Genesis: Abraham, Covenant, and Promise

It Pays to Have Godly Friends

Transcript: AI Transcript

Professor: John Weaver

Subject: Old Testament Studies

Genre: Sermon

Dictation Name:

Date: 2006-06-11

Synopsis: John Weaver teaches from Genesis 18 that godly friends and family are essential for well-being, prosperity, and health. Using Abraham's intercession for Lot, Joseph's blessing to Potiphar, and Obed-edom's blessing to Israel, he shows that God spares, blesses, and encourages others through the presence of one faithful person. Applications urge believers to seek and be such friends.

[John Weaver] The message you are about to hear was produced by Dominion Ministry. If you would like to support this ministry by becoming a sermon partner or obtain additional high-resolution CDs, DVDs, or MP3s featuring the teaching of Pastor John Lieber, please visit the Dominion Ministry website at www.dominion.org. www.dominionministry.com. This ministry is completely supported by donations and it is through those donations that we are able to provide sermons for sermonaudio.com. Please visit our website at www.dominionministry.com to subscribe or make your donation today. Thank you. Alright, let's open our Bibles today, if you would please, to Genesis chapter 18.

[John Weaver] We're going to read this passage, and then I'm going to come back to it just briefly, and you'll see why. Let me just tell you what lies ahead, Lord willing, for us. After I preach this one message today, Lord willing, the next two Sundays, I want to bring a message entitled, When God Hides His Face. It will be in two parts. And then after that, I want to deal with a brief series on principles of deliverance.

[John Weaver] And I think everyone would be interested in that, not only individually, familially, ecclesiastically, but nationally as well. So today I'm going to be preaching from Genesis chapter 18, and we're going to read verses 16 through 33. And the title of the message is, it pays to have godly friends and family. It pays to have godly friends and family. Genesis 18, beginning there with verse 16, and the men rose up from the fence and looked towards Sodom, and Abraham went with them to bring them on the way. And the Lord said, shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do, seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him. For I know him, that he will command his children in his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment, that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him. And the Lord said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous, I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it which is coming to me, and if not, I will know.'

[John Weaver] And the men turned their faces from thence, and went towards Sodom, but Abraham stood yet before the Lord. And Abraham drew near and said, Will thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked? For adventure there be fifty righteous within the city, wilt thou also destroy, and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein? that be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked, and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee, shall not the judge of all the earth do right? And the Lord said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all that place for their sakes. Abraham answered and said, Behold, now I have taken upon me the speaking of the Lord, which am but dust and ashes. Peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty righteous, wilt thou destroy all that city for the lack of five? And he said, If I find there forty and five, I will not destroy it.

[John Weaver] And he spake unto him yet again, and said, Peradventure there shall be forty found there. And he said, I will not do it for the forty saints. And he said unto him, O let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak. Peradventure there shall be thirty found there. And he said, I will not do it if I find thirty there. And he said, Behold, now I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord. Peradventure there shall be twenty found there.

[John Weaver] And he said, I will not destroy it for the 20 sake. And he said, oh, let not the Lord be angry. And I will speak yet but this once peradventure 10 shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for the 10 sake. And the Lord went his way. And as soon as he left communion with Abraham and Abraham returned unto his place. Let me just put it very pointedly this morning.

[John Weaver] Friends and family are important. Godly friends and family are essential. I'm going to show you from the Word of God that they are essential for our well-being, prosperity, and health.

[John Weaver] Now, there are a multitude of passages in the Bible that deal with friendship. And just by way of introduction, I'm going to show you some of those. I want you to hold Genesis 18. We're going to come back there. But I do want you to look in Proverbs chapter 18 and verse 24. You might want to write some of these scriptures down. And especially share them with your children and your grandchildren. But notice in Proverbs chapter 18 in verse 24, the Bible says this. A man that hath friends must show himself friendly.

[John Weaver] And there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother. So the Bible says that a man that hath friends must show himself friendly. So many times there are individuals who want to have friends, but they themselves refuse to be friendly. And the fact of the matter is, let's be honest, no one wants to be friends with a grouch and a sourpuss. And the Bible says, he that hath friends must show himself friendly. So if we want to have friends, we must develop a friendly attitude. Moreover, if we want to have friends, we have to learn to be a friend ourselves. And all of us understand one simple truth, that oftentimes special friends, close friends, are often more loving, dedicated, and fateful even above our own family members. That's why the Bible says there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.

[John Weaver] Now, if you look in Proverbs 27 in verse 6, there's another truth that God tells us concerning friends. In Proverbs 27 in verse 6, the Bible says, fateful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful. Now when God says, faithful are the wounds of a friend, what he's saying is this, whenever a friend reproaches us, rebukes us, admonishes us, gets on to us, he's doing it out of love and out of faithfulness. And look what he said now, faithful are the wounds of a friend, but what? The kisses of an enemy are deceitful. In other words, God said you would rather have a friend wound you for your help, than to have an enemy to kiss you for your hurt. And you and I both know that a wound is far more painful than a kiss. And so God is saying you better put stock men in the wounds of a friend. You know, that reminds me of a verse that you find in Leviticus 19 in verse 17.

[John Weaver] You don't have to turn there, but let me just quote it for you. God says thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart. Note now. Thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbor, and not suffer sin upon him. Look what God said, Thou shalt not hate thy neighbor in my heart. If you hate him, you will not rebuke him. God said, Thou shalt rebuke him, and not suffer sin upon him.

[John Weaver] In other words, rebuking a friend is an act of love. It is not an act of animosity. It is not an act of hatred. So the Bible then tells us fateful are the wounds of a friend. You see, friends may encourage us, they may educate us, they may inform us, they may rebuke us. And at the same time, they can also hone our thinking to a fine edge.

[John Weaver] If you look in your Bibles to Proverbs 27 and verse 17, you'll notice this passage. And by the way, let me just point out this fact. Oftentimes we will receive things from a friend that we would never receive from a family member. And the Bible tells us in Proverbs 27 and verse 17, iron sharpeneth iron. So a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend. So just like iron will sharpen iron, friends are always welcome and they will always sharpen us.

[John Weaver] Now, Scripture teaches us that there is indeed a certain faithfulness, listen now, that should not only be extended to our friends, but to the friends of our family. Look in Proverbs 27 and verse 10. I love this verse. Proverbs 27 and verse 10. God says, thine own friend and thy father's friend, forsake not. Neither go into thy brother's house on the day of calamity, for better is a neighbor that is near than a brother far off. Notice that thine own friend and thy father's friend forsake not. In other words, we not only have an obligation and a duty to our friends, we also have an obligation and a duty to those individuals who have been friends of our family for a long period of time.

[John Weaver] I am constantly amazed at how quickly and how easily many people are willing and ready to dissolve friendships. We owe a particular obligation to our friends and especially to those of our parents who have stood faithfully by us over the years. And I can assure you in over 40 years of preaching, I have seen heart wrenching and heartbreaking dissolutions of long term friendships, and it's usually over absolutely flippant things. Unhappily, pride is usually at the root of such.

[John Weaver] Most had rather be proud and arrogant and lose a friend than admit they were wrong and reconcile and save a friendship. If I had the time today, I could sit here and tell you many wonderful stories, not just about my friends, but about the friends of my father and my mother. And so God says, thine own friend and my father's friend forsake not. You know, the interesting thing is when God talks about friendship. He also tells us there are some people with whom we are not to develop a friendship, for instance, look in your Bible. So Proverbs 22. And let's begin reading there with verse 24, Proverbs 22, verse 24, God says, make no friendship with an angry man. And with a furious man thou shalt not go. Now, why in the world should we not make friends with an angry man and with a furious man? Well, the answer is given to us in verse 25, lest thou learn his ways and get a snare into thy soul. So God says you don't develop an intimate, close friendship with a furious and angry man because the result will ultimately be You will not elevate him, he will pull you down.

[John Weaver] You will not deliver him, he will destroy you. And so God says don't do that. In the book of Proverbs chapter 1 in verse 10, God says it like this. He says, My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not. Why? Because when we consent with them, we are in agreement with them. And that is, we are joining them basically in their attitude and in their actions, which are wicked and sinful and ungodly.

[John Weaver] Now, let me give you another one that God forbids us to make friends with. If you were to look in your Bibles to James 4 and verse 4, James 4 and verse 4, you will find this scripture. God says, and He's talking to the people there, and He says, Ye adulterers and adulteresses. Know ye not that friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. So God then forbids an intimate friendship with the world and by that he does not mean his creation. By that he does not mean nature as you and I talk about it and think about it. But he's talking about worldly individuals whose God is their belly.

[John Weaver] who could care less about biblical truth or scriptural truth. So God forbids us to make friends with furious, wicked people and with ungodly people who only have the world in their eyes.

[John Weaver] Now, if you look in Psalm 1 and verse 1, you will see how this is summed up. Look in Psalm 1 and verse 1. God says, Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful." Now that's a very short verse. Look at it. Who is the blessed man? He's the man who walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. Now, let me just show you that God gives us three steps to destruction in that simple verse. The first step is when we receive or follow the advice or the counsel of the ungodly. The second step is when we associate with them, that is, with them. And the third and final step is agreement That is, we sink into the scornful. So what God is saying is this, whenever you begin to take advice from the ungodly, and you begin to associate with the ungodly, the ultimate result is you will agree with the ungodly.

[John Weaver] Why? Listen to me. Because when you first begin to listen to the ungodly, you've already rejected God and His Word and His truth. And once you do that, there's no other place to go but down.

[John Weaver] Now, let me just tell you that the message I'm going to share with you today. It's not just about friends in general, although I've been showing you this by way of introduction, but it is about godly friends in particular. And I want you to note that there is a difference in the Bible. Between an acquaintance and a friend, in fact, As you read through the Greek New Testament, you'll find that there are two Greek words that are translated in our Bible as friend. The first Greek word is the word hetairos. Now, the word hetairos refers to an acquaintance, a fellow, or someone that you might have casual dealings with, or someone that you just might know casually, by the way. In the Greek, prostitutes were referred to as the hetairai, which would be the feminine of hetairos. In other words, they were acquaintances. They were casual. Isn't that interesting? The word for the prostitute in the Greek New Testament is the same as the word for someone that you might know. When you come to the other word for friend, it is the word philos, from the Greek word phileo, which means a loved one.

[John Weaver] Phileo is the verb I love, philos is the noun. It is where we get our English word familial from. In other words, it indicates a deep, respectful love.

[John Weaver] Now let me show you the difference. If you look in your Bibles to Matthew chapter 26, every one of you knows this story, but you remember how Judas had planned to betray our Lord. And you remember that he gave his enemies a sign, our Lord's enemies a sign. And what was that sign? He said, he, it is that I kiss on the cheek and then you take him. And when Judas was on his way to betray Christ, and when he got in the presence of Christ, look what Christ said in Matthew 26 and verse 50. Jesus Christ looked at him and said unto him, and he's talking to Judas, friend, where are you? Then came they and laid hands on Jesus and took him. So when Jesus saw Judas, the first thing he said to him was, friend, Wherefore art thou come?

[John Weaver] Now, let me ask you a question. Which word for friend do you think our Lord used in Matthew 26 and verse 50? Hetairos. Judas, you were never a real friend. You were just an acquaintance. You were someone who knew me, walked with me, maybe worked with me, but you were never a friend. When our Lord looked at his other disciples, he said, I call you friends, loved ones, intimate, dear. But he called Judas mainly an acquaintance.

[John Weaver] So I want you to understand when the Bible talks about friendship. There is a difference between being civil and kind to individuals and having real intimate friends.

[John Weaver] Now, I told you the title of this message is. that it pays to have godly friends and families. I want to give you today just three illustrations of this truth. And my first illustration is going to be found in the passages we read in Genesis chapter 18. So I want you to go back there. And by the way, these true, intimate and dear friends may be found in your family. They may be found in your church. They may be found in other places.

[John Weaver] You know, all of you know that my wife and I had identical twin girls. And they're still the best of friends today. And they're, what, 38? I got that one right. Not quite. Soon will be. That was a good guess. But you know, the interesting thing is, I don't know. They told us one time, each one of them, that when the phone rings, they know when it's the other one calling before they ever pick up the phone. They said, now we don't know who everybody else would be when they call, but if Laura calls Leah and the phone rings, Leah knows it's Laura and vice versa. I was riding with them one day on horses and We had not said a word for about 15 minutes. And finally, Laura said. She's a nice girl.

[John Weaver] And Leah immediately responded, said, yes, I really like Cheryl also. Leah knew who she was thinking about. And the name had never even been mentioned.

[John Weaver] Now you say, well, I can understand that kind of closeness. Well, let me tell you something. There's also closeness. That can be between brethren in Christ. You don't have to be physically related, I want you to notice, if you would, in Genesis chapter 18, all of us know the story of the Lord came to Abraham and he says, Abraham, I'm going to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. And he said, shall I tell Abraham that which I'm about to do? And then he said, yes, I will tell him because I know him. He's the man that's going to order his family and his household after me. He's going to be obedient. He's going to keep everything that I say to him. So in verses 20 and 21, the Lord reveals to Abraham that he's going to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. Now, what does Abraham automatically know? That his nephew Lot and his family lives in that city. And so Abraham then begins to intercede. And you look in verse 23, and Abraham drew near and said, Will thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?

[John Weaver] What a question to ask the sovereign Lord of heaven and earth. And then he says, peradventure, there'll be 50 righteous within the city. Will thou also destroy and not spare the place for the 50 righteous that are therein? And then look what Abraham does. He answers his own question. He says that be far from thee to do after this manner to slay the righteous with the wicked and that the righteous should be as the wicked. That be far from thee. And then he asks, shall not the judge of all the earth do right? And the Lord says, Abraham, you're right. I will spare the city. If you can find me 50 righteous men. Now, you know the story because Abraham now begins to intercede even more. He said, well, Lord, what if there is a shortage of five? Well, the Lord said, I'll spare it for the 45 sake. Well, but Lord, what if there's only 40 there? Well, the Lord said, I'll spare it for the 40 sake. Well, Lord, what if there's only 30 there?

[John Weaver] Well, Lord, the Lord said, I'll spare it for the 30. Well, Lord, one more time. How about what if we just find 20? I'll spare it for the 20 sake, Abraham. And Abraham said, Oh, Lord, I'm but dust now and I'm taking it upon myself to talk to you. Lord, what about 10? And the Lord said, OK, I'll spare it for the 10 sake. And the interesting thing is, look in verse 33, after he had gotten him down to 10 and the Lord went his way, As soon as he left communing with Abraham and Abraham returned unto his place.

