Companionship With the Lord Jesus, With the Apostle Paul, & With All Them That Fear God: Introduction

(Lassen Pines, CA – July 8, 2005)
I would like to speak tonight and tomorrow on the subject of companionship. Let’s turn to Proverbs 18:2424A man that hath friends must show himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother. (Proverbs 18:24). “A man that hath friends must show himself friendly: and there is a Friend that sticketh closer than a brother.” And then turn to John 15:13-1413Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. 14Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. (John 15:13‑14), “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are My friends.” I’ve read these two opening Scriptures because they bring before us the Lord Jesus Christ who is the best companion that anybody could ever have. He is the Friend that every person in this world needs! He is the Friend of sinners, and He is the Friend of saints (believers). Whatever your situation is in life—whether you’re saved or not—one thing that’s true of every one of us is that we need Him. He said to His disciples, “Without Me ye can do nothing” (John 15:55I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. (John 15:5)). The sooner we learn that lesson in life the better.
Think of it; the greatest Person who ever lived in this world would honour those who believe on Him by saying, “Ye are My friends.” Yes, He wants us as His friends and companions! The Lord wants us to walk through this world in fellowship with Himself. He wants to be our nearest and dearest Friend. That a divine Person would condescend to walk in this world as a Man, but more than that, choose to have friends of persons such as you and me! It boggles the mind! What an incredible privilege it is!
The friendship of the Lord Jesus is a wonderful thing. But you know, before we can know Him as our Friend, we first have to know Him as our Saviour. That is where we all must begin with God—by having a relationship with the Lord Jesus as our Saviour. So, I want to begin tonight by speaking of how you can come to know Him as your personal Saviour. It is hard for me to believe that if you’ve been sitting in this audience for the past three or four days listening to the gospel messages that have gone forth nightly, that you’re still not saved. I know that the devil plucks away the precious seed of the Word when it falls on the ears of careless souls (Mark 4:1515And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts. (Mark 4:15)), but if you’re not saved by now, it has to do with your will. So I want to address the question of your willingness first. The prodigal son did not come into blessing until he said, “I will ... ” (Luke 15:1818I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, (Luke 15:18)). And neither will you!
Getting saved and entering into a relationship with the Lord Jesus is where we must begin. There is really no other place to start with God. If you get this foremost relationship right in your life, every other relationship that you’ll have on earth has a greater possibility of being right too. What I mean, is that if the Lord Jesus has His rightful place in your life, as your best companion, your other companionships will be right too. There is no time like right now to call upon Him in faith and to ask Him to save you. The Bible says, “Seek ye the LORD while He may be found, call ye upon Him while He is near” (Isa. 55:66Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: (Isaiah 55:6)). It also says, “Whosoever shall call upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved” (Rom. 10:1313For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. (Romans 10:13)). Our burden for you tonight is that you would not only know Him as your Saviour, but that you would also make Him your nearest and dearest Friend.