:02.320
<v Speaker 2>of success, the God of popularity, the God of pleasure.

139
00:09:02.399 --> 00:09:05.840
<v Speaker 2>It could be any God, and so that breaks God's heart.

140
00:09:06.720 --> 00:09:10.960
<v Speaker 2>Because God is passionate about his relationship with you. Joseiah

141
00:09:11.279 --> 00:09:15.639
<v Speaker 2>sixty six. God says this, I don't want your sacrifices.

142
00:09:16.519 --> 00:09:22.600
<v Speaker 2>I want your love. I don't want your offerings. I

143
00:09:22.679 --> 00:09:26.000
<v Speaker 2>want you to know me. Can you hear the passion

144
00:09:26.039 --> 00:09:29.360
<v Speaker 2>in that verse? Again, this is hard to grasp. Circle

145
00:09:29.399 --> 00:09:32.120
<v Speaker 2>the word love and circle the word no. Those are

146
00:09:32.120 --> 00:09:35.120
<v Speaker 2>the two first purposes of your life to know and

147
00:09:35.240 --> 00:09:38.519
<v Speaker 2>love God. If you miss that, you missed the number

148
00:09:38.519 --> 00:09:41.000
<v Speaker 2>one purpose in your life. Because God did not put

149
00:09:41.039 --> 00:09:45.279
<v Speaker 2>you on this planet to just do stuff, to.

150
00:09:45.360 --> 00:09:47.080
<v Speaker 3>Just mark things off your to do list.

151
00:09:47.320 --> 00:09:51.519
<v Speaker 2>God puts you on this planet to know and love him,

152
00:09:51.559 --> 00:09:53.840
<v Speaker 2>to have a relationship with him. And if you miss

153
00:09:53.919 --> 00:09:57.480
<v Speaker 2>that relationship, you miss that friendship, you miss the very

154
00:09:57.519 --> 00:10:00.639
<v Speaker 2>purpose for which you were created. Nothing is more important

155
00:10:00.639 --> 00:10:03.240
<v Speaker 2>than that you can be the most famous, most successful,

156
00:10:03.360 --> 00:10:04.720
<v Speaker 2>most accomplished person.

157
00:10:04.519 --> 00:10:05.080
<v Speaker 3>In the planet.

158
00:10:05.159 --> 00:10:07.159
<v Speaker 2>And if you don't know and love God, you missed

159
00:10:07.159 --> 00:10:09.639
<v Speaker 2>the purpose of your life because you weren't made simply

160
00:10:09.679 --> 00:10:13.039
<v Speaker 2>to do things. God says, I want you to know me,

161
00:10:13.879 --> 00:10:17.120
<v Speaker 2>and I want you to love me. And the Bible

162
00:10:17.159 --> 00:10:21.720
<v Speaker 2>says that God planned the entire universe, and then he

163
00:10:21.840 --> 00:10:29.360
<v Speaker 2>orchestrated all of history, including your personal life history, and

164
00:10:29.399 --> 00:10:32.840
<v Speaker 2>he orchestrated it all so that you could come to

165
00:10:33.000 --> 00:10:36.720
<v Speaker 2>know him and that we could become his friends. The

166
00:10:36.720 --> 00:10:40.639
<v Speaker 2>Bible says it like this in Acts seventeen. Starting from scratch,

167
00:10:41.559 --> 00:10:46.519
<v Speaker 2>God made the entire human race, and he made the

168
00:10:46.559 --> 00:10:49.000
<v Speaker 2>earth hospitable. What it means, It means we can live

169
00:10:49.039 --> 00:10:51.960
<v Speaker 2>on it. He made the earth livable. We got oxygen,

170
00:10:52.000 --> 00:10:53.720
<v Speaker 2>we got water, we got it light, we got everything

171
00:10:53.720 --> 00:10:56.440
<v Speaker 2>we need. He made the earth hospitable for human beings,

172
00:10:56.720 --> 00:11:00.279
<v Speaker 2>with plenty of time and space for living. Why look,

173
00:11:00.639 --> 00:11:05.080
<v Speaker 2>so we could seek after God and not just group

174
00:11:05.159 --> 00:11:10.919
<v Speaker 2>around in the dark, but actually find him. Wow, that

175
00:11:11.320 --> 00:11:16.279
<v Speaker 2>is God's number one plan and purpose for your life. Now,

176
00:11:16.320 --> 00:11:20.279
<v Speaker 2>how in the world is this possible? I mean, we're visible,

177
00:11:20.559 --> 00:11:27.240
<v Speaker 2>God's invisible. We're weak. God's omnipotent, We're imperfect. He's perfect.