[John Weaver] Now, let me ask you a question. Since Abraham was on a roll. And our Lord was giving him everything that he asked for. Why did he stop at 10? Why didn't he get him down to five? Or four or three? Or two? Or one? Why did he stop at ten?

[John Weaver] Now, look in your Bibles to Genesis 19 and verse 8. The Bible says, Behold now, Lot is speaking, and Lot is a real anomaly. I'll tell you this a little bit later. Behold now, I have two daughters which have not known man. So Lot had two virgin daughters at home with he and his wife. So the last I checked, two and two make four. Now, if you look in verse 14 of Genesis chapter 19, the Bible says this, and Lot went out and spake unto his sons-in-law who had married his daughters.

[John Weaver] Now, notice if you would please, sons-in-laws, is plural. That means he had a minimum of two. I don't know. But if he had two sons-in-laws and two married daughters, that's four. Four and four is eight. If each one of them had a child, that's ten. If neither one of them had a child, and since sons-in-laws is plural, he may have had three.

[John Weaver] 3 and 3 is 6 and 6 plus 4 is 10. You know why I stopped at 10? Because Abraham knew that Lot had a minimum of 10 family members in Sodom. He got him down to where he knew that Lot had a sufficient number to spare the city. I believe Abraham knew, knew just certainly, that there was 10 in Lot's family. Do you realize You think about this, if there are ten righteous people and adults, do you realize ten tithing families can support a pastor?

[John Weaver] There would be a congregation. Here's what the Bible is teaching us. For ten families or for ten godly people, God is willing to spare a city even if that city is as wicked as Sodom and Gomorrah were. Now, as you know, there was not 10 righteous people in the city. There should have been 10. There should have been 10. Lot should have instructed his daughters. And he should have instructed his sons-in-law, but he did not. If you look back in verse 14, and Lot went out and spake unto his sons-in-laws, who had married his daughters, and said, up, get you out of this place, for the Lord will destroy this city. But he seemed as one that mocked unto his sons-in-law. So his sons-in-laws were very obviously ungodly, wicked men who were not willing to pay attention to Lot or to the Word of God.

[John Weaver] They were destroyed in the conflagration. Now, the question you've got to ask is this. How many finally escaped the city? And you know it was Lott and his two daughters. You say, but Pastor, his wife got out. Yes, she got out. But you remember, she looked back and was turned into a pillar of salt. So actually, only three got out. The rest were destroyed. Now, let me ask you a question. Why did God spare Lot and those two daughters?

[John Weaver] Now, look in your Bibles to 2 Peter 2. 2 Peter 2. And look what the Bible says. 2 Peter 2. And notice, if you would please, verse 8. In fact, we'll begin reading verse 7. 2 Peter 2 verse 7,"...and delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked, for that righteous man dwelling among them in seeing and hearing vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds." Now let me just tell you that Lot is a real anomaly as far as I'm concerned. And if you were to ask me and just describe Lot and his actions to me, with me not knowing who you were talking about, I would automatically say he was a lost man. I mean, look where he lived.

[John Weaver] And when those stupid Sodomites came and surrounded his house, what was he willing to do? Offer his two daughters. How could any man do that? And yet the Bible calls him a righteous man. This is what I'm saying. If the Bible had not specifically said that he was a righteous man, I would have never believed it. But look what the Bible says. And notice, if you would please, in verse eight, for that righteous man dwelling among them and seeing and hearing vex his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds.

[John Weaver] And you say, well, Brother Weaver, here's why God delivered him. But look in verse 9, the Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust in the days of judgment to be punished. You say, well, Lot was righteous and therefore God spared him. Well, you know, the interesting thing is Lot was righteous. The Bible does say so. But the Bible does not say that his two daughters were righteous.

[John Weaver] In fact, they were the ones who made their father drunk. You remember? Committed incest. You say, well, you know, God just delivered Lot. Because he is a righteous man. Oh, well, I want you to go back in your Bibles to Genesis chapter 19, and I want you to see there's a little more to it. I want you to think about this. Have righteous people perished in other floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, wars, fires. Yes, plenty of righteous people. Righteous people died just like wicked people. Well, why did God spare Lot? I mean, very obviously, Lot was vexing his righteous soul, the Bible says, with what he saw and what he heard on a daily basis. How he stayed in Sodom, I will never know. But I believe you'll find the real answer in Genesis 19 and verse 29. Look what the Bible says. And it came to pass when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that is, when God rained fire and brimstone upon Sodom and Gomorrah and those other cities, that God remembered Abraham and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow when he overthrew the cities in which Lot dwelt.

[John Weaver] What did God do? God remembered Abraham. God remembered the prayers. God remembered the intercessions. God remembered the arguments. Lot was not spared just because he was a righteous man. Lot was spared because of the prayers of Abraham. It pays to have godly families. It pays to have godly friends. And let me tell you something, folks. If I had the time today, I could sit here and document history after history. But let me tell you, there have been multitudes of people that have been saved and blessed and healed and delivered due to the prayers. of godly family members and godly friends. And Lot and those two daughters are spared just because of the prayers of Abraham.

[John Weaver] Let me give you the second illustration. The second illustration is found in the life of Joseph. And I want you to look in your Bibles to Genesis 39, verses 1 through 4. Genesis 39, verses 1 through 4.

[John Weaver] Just pointing out the fact it pays to have a godly family and it pays to have godly friends. In Genesis 39, everyone knows the story how his brethren hated Joseph, how they sold him into Egypt. The Bible says in verse 1, Genesis 39, and Joseph was brought down to Egypt and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him at the hands of the Ishmaelites which had brought him down thither. And the Lord was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man, and he was in the house of his master, the Egyptian. And his master saw that the Lord was with him, and the Lord made all that he did to prosper in his hand. And Joseph found grace in his sight, and he served him, and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hands. Now Joseph has been sold into slavery by his brethren, and in the providence of God, God made him a servant in the house of Potiphar. Potiphar so trusted Joseph that he put everything that he had at his disposal.

[John Weaver] Look at verse 6. And he, that is Potiphar, left all that he had in Joseph's hand and he knew not all he had save the bread which he did eat. And Joseph was a goodly person and well favored. Can you imagine that? Here's a man who was an officer to Pharaoh, which meant indeed he was a man of extreme wealth. And the man so trusted Joseph, that Joseph had absolute control over everything, and the man did not even know what he had, except what he ate. Joseph took care of everything. Well, he learned to trust Joseph. Look in verse 8 to show you how thoroughly even Joseph himself said this.

[John Weaver] He said, but he refused. That is when Potiphar's wife made a play for Joseph. But he refused and said unto his master's wife, behold, my master, what if not or knoweth not what is with me in the house? And he has committed all that he hath to my hand. He said, my master doesn't even know what he has. He doesn't know how much money he has, how much silver, gold or Diamonds or brass or whatever, everything is in my hands.

[John Weaver] Now let me ask you a question. Why did Potiphar so trust Joseph? And why did he deliver everything into his hands? And by the way, I might add that Potiphar's trust was not misplaced. Not even in the instance with his wife. The advances that his wife made toward Joseph were refused by Joseph and Joseph refused to have anything to do with her. Well, what did Potiphar learn?

[John Weaver] We'll go back to verse three first. And his master saw what? That the Lord was with him. Look, and that the Lord made all that he did to prosper in his hand. There were two observations. Number one, the Lord's with Joseph. Number two, Potiphar learned everything that Joseph did prospered. Now skip down to verse five. And it came to pass from that time that he made him overseer in his house and over all that he had, that the Lord, help me out now, that the Lord blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake. And the blessing of the Lord was upon all that he had in the house and in the field. May I remind you that Potiphar was not only an important man, but he was also an unsaved man. He's an ungodly man. He's a pagan.

[John Weaver] What does the Bible say? The Bible says the Lord bless the Egyptians house for Joseph's sake. Not only everything that he had in the house, but everything that he had in the field. In other words, Potiphar said, I trust Joseph. And Potiphar should have been a little more wise in the accusations that his wife made against Joseph, because Potiphar should have reasoned and looked. Joseph has been faithful to all these other things.

[John Weaver] He's been a godly man. And God has blessed me because of him. He should have known about Joseph, whether or not he knew about his wife or not is a different thing. But at least he should have known about Joseph. But one thing he did know for sure, that the blessing of God was upon his house and upon his field and everything he had because of Joseph's sake.

[John Weaver] Are you listening to me? It pays to have godly friends. It pays to have godly people to work with you, to work for you, to pray for you, to be around you. I don't know about you, But I wouldn't mind having a thousand like Joseph around me. Let me tell you, the ungodly of this world will never understand and never comprehend until Judgment Day the blessings they have received just because they are associated with a godly family or a godly man. And as pointed out in The Life of Lot, God often does withhold his judgment due to the presence of one godly man or two or three godly people.

[John Weaver] May I point out this, and this would be for your consideration. As horrible as Katrina was, and as horrible as many tornadoes have been, has it ever dawned upon you or other people, they could have been much worse. And had it not been for the presence of some godly people, they may have indeed been much worse. Because God is willing to spare an area if you can find ten righteous people. All I'm trying to show you this is, it pays to have godly friends. It pays to have godly family members.

[John Weaver] I have known of illustrations of men and women who have had lost children who prayed faithfully every day for their children, and who died with their children unsaved. And yet, after their death, after the parents died, God did have mercy and answered the prayer and saved those children. Just because you don't necessarily live to see it, does not mean that it will not happen. My third illustration is taken from 2 Samuel 6. If you'll look there please, 2 Samuel 6, and let's read the first 10 verses. This is an amazing story, 2 Samuel 6, and let's begin reading there with verse 1. 2 Samuel 6, verse 1. The Word of God says, Again David gathered together all the chosen men of Israel, 30,000, And David arose and went with all the people that were with him from Baal of Judah, to bring up from thence the ark of God, whose name is called by the name of the Lord of hosts, that dwelleth between the cherubims. And they set the ark of God upon a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Benadab, that was in Gibeah.

[John Weaver] And Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Benadab, drove the new cart, and they brought it out of the house of Benadab, which was at Gibeah, accompanying the ark of God. And Ahio went before the ark. And David and all the house of Israel played before the Lord on all manner of instruments made of firwood, even on harps and on psalteries and on timbrels and on cornets and on cymbals. And when they came to Nacon's threshing floor, Uzzah put forth his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen shook it. And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah, and God smote him there for his error. And there he died by the Ark of God. And David was displeased because the Lord had made a breach upon Uzzah. And he called the name of that place Perez-Uzzah to this day. And David was afraid of the Lord that day and said, How shall the Ark of the Lord come to me? So David would not remove the Ark of the Lord unto him to the city of David.

[John Weaver] But David carried it aside in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite. Now let's stop there. Many of you will remember that the Philistines had captured the Ark during the time of Eli, Hophni, and Phinehas. God did indeed slay Hophni and Phinehas the same day, and then of course Eli, when he heard the news the Ark of God had been captured, he fell over backwards and broke his neck. You remember how the Philistines then were rejoicing that their God had defeated the God of Israel, But the next thing you know, all the leaders and the people of Philistines were smitten with hemorrhoids. Now you're going to ask me, what are hemorrhoids? I don't know. Most scholars said they're hemorrhoids.

[John Weaver] A bad, bad case of them. But I'll tell you one thing for sure, whatever it was, it was so horrible and so bad, they wanted to get rid of that ark. And so what did they do? They put that ark on a cart and took two milk cows that had calves and said, now if these cows leave their calves and go straight one way, we'll know it's God who smote us. And if not, we'll know that it was just chance, you know, et cetera.

[John Weaver] So what did they do? You know, it's not natural for a cow to leave her calves. But boy, those cows headed straight for Beth Shemesh, lowing as they went, never looking, never turning, just going straight. So the Philistines knew there was hand of God upon them. Now, the ark, when it was returned, first stopped at Beth Shemesh.

[John Weaver] Now, when you get to 1 Samuel 6, verses 18 through 21, wow. The men of Bethshemesh made a horrible mistake. Look in verse 18, 1 Samuel chapter 6, verse 18. And the golden mice, according to the number of all the cities of the Philistines, belonging to the five lords, both of the fenced village and the country villages, even unto the great stone of Abel, whereon they set down the ark of the Lord, which stone remaineth unto this day in the field of Joshua the Bethshemite." And he smote the men of Bethshemesh. Why? Because they had looked into the ark of the Lord. Even he smote of the people fifty thousand, three score and ten men. And the people lamented because the Lord had smitten many of the people with a great slaughter. Now watch. And the men of Bethshemesh said, Who is able to stand before this holy Lord God?

[John Weaver] And to whom shall he go up from us? And they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Perjah of Jerum, saying, The Philistines have brought you in the ark of the Lord. Come you down and fetch it up to you. Get it out of here, they said. Why? Well, God just killed over 50,000 people. Well, 50,000, wait a minute, and three score, that's 60, right? And 10, that's 70. Wow. 120,000 people, yeah, it's time to say, I'm concerned. Well, why did God smite them? Because they looked into the ark. They were not to look into that ark. So, the men of Perjuth-Jerom came and picked up the ark. Now, I want you to look in verse 1 of chapter 7, verse Samuel, and the men of Perjuth-Jerom came and fetched up the ark of the Lord and brought it to the house of Abinadab in the hill and sanctified Eliezer's son to keep the ark of the Lord. And by the way, the ark was there for 20 years. Now David and his men go down to fetch that ark to bring it back to Jerusalem.

[John Weaver] You know, a lot of people have often wondered, why did God kill Uzzah? I mean, the oxen stumbled, the ark leaned over to Uzzah, just put his hand up to protect the ark, and God killed him. Why? Well, let me just tell you, David and his men committed a horrible sin. What was that sin? They used the methods of the heathen. It was the heathen that had put that ark on a cart. God never ordained the ark to be carried on a cart. May I remind you, God gave specific commands concerning that ark. None but the Levites and the Levites alone were to carry that ark. and they had poles that go into the side, and they carried it by hand, not by an ark cart. And when Uzzah reached up and touched that ark, which he was not supposed to do, he was in essence saying in one sense of the word, God is not sovereign enough to protect this ark, I have to help. And another thing, and the main thing was, that ark was on that golf cart, and it never should have been on that golf cart.

