Introduction: Having friends is an important part of being a human being. It brings pleasure and meaning to life. Some of you have traveled far to be at Homecoming today, because of old friendships. Some people are famous for their friendships: sometimes in real life, some times in the movies. Here's a little quiz; see if you can match up the friends without any help from me....

Two friends in the road movies were Bing Crosby and ...Bob Hope.
The Lone Ranger's famous friend was...Tonto.
Some old time radio friends: Lum and ... Abner.
Amos and ... Andy.
Matt Dillon and ... Chester
Some Bible friends: David and Saul's son ... Jonathan
Paul and ... Silas (or Barnabas or Luke)
Abbot and ... Costello
Dean Martin and ... Jerry Lewis
Richie Cunningham and ... the Fonz
Jesus friends: The Apostle especially loved by Jesus ... John
Jesus friends in Bethany: Mary...Martha and...Lazarus

Friendship is a very important Christian principle....

I. Friendship is one of the keys to a happy marriage.

Ephesians 5:22-33 says that the marriage relationship should be a relationship of love and respect. Love and respect are essential elements of friendship.

II. Likewise, friendship is one of the keys to a healthy parent/child relationship.

Ephesians 6:1-4 says that the parent/child relationship must be one of honor and loving care. Again, honor and love are essential elements of friendship. As our children grow older, parents must learn to give fewer orders, and to show more respect for the individuality of their children. If we can learn to be friends with our children from the time they are teenagers, we may have a loving friendship that lasts a lifetime.

III. Friendship is one of the keys to Church health and growth.

Christ has called us to act toward each other as friends...

Galatians 6:2 "Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ."

I Thessalonians 4:9 "But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another."

John 13:35 "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another."

When we make friends with our fellow church members, the church is healthy. When we treat our friends and our neighbors with love and friendship, the church will grow.

One reason Paul was such a great missionary and church planter was his gift for making friends everywhere he went. Look at the conclusion to Romans for example: (16:3-16)

Rom 16:3 Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus.
Rom 16:4 They risked their lives for me. Not only I but all the churches of the Gentiles are grateful to them.
Rom 16:5 Greet also the church that meets at their house. Greet my dear friend Epenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in the province of Asia.
Rom 16:6 Greet Mary, who worked very hard for you.
Rom 16:7 Greet Andronicus and Junias, my relatives who have been in prison with me. They are outstanding among the apostles, and they were in Christ before I was.
Rom 16:8 Greet Ampliatus, whom I love in the Lord.
Rom 16:9 Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and my dear friend Stachys.
Rom 16:10 Greet Apelles, tested and approved in Christ. Greet those who belong to the household of Aristobulus.
Rom 16:11 Greet Herodion, my relative. Greet those in the household of Narcissus who are in the Lord.
Rom 16:12 Greet Tryphena and Tryphosa, those women who work hard in the Lord. Greet my dear friend Persis, another woman who has worked very hard in the Lord.
Rom 16:13 Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother, who has been a mother to me, too.
Rom 16:14 Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas and the brothers with them.
Rom 16:15 Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas and all the saints with them.
Rom 16:16 Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ send greetings.

IV. We are saved from our sins, because Jesus is our Friend.

John 15:13 says "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."

Jesus is our friend, and He willingly died for us. He was criticized by the Pharisees for loving sinners:

Luke 7:34 "The Son of man is come eating and drinking; and ye say, Behold a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners!"

Of course He was not a glutton or a drunk, but the last charge is true. He was the friend of publicans and other sinners.

Conclusion: We ought to try to be friendly people. Sometimes people complain that they have no friends. The Bible says, "A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly" (Proverbs 18:24). If you act friendly, you will make friends. We need friendships! People without friends become cranky and odd! Even more important: Friendliness is a blessing to our marriages, an essential part of parenting, very important to church growth, and lying at the heart of our salvation. Have you accepted Jesus the Friend of Sinners as your Savior? If not, why not do it now? Amen.