178
00:11:28.519 --> 00:11:34.360
<v Speaker 2>How does a flawed, finite creature have a friendship with

179
00:11:34.480 --> 00:11:39.960
<v Speaker 2>an unflawed, perfect, omnipotent, invisible God.

180
00:11:41.159 --> 00:11:45.039
<v Speaker 3>How does that happen? Oh, there's only one way through Jesus.

181
00:11:45.639 --> 00:11:47.519
<v Speaker 2>Maybe you've known about God all your life, how do

182
00:11:47.559 --> 00:11:48.519
<v Speaker 2>you build that friendship?

183
00:11:48.600 --> 00:11:49.000
<v Speaker 3>Number one?

184
00:11:49.120 --> 00:11:54.480
<v Speaker 2>Write this down. Make knowing God my number one priority.

185
00:11:55.559 --> 00:11:57.320
<v Speaker 2>You're never going to become a friend of God in

186
00:11:57.360 --> 00:12:03.720
<v Speaker 2>your spare time. You make no God your number one priority,

187
00:12:03.759 --> 00:12:06.879
<v Speaker 2>my number one priority in life. Jesus said, seek first

188
00:12:07.000 --> 00:12:08.240
<v Speaker 2>the Kingdom of God.

189
00:12:09.399 --> 00:12:10.000
<v Speaker 3>Do it first.

190
00:12:10.120 --> 00:12:11.919
<v Speaker 2>You know I've told you this many times. I do

191
00:12:12.000 --> 00:12:14.720
<v Speaker 2>this every single morning of my life. I've done it

192
00:12:14.759 --> 00:12:17.879
<v Speaker 2>for years. I get up and I sit on the

193
00:12:17.919 --> 00:12:20.200
<v Speaker 2>side of the bed. Before I get out of bed,

194
00:12:21.000 --> 00:12:24.240
<v Speaker 2>I'll just sit there for a split second and I'll say, God,

195
00:12:24.360 --> 00:12:26.440
<v Speaker 2>if I don't get anything else done today, I want

196
00:12:26.480 --> 00:12:30.960
<v Speaker 2>to love you more and know you better, because if

197
00:12:31.000 --> 00:12:32.879
<v Speaker 2>at the end of the day I know God more

198
00:12:32.919 --> 00:12:37.200
<v Speaker 2>and I love Him better, that day was a success.

199
00:12:37.240 --> 00:12:39.679
<v Speaker 2>Doesn't matter how many things go wrong in it. If

200
00:12:39.720 --> 00:12:41.840
<v Speaker 2>I know God a little bit better and I love

201
00:12:41.919 --> 00:12:43.320
<v Speaker 2>Him a little bit more, then.

202
00:12:43.200 --> 00:12:45.000
<v Speaker 3>That day was a success.

203
00:12:45.879 --> 00:12:48.559
<v Speaker 2>On the other hand, it doesn't matter how many things

204
00:12:48.600 --> 00:12:51.639
<v Speaker 2>I accomplish, or what happens in my life that seems

205
00:12:51.679 --> 00:12:54.159
<v Speaker 2>to be good, how many windfalls that come into my life.

206
00:12:54.240 --> 00:12:54.919
<v Speaker 3>Doesn't matter.

207
00:12:55.399 --> 00:12:57.279
<v Speaker 2>If at the end of the day I don't know

208
00:12:57.399 --> 00:12:59.279
<v Speaker 2>God a little bit better and love Him a little

209
00:12:59.279 --> 00:13:03.399
<v Speaker 2>bit more, I miss the purpose of that day. I

210
00:13:03.519 --> 00:13:08.159
<v Speaker 2>make it the number one priority of my life. Paul

211
00:13:08.360 --> 00:13:14.919
<v Speaker 2>says it like this, everything else is worthless compared with

212
00:13:15.000 --> 00:13:20.200
<v Speaker 2>the priceless gain of knowing Christ Jesus, I've discarded everything else.