[John Weaver] And when that golf cart, that ox cart, thank you. I wouldn't have caught that had I not seen my wife laughing. Thank you. Roy, that's your fault. I wouldn't even be riding on a golf cart if it wasn't for Roy. Thank you.

[John Weaver] Now that everyone's had their laugh, the oxcart should not have even been used. And so when God smote Uzzah, David said, look, let's just stop right here. And he turned aside to the house of Obed-Edom. He said, we're going to leave the We're going to leave the Ark right here. Now, I want you to look in your Bibles to 2 Samuel 6. Once again, look in verse 10. So David would not remove the Ark of the Lord unto him into the city of David, but David carried it aside in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite. Now look at verse 11. And the Ark of the Lord continued in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite three months. And the Lord blessed Obed-Edom and all his household. And it was told King David saying, the Lord hath blessed the house of Obed-Edom and all that pertaineth unto him because of the ark of God. So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom into the city of David with gladness.

[John Weaver] And it was so that when they that bare the ark of the Lord had gone six paces, he sacrificed oxen and fatlings. Now, let me just tell you. What has happened is this, after Uzzah has been smitten and the ark has been turned aside into the house of Obed-Edom, everyone sees and knows the blessings of God upon the house of Obed-Edom. They were evident to everyone that looked. And so in verse 12 then, It is told David saying the Lord had blessed the house of Obed-Edom and all that pertaineth unto him because of the ark of God.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to note carefully something. It was not just Obed-Edom that was blessed, but the Bible says it was all that pertaineth unto him. How would you like to have your children blessed and your grandchildren and or your great grandchildren and your extended family and your friends. Now, the Bible says, if you will turn their whole second Samuel, but if you will turn very quickly to First Chronicles 13 and verse 14, you'll see the same story, but I want you to note what is said. First Chronicles chapter 13 and verse 14. Here it is. And the ark of God remained with the family of Obed-Edom in the house in his house three months And the Lord blessed the house of Obed-Edom and all that he had." Isn't that amazing? God blessed him and all that he had. You say, wow, that Obed-Edom must have been some man. He must have been some great man. Oh? Well, I want you to look in 1 Chronicles chapter 15. I want you to see that Obed-Edom was not some great man.

[John Weaver] In fact, Obed-Edom was a simple man, and he had what you and I would call a rather mundane job. What was it? Look in 1 Chronicles 15, verse 24. The Bible says, and Shabaniah, and Jehoshaphat, and Nethaniel, Amassi, Zechariah, Benaiah, Eliezer, the priest, did blow with the trumpets before the ark of God, and Obed-Edom and Jehiah were what? Door-keepers for the ark. A door-keeper! You remember what David said in Psalm 84 and verse 10? He said, I'd rather be a door-keeper in the house of my God than to dwell in the tents of wickedness. What did Obed-Edom do? As mundane as his job was, he was faithful to God, And God blessed him for his faithfulness to his duties. He had given loving, tender care to that ark, and God sent his blessings not just upon Obed-Edom, but upon all that he had.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to stop and think with me of the implications of this. I want you to think of the implications of Obed-Edom's godliness and his faithfulness. What happened? David and all of the people see the blessings of God upon him, upon his family, upon his house, upon everything that he had. And all the people come to David and said, David, God's not mad at us. God's not angry at us any longer. what God is doing to the house and family and friends of Obed-Edom. And then David began to do a little study.

[John Weaver] And he found out that an ark should not have been carried except by the Levites. And so when he went to move it from the house of Obed-Edom, David said in 1 Chronicles 15, verse 2, listen, none ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites. For them hath the Lord chosen to carry the ark of God and to minister to him forever. And so when David then went back to get the ark, he took the Levites, he carried it the way God intended for it to be carried, and God came back to Jerusalem.

[John Weaver] Are you listening to what I'm about to say? It was due to the faithfulness and godliness of one man that an entire nation was encouraged to follow the Lord biblically and to do that which was right. It pays to have godly friends and godly families.

[John Weaver] Now, let me make a few applications. The first one is this. I can assure you that each of us need and want such godly friends and family. I do want godly people praying for me. I do want godly and faithful people as dear friends. And you have heard me say this innumerable times. I had rather preach to 30 godly people who want the truth than I had preached to 3,000 who could care less about the truth. Each of us need and want godly friends. I want to be around people who want to do what's right. I want to be around people who desire the Word of God. And I'd rather be around that kind of people than any other kind that I know.

[John Weaver] But listen to the second application. It's one thing to want and need such friends. It's quite another thing for you to be such a friend to someone else. The question is, are you willing to be that kind of friend? Are you willing to be godly and faithful so that you might have power with God and power with man? Do you remember when old Jacob wrestled with that angel in Genesis 32 and verse 28?

[John Weaver] And what did the Lord tell him? Thy name shall no longer be called Jacob, but thy name shall be called Israel, for as a prince thou hast power with God and with men. Would it not be a wonderful blessing just to be able to be a blessing to other people? Would it not be wonderful to find that other people prospered and were blessed and were edified And the Lord was glorified in their lives because of your influence as a godly friend or as a godly family member. You and I must determine in our hearts that if we want those kinds of friends in our lives, we need to be that kind of friend in the lives of other people. Do you remember?

[John Weaver] We reap what we sow. Be not deceived, God is not mocked, for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. He that sows the flesh shall of the flesh reap destruction, but he that sows the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. If we want godly friends, we need to sow Godliness in our lives and faithfulness in our lives, that we might be a blessing to others. And then God will always send people to be a blessing and a help to us. Let's pray.

[John Weaver] Father, we thank you for Jesus Christ. We thank you for his love and mercy. And Lord, we do pray today that you would indeed make us holy and godly. And make us, Lord, to be faithful friends and friends, Lord, and whom others may put their trust because they see the power and hand and blessing of God in our lives. We do cry to thee, Lord, to make us holy, to make us godly, to bring our lives in conformity to your word. In the name of Jesus Christ, we ask and pray. Amen.

It Pays to Have Godly Friends

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	8150682431
Subject	Old Testament Studies
Course	Genesis: Abraham, Covenant, and Promise
Genre	Sermon
Date	2006-06-11
Dictation Name
Book	Book 077: Genesis: Abraham, Covenant, and Promise — Chapter 4
Source Timed Segments	74

Formatted Transcript

Introduction: The Importance of Godly Friends and Family

Weaver introduces the topic by reading Genesis 18:16-33 and stating that godly friends and family are essential for well-being, prosperity, and health.

The message you are about to hear was produced by Dominion Ministry. If you would like to support this ministry by becoming a sermon partner or obtain additional high-resolution CDs, DVDs, or MP3s featuring the teaching of Pastor John Weaver, please visit the Dominion Ministry website at www.dominion.org. www.dominionministry.com. This ministry is completely supported by donations and it is through those donations that we are able to provide sermons for sermonaudio.com. Please visit our website at www.dominionministry.com to subscribe or make your donation today. Thank you. Alright, let's open our Bibles today, if you would please, to Genesis chapter 18. We're going to read this passage, and then I'm going to come back to it just briefly, and you'll see why. Let me just tell you what lies ahead, Lord willing, for us. After I preach this one message today, Lord willing, the next two Sundays, I want to bring a message entitled, When God Hides His Face. It will be in two parts. And then after that, I want to deal with a brief series on principles of deliverance.

And I think everyone would be interested in that, not only individually, familially, ecclesiastically, but nationally as well. So today I'm going to be preaching from Genesis chapter 18, and we're going to read verses 16 through 33. And the title of the message is, It Pays to Have Godly Friends and Family. It pays to have godly friends and family. Genesis 18, beginning there with verse 16,

Scripture Reading — Genesis 18:16-33

"And the men rose up from thence and looked toward Sodom: and Abraham went with them to bring them on the way. And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do; seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him. And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous; I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know." "And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the LORD. And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked? Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein? That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? And the LORD said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes. And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which am but dust and ashes: Peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty righteous: wilt thou destroy all the city for lack of five? And he said, If I find there forty and five, I will not destroy it." "And he spake unto him yet again, and said, Peradventure there shall be forty found there. And he said, I will not do it for forty's sake. And he said unto him, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: Peradventure there shall thirty be found there. And he said, I will not do it, if I find thirty there. And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord: Peradventure there shall be twenty found there." "And he said, I will not destroy it for twenty's sake. And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for ten's sake. And the LORD went his way, as soon as he had left communing with Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place."

Let me just put it very pointedly this morning.

Friends and family are important. Godly friends and family are essential. I'm going to show you from the Word of God that they are essential for our well-being, prosperity, and health.

Biblical Principles of Friendship

Weaver surveys Proverbs and other scriptures to show that friends must be friendly, faithful in wounding, and that we must not forsake family friends, while avoiding friendships with angry or worldly people.

Now, there are a multitude of passages in the Bible that deal with friendship. And just by way of introduction, I'm going to show you some of those. I want you to hold Genesis 18. We're going to come back there. But I do want you to look in Proverbs chapter 18 and verse 24. You might want to write some of these scriptures down. And especially share them with your children and your grandchildren. But notice in Proverbs chapter 18 in verse 24, the Bible says this: "A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly."

"And there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother." So the Bible says that a man that hath friends must shew himself friendly. So many times there are individuals who want to have friends, but they themselves refuse to be friendly. And the fact of the matter is, let's be honest, no one wants to be friends with a grouch and a sourpuss. And the Bible says, he that hath friends must shew himself friendly. So if we want to have friends, we must develop a friendly attitude. Moreover, if we want to have friends, we have to learn to be a friend ourselves. And all of us understand one simple truth, that oftentimes special friends, close friends, are often more loving, dedicated, and faithful even above our own family members. That's why the Bible says there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.

Now, if you look in Proverbs 27 in verse 6, there's another truth that God tells us concerning friends. In Proverbs 27 in verse 6, the Bible says,

Scripture Reading — Proverbs 27:6

"Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful."

Now when God says, faithful are the wounds of a friend, what He's saying is this, whenever a friend reproaches us, rebukes us, admonishes us, gets on to us, he's doing it out of love and out of faithfulness. And look what he said now, faithful are the wounds of a friend, but what? The kisses of an enemy are deceitful. In other words, God said you would rather have a friend wound you for your help, than to have an enemy to kiss you for your hurt. And you and I both know that a wound is far more painful than a kiss. And so God is saying you better put stock in the wounds of a friend. You know, that reminds me of a verse that you find in Leviticus 19 in verse 17.

You don't have to turn there, but let me just quote it for you. God says, "Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him." Look what God said, "Thou shalt not hate thy neighbour in thine heart." If you hate him, you will not rebuke him. God said, "Thou shalt rebuke him, and not suffer sin upon him." In other words, rebuking a friend is an act of love. It is not an act of animosity. It is not an act of hatred. So the Bible then tells us faithful are the wounds of a friend. You see, friends may encourage us, they may educate us, they may inform us, they may rebuke us. And at the same time, they can also hone our thinking to a fine edge.

If you look in your Bibles to Proverbs 27 and verse 17, you'll notice this passage. And by the way, let me just point out this fact. Oftentimes we will receive things from a friend that we would never receive from a family member. And the Bible tells us in Proverbs 27 and verse 17,

Scripture Reading — Proverbs 27:17

"Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend."

So just like iron will sharpen iron, friends are always welcome and they will always sharpen us.

Now, Scripture teaches us that there is indeed a certain faithfulness, listen now, that should not only be extended to our friends, but to the friends of our family. Look in Proverbs 27 and verse 10. I love this verse. Proverbs 27 and verse 10. God says,

Scripture Reading — Proverbs 27:10

"Thine own friend, and thy father's friend, forsake not; neither go into thy brother's house in the day of thy calamity: for better is a neighbour that is near than a brother far off."

Notice that thine own friend and thy father's friend forsake not. In other words, we not only have an obligation and a duty to our friends, we also have an obligation and a duty to those individuals who have been friends of our family for a long period of time. I am constantly amazed at how quickly and how easily many people are willing and ready to dissolve friendships. We owe a particular obligation to our friends and especially to those of our parents who have stood faithfully by us over the years. And I can assure you in over 40 years of preaching, I have seen heart-wrenching and heartbreaking dissolutions of long-term friendships, and it's usually over absolutely flippant things. Unhappily, pride is usually at the root of such.

Most had rather be proud and arrogant and lose a friend than admit they were wrong and reconcile and save a friendship. If I had the time today, I could sit here and tell you many wonderful stories, not just about my friends, but about the friends of my father and my mother. And so God says, thine own friend and thy father's friend forsake not. You know, the interesting thing is when God talks about friendship, He also tells us there are some people with whom we are not to develop a friendship. For instance, look in your Bible to Proverbs 22. And let's begin reading there with verse 24. Proverbs 22, verse 24, God says,

Scripture Reading — Proverbs 22:24-25

"Make no friendship with an angry man; and with a furious man thou shalt not go."

Now, why in the world should we not make friends with an angry man and with a furious man? Well, the answer is given to us in verse 25,

Scripture Reading — Proverbs 22:24-25

"Lest thou learn his ways, and get a snare to thy soul."

So God says you don't develop an intimate, close friendship with a furious and angry man because the result will ultimately be: You will not elevate him, he will pull you down.

You will not deliver him, he will destroy you. And so God says don't do that. In the book of Proverbs chapter 1 in verse 10, God says it like this. He says,

Scripture Reading — Proverbs 1:10

"My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not."

Why? Because when we consent with them, we are in agreement with them. And that is, we are joining them basically in their attitude and in their actions, which are wicked and sinful and ungodly.

Now, let me give you another one that God forbids us to make friends with. If you were to look in your Bibles to James 4 and verse 4, James 4 and verse 4, you will find this scripture. God says, and He's talking to the people there, and He says,

Scripture Reading — James 4:4

"Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God."

So God then forbids an intimate friendship with the world and by that he does not mean his creation. By that he does not mean nature as you and I talk about it and think about it. But he's talking about worldly individuals whose God is their belly. who could care less about biblical truth or scriptural truth. So God forbids us to make friends with furious, wicked people and with ungodly people who only have the world in their eyes.

Now, if you look in Psalm 1 and verse 1, you will see how this is summed up. Look in Psalm 1 and verse 1. God says,

Scripture Reading — Psalm 1:1

"Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful."

