Friendship Series – Part 5: Friendship Points Us to the Cross - 9.7.25

Jordon Gilmore

Friendship Series – Part 5: Friendship Points Us to the Cross

Theme:

• This final part emphasizes the ultimate purpose of friendship: to point us to the cross and display the gospel.
• Friendship is not just a blessing—it is a witness.

Quick Recap of the Series

1. John 15 – Jesus calls His disciples friends.
2. Friendship with God – Abraham, Moses, and now us through Christ.
3. Jesus as model – He embodies true friendship.
4. Jonathan & David – covenant friendship.
5. Discerning friendships – testing, stewarding, and engaging with maturity.

Today’s Focus: Friendship & the Cross

• Friendship is a major theme across the Bible—woven from Genesis to Revelation.
• Garden of Eden: Adam and Eve experienced perfect companionship with God and each other until sin broke that fellowship.
• Sin’s effect: disobedience fractured friendship—between humanity and God, and between people.
• Gospel’s remedy: through Christ, broken friendships are restored.

Key Scriptures

• John 15:13–15 – Greater love has no one than to lay down his life for friends. Jesus calls us friends.
• Genesis 3:16 – Sin created conflict and broke friendship.
• Ephesians 5:22–25 – Marriage points to the gospel: sacrificial love reflects Christ’s love for the church.
• John 3:16 – God’s love led to Christ’s sacrifice—friendship is at the heart of salvation.
• John 17:3 – Eternal life = knowing God (friendship, not just escaping hell).
• Matthew 7:21–23 – Sobering warning: many will “do works” but miss the essence—knowing God.
• John 13:35 – By our love for one another, the world knows we are Christ’s disciples.

Key Insights

• Friendship is a gospel goal: the cross restores relationship and friendship with God.
• Eternal life is relational: not just avoiding death, but knowing God deeply.
• The Cross = history’s greatest act of friendship: Jesus laid down His life for His friends.
• Communion reminder: not only forgiveness of sins, but also invitation to intimacy and friendship.
• Friendship as witness: True love and sacrificial friendships among believers show the world the gospel.

Practical Takeaways

• Evaluate friendships: Are they pointing to the cross? Are you loving as Christ loved?
• Marriage and close relationships: should reflect sacrificial love, becoming a living testimony of the gospel.
• Friendship = stewardship: treat relationships as resources entrusted by God to use for His glory.
• Every believer can evangelize through friendship: love, loyalty, service, and sacrifice speak louder than words.

Closing Challenge

• Love one another as Christ has loved us.
• Be the kind of friend who points others to Jesus, the truest Friend.
• Remember: the gospel is not just salvation from sin—it is reconciliation into friendship with God and with each other.