Mgbeke Sunday Sermon
March 19, 2023
A True Friend Sticks Closer Than A Brother – Who Is Your Friend?
My beloved brothers and sisters, how are you all going today? It gives me so much pleasure to reach out to you again today, especially on such a special day as today, Mother’s Day.
Before I share the short message I feel in my spirit to talk to someone about out there today, I want to say this quick prayer for all our mothers here: May your labor of love, prayers, diligence, sacrifices, tears, pains, and genuine friendship over all your children never be in vain, in the name of Jesus Christ; Amen!
We celebrate our mothers today, not only because they carried us in their wombs and gave us life but also because a mother is the first true friend that any human being born of a woman ever has. Unless the woman is diabolically influenced negatively, or she’s just a “seed of the sergeant,” there is no mother that isn’t her child’s first friend and love!
After our mothers come to our siblings for some who are that lucky, though, as many people do not enjoy such joyous relationships with their brothers or sisters. However, even for those who do, something happened recently, that reminded me of these words of King Solomon below:
“A friend loveth all the time and he is a brother during the days of adversity.” – Proverbs 17:17.
A friend of one of my dear brothers hadn’t been in town for a while, and my brother had been hospitalized and subsequently discharged as an outpatient. Being single and all, my brother had been staying all by himself without little or no help at all from anywhere, but all that changed recently. Upon his return and finding out about his friend’s situation, the first thing he immediately did was to move him to his place so that he wouldn’t be alone anymore and his overall health could improve quicker.
When I heard about this, I was deeply moved and so glad, but this vital lesson jumped at me in the whole scenario almost immediately, too.
A friend that abandons you during your period of afflictions is a fair-weather friend and not an all-weather friend. From such people and so-called friends, you will do well to flee and separate yourself!
This scripture in Proverbs 17 is the true definition of who a true friend should be, and there’s even more in another chapter here below:
“A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: And there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.” – Proverbs 18:24.
Today’s message asks us to examine ourselves and ensure we’re not with the wrong company and people because afflictions will surely come and go. However, if the people surrounding you desert and forsake you when they do, what point is there to such friendship?
Solomon said a friend sticks closer than a brother, so the question is: Who is your friend? What type of person are you in that relationship with? Are they only there when the going is smooth and sweet, or do they also support you even when things are rough and sour?
Finally, what type of friend are you to others too? As you look around you at others, please take a moment to introspect and honestly rate yourself. Are you the type anyone should and would be proud to call their friend? If you’re not, there’s no problem – this message may have been sent for you to see the error in your ways today and change for good.
But, if you are, I pray that your strength will never fail, and God will continue to bless and uphold you always, in the name of Jesus Christ; Amen!
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