Now that's a very short verse. Look at it. Who is the blessed man? He's the man who walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. Now, let me just show you that God gives us three steps to destruction in that simple verse. The first step is when we receive or follow the advice or the counsel of the ungodly. The second step is when we associate with them, that is, stand with them. And the third and final step is agreement. That is, we sit in the seat of the scornful. So what God is saying is this, whenever you begin to take advice from the ungodly, and you begin to associate with the ungodly, the ultimate result is you will agree with the ungodly.

Why? Listen to me. Because when you first begin to listen to the ungodly, you've already rejected God and His Word and His truth. And once you do that, there's no other place to go but down.

The Difference Between Acquaintance and Friend

Weaver distinguishes between the Greek words hetairos (acquaintance) and philos (loved friend), using Jesus' address to Judas as an example.

Now, let me just tell you that the message I'm going to share with you today, it's not just about friends in general, although I've been showing you this by way of introduction, but it is about godly friends in particular. And I want you to note that there is a difference in the Bible between an acquaintance and a friend. In fact, as you read through the Greek New Testament, you'll find that there are two Greek words that are translated in our Bible as friend. The first Greek word is the word hetairos. Now, the word hetairos refers to an acquaintance, a fellow, or someone that you might have casual dealings with, or someone that you just might know casually. By the way, in the Greek, prostitutes were referred to as the hetairai, which would be the feminine of hetairos. In other words, they were acquaintances. They were casual. Isn't that interesting? The word for the prostitute in the Greek New Testament is the same as the word for someone that you might know. When you come to the other word for friend, it is the word philos, from the Greek word phileo, which means a loved one.

Phileo is the verb "I love," philos is the noun. It is where we get our English word familial from. In other words, it indicates a deep, respectful love. Now let me show you the difference. If you look in your Bibles to Matthew chapter 26, every one of you knows this story, but you remember how Judas had planned to betray our Lord. And you remember that he gave his enemies a sign, our Lord's enemies a sign. And what was that sign? He said, "He it is that I kiss on the cheek, and then you take him." And when Judas was on his way to betray Christ, and when he got in the presence of Christ, look what Christ said in Matthew 26 and verse 50. Jesus Christ looked at him and said unto him, and he's talking to Judas, "Friend, wherefore art thou come?" Then came they and laid hands on Jesus and took him. So when Jesus saw Judas, the first thing he said to him was, "Friend, wherefore art thou come?"

Scripture Reading — Matthew 26:50

Now, let me ask you a question. Which word for friend do you think our Lord used in Matthew 26 and verse 50? Hetairos. Judas, you were never a real friend. You were just an acquaintance. You were someone who knew me, walked with me, maybe worked with me, but you were never a friend. When our Lord looked at his other disciples, he said, "I call you friends," loved ones, intimate, dear. But he called Judas merely an acquaintance.

So I want you to understand when the Bible talks about friendship, there is a difference between being civil and kind to individuals and having real intimate friends.

Illustration 1: Abraham Intercedes for Lot

Weaver explains that Abraham's intercession for Sodom stopped at ten because he knew Lot had at least ten family members there. Lot was spared because God remembered Abraham's prayers.

You know, all of you know that my wife and I had identical twin girls. And they're still the best of friends today. And they're, what, 38? I got that one right. Not quite. Soon will be. That was a good guess. But you know, the interesting thing is, I don't know. They told us one time, each one of them, that when the phone rings, they know when it's the other one calling before they ever pick up the phone. They said, now we don't know who everybody else would be when they call, but if Laura calls Leah and the phone rings, Leah knows it's Laura and vice versa. I was riding with them one day on horses and we had not said a word for about 15 minutes. And finally, Laura said, "She's a nice girl."

And Leah immediately responded, said, "Yes, I really like Cheryl also." Leah knew who she was thinking about. And the name had never even been mentioned. Now you say, well, I can understand that kind of closeness. Well, let me tell you something. There's also closeness that can be between brethren in Christ. You don't have to be physically related. I want you to notice, if you would, in Genesis chapter 18, all of us know the story of the Lord came to Abraham and he says, "Abraham, I'm going to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah." And he said, "Shall I tell Abraham that which I'm about to do?" And then he said, "Yes, I will tell him because I know him. He's the man that's going to order his family and his household after me. He's going to be obedient. He's going to keep everything that I say to him." So in verses 20 and 21, the Lord reveals to Abraham that he's going to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. Now, what does Abraham automatically know? That his nephew Lot and his family live in that city. And so Abraham then begins to intercede. And you look in verse 23, "And Abraham drew near and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?"

What a question to ask the sovereign Lord of heaven and earth. And then he says, "Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein?" And then look what Abraham does. He answers his own question. He says, "That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee." And then he asks, "Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?" And the Lord says, "Abraham, you're right. I will spare the city if you can find me fifty righteous men." Now, you know the story because Abraham now begins to intercede even more. He said, "Well, Lord, what if there is a shortage of five?" Well, the Lord said, "I'll spare it for the forty-five's sake." "Well, but Lord, what if there's only forty there?" Well, the Lord said, "I'll spare it for the forty's sake." "Well, Lord, what if there's only thirty there?"

"Well, Lord," the Lord said, "I'll spare it for the thirty." "Well, Lord, one more time. How about what if we just find twenty?" "I'll spare it for the twenty's sake, Abraham." And Abraham said, "Oh, Lord, I'm but dust now and I'm taking it upon myself to talk to you. Lord, what about ten?" And the Lord said, "OK, I'll spare it for the ten's sake." And the interesting thing is, look in verse 33, after he had gotten him down to ten and the Lord went his way, as soon as he left communing with Abraham and Abraham returned unto his place. Now, let me ask you a question. Since Abraham was on a roll, and our Lord was giving him everything that he asked for, why did he stop at ten? Why didn't he get him down to five? Or four or three? Or two? Or one? Why did he stop at ten?

Now, look in your Bibles to Genesis 19 and verse 8. The Bible says,

Scripture Reading — Genesis 19:8, 14

"Behold now, I have two daughters which have not known man."

So Lot had two virgin daughters at home with he and his wife. So the last I checked, two and two make four. Now, if you look in verse 14 of Genesis chapter 19, the Bible says this, "And Lot went out, and spake unto his sons in law, which married his daughters."

Now, notice if you would please, "sons in law" is plural. That means he had a minimum of two. I don't know. But if he had two sons-in-law and two married daughters, that's four. Four and four is eight. If each one of them had a child, that's ten. If neither one of them had a child, and since "sons in law" is plural, he may have had three.

Three and three is six, and six plus four is ten. You know why he stopped at ten? Because Abraham knew that Lot had a minimum of ten family members in Sodom. He got him down to where he knew that Lot had a sufficient number to spare the city. I believe Abraham knew, knew just certainly, that there were ten in Lot's family. Do you realize—think about this—if there are ten righteous people and adults, do you realize ten tithing families can support a pastor?

There would be a congregation. Here's what the Bible is teaching us. For ten families or for ten godly people, God is willing to spare a city even if that city is as wicked as Sodom and Gomorrah were. Now, as you know, there were not ten righteous people in the city. There should have been ten. There should have been ten. Lot should have instructed his daughters, and he should have instructed his sons-in-law, but he did not. If you look back in verse 14, "And Lot went out, and spake unto his sons in law, which married his daughters, and said, Up, get you out of this place; for the LORD will destroy this city. But he seemed as one that mocked unto his sons in law." So his sons-in-law were very obviously ungodly, wicked men who were not willing to pay attention to Lot or to the Word of God.

They were destroyed in the conflagration. Now, the question you've got to ask is this. How many finally escaped the city? And you know it was Lot and his two daughters. You say, "But Pastor, his wife got out." Yes, she got out. But you remember, she looked back and was turned into a pillar of salt. So actually, only three got out. The rest were destroyed. Now, let me ask you a question. Why did God spare Lot and those two daughters?

Now, look in your Bibles to 2 Peter 2. 2 Peter 2. And look what the Bible says. 2 Peter 2. And notice, if you would please, verse 8. In fact, we'll begin reading verse 7. 2 Peter 2 verse 7,

Scripture Reading — 2 Peter 2:7-9

"And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds)."

Now let me just tell you that Lot is a real anomaly as far as I'm concerned. And if you were to ask me and just describe Lot and his actions to me, with me not knowing who you were talking about, I would automatically say he was a lost man. I mean, look where he lived. And when those stupid Sodomites came and surrounded his house, what was he willing to do? Offer his two daughters. How could any man do that? And yet the Bible calls him a righteous man. This is what I'm saying. If the Bible had not specifically said that he was a righteous man, I would have never believed it. But look what the Bible says. And notice, if you would please, in verse eight,

Scripture Reading — 2 Peter 2:7-9

"For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds."

And you say, "Well, Brother Weaver, here's why God delivered him." But look in verse 9, "The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished." You say, "Well, Lot was righteous and therefore God spared him." Well, you know, the interesting thing is Lot was righteous. The Bible does say so. But the Bible does not say that his two daughters were righteous. In fact, they were the ones who made their father drunk. You remember? Committed incest. You say, "Well, you know, God just delivered Lot because he is a righteous man." Oh, well, I want you to go back in your Bibles to Genesis chapter 19, and I want you to see there's a little more to it. I want you to think about this. Have righteous people perished in other floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, wars, fires? Yes, plenty of righteous people. Righteous people died just like wicked people. Well, why did God spare Lot? I mean, very obviously, Lot was vexing his righteous soul, the Bible says, with what he saw and what he heard on a daily basis. How he stayed in Sodom, I will never know. But I believe you'll find the real answer in Genesis 19 and verse 29. Look what the Bible says. "And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when he overthrew the cities in the which Lot dwelt."

What did God do? God remembered Abraham. God remembered the prayers. God remembered the intercessions. God remembered the arguments. Lot was not spared just because he was a righteous man. Lot was spared because of the prayers of Abraham. It pays to have godly families. It pays to have godly friends. And let me tell you something, folks. If I had the time today, I could sit here and document history after history. But let me tell you, there have been multitudes of people that have been saved and blessed and healed and delivered due to the prayers of godly family members and godly friends. And Lot and those two daughters are spared just because of the prayers of Abraham.

Illustration 2: Joseph Blesses Potiphar

Weaver shows that Potiphar, an unsaved Egyptian, was blessed in house and field because of Joseph's godly presence and faithfulness.

Let me give you the second illustration. The second illustration is found in the life of Joseph. And I want you to look in your Bibles to Genesis 39, verses 1 through 4. Genesis 39, verses 1 through 4.

Just pointing out the fact it pays to have a godly family and it pays to have godly friends. In Genesis 39, everyone knows the story how his brethren hated Joseph, how they sold him into Egypt. The Bible says in verse 1, Genesis 39,

Scripture Reading — Genesis 39:1-6

"And Joseph was brought down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him of the hands of the Ishmeelites, which had brought him down thither. And the LORD was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. And his master saw that the LORD was with him, and that the LORD made all that he did to prosper in his hand. And Joseph found grace in his sight, and he served him: and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand."

Now Joseph has been sold into slavery by his brethren, and in the providence of God, God made him a servant in the house of Potiphar. Potiphar so trusted Joseph that he put everything that he had at his disposal.

Look at verse 6. "And he left all that he had in Joseph's hand; and he knew not ought he had, save the bread which he did eat. And Joseph was a goodly person, and well favoured." Can you imagine that? Here's a man who was an officer to Pharaoh, which meant indeed he was a man of extreme wealth. And the man so trusted Joseph, that Joseph had absolute control over everything, and the man did not even know what he had, except what he ate. Joseph took care of everything. Well, he learned to trust Joseph. Look in verse 8 to show you how thoroughly even Joseph himself said this.

He said, "But he refused," that is when Potiphar's wife made a play for Joseph. "But he refused, and said unto his master's wife, Behold, my master wotteth not what is with me in the house, and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand." He said, "My master doesn't even know what he has. He doesn't know how much money he has, how much silver, gold or diamonds or brass or whatever, everything is in my hands." Now let me ask you a question. Why did Potiphar so trust Joseph? And why did he deliver everything into his hands? And by the way, I might add that Potiphar's trust was not misplaced. Not even in the instance with his wife. The advances that his wife made toward Joseph were refused by Joseph and Joseph refused to have anything to do with her. Well, what did Potiphar learn?

We'll go back to verse three first. "And his master saw that the LORD was with him, and that the LORD made all that he did to prosper in his hand." There were two observations. Number one, the Lord's with Joseph. Number two, Potiphar learned everything that Joseph did prospered. Now skip down to verse five. "And it came to pass from the time that he had made him overseer in his house, and over all that he had, that the LORD blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake; and the blessing of the LORD was upon all that he had in the house, and in the field." May I remind you that Potiphar was not only an important man, but he was also an unsaved man. He's an ungodly man. He's a pagan.

What does the Bible say? The Bible says the Lord blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake. Not only everything that he had in the house, but everything that he had in the field. In other words, Potiphar said, "I trust Joseph." And Potiphar should have been a little more wise in the accusations that his wife made against Joseph, because Potiphar should have reasoned and looked. Joseph has been faithful to all these other things. He's been a godly man. And God has blessed me because of him. He should have known about Joseph, whether or not he knew about his wife or not is a different thing. But at least he should have known about Joseph. But one thing he did know for sure, that the blessing of God was upon his house and upon his field and everything he had because of Joseph's sake.

Are you listening to me? It pays to have godly friends. It pays to have godly people to work with you, to work for you, to pray for you, to be around you. I don't know about you, but I wouldn't mind having a thousand like Joseph around me. Let me tell you, the ungodly of this world will never understand and never comprehend until Judgment Day the blessings they have received just because they are associated with a godly family or a godly man. And as pointed out in the life of Lot, God often does withhold his judgment due to the presence of one godly man or two or three godly people. May I point out this, and this would be for your consideration. As horrible as Katrina was, and as horrible as many tornadoes have been, has it ever dawned upon you or other people, they could have been much worse. And had it not been for the presence of some godly people, they may have indeed been much worse. Because God is willing to spare an area if you can find ten righteous people. All I'm trying to show you this is, it pays to have godly friends. It pays to have godly family members.

Illustration 3: Obed-edom Blesses a Nation

Weaver recounts how Obed-edom, a simple doorkeeper, faithfully kept the ark, and God blessed him and all his household, which encouraged David and Israel to return to God's ways.