213
00:13:20.240 --> 00:13:25.919
<v Speaker 2>I counted all as garbage so that I may know Christ.

214
00:13:26.320 --> 00:13:30.679
<v Speaker 2>I make it my number one priority. Jeremiah twenty nine thirteen.

215
00:13:30.720 --> 00:13:35.480
<v Speaker 2>God says, you will find me when you will find me,

216
00:13:35.639 --> 00:13:39.440
<v Speaker 2>when you seek me. When with all your heart are

217
00:13:39.480 --> 00:13:43.120
<v Speaker 2>you doing that? Let me just ask you, one on one,

218
00:13:43.279 --> 00:13:46.320
<v Speaker 2>are you doing that? Are you seeking God with all

219
00:13:46.360 --> 00:13:47.519
<v Speaker 2>your heart every day?

220
00:13:48.000 --> 00:13:48.759
<v Speaker 3>Not likely.

221
00:13:50.600 --> 00:13:52.559
<v Speaker 2>You're going to become a friend of God. When you

222
00:13:52.639 --> 00:13:54.679
<v Speaker 2>want to become a friend of God, write this down.

223
00:13:54.799 --> 00:13:56.720
<v Speaker 2>I'm as close to God as I choose to be.

224
00:13:58.399 --> 00:14:01.639
<v Speaker 2>You can't blame anybody else. Can't blame your wife, your husband,

225
00:14:01.879 --> 00:14:03.000
<v Speaker 2>your parents, your kids.

226
00:14:04.600 --> 00:14:05.360
<v Speaker 3>You can't blame it.

227
00:14:05.440 --> 00:14:07.279
<v Speaker 2>You are as close to God as you want to be.

228
00:14:07.519 --> 00:14:10.200
<v Speaker 2>And if you feel far from God, guess who moved

229
00:14:10.279 --> 00:14:13.120
<v Speaker 2>you didn't make it the number one priority of your life.

230
00:14:14.200 --> 00:14:16.360
<v Speaker 2>You will find Me when you seek Me with all

231
00:14:16.679 --> 00:14:20.440
<v Speaker 2>your heart. Knowing and loving God is our greatest privilege,

232
00:14:20.519 --> 00:14:23.399
<v Speaker 2>and being known and being loved by God is our

233
00:14:23.399 --> 00:14:28.759
<v Speaker 2>greatest pleasure. You know, I've noticed, I was even noticing

234
00:14:28.759 --> 00:14:31.200
<v Speaker 2>it on this trip that I was on in Europe,

235
00:14:31.399 --> 00:14:35.200
<v Speaker 2>that you can tell what's important to somebody by what

236
00:14:35.240 --> 00:14:40.720
<v Speaker 2>they brag about. That'll tell you their values, and so

237
00:14:41.039 --> 00:14:43.039
<v Speaker 2>you know, if their kids are most important.

238
00:14:42.759 --> 00:14:44.000
<v Speaker 3>They brag about their kids.

239
00:14:44.759 --> 00:14:46.840
<v Speaker 2>If their job is the most important thing in their life,

240
00:14:46.919 --> 00:14:51.679
<v Speaker 2>they brag about their job. If travel and having experiences

241
00:14:51.720 --> 00:14:53.480
<v Speaker 2>is important, that's what they talk about.

242
00:14:54.399 --> 00:14:56.639
<v Speaker 3>You brag about what you value most.

243
00:14:56.840 --> 00:15:00.759
<v Speaker 2>If partying or buying new clothes is what you talk

244
00:15:00.799 --> 00:15:04.600
<v Speaker 2>about most, guess what you value most partying and getting

245
00:15:04.639 --> 00:15:08.679
<v Speaker 2>new clothes here's what God says Jeremiah nine. Look up

246
00:15:08.720 --> 00:15:11.919
<v Speaker 2>here on the screen. God says, the wise must not

247
00:15:12.000 --> 00:15:15.360
<v Speaker 2>brag about their wisdom, and the strong must not brag

248
00:15:15.399 --> 00:15:18.679
<v Speaker 2>about their strength, and the rich must not brag about

249
00:15:18.679 --> 00:15:21.919
<v Speaker 2>their money. But if somebody wants to brag, let him

250
00:15:21.919 --> 00:15:24.720
<v Speaker 2>brag that he really understands and knows me.

