simple answers troubling questions to ? ? how should you choose your friends?

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Troubling Questions

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How Should YouChoose Your Friends?

Examples of Bad Choices

Solomon– The young king initially sought wisdom

of God to serve the people justly– But, when old... 1 Kings 11:1-4

1 Kings 11:1-4

But King Solomon loved many foreign women, as well as the daughter of Pharaoh: women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites- 2 from the nations of whom the LORD had said to the children of Israel, "You shall not intermarry with them, nor they with you. Surely they will turn away your hearts after their gods." Solomon clung to these in love. 3 And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines; and his wives turned away his heart. 4 For it was so, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned his heart after other gods; and his heart was not loyal to the LORD his God, as was the heart of his father David.

Examples of Bad Choices

Solomon– The young king initially sought

wisdom of God to serve the people justly

– But, when old... 1 Kings 11:1-4

Rehoboam– Elders counseled him to lighten the

tax burden levied by Solomon– “They will be your servants forever”– But, listened to young friends... 1

Kings 12:8-11

1 Kings 12:8-11

But he rejected the advice which the elders had given him, and consulted the young men who had grown up with him, who stood before him. 9 And he said to them, "What advice do you give? How should we answer this people who have spoken to me, saying, 'Lighten the yoke which your father put on us'?" 10 Then the young men who had grown up with him spoke to him, saying, "Thus you should speak to this people who have spoken to you, saying, 'Your father made our yoke heavy, but you make it lighter on us' -thus you shall say to them: 'My little finger shall be thicker than my father's waist! 11 'And now, whereas my father put a heavy yoke on you, I will add to your yoke; my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scourges!'"

Examples of Good Choices

Daniel– One of four outstanding young men

taken into Babylonian captivity– Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah– The three refused to worship the gold

image, and were thrown into the furnace, where they were rescued by God (Daniel 3)

– Daniel prayed despite the prohibition of King Darius (Daniel 6)

– Daniel 1:17-20

Daniel 1:17-20

As for these four young men, God gave them knowledge and skill in all literature and wisdom; and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. 18 Now at the end of the days, when the king had said that they should be brought in, the chief of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar. 19 Then the king interviewed them, and among them all none was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah; therefore they served before the king. 20 And in all matters of wisdom and understanding about which the king examined them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers who were in all his realm.

Refuse Evil Companions

• Angry Man (Proverbs 22:24-25)

Proverbs 22:24-25

Make no friendship with an angry man, And with a furious man do not go, 25 Lest you learn his ways And set a snare for your soul.

Proverbs 22:24-25


• Angry Man (Proverbs 22:24-25)• Seductress (Proverbs 5:20-23)

Proverbs 5:20-23

For why should you, my son, be enraptured by an immoral woman, And be embraced in the arms of a seductress? 21 For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, And He ponders all his paths. 22 His own iniquities entrap the wicked man, And he is caught in the cords of his sin. 23 He shall die for lack of instruction, And in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.


• Angry Man (Proverbs 22:24-25)• Seductress (Proverbs 5:20-23)• Warnings and Admonitions

(1 Corinthians 15:32-33)(2 Corinthians 6:14-18)

1 Corinthians 15:32-33

If, in the manner of men, I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantage is it to me? If the dead do not rise, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!” 33 Do not be deceived: “Evil company corrupts good habits.”


Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? 15 And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? 16 And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell in them And walk among them. I will be their God, And they shall be My people.” 17 Therefore “Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you. 18 I will be a Father to you, And you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the LORD Almighty.”




• In the World, but not of the World! (1 Corinthians 5:9-11)


I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people. 10 Yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. 11 But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner--not even to eat with such a person.




• In the World, but not of the World! (1 Corinthians 5:9-11)

• Objection: Jesus was a friend to sinners! (Context – Mark 2:15-17)

Mark 2:15-17

Now it happened, as He was dining in Levi's house, that many tax collectors and sinners also sat together with Jesus and His disciples; for there were many, and they followed Him. 16 And when the scribes and Pharisees saw Him eating with the tax collectors and sinners, they said to His disciples, "How is it that He eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?" 17 When Jesus heard it, He said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance."

Examples: Christ & Paul

• Christ’s Friends– 12 Disciples– Mary & Martha

(and Lazarus)– Matthew 12:46-

50

Matthew 12:46-50While He was still talking to the

multitudes, behold, His mother and brothers stood outside, seeking to speak with Him. 47 Then one said to Him, “Look, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak with You.” 48 But He answered and said to the one who told Him, “Who is My mother and who are My brothers?” 49 And He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, “Here are My mother and My brothers! 50 For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.”

Examples: Christ & Paul

• Christ’s Friends– 12 Disciples– Mary & Martha

(and Lazarus)– Matthew 12:46-

50

• Paul’s Friends– Barnabas– Timothy & Titus– Aquila &

Priscilla– Romans 16:1-16

(Read)

Suggestions on Choosing

• Choose friends who are doing everything they can to get to heaven.

• Choose friends who will encourage you to righteous living.

• Avoid those who practice evil.

• Avoid those who are not comfort-able with your profession of faith.

• Choose your friends with a view to heaven!

Conclusion

Remember, “Evil company corrupts good habits” (1 Cor. 15:33). While we are to be a good influence to those without, attempting to save their souls (cf. Matt. 5:13-16), we must be aware of the dangers of associating with the ungodly.

We are in the world, but we most certainly are not “of the world.” It is of the utmost importance for Christians to choose as friends those who will help us get to heaven!

simple answers troubling questions to ? ? how should you choose your friends?

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