I have known of illustrations of men and women who have had lost children who prayed faithfully every day for their children, and who died with their children unsaved. And yet, after their death, after the parents died, God did have mercy and answered the prayer and saved those children. Just because you don't necessarily live to see it, does not mean that it will not happen. My third illustration is taken from 2 Samuel 6. If you'll look there please, 2 Samuel 6, and let's read the first 10 verses. This is an amazing story, 2 Samuel 6, and let's begin reading there with verse 1. 2 Samuel 6, verse 1. The Word of God says, "Again, David gathered together all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand. And David arose, and went with all the people that were with him from Baale of Judah, to bring up from thence the ark of God, whose name is called by the name of the LORD of hosts that dwelleth between the cherubims. And they set the ark of God upon a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab that was in Gibeah."

"And Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drave the new cart. And they brought it out of the house of Abinadab which was at Gibeah, accompanying the ark of God: and Ahio went before the ark. And David and all the house of Israel played before the LORD on all manner of instruments made of fir wood, even on harps, and on psalteries, and on timbrels, and on cornets, and on cymbals. And when they came to Nachon's threshingfloor, Uzzah put forth his hand to the ark of God, and took hold of it; for the oxen shook it. And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there for his error; and there he died by the ark of God. And David was displeased, because the LORD had made a breach upon Uzzah: and he called the name of the place Perez-uzzah to this day. And David was afraid of the LORD that day, and said, How shall the ark of the LORD come to me? So David would not remove the ark of the LORD unto him into the city of David."

"But David carried it aside into the house of Obed-edom the Gittite." Now let's stop there. Many of you will remember that the Philistines had captured the ark during the time of Eli, Hophni, and Phinehas. God did indeed slay Hophni and Phinehas the same day, and then of course Eli, when he heard the news the ark of God had been captured, he fell over backwards and broke his neck. You remember how the Philistines then were rejoicing that their god had defeated the God of Israel, but the next thing you know, all the leaders and the people of Philistines were smitten with hemorrhoids. Now you're going to ask me, what are hemorrhoids? I don't know. Most scholars said they're hemorrhoids.

A bad, bad case of them. But I'll tell you one thing for sure, whatever it was, it was so horrible and so bad, they wanted to get rid of that ark. And so what did they do? They put that ark on a cart and took two milk cows that had calves and said, "Now if these cows leave their calves and go straight one way, we'll know it's God who smote us. And if not, we'll know that it was just chance," you know, et cetera.

So what did they do? You know, it's not natural for a cow to leave her calves. But boy, those cows headed straight for Beth-shemesh, lowing as they went, never looking, never turning, just going straight. So the Philistines knew there was the hand of God upon them. Now, the ark, when it was returned, first stopped at Beth-shemesh.

Now, when you get to 1 Samuel 6, verses 18 through 21, wow. The men of Beth-shemesh made a horrible mistake. Look in verse 18, 1 Samuel chapter 6, verse 18.

Scripture Reading — 1 Samuel 6:18-21

"And the golden mice, according to the number of all the cities of the Philistines belonging to the five lords, both of fenced cities, and of country villages, even unto the great stone of Abel, whereon they set down the ark of the LORD: which stone remaineth unto this day in the field of Joshua, the Beth-shemite. And he smote the men of Beth-shemesh, because they had looked into the ark of the LORD, even he smote of the people fifty thousand and threescore and ten men: and the people lamented, because the LORD had smitten many of the people with a great slaughter. And the men of Beth-shemesh said, Who is able to stand before this holy LORD God?"

"And to whom shall he go up from us? And they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kirjath-jearim, saying, The Philistines have brought again the ark of the LORD; come ye down, and fetch it up to you." Get it out of here, they said. Why? Well, God just killed over 50,000 people. Well, 50,000, wait a minute, and threescore, that's 60, right? And ten, that's 70. Wow. 50,070 people, yeah, it's time to say, "I'm concerned." Well, why did God smite them? Because they looked into the ark. They were not to look into that ark. So, the men of Kirjath-jearim came and picked up the ark. Now, I want you to look in verse 1 of chapter 7, 1 Samuel, "And the men of Kirjath-jearim came, and fetched up the ark of the LORD, and brought it into the house of Abinadab in the hill, and sanctified Eleazar his son to keep the ark of the LORD." And by the way, the ark was there for 20 years. Now David and his men go down to fetch that ark to bring it back to Jerusalem.

You know, a lot of people have often wondered, why did God kill Uzzah? I mean, the oxen stumbled, the ark leaned over to Uzzah, just put his hand up to protect the ark, and God killed him. Why? Well, let me just tell you, David and his men committed a horrible sin. What was that sin? They used the methods of the heathen. It was the heathen that had put that ark on a cart. God never ordained the ark to be carried on a cart. May I remind you, God gave specific commands concerning that ark. None but the Levites and the Levites alone were to carry that ark. And they had poles that go into the side, and they carried it by hand, not by an ark cart. And when Uzzah reached up and touched that ark, which he was not supposed to do, he was in essence saying in one sense of the word, "God is not sovereign enough to protect this ark, I have to help." And another thing, and the main thing was, that ark was on that ox cart, and it never should have been on that ox cart.

And when that ox cart—thank you. I wouldn't have caught that had I not seen my wife laughing. Thank you. Roy, that's your fault. I wouldn't even be riding on a golf cart if it wasn't for Roy. Thank you.

Now that everyone's had their laugh, the ox cart should not have even been used. And so when God smote Uzzah, David said, "Look, let's just stop right here." And he turned aside to the house of Obed-edom. He said, "We're going to leave the ark right here." Now, I want you to look in your Bibles to 2 Samuel 6. Once again, look in verse 10. "So David would not remove the ark of the LORD unto him into the city of David: but David carried it aside into the house of Obed-edom the Gittite." Now look at verse 11. "And the ark of the LORD continued in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite three months: and the LORD blessed Obed-edom, and all his household. And it was told king David, saying, The LORD hath blessed the house of Obed-edom, and all that pertaineth unto him, because of the ark of God. So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom into the city of David with gladness."

"And it was so, that when they that bare the ark of the LORD had gone six paces, he sacrificed oxen and fatlings." Now, let me just tell you. What has happened is this, after Uzzah has been smitten and the ark has been turned aside into the house of Obed-edom, everyone sees and knows the blessings of God upon the house of Obed-edom. They were evident to everyone that looked. And so in verse 12 then, it is told David saying, "The LORD hath blessed the house of Obed-edom, and all that pertaineth unto him, because of the ark of God."

Now, I want you to note carefully something. It was not just Obed-edom that was blessed, but the Bible says it was all that pertaineth unto him. How would you like to have your children blessed and your grandchildren and or your great-grandchildren and your extended family and your friends? Now, the Bible says, if you will turn—not 2 Samuel, but if you will turn very quickly to 1 Chronicles 13 and verse 14, you'll see the same story, but I want you to note what is said. 1 Chronicles chapter 13 and verse 14. Here it is.

Scripture Reading — 1 Chronicles 13:14

"And the ark of God remained with the family of Obed-edom in his house three months. And the LORD blessed the house of Obed-edom, and all that he had."

Isn't that amazing? God blessed him and all that he had. You say, "Wow, that Obed-edom must have been some man. He must have been some great man." Oh? Well, I want you to look in 1 Chronicles chapter 15. I want you to see that Obed-edom was not some great man.

In fact, Obed-edom was a simple man, and he had what you and I would call a rather mundane job. What was it? Look in 1 Chronicles 15, verse 24. The Bible says,

Scripture Reading — 1 Chronicles 15:24

"And Shebaniah, and Jehoshaphat, and Nethaneel, and Amasai, and Zechariah, and Benaiah, and Eliezer, the priests, did blow with the trumpets before the ark of God: and Obed-edom and Jehiah were doorkeepers for the ark."

A doorkeeper! You remember what David said in Psalm 84 and verse 10? He said, "I'd rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness." What did Obed-edom do? As mundane as his job was, he was faithful to God, and God blessed him for his faithfulness to his duties. He had given loving, tender care to that ark, and God sent his blessings not just upon Obed-edom, but upon all that he had.

Now, I want you to stop and think with me of the implications of this. I want you to think of the implications of Obed-edom's godliness and his faithfulness. What happened? David and all of the people see the blessings of God upon him, upon his family, upon his house, upon everything that he had. And all the people come to David and said, "David, God's not mad at us. God's not angry at us any longer. Look what God is doing to the house and family and friends of Obed-edom." And then David began to do a little study.

And he found out that the ark should not have been carried except by the Levites. And so when he went to move it from the house of Obed-edom, David said in 1 Chronicles 15, verse 2, "None ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites: for them hath the LORD chosen to carry the ark of God, and to minister unto him for ever." And so when David then went back to get the ark, he took the Levites, he carried it the way God intended for it to be carried, and God came back to Jerusalem. Are you listening to what I'm about to say? It was due to the faithfulness and godliness of one man that an entire nation was encouraged to follow the Lord biblically and to do that which was right. It pays to have godly friends and godly families.

Applications: Be the Godly Friend You Seek

Weaver applies the message by urging believers to not only desire godly friends but to be such friends themselves, sowing godliness to reap blessings.

Now, let me make a few applications. The first one is this. I can assure you that each of us need and want such godly friends and family. I do want godly people praying for me. I do want godly and faithful people as dear friends. And you have heard me say this innumerable times. I had rather preach to 30 godly people who want the truth than I had preach to 3,000 who could care less about the truth. Each of us need and want godly friends. I want to be around people who want to do what's right. I want to be around people who desire the Word of God. And I'd rather be around that kind of people than any other kind that I know.

But listen to the second application. It's one thing to want and need such friends. It's quite another thing for you to be such a friend to someone else. The question is, are you willing to be that kind of friend? Are you willing to be godly and faithful so that you might have power with God and power with man? Do you remember when old Jacob wrestled with that angel in Genesis 32 and verse 28? And what did the Lord tell him? "Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men." Would it not be a wonderful blessing just to be able to be a blessing to other people? Would it not be wonderful to find that other people prospered and were blessed and were edified and the Lord was glorified in their lives because of your influence as a godly friend or as a godly family member? You and I must determine in our hearts that if we want those kinds of friends in our lives, we need to be that kind of friend in the lives of other people. Do you remember?

We reap what we sow. "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting." If we want godly friends, we need to sow godliness in our lives and faithfulness in our lives, that we might be a blessing to others. And then God will always send people to be a blessing and a help to us. Let's pray.

Study Guide

Major Themes

The Essential Nature of Godly Friends and Family

Summary: Godly friends and family are not just important but essential for our well-being, prosperity, and health.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'Friends and family are important. Godly friends and family are essential. I'm going to show you from the Word of God that they are essential for our well-being, prosperity, and health.'

Faithfulness in Friendship

Summary: True friends are faithful even when they wound us with rebuke, which is an act of love.

Evidence: Weaver quotes Proverbs 27:6, 'Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful,' and explains that rebuking a friend is an act of love.

The Power of One Godly Person

Summary: One godly person can bring blessing, protection, and even national revival through their faithfulness and prayers.

Evidence: Weaver illustrates with Abraham, Joseph, and Obed-edom, concluding, 'It was due to the faithfulness and godliness of one man that an entire nation was encouraged to follow the Lord biblically.'

Sowing and Reaping in Relationships

Summary: To have godly friends, we must be godly friends ourselves, sowing to the Spirit to reap life everlasting.

Evidence: Weaver cites Galatians 6:7-8 and says, 'If we want godly friends, we need to sow godliness in our lives and faithfulness in our lives.'

Key Arguments

God spares the wicked for the sake of the righteous

Summary: Abraham's intercession shows that God is willing to spare an entire city if even ten righteous people are found there.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'For ten families or for ten godly people, God is willing to spare a city even if that city is as wicked as Sodom and Gomorrah were.'

Lot was spared because of Abraham's prayers

Summary: Lot's deliverance was not solely due to his own righteousness but because God remembered Abraham's intercession.

Evidence: Weaver reads Genesis 19:29, 'God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow,' and argues Lot was spared because of Abraham's prayers.

The ungodly are blessed through association with the godly

Summary: Potiphar's household was blessed because of Joseph's presence, demonstrating that godly individuals bring blessings to those around them.

Evidence: Weaver reads Genesis 39:5, 'the LORD blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake,' and emphasizes Potiphar was an unsaved pagan.

Faithfulness in small tasks leads to great blessing

Summary: Obed-edom, a simple doorkeeper, was faithful in caring for the ark, and God blessed him and all he had, which in turn encouraged a nation.

Evidence: Weaver notes Obed-edom's mundane job and says, 'As mundane as his job was, he was faithful to God, and God blessed him for his faithfulness.'

Scripture References

Genesis 18:16-33

Context: Weaver reads the passage as the primary text for the sermon, detailing Abraham's intercession for Sodom.

Proverbs 18:24

Context: Weaver cites this to show that a man must be friendly to have friends and that a friend can stick closer than a brother.

Proverbs 27:6

Context: Weaver uses this to teach that faithful wounds from a friend are better than deceitful kisses from an enemy.

Leviticus 19:17

Context: Weaver quotes this to support that rebuking a neighbor is an act of love, not hatred.

Proverbs 27:17

Context: Weaver cites this to illustrate that friends sharpen one another like iron sharpens iron.

Proverbs 27:10

Context: Weaver uses this to emphasize not forsaking one's own friend or a father's friend.

Proverbs 22:24-25

Context: Weaver warns against making friends with an angry man lest one learn his ways and get a snare to the soul.

Proverbs 1:10

Context: Weaver quotes this to caution against consenting when sinners entice.

James 4:4

Context: Weaver cites this to show that friendship with the world is enmity with God.

Psalm 1:1

Context: Weaver uses this to outline three steps to destruction: walking in the counsel of the ungodly, standing with sinners, and sitting with the scornful.

Matthew 26:50

Context: Weaver references Jesus calling Judas 'friend' (hetairos) to distinguish between an acquaintance and a true friend.

Genesis 19:8, 14

Context: Weaver uses these verses to calculate that Lot had at least ten family members, explaining why Abraham stopped interceding at ten.

2 Peter 2:7-9

Context: Weaver reads this to show that Lot was a righteous man vexed by the wickedness around him, and that the Lord knows how to deliver the godly.

Genesis 19:29

Context: Weaver cites this as the key verse showing that God remembered Abraham and sent Lot out of the overthrow.