251
00:15:26.360 --> 00:15:28.960
<v Speaker 3>Why, Because that's what life is all about.

252
00:15:30.279 --> 00:15:32.360
<v Speaker 2>You have you ever bragged by the fact that you're

253
00:15:32.399 --> 00:15:34.559
<v Speaker 2>a friend of God? Hey, me and God we're like this.

254
00:15:36.559 --> 00:15:41.720
<v Speaker 2>You know, we're close, we're buds, we're friends. Knowing God

255
00:15:41.799 --> 00:15:44.600
<v Speaker 2>is what matters most, and there's nothing more important than

256
00:15:44.639 --> 00:15:48.120
<v Speaker 2>that relationship in your life. Now, how do you know

257
00:15:48.399 --> 00:15:51.399
<v Speaker 2>when God is not your best friend? How do you

258
00:15:51.440 --> 00:15:52.960
<v Speaker 2>know when you don't really know God?

259
00:15:53.159 --> 00:15:54.840
<v Speaker 3>Well? Jesus said in Matthew.

260
00:15:54.480 --> 00:15:59.519
<v Speaker 2>Six that the secret or the symbol, or the characteristic,

261
00:15:59.759 --> 00:16:03.559
<v Speaker 2>the concluding mark of a person who doesn't know God.

262
00:16:03.960 --> 00:16:07.919
<v Speaker 3>Jesus said, and Matthew six is this worry.

263
00:16:10.360 --> 00:16:12.759
<v Speaker 2>When you worry, it means you don't know God at

264
00:16:12.759 --> 00:16:15.679
<v Speaker 2>that moment. You've forgotten who he is, what he said,

265
00:16:15.720 --> 00:16:17.720
<v Speaker 2>what he's promised to do in your life. You're acting

266
00:16:17.799 --> 00:16:20.840
<v Speaker 2>like you're an atheist, You're acting like there.

267
00:16:20.759 --> 00:16:21.240
<v Speaker 3>Is no God.

268
00:16:21.360 --> 00:16:23.480
<v Speaker 2>You're acting like it all depends on you. Every time

269
00:16:23.519 --> 00:16:26.559
<v Speaker 2>you're worrying. Every time you worry, you're saying, Oh, I

270
00:16:26.559 --> 00:16:30.440
<v Speaker 2>don't really know God at this moment. He's not my friend.

271
00:16:30.960 --> 00:16:33.000
<v Speaker 2>I have to make it my number one priority. Number

272
00:16:33.039 --> 00:16:35.960
<v Speaker 2>two second key to building a deep relationship with God.

273
00:16:36.240 --> 00:16:38.840
<v Speaker 2>Slow down and shut up, or let me say it nicer.

274
00:16:39.039 --> 00:16:45.759
<v Speaker 2>Slow down and be quiet. Okay, slow down and be quiet.

275
00:16:47.080 --> 00:16:49.639
<v Speaker 2>Our friendship with God is like any other friendship. You

276
00:16:49.799 --> 00:16:52.360
<v Speaker 2>have to make time for it. If you don't make

277
00:16:52.440 --> 00:16:57.320
<v Speaker 2>time for your human friends, they're not your friends. You

278
00:16:57.399 --> 00:17:00.799
<v Speaker 2>make time for your friends. And if God is going

279
00:17:00.879 --> 00:17:02.919
<v Speaker 2>to be your best friend, you've got to give your

280
00:17:02.919 --> 00:17:07.000
<v Speaker 2>best time to God. The Bible says this. You've seen

281
00:17:07.039 --> 00:17:10.240
<v Speaker 2>these verses many times Psalm forty six ten. Be still,

282
00:17:10.440 --> 00:17:14.279
<v Speaker 2>I mean, just slow down and know that I am God.

283
00:17:15.000 --> 00:17:17.200
<v Speaker 2>You need to have a daily quiet time with God.

284
00:17:17.920 --> 00:17:20.880
<v Speaker 2>Be still and know that I'm God, Psalm twenty five fourteen.

285
00:17:21.440 --> 00:17:25.480
<v Speaker 2>Friendship with the Lord is reserved for those who reverence him.