Genesis 39:1-6

Context: Weaver reads this to show how Joseph found favor with Potiphar and was put in charge of all he had.

Genesis 39:5

Context: Weaver emphasizes that the Lord blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake.

2 Samuel 6:1-11

Context: Weaver reads the story of Uzzah's death and the ark being placed in Obed-edom's house.

1 Samuel 6:18-21

Context: Weaver references the men of Beth-shemesh being smitten for looking into the ark.

1 Chronicles 13:14

Context: Weaver reads this parallel account emphasizing that the Lord blessed Obed-edom and all he had.

1 Chronicles 15:24

Context: Weaver points out that Obed-edom was a doorkeeper for the ark, highlighting his humble role.

Historical References

The Philistines capturing the ark and being smitten with hemorrhoids

Context: Weaver recounts the story from 1 Samuel 5-6 of the Philistines capturing the ark, being afflicted, and returning it on a cart pulled by milk cows.

The men of Beth-shemesh struck down for looking into the ark

Context: Weaver mentions that God smote 50,070 men of Beth-shemesh for looking into the ark, leading them to send the ark away.

Hurricane Katrina and tornadoes

Context: Weaver suggests that such disasters could have been worse if not for the presence of godly people, applying the principle of Genesis 18.

Important Quotes

Friends and family are important. Godly friends and family are essential. I'm going to show you from the Word of God that they are essential for our well-being, prosperity, and health.

Significance: This is the central thesis of the sermon, emphasizing the vital role of godly relationships.

Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.

Significance: Weaver uses this proverb to teach that true friends show love through honest rebuke.

Thine own friend, and thy father's friend, forsake not; neither go into thy brother's house in the day of thy calamity: for better is a neighbour that is near than a brother far off.

Significance: This quote underscores the duty to maintain long-term friendships, especially those of one's family.

And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when he overthrew the cities in the which Lot dwelt.

Significance: This is the key verse Weaver uses to argue that Lot was spared because of Abraham's prayers.

And the ark of God remained with the family of Obed-edom in his house three months. And the LORD blessed the house of Obed-edom, and all that he had.

Significance: Weaver uses this to illustrate how one man's faithfulness brought blessing to his entire household.

It was due to the faithfulness and godliness of one man that an entire nation was encouraged to follow the Lord biblically and to do that which was right.

Significance: This summarizes the impact of Obed-edom's example on David and Israel.

If we want godly friends, we need to sow godliness in our lives and faithfulness in our lives, that we might be a blessing to others.

Significance: This is the main application, calling believers to be the kind of friend they desire.

Discussion Questions

Why does Weaver say that godly friends and family are 'essential' rather than just important?

Context: Weaver opens the sermon by stating that godly friends and family are essential for well-being, prosperity, and health.

How does the distinction between hetairos and philos affect our understanding of biblical friendship?

Context: Weaver explains the Greek words for friend, using Jesus' address to Judas as an example of hetairos (acquaintance).

Why did Abraham stop interceding at ten righteous people?

Context: Weaver argues that Abraham knew Lot had at least ten family members in Sodom, so he stopped when he reached the number needed to spare the city.

In what ways can one godly person bring blessing to an ungodly environment, as seen in Joseph's life?

Context: Weaver uses the example of Joseph to show that Potiphar's household was blessed because of Joseph's presence.

What does Obed-edom's story teach us about the impact of faithfulness in small tasks?

Context: Weaver highlights that Obed-edom was a simple doorkeeper, yet his faithfulness led to blessing for his household and encouragement for the nation.

How can we practically 'sow godliness' to become the kind of friend we want to have?

Context: Weaver applies the principle of sowing and reaping from Galatians 6 to the pursuit of godly friendships.

Applications

Seek to be a godly friend to others

Summary: Weaver challenges believers to not only desire godly friends but to actively be that kind of friend, sowing godliness and faithfulness.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'It's one thing to want and need such friends. It's quite another thing for you to be such a friend to someone else.'

Value and maintain long-term friendships

Summary: Weaver urges believers not to forsake their own friends or their father's friends, emphasizing the obligation to preserve godly relationships.

Evidence: Weaver quotes Proverbs 27:10 and laments how quickly people dissolve friendships over flippant things.

Be faithful in small responsibilities

Summary: Weaver uses Obed-edom's example to encourage faithfulness in mundane tasks, trusting that God will bless such faithfulness.

Evidence: Weaver notes Obed-edom was a doorkeeper and says, 'As mundane as his job was, he was faithful to God, and God blessed him for his faithfulness.'

Pray for and intercede for others

Summary: Weaver highlights Abraham's intercession for Lot as a model for praying for family and friends, trusting that God hears and answers.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'Lot was spared because of the prayers of Abraham. It pays to have godly families. It pays to have godly friends.'

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T21:34:22Z

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T13:29:29Z

Clean Transcript

It Pays to Have Godly Friends

Clean readable transcript. This view follows the Commentary.net cleaned segment text while preserving timestamps for audio follow-along.

The message you are about to hear was produced by Dominion Ministry. If you would like to support this ministry by becoming a sermon partner or obtain additional high-resolution CDs, DVDs, or MP3s featuring the teaching of Pastor John Weaver, please visit the Dominion Ministry website at www.dominion.org. www.dominionministry.com. This ministry is completely supported by donations and it is through those donations that we are able to provide sermons for sermonaudio.com. Please visit our website at www.dominionministry.com to subscribe or make your donation today. Thank you. Alright, let's open our Bibles today, if you would please, to Genesis chapter 18.
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We're going to read this passage, and then I'm going to come back to it just briefly, and you'll see why. Let me just tell you what lies ahead, Lord willing, for us. After I preach this one message today, Lord willing, the next two Sundays, I want to bring a message entitled, When God Hides His Face. It will be in two parts. And then after that, I want to deal with a brief series on principles of deliverance.
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And I think everyone would be interested in that, not only individually, familially, ecclesiastically, but nationally as well. So today I'm going to be preaching from Genesis chapter 18, and we're going to read verses 16 through 33. And the title of the message is, It Pays to Have Godly Friends and Family. It pays to have godly friends and family. Genesis 18, beginning there with verse 16, "And the men rose up from thence and looked toward Sodom: and Abraham went with them to bring them on the way. And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do; seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him. And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous; I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know."
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"And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the LORD. And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked? Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein? That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? And the LORD said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes. And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which am but dust and ashes: Peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty righteous: wilt thou destroy all the city for lack of five? And he said, If I find there forty and five, I will not destroy it."
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"And he spake unto him yet again, and said, Peradventure there shall be forty found there. And he said, I will not do it for forty's sake. And he said unto him, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: Peradventure there shall thirty be found there. And he said, I will not do it, if I find thirty there. And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord: Peradventure there shall be twenty found there."
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"And he said, I will not destroy it for twenty's sake. And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for ten's sake. And the LORD went his way, as soon as he had left communing with Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place." Let me just put it very pointedly this morning.
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Friends and family are important. Godly friends and family are essential. I'm going to show you from the Word of God that they are essential for our well-being, prosperity, and health.
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Now, there are a multitude of passages in the Bible that deal with friendship. And just by way of introduction, I'm going to show you some of those. I want you to hold Genesis 18. We're going to come back there. But I do want you to look in Proverbs chapter 18 and verse 24. You might want to write some of these scriptures down. And especially share them with your children and your grandchildren. But notice in Proverbs chapter 18 in verse 24, the Bible says this: "A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly."
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"And there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother." So the Bible says that a man that hath friends must shew himself friendly. So many times there are individuals who want to have friends, but they themselves refuse to be friendly. And the fact of the matter is, let's be honest, no one wants to be friends with a grouch and a sourpuss. And the Bible says, he that hath friends must shew himself friendly. So if we want to have friends, we must develop a friendly attitude. Moreover, if we want to have friends, we have to learn to be a friend ourselves. And all of us understand one simple truth, that oftentimes special friends, close friends, are often more loving, dedicated, and faithful even above our own family members. That's why the Bible says there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.
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Now, if you look in Proverbs 27 in verse 6, there's another truth that God tells us concerning friends. In Proverbs 27 in verse 6, the Bible says, "Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful." Now when God says, faithful are the wounds of a friend, what He's saying is this, whenever a friend reproaches us, rebukes us, admonishes us, gets on to us, he's doing it out of love and out of faithfulness. And look what he said now, faithful are the wounds of a friend, but what? The kisses of an enemy are deceitful. In other words, God said you would rather have a friend wound you for your help, than to have an enemy to kiss you for your hurt. And you and I both know that a wound is far more painful than a kiss. And so God is saying you better put stock in the wounds of a friend. You know, that reminds me of a verse that you find in Leviticus 19 in verse 17.
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You don't have to turn there, but let me just quote it for you. God says, "Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him." Look what God said, "Thou shalt not hate thy neighbour in thine heart." If you hate him, you will not rebuke him. God said, "Thou shalt rebuke him, and not suffer sin upon him."
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In other words, rebuking a friend is an act of love. It is not an act of animosity. It is not an act of hatred. So the Bible then tells us faithful are the wounds of a friend. You see, friends may encourage us, they may educate us, they may inform us, they may rebuke us. And at the same time, they can also hone our thinking to a fine edge.
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If you look in your Bibles to Proverbs 27 and verse 17, you'll notice this passage. And by the way, let me just point out this fact. Oftentimes we will receive things from a friend that we would never receive from a family member. And the Bible tells us in Proverbs 27 and verse 17, "Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend." So just like iron will sharpen iron, friends are always welcome and they will always sharpen us.
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Now, Scripture teaches us that there is indeed a certain faithfulness, listen now, that should not only be extended to our friends, but to the friends of our family. Look in Proverbs 27 and verse 10. I love this verse. Proverbs 27 and verse 10. God says, "Thine own friend, and thy father's friend, forsake not; neither go into thy brother's house in the day of thy calamity: for better is a neighbour that is near than a brother far off." Notice that thine own friend and thy father's friend forsake not. In other words, we not only have an obligation and a duty to our friends, we also have an obligation and a duty to those individuals who have been friends of our family for a long period of time.
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I am constantly amazed at how quickly and how easily many people are willing and ready to dissolve friendships. We owe a particular obligation to our friends and especially to those of our parents who have stood faithfully by us over the years. And I can assure you in over 40 years of preaching, I have seen heart-wrenching and heartbreaking dissolutions of long-term friendships, and it's usually over absolutely flippant things. Unhappily, pride is usually at the root of such.
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Most had rather be proud and arrogant and lose a friend than admit they were wrong and reconcile and save a friendship. If I had the time today, I could sit here and tell you many wonderful stories, not just about my friends, but about the friends of my father and my mother. And so God says, thine own friend and thy father's friend forsake not. You know, the interesting thing is when God talks about friendship, He also tells us there are some people with whom we are not to develop a friendship. For instance, look in your Bible to Proverbs 22. And let's begin reading there with verse 24. Proverbs 22, verse 24, God says, "Make no friendship with an angry man; and with a furious man thou shalt not go." Now, why in the world should we not make friends with an angry man and with a furious man? Well, the answer is given to us in verse 25, "Lest thou learn his ways, and get a snare to thy soul." So God says you don't develop an intimate, close friendship with a furious and angry man because the result will ultimately be: You will not elevate him, he will pull you down.
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You will not deliver him, he will destroy you. And so God says don't do that. In the book of Proverbs chapter 1 in verse 10, God says it like this. He says, "My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not." Why? Because when we consent with them, we are in agreement with them. And that is, we are joining them basically in their attitude and in their actions, which are wicked and sinful and ungodly.
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Now, let me give you another one that God forbids us to make friends with. If you were to look in your Bibles to James 4 and verse 4, James 4 and verse 4, you will find this scripture. God says, and He's talking to the people there, and He says, "Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God." So God then forbids an intimate friendship with the world and by that he does not mean his creation. By that he does not mean nature as you and I talk about it and think about it. But he's talking about worldly individuals whose God is their belly.
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who could care less about biblical truth or scriptural truth. So God forbids us to make friends with furious, wicked people and with ungodly people who only have the world in their eyes.
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Now, if you look in Psalm 1 and verse 1, you will see how this is summed up. Look in Psalm 1 and verse 1. God says, "Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful." Now that's a very short verse. Look at it. Who is the blessed man? He's the man who walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. Now, let me just show you that God gives us three steps to destruction in that simple verse. The first step is when we receive or follow the advice or the counsel of the ungodly. The second step is when we associate with them, that is, stand with them. And the third and final step is agreement. That is, we sit in the seat of the scornful. So what God is saying is this, whenever you begin to take advice from the ungodly, and you begin to associate with the ungodly, the ultimate result is you will agree with the ungodly.
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Why? Listen to me. Because when you first begin to listen to the ungodly, you've already rejected God and His Word and His truth. And once you do that, there's no other place to go but down.
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Now, let me just tell you that the message I'm going to share with you today, it's not just about friends in general, although I've been showing you this by way of introduction, but it is about godly friends in particular. And I want you to note that there is a difference in the Bible between an acquaintance and a friend. In fact, as you read through the Greek New Testament, you'll find that there are two Greek words that are translated in our Bible as friend. The first Greek word is the word hetairos. Now, the word hetairos refers to an acquaintance, a fellow, or someone that you might have casual dealings with, or someone that you just might know casually. By the way, in the Greek, prostitutes were referred to as the hetairai, which would be the feminine of hetairos. In other words, they were acquaintances. They were casual. Isn't that interesting? The word for the prostitute in the Greek New Testament is the same as the word for someone that you might know. When you come to the other word for friend, it is the word philos, from the Greek word phileo, which means a loved one.
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Phileo is the verb "I love," philos is the noun. It is where we get our English word familial from. In other words, it indicates a deep, respectful love.
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Now let me show you the difference. If you look in your Bibles to Matthew chapter 26, every one of you knows this story, but you remember how Judas had planned to betray our Lord. And you remember that he gave his enemies a sign, our Lord's enemies a sign. And what was that sign? He said, "He it is that I kiss on the cheek, and then you take him." And when Judas was on his way to betray Christ, and when he got in the presence of Christ, look what Christ said in Matthew 26 and verse 50. Jesus Christ looked at him and said unto him, and he's talking to Judas, "Friend, wherefore art thou come?" Then came they and laid hands on Jesus and took him. So when Jesus saw Judas, the first thing he said to him was, "Friend, wherefore art thou come?"
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Now, let me ask you a question. Which word for friend do you think our Lord used in Matthew 26 and verse 50? Hetairos. Judas, you were never a real friend. You were just an acquaintance. You were someone who knew me, walked with me, maybe worked with me, but you were never a friend. When our Lord looked at his other disciples, he said, "I call you friends," loved ones, intimate, dear. But he called Judas merely an acquaintance.
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So I want you to understand when the Bible talks about friendship, there is a difference between being civil and kind to individuals and having real intimate friends.
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Now, I told you the title of this message is that it pays to have godly friends and family. I want to give you today just three illustrations of this truth. And my first illustration is going to be found in the passages we read in Genesis chapter 18. So I want you to go back there. And by the way, these true, intimate and dear friends may be found in your family. They may be found in your church. They may be found in other places.
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You know, all of you know that my wife and I had identical twin girls. And they're still the best of friends today. And they're, what, 38? I got that one right. Not quite. Soon will be. That was a good guess. But you know, the interesting thing is, I don't know. They told us one time, each one of them, that when the phone rings, they know when it's the other one calling before they ever pick up the phone. They said, now we don't know who everybody else would be when they call, but if Laura calls Leah and the phone rings, Leah knows it's Laura and vice versa. I was riding with them one day on horses and we had not said a word for about 15 minutes. And finally, Laura said, "She's a nice girl."
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And Leah immediately responded, said, "Yes, I really like Cheryl also." Leah knew who she was thinking about. And the name had never even been mentioned.
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Now you say, well, I can understand that kind of closeness. Well, let me tell you something. There's also closeness that can be between brethren in Christ. You don't have to be physically related. I want you to notice, if you would, in Genesis chapter 18, all of us know the story of the Lord came to Abraham and he says, "Abraham, I'm going to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah." And he said, "Shall I tell Abraham that which I'm about to do?" And then he said, "Yes, I will tell him because I know him. He's the man that's going to order his family and his household after me. He's going to be obedient. He's going to keep everything that I say to him." So in verses 20 and 21, the Lord reveals to Abraham that he's going to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. Now, what does Abraham automatically know? That his nephew Lot and his family live in that city. And so Abraham then begins to intercede. And you look in verse 23, "And Abraham drew near and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?"
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What a question to ask the sovereign Lord of heaven and earth. And then he says, "Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein?" And then look what Abraham does. He answers his own question. He says, "That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee." And then he asks, "Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?" And the Lord says, "Abraham, you're right. I will spare the city if you can find me fifty righteous men." Now, you know the story because Abraham now begins to intercede even more. He said, "Well, Lord, what if there is a shortage of five?" Well, the Lord said, "I'll spare it for the forty-five's sake." "Well, but Lord, what if there's only forty there?" Well, the Lord said, "I'll spare it for the forty's sake." "Well, Lord, what if there's only thirty there?"
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"Well, Lord," the Lord said, "I'll spare it for the thirty." "Well, Lord, one more time. How about what if we just find twenty?" "I'll spare it for the twenty's sake, Abraham." And Abraham said, "Oh, Lord, I'm but dust now and I'm taking it upon myself to talk to you. Lord, what about ten?" And the Lord said, "OK, I'll spare it for the ten's sake." And the interesting thing is, look in verse 33, after he had gotten him down to ten and the Lord went his way, as soon as he left communing with Abraham and Abraham returned unto his place.
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Now, let me ask you a question. Since Abraham was on a roll, and our Lord was giving him everything that he asked for, why did he stop at ten? Why didn't he get him down to five? Or four or three? Or two? Or one? Why did he stop at ten?
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Now, look in your Bibles to Genesis 19 and verse 8. The Bible says, "Behold now, I have two daughters which have not known man." So Lot had two virgin daughters at home with he and his wife. So the last I checked, two and two make four. Now, if you look in verse 14 of Genesis chapter 19, the Bible says this, "And Lot went out, and spake unto his sons in law, which married his daughters."
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Now, notice if you would please, "sons in law" is plural. That means he had a minimum of two. I don't know. But if he had two sons-in-law and two married daughters, that's four. Four and four is eight. If each one of them had a child, that's ten. If neither one of them had a child, and since "sons in law" is plural, he may have had three.
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Three and three is six, and six plus four is ten. You know why he stopped at ten? Because Abraham knew that Lot had a minimum of ten family members in Sodom. He got him down to where he knew that Lot had a sufficient number to spare the city. I believe Abraham knew, knew just certainly, that there were ten in Lot's family. Do you realize—think about this—if there are ten righteous people and adults, do you realize ten tithing families can support a pastor?
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There would be a congregation. Here's what the Bible is teaching us. For ten families or for ten godly people, God is willing to spare a city even if that city is as wicked as Sodom and Gomorrah were. Now, as you know, there were not ten righteous people in the city. There should have been ten. There should have been ten. Lot should have instructed his daughters, and he should have instructed his sons-in-law, but he did not. If you look back in verse 14, "And Lot went out, and spake unto his sons in law, which married his daughters, and said, Up, get you out of this place; for the LORD will destroy this city. But he seemed as one that mocked unto his sons in law." So his sons-in-law were very obviously ungodly, wicked men who were not willing to pay attention to Lot or to the Word of God.
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They were destroyed in the conflagration. Now, the question you've got to ask is this. How many finally escaped the city? And you know it was Lot and his two daughters. You say, "But Pastor, his wife got out." Yes, she got out. But you remember, she looked back and was turned into a pillar of salt. So actually, only three got out. The rest were destroyed. Now, let me ask you a question. Why did God spare Lot and those two daughters?
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Now, look in your Bibles to 2 Peter 2. 2 Peter 2. And look what the Bible says. 2 Peter 2. And notice, if you would please, verse 8. In fact, we'll begin reading verse 7. 2 Peter 2 verse 7, "And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds)." Now let me just tell you that Lot is a real anomaly as far as I'm concerned. And if you were to ask me and just describe Lot and his actions to me, with me not knowing who you were talking about, I would automatically say he was a lost man. I mean, look where he lived.
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And when those stupid Sodomites came and surrounded his house, what was he willing to do? Offer his two daughters. How could any man do that? And yet the Bible calls him a righteous man. This is what I'm saying. If the Bible had not specifically said that he was a righteous man, I would have never believed it. But look what the Bible says. And notice, if you would please, in verse eight, "For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds."
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And you say, "Well, Brother Weaver, here's why God delivered him." But look in verse 9, "The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished." You say, "Well, Lot was righteous and therefore God spared him." Well, you know, the interesting thing is Lot was righteous. The Bible does say so. But the Bible does not say that his two daughters were righteous.
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In fact, they were the ones who made their father drunk. You remember? Committed incest. You say, "Well, you know, God just delivered Lot because he is a righteous man." Oh, well, I want you to go back in your Bibles to Genesis chapter 19, and I want you to see there's a little more to it. I want you to think about this. Have righteous people perished in other floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, wars, fires? Yes, plenty of righteous people. Righteous people died just like wicked people. Well, why did God spare Lot? I mean, very obviously, Lot was vexing his righteous soul, the Bible says, with what he saw and what he heard on a daily basis. How he stayed in Sodom, I will never know. But I believe you'll find the real answer in Genesis 19 and verse 29. Look what the Bible says. "And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when he overthrew the cities in the which Lot dwelt."
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What did God do? God remembered Abraham. God remembered the prayers. God remembered the intercessions. God remembered the arguments. Lot was not spared just because he was a righteous man. Lot was spared because of the prayers of Abraham. It pays to have godly families. It pays to have godly friends. And let me tell you something, folks. If I had the time today, I could sit here and document history after history. But let me tell you, there have been multitudes of people that have been saved and blessed and healed and delivered due to the prayers of godly family members and godly friends. And Lot and those two daughters are spared just because of the prayers of Abraham.
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Let me give you the second illustration. The second illustration is found in the life of Joseph. And I want you to look in your Bibles to Genesis 39, verses 1 through 4. Genesis 39, verses 1 through 4.
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Just pointing out the fact it pays to have a godly family and it pays to have godly friends. In Genesis 39, everyone knows the story how his brethren hated Joseph, how they sold him into Egypt. The Bible says in verse 1, Genesis 39, "And Joseph was brought down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him of the hands of the Ishmeelites, which had brought him down thither. And the LORD was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. And his master saw that the LORD was with him, and that the LORD made all that he did to prosper in his hand. And Joseph found grace in his sight, and he served him: and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand." Now Joseph has been sold into slavery by his brethren, and in the providence of God, God made him a servant in the house of Potiphar. Potiphar so trusted Joseph that he put everything that he had at his disposal.
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Look at verse 6. "And he left all that he had in Joseph's hand; and he knew not ought he had, save the bread which he did eat. And Joseph was a goodly person, and well favoured." Can you imagine that? Here's a man who was an officer to Pharaoh, which meant indeed he was a man of extreme wealth. And the man so trusted Joseph, that Joseph had absolute control over everything, and the man did not even know what he had, except what he ate. Joseph took care of everything. Well, he learned to trust Joseph. Look in verse 8 to show you how thoroughly even Joseph himself said this.
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He said, "But he refused," that is when Potiphar's wife made a play for Joseph. "But he refused, and said unto his master's wife, Behold, my master wotteth not what is with me in the house, and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand." He said, "My master doesn't even know what he has. He doesn't know how much money he has, how much silver, gold or diamonds or brass or whatever, everything is in my hands."
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Now let me ask you a question. Why did Potiphar so trust Joseph? And why did he deliver everything into his hands? And by the way, I might add that Potiphar's trust was not misplaced. Not even in the instance with his wife. The advances that his wife made toward Joseph were refused by Joseph and Joseph refused to have anything to do with her. Well, what did Potiphar learn?
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We'll go back to verse three first. "And his master saw that the LORD was with him, and that the LORD made all that he did to prosper in his hand." There were two observations. Number one, the Lord's with Joseph. Number two, Potiphar learned everything that Joseph did prospered. Now skip down to verse five. "And it came to pass from the time that he had made him overseer in his house, and over all that he had, that the LORD blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake; and the blessing of the LORD was upon all that he had in the house, and in the field." May I remind you that Potiphar was not only an important man, but he was also an unsaved man. He's an ungodly man. He's a pagan.
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What does the Bible say? The Bible says the Lord blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake. Not only everything that he had in the house, but everything that he had in the field. In other words, Potiphar said, "I trust Joseph." And Potiphar should have been a little more wise in the accusations that his wife made against Joseph, because Potiphar should have reasoned and looked. Joseph has been faithful to all these other things.
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He's been a godly man. And God has blessed me because of him. He should have known about Joseph, whether or not he knew about his wife or not is a different thing. But at least he should have known about Joseph. But one thing he did know for sure, that the blessing of God was upon his house and upon his field and everything he had because of Joseph's sake.
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Are you listening to me? It pays to have godly friends. It pays to have godly people to work with you, to work for you, to pray for you, to be around you. I don't know about you, but I wouldn't mind having a thousand like Joseph around me. Let me tell you, the ungodly of this world will never understand and never comprehend until Judgment Day the blessings they have received just because they are associated with a godly family or a godly man. And as pointed out in the life of Lot, God often does withhold his judgment due to the presence of one godly man or two or three godly people.
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May I point out this, and this would be for your consideration. As horrible as Katrina was, and as horrible as many tornadoes have been, has it ever dawned upon you or other people, they could have been much worse. And had it not been for the presence of some godly people, they may have indeed been much worse. Because God is willing to spare an area if you can find ten righteous people. All I'm trying to show you this is, it pays to have godly friends. It pays to have godly family members.
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I have known of illustrations of men and women who have had lost children who prayed faithfully every day for their children, and who died with their children unsaved. And yet, after their death, after the parents died, God did have mercy and answered the prayer and saved those children. Just because you don't necessarily live to see it, does not mean that it will not happen. My third illustration is taken from 2 Samuel 6. If you'll look there please, 2 Samuel 6, and let's read the first 10 verses. This is an amazing story, 2 Samuel 6, and let's begin reading there with verse 1. 2 Samuel 6, verse 1. The Word of God says, "Again, David gathered together all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand. And David arose, and went with all the people that were with him from Baale of Judah, to bring up from thence the ark of God, whose name is called by the name of the LORD of hosts that dwelleth between the cherubims. And they set the ark of God upon a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab that was in Gibeah."
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"And Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drave the new cart. And they brought it out of the house of Abinadab which was at Gibeah, accompanying the ark of God: and Ahio went before the ark. And David and all the house of Israel played before the LORD on all manner of instruments made of fir wood, even on harps, and on psalteries, and on timbrels, and on cornets, and on cymbals. And when they came to Nachon's threshingfloor, Uzzah put forth his hand to the ark of God, and took hold of it; for the oxen shook it. And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there for his error; and there he died by the ark of God. And David was displeased, because the LORD had made a breach upon Uzzah: and he called the name of the place Perez-uzzah to this day. And David was afraid of the LORD that day, and said, How shall the ark of the LORD come to me? So David would not remove the ark of the LORD unto him into the city of David."
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"But David carried it aside into the house of Obed-edom the Gittite." Now let's stop there. Many of you will remember that the Philistines had captured the ark during the time of Eli, Hophni, and Phinehas. God did indeed slay Hophni and Phinehas the same day, and then of course Eli, when he heard the news the ark of God had been captured, he fell over backwards and broke his neck. You remember how the Philistines then were rejoicing that their god had defeated the God of Israel, but the next thing you know, all the leaders and the people of Philistines were smitten with hemorrhoids. Now you're going to ask me, what are hemorrhoids? I don't know. Most scholars said they're hemorrhoids.
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A bad, bad case of them. But I'll tell you one thing for sure, whatever it was, it was so horrible and so bad, they wanted to get rid of that ark. And so what did they do? They put that ark on a cart and took two milk cows that had calves and said, "Now if these cows leave their calves and go straight one way, we'll know it's God who smote us. And if not, we'll know that it was just chance," you know, et cetera.
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So what did they do? You know, it's not natural for a cow to leave her calves. But boy, those cows headed straight for Beth-shemesh, lowing as they went, never looking, never turning, just going straight. So the Philistines knew there was the hand of God upon them. Now, the ark, when it was returned, first stopped at Beth-shemesh.
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Now, when you get to 1 Samuel 6, verses 18 through 21, wow. The men of Beth-shemesh made a horrible mistake. Look in verse 18, 1 Samuel chapter 6, verse 18. "And the golden mice, according to the number of all the cities of the Philistines belonging to the five lords, both of fenced cities, and of country villages, even unto the great stone of Abel, whereon they set down the ark of the LORD: which stone remaineth unto this day in the field of Joshua, the Beth-shemite. And he smote the men of Beth-shemesh, because they had looked into the ark of the LORD, even he smote of the people fifty thousand and threescore and ten men: and the people lamented, because the LORD had smitten many of the people with a great slaughter. And the men of Beth-shemesh said, Who is able to stand before this holy LORD God?"
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"And to whom shall he go up from us? And they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kirjath-jearim, saying, The Philistines have brought again the ark of the LORD; come ye down, and fetch it up to you." Get it out of here, they said. Why? Well, God just killed over 50,000 people. Well, 50,000, wait a minute, and threescore, that's 60, right? And ten, that's 70. Wow. 50,070 people, yeah, it's time to say, "I'm concerned." Well, why did God smite them? Because they looked into the ark. They were not to look into that ark. So, the men of Kirjath-jearim came and picked up the ark. Now, I want you to look in verse 1 of chapter 7, 1 Samuel, "And the men of Kirjath-jearim came, and fetched up the ark of the LORD, and brought it into the house of Abinadab in the hill, and sanctified Eleazar his son to keep the ark of the LORD." And by the way, the ark was there for 20 years. Now David and his men go down to fetch that ark to bring it back to Jerusalem.
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You know, a lot of people have often wondered, why did God kill Uzzah? I mean, the oxen stumbled, the ark leaned over to Uzzah, just put his hand up to protect the ark, and God killed him. Why? Well, let me just tell you, David and his men committed a horrible sin. What was that sin? They used the methods of the heathen. It was the heathen that had put that ark on a cart. God never ordained the ark to be carried on a cart. May I remind you, God gave specific commands concerning that ark. None but the Levites and the Levites alone were to carry that ark. And they had poles that go into the side, and they carried it by hand, not by an ark cart. And when Uzzah reached up and touched that ark, which he was not supposed to do, he was in essence saying in one sense of the word, "God is not sovereign enough to protect this ark, I have to help." And another thing, and the main thing was, that ark was on that ox cart, and it never should have been on that ox cart.
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And when that ox cart—thank you. I wouldn't have caught that had I not seen my wife laughing. Thank you. Roy, that's your fault. I wouldn't even be riding on a golf cart if it wasn't for Roy. Thank you.
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Now that everyone's had their laugh, the ox cart should not have even been used. And so when God smote Uzzah, David said, "Look, let's just stop right here." And he turned aside to the house of Obed-edom. He said, "We're going to leave the ark right here." Now, I want you to look in your Bibles to 2 Samuel 6. Once again, look in verse 10. "So David would not remove the ark of the LORD unto him into the city of David: but David carried it aside into the house of Obed-edom the Gittite." Now look at verse 11. "And the ark of the LORD continued in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite three months: and the LORD blessed Obed-edom, and all his household. And it was told king David, saying, The LORD hath blessed the house of Obed-edom, and all that pertaineth unto him, because of the ark of God. So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom into the city of David with gladness."
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"And it was so, that when they that bare the ark of the LORD had gone six paces, he sacrificed oxen and fatlings." Now, let me just tell you. What has happened is this, after Uzzah has been smitten and the ark has been turned aside into the house of Obed-edom, everyone sees and knows the blessings of God upon the house of Obed-edom. They were evident to everyone that looked. And so in verse 12 then, it is told David saying, "The LORD hath blessed the house of Obed-edom, and all that pertaineth unto him, because of the ark of God."
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Now, I want you to note carefully something. It was not just Obed-edom that was blessed, but the Bible says it was all that pertaineth unto him. How would you like to have your children blessed and your grandchildren and or your great-grandchildren and your extended family and your friends? Now, the Bible says, if you will turn—not 2 Samuel, but if you will turn very quickly to 1 Chronicles 13 and verse 14, you'll see the same story, but I want you to note what is said. 1 Chronicles chapter 13 and verse 14. Here it is. "And the ark of God remained with the family of Obed-edom in his house three months. And the LORD blessed the house of Obed-edom, and all that he had." Isn't that amazing? God blessed him and all that he had. You say, "Wow, that Obed-edom must have been some man. He must have been some great man." Oh? Well, I want you to look in 1 Chronicles chapter 15. I want you to see that Obed-edom was not some great man.
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In fact, Obed-edom was a simple man, and he had what you and I would call a rather mundane job. What was it? Look in 1 Chronicles 15, verse 24. The Bible says, "And Shebaniah, and Jehoshaphat, and Nethaneel, and Amasai, and Zechariah, and Benaiah, and Eliezer, the priests, did blow with the trumpets before the ark of God: and Obed-edom and Jehiah were doorkeepers for the ark." A doorkeeper! You remember what David said in Psalm 84 and verse 10? He said, "I'd rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness." What did Obed-edom do? As mundane as his job was, he was faithful to God, and God blessed him for his faithfulness to his duties. He had given loving, tender care to that ark, and God sent his blessings not just upon Obed-edom, but upon all that he had.
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Now, I want you to stop and think with me of the implications of this. I want you to think of the implications of Obed-edom's godliness and his faithfulness. What happened? David and all of the people see the blessings of God upon him, upon his family, upon his house, upon everything that he had. And all the people come to David and said, "David, God's not mad at us. God's not angry at us any longer. Look what God is doing to the house and family and friends of Obed-edom." And then David began to do a little study.
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And he found out that the ark should not have been carried except by the Levites. And so when he went to move it from the house of Obed-edom, David said in 1 Chronicles 15, verse 2, "None ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites: for them hath the LORD chosen to carry the ark of God, and to minister unto him for ever." And so when David then went back to get the ark, he took the Levites, he carried it the way God intended for it to be carried, and God came back to Jerusalem.
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Are you listening to what I'm about to say? It was due to the faithfulness and godliness of one man that an entire nation was encouraged to follow the Lord biblically and to do that which was right. It pays to have godly friends and godly families.
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Now, let me make a few applications. The first one is this. I can assure you that each of us need and want such godly friends and family. I do want godly people praying for me. I do want godly and faithful people as dear friends. And you have heard me say this innumerable times. I had rather preach to 30 godly people who want the truth than I had preach to 3,000 who could care less about the truth. Each of us need and want godly friends. I want to be around people who want to do what's right. I want to be around people who desire the Word of God. And I'd rather be around that kind of people than any other kind that I know.
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But listen to the second application. It's one thing to want and need such friends. It's quite another thing for you to be such a friend to someone else. The question is, are you willing to be that kind of friend? Are you willing to be godly and faithful so that you might have power with God and power with man? Do you remember when old Jacob wrestled with that angel in Genesis 32 and verse 28?
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And what did the Lord tell him? "Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men." Would it not be a wonderful blessing just to be able to be a blessing to other people? Would it not be wonderful to find that other people prospered and were blessed and were edified and the Lord was glorified in their lives because of your influence as a godly friend or as a godly family member? You and I must determine in our hearts that if we want those kinds of friends in our lives, we need to be that kind of friend in the lives of other people. Do you remember?
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We reap what we sow. "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting." If we want godly friends, we need to sow godliness in our lives and faithfulness in our lives, that we might be a blessing to others. And then God will always send people to be a blessing and a help to us. Let's pray.
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Father, we thank you for Jesus Christ. We thank you for his love and mercy. And Lord, we do pray today that you would indeed make us holy and godly. And make us, Lord, to be faithful friends, Lord, in whom others may put their trust because they see the power and hand and blessing of God in our lives. We do cry to thee, Lord, to make us holy, to make us godly, to bring our lives in conformity to your word. In the name of Jesus Christ, we ask and pray. Amen.
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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T21:34:22Z