286
00:17:25.960 --> 00:17:29.559
<v Speaker 2>With them, he shares the secrets of his covenant. See,

287
00:17:29.599 --> 00:17:31.559
<v Speaker 2>most people don't know about God, and they don't know

288
00:17:31.960 --> 00:17:33.680
<v Speaker 2>how God acts. They don't know why he does what

289
00:17:33.720 --> 00:17:35.079
<v Speaker 2>he does, and they don't know what's going on in

290
00:17:35.119 --> 00:17:38.000
<v Speaker 2>the world. Why, Because friendship with God is reserved for

291
00:17:38.079 --> 00:17:42.640
<v Speaker 2>those who reverence him. You sit down, you slow down,

292
00:17:42.960 --> 00:17:45.319
<v Speaker 2>you be quiet, and you spend time with God. What

293
00:17:45.400 --> 00:17:48.119
<v Speaker 2>would a friend be if you never spend any time

294
00:17:48.119 --> 00:17:52.240
<v Speaker 2>with him? Not a friend? You will never have God

295
00:17:52.240 --> 00:17:53.880
<v Speaker 2>as your best friend. If all you do is just

296
00:17:54.000 --> 00:17:57.960
<v Speaker 2>come to church services, You've got to just be quiet,

297
00:17:58.079 --> 00:18:00.759
<v Speaker 2>be still, and you get out and sit down, and

298
00:18:00.799 --> 00:18:03.440
<v Speaker 2>you just read God's word and you listen and say, God,

299
00:18:03.480 --> 00:18:05.759
<v Speaker 2>is there anything you want to say to me? And

300
00:18:05.799 --> 00:18:07.920
<v Speaker 2>you don't have to use any fancy phrases these and

301
00:18:07.960 --> 00:18:11.319
<v Speaker 2>now's are who arts and where arts? And King James language?

302
00:18:11.359 --> 00:18:15.359
<v Speaker 2>Don't you just talk to God authentically? The Bible says

303
00:18:15.400 --> 00:18:19.519
<v Speaker 2>it like this, Matthew six five six, When you come

304
00:18:19.519 --> 00:18:23.799
<v Speaker 2>before God, don't turn it into a theatrical production. I

305
00:18:23.880 --> 00:18:26.920
<v Speaker 2>love this the message paraphrase. Just find a quiet, secluded

306
00:18:26.960 --> 00:18:29.440
<v Speaker 2>place where you won't be tempted to role play before God,

307
00:18:30.440 --> 00:18:32.400
<v Speaker 2>and just be there as simply and as honest as

308
00:18:32.440 --> 00:18:36.000
<v Speaker 2>you can manage, and the focus will shift from you

309
00:18:36.240 --> 00:18:40.200
<v Speaker 2>to God. That'll lower your stress and you will begin

310
00:18:40.440 --> 00:18:45.319
<v Speaker 2>to sense his grace. Make knowing God my number one priority,

311
00:18:45.599 --> 00:18:49.880
<v Speaker 2>and then slow down and be quiet. Number three key

312
00:18:49.880 --> 00:18:54.960
<v Speaker 2>to a friendship with God, decide whose friendship you want most.

313
00:18:56.359 --> 00:18:59.079
<v Speaker 2>You don't have time for everybody to be your friend.

314
00:18:59.799 --> 00:19:02.160
<v Speaker 2>If everybody else is going to be your friend, you're

315
00:19:02.200 --> 00:19:03.880
<v Speaker 2>not going to have time for God in your life.

316
00:19:04.920 --> 00:19:08.359
<v Speaker 2>You've got to decide who you want most to be

317
00:19:08.480 --> 00:19:09.240
<v Speaker 2>your best friend.

318
00:19:10.279 --> 00:19:11.599
<v Speaker 3>Let me show you Verse on the screen.

319
00:19:11.799 --> 00:19:15.960
<v Speaker 2>One Timothy, chapter six says this, some people have missed

320
00:19:16.000 --> 00:19:18.440
<v Speaker 2>the most important thing in life.

321
00:19:18.640 --> 00:19:19.559
<v Speaker 3>They don't know God.

322
00:19:20.680 --> 00:19:23.119
<v Speaker 2>They know all the baseball scores, they know the stock

323
00:19:23.200 --> 00:19:26.440
<v Speaker 2>market quotes, they know the top ten songs, they know

324
00:19:26.519 --> 00:19:29.640
<v Speaker 2>how to do a recipe, they know all kinds of others.