It Pays to Have Godly Friends

John Weaver | Freedom Ministries

John Weaver teaches from Genesis 18 that godly friends and family are essential for well-being, prosperity, and health. Using Abraham's intercession for Lot, Joseph's blessing to Potiphar, and Obed-edom's blessing to Israel, he shows that God spares, blesses, and encourages others through the presence of one faithful person. Applications urge believers to seek and be such friends.

Introduction: The Importance of Godly Friends and Family

Weaver introduces the topic by reading Genesis 18:16-33 and stating that godly friends and family are essential for well-being, prosperity, and health.

Scripture Reading — Genesis 18:16-33

"And the men rose up from thence and looked toward Sodom: and Abraham went with them to bring them on the way. And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do; seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him. And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous; I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know." "And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the LORD. And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked? Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein? That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? And the LORD said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes. And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which am but dust and ashes: Peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty righteous: wilt thou destroy all the city for lack of five? And he said, If I find there forty and five, I will not destroy it." "And he spake unto him yet again, and said, Peradventure there shall be forty found there. And he said, I will not do it for forty's sake. And he said unto him, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: Peradventure there shall thirty be found there. And he said, I will not do it, if I find thirty there. And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord: Peradventure there shall be twenty found there." "And he said, I will not destroy it for twenty's sake. And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for ten's sake. And the LORD went his way, as soon as he had left communing with Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place."

Let me just put it very pointedly this morning.

Friends and family are important. Godly friends and family are essential. I'm going to show you from the Word of God that they are essential for our well-being, prosperity, and health.

Biblical Principles of Friendship

Now, if you look in Proverbs 27 in verse 6, there's another truth that God tells us concerning friends. In Proverbs 27 in verse 6, the Bible says,

Scripture Reading — Proverbs 27:6

"Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful."

Scripture Reading — Proverbs 27:17

"Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend."

So just like iron will sharpen iron, friends are always welcome and they will always sharpen us.

Scripture Reading — Proverbs 27:10

"Thine own friend, and thy father's friend, forsake not; neither go into thy brother's house in the day of thy calamity: for better is a neighbour that is near than a brother far off."

Scripture Reading — Proverbs 22:24-25

"Make no friendship with an angry man; and with a furious man thou shalt not go."

Now, why in the world should we not make friends with an angry man and with a furious man? Well, the answer is given to us in verse 25,

Scripture Reading — Proverbs 22:24-25

"Lest thou learn his ways, and get a snare to thy soul."

So God says you don't develop an intimate, close friendship with a furious and angry man because the result will ultimately be: You will not elevate him, he will pull you down.

You will not deliver him, he will destroy you. And so God says don't do that. In the book of Proverbs chapter 1 in verse 10, God says it like this. He says,

Scripture Reading — Proverbs 1:10

"My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not."

Why? Because when we consent with them, we are in agreement with them. And that is, we are joining them basically in their attitude and in their actions, which are wicked and sinful and ungodly.

Scripture Reading — James 4:4

"Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God."

Now, if you look in Psalm 1 and verse 1, you will see how this is summed up. Look in Psalm 1 and verse 1. God says,

Scripture Reading — Psalm 1:1

"Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful."

Why? Listen to me. Because when you first begin to listen to the ungodly, you've already rejected God and His Word and His truth. And once you do that, there's no other place to go but down.

The Difference Between Acquaintance and Friend

Weaver distinguishes between the Greek words hetairos (acquaintance) and philos (loved friend), using Jesus' address to Judas as an example.

Scripture Reading — Matthew 26:50

Now, let me ask you a question. Which word for friend do you think our Lord used in Matthew 26 and verse 50? Hetairos. Judas, you were never a real friend. You were just an acquaintance. You were someone who knew me, walked with me, maybe worked with me, but you were never a friend. When our Lord looked at his other disciples, he said, "I call you friends," loved ones, intimate, dear. But he called Judas merely an acquaintance.

So I want you to understand when the Bible talks about friendship, there is a difference between being civil and kind to individuals and having real intimate friends.

Illustration 1: Abraham Intercedes for Lot

Weaver explains that Abraham's intercession for Sodom stopped at ten because he knew Lot had at least ten family members there. Lot was spared because God remembered Abraham's prayers.

Now, look in your Bibles to Genesis 19 and verse 8. The Bible says,

Scripture Reading — Genesis 19:8, 14

"Behold now, I have two daughters which have not known man."

Now, look in your Bibles to 2 Peter 2. 2 Peter 2. And look what the Bible says. 2 Peter 2. And notice, if you would please, verse 8. In fact, we'll begin reading verse 7. 2 Peter 2 verse 7,

Scripture Reading — 2 Peter 2:7-9

"And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds)."

Scripture Reading — 2 Peter 2:7-9

"For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds."

Illustration 2: Joseph Blesses Potiphar

Weaver shows that Potiphar, an unsaved Egyptian, was blessed in house and field because of Joseph's godly presence and faithfulness.

Scripture Reading — Genesis 39:1-6

"And Joseph was brought down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him of the hands of the Ishmeelites, which had brought him down thither. And the LORD was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. And his master saw that the LORD was with him, and that the LORD made all that he did to prosper in his hand. And Joseph found grace in his sight, and he served him: and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand."

Illustration 3: Obed-edom Blesses a Nation

Weaver recounts how Obed-edom, a simple doorkeeper, faithfully kept the ark, and God blessed him and all his household, which encouraged David and Israel to return to God's ways.

Now, when you get to 1 Samuel 6, verses 18 through 21, wow. The men of Beth-shemesh made a horrible mistake. Look in verse 18, 1 Samuel chapter 6, verse 18.

Scripture Reading — 1 Samuel 6:18-21

"And the golden mice, according to the number of all the cities of the Philistines belonging to the five lords, both of fenced cities, and of country villages, even unto the great stone of Abel, whereon they set down the ark of the LORD: which stone remaineth unto this day in the field of Joshua, the Beth-shemite. And he smote the men of Beth-shemesh, because they had looked into the ark of the LORD, even he smote of the people fifty thousand and threescore and ten men: and the people lamented, because the LORD had smitten many of the people with a great slaughter. And the men of Beth-shemesh said, Who is able to stand before this holy LORD God?"

Scripture Reading — 1 Chronicles 13:14

"And the ark of God remained with the family of Obed-edom in his house three months. And the LORD blessed the house of Obed-edom, and all that he had."

In fact, Obed-edom was a simple man, and he had what you and I would call a rather mundane job. What was it? Look in 1 Chronicles 15, verse 24. The Bible says,

Scripture Reading — 1 Chronicles 15:24

"And Shebaniah, and Jehoshaphat, and Nethaneel