325
00:19:29.640 --> 00:19:32.240
<v Speaker 2>They know who's in and who's out in every soap opera.

326
00:19:32.519 --> 00:19:35.119
<v Speaker 2>They know who's up and who's down in the celebrity

327
00:19:35.200 --> 00:19:39.279
<v Speaker 2>charts and TMZ. But they don't know God. They've missed

328
00:19:39.279 --> 00:19:41.880
<v Speaker 2>the most important thing in life. How in the world

329
00:19:41.920 --> 00:19:45.680
<v Speaker 2>could anybody miss a fellowship and a relationship with God

330
00:19:45.759 --> 00:19:47.440
<v Speaker 2>When he says, this is what I made you for,

331
00:19:47.640 --> 00:19:48.759
<v Speaker 2>and this is what I want.

332
00:19:48.920 --> 00:19:52.599
<v Speaker 3>How in the world you miss it? Real? Simple? Care

333
00:19:52.640 --> 00:19:53.759
<v Speaker 3>about something else? More.

334
00:19:55.359 --> 00:19:56.839
<v Speaker 2>That's why you're not a friend of God. You care

335
00:19:56.880 --> 00:20:01.079
<v Speaker 2>about something else more, and you're miss of the relationship

336
00:20:01.119 --> 00:20:04.279
<v Speaker 2>that you were designed for with your creator. Now the

337
00:20:04.279 --> 00:20:06.960
<v Speaker 2>Bible gets very specific look of this. James, Chapter four.

338
00:20:08.720 --> 00:20:13.519
<v Speaker 2>You should know that loving the world is the same

339
00:20:13.559 --> 00:20:14.559
<v Speaker 2>thing as hating God.

340
00:20:15.079 --> 00:20:15.759
<v Speaker 3>What does that mean?

341
00:20:16.480 --> 00:20:19.440
<v Speaker 2>Anyone who wants to be a friend of the world

342
00:20:19.880 --> 00:20:23.759
<v Speaker 2>becomes an enemy of God. Now I don't understand this.

343
00:20:24.359 --> 00:20:26.839
<v Speaker 2>It tells me here that I'm not supposed to love

344
00:20:26.880 --> 00:20:29.119
<v Speaker 2>the world. And yet in John three point sixteen, the

345
00:20:29.160 --> 00:20:31.559
<v Speaker 2>most famous verse, it says God so loved the What

346
00:20:32.799 --> 00:20:33.839
<v Speaker 2>so which one is it?

347
00:20:35.200 --> 00:20:35.519
<v Speaker 3>Okay?

348
00:20:35.680 --> 00:20:38.000
<v Speaker 2>Am I supposed to love the world or not love

349
00:20:38.039 --> 00:20:40.319
<v Speaker 2>the world? God so loved the world? But it tells

350
00:20:40.359 --> 00:20:42.359
<v Speaker 2>me here that if I love the world, I become

351
00:20:42.400 --> 00:20:45.480
<v Speaker 2>the enemy of God. It's the meaning of the word world.

352
00:20:46.559 --> 00:20:49.960
<v Speaker 2>In John three point sixteen, he's talking about the people

353
00:20:50.200 --> 00:20:52.880
<v Speaker 2>in the world, and in this passage and in first

354
00:20:52.960 --> 00:20:55.960
<v Speaker 2>John two sixteen he's talking about the value system of

355
00:20:56.000 --> 00:21:00.480
<v Speaker 2>the world. Now, God says, I want you to love

356
00:21:00.519 --> 00:21:04.000
<v Speaker 2>the people and hate the value system. You know what

357
00:21:04.000 --> 00:21:08.240
<v Speaker 2>the problem is, We do the exact opposite. We love

358
00:21:08.319 --> 00:21:12.519
<v Speaker 2>the value system and we hate the people. We love materialism,

359
00:21:12.759 --> 00:21:15.559
<v Speaker 2>we love pleasure, we love popularity, we love prestige, we

360
00:21:15.599 --> 00:21:19.000
<v Speaker 2>love passion, possessions, position, we love all the values of

361
00:21:19.039 --> 00:21:21.759
<v Speaker 2>the world, and we hate the people. God says, no,

362
00:21:21.759 --> 00:21:25.559
<v Speaker 2>you got it all backwards, and he says that if

363
00:21:25.599 --> 00:21:29.400
<v Speaker 2>you want to be my friend, friends value what friends value.

364
00:21:31.160 --> 00:21:32.640
<v Speaker 2>If you're going to be my friend, if I'm going

365
00:21:32.680 --> 00:21:34.680
<v Speaker 2>to be your friend, then I have to value what's

366
00:21:34.759 --> 00:21:37.599
<v Speaker 2>valuable to you. What's important to you becomes important to me.

367
00:21:37.759 --> 00:21:40.720
<v Speaker 2>Why because you're my friend, because I'm your friend. And

368
00:21:40.759 --> 00:21:42.319
<v Speaker 2>if you're going to be a friend of God, then

369
00:21:42.359 --> 00:21:44.839
<v Speaker 2>you've got to care about what God cares about, and

370
00:21:44.880 --> 00:21:48.480
<v Speaker 2>not care about what God doesn't care about. God doesn't

371
00:21:48.519 --> 00:21:53.200
<v Speaker 2>care anything about image. He doesn't care about anything about

372
00:21:53.640 --> 00:21:57.839
<v Speaker 2>how you appear your image. He's not interested in your reputation.

373
00:21:57.920 --> 00:22:02.119
<v Speaker 2>He's interested in your character, not how you look, but

374
00:22:01.480 --> 00:22:05.400
<v Speaker 2>what you are. And I have to choose to value

375
00:22:05.400 --> 00:22:06.279
<v Speaker 2>with God values.

376
00:22:12.480 --> 00:22:15.880
<v Speaker 1>Thanks so much, Rick, what a great message today. Hey,

377
00:22:15.920 --> 00:22:18.440
<v Speaker 1>if you've been listening to the broadcast for a while,

378
00:22:18.599 --> 00:22:21.400
<v Speaker 1>well you know that Rick is always saying that God

379
00:22:21.480 --> 00:22:25.920
<v Speaker 1>wants your relationships to be more than just fair, average, good,

380
00:22:26.240 --> 00:22:30.160
<v Speaker 1>or even great. He wants your relationships to be awesome,

381
00:22:30.599 --> 00:22:34.480
<v Speaker 1>life giving, filled with joy and purpose, and that's why

382
00:22:34.519 --> 00:22:39.000
<v Speaker 1>he created the Awesome Relationships Bible Study. Through this four

383
00:22:39.079 --> 00:22:43.200
<v Speaker 1>session video based Bible study with workbook, you'll discover the

384
00:22:43.279 --> 00:22:46.559
<v Speaker 1>tools you need to build an awesome marriage and family,

385
00:22:46.720 --> 00:22:52.039
<v Speaker 1>awesome friendships, and most importantly, an awesome relationship with God.

386
00:22:52.240 --> 00:22:56.440
<v Speaker 1>This resource is perfect for individual or group study. Be

387
00:22:56.559 --> 00:23:01.279
<v Speaker 1>sure to request Pastor Rick's Awesome Relationships Video obeys Bible Study.

388
00:23:01.480 --> 00:23:04.039
<v Speaker 1>When you give a gift to help Daily Hope take

389
00:23:04.079 --> 00:23:07.160
<v Speaker 1>the Hope of Jesus to a hurting world, it's our

390
00:23:07.200 --> 00:23:11.119
<v Speaker 1>way of saying thanks. Just go to pastorick dot com

391
00:23:11.160 --> 00:23:14.880
<v Speaker 1>to get your copy of this great resource. That's pastorick

392
00:23:15.000 --> 00:23:17.839
<v Speaker 1>dot com. Or you can text the word hope to

393
00:23:18.039 --> 00:23:21.359
<v Speaker 1>seven oh three oh nine. Again, that's the word hope

394
00:23:21.400 --> 00:23:22.519
<v Speaker 1>to seven oh.

395
00:23:22.440 --> 00:23:23.480
<v Speaker 3>Three oh nine.

396
00:23:23.640 --> 00:23:26.200
<v Speaker 1>Be sure to join us next time as we look

397
00:23:26.240 --> 00:23:29.640
<v Speaker 1>into God's word for our daily hope. This program is

398
00:23:29.680 --> 00:23:34.359
<v Speaker 1>sponsored by Pastor Rick's Daily Hope and your generous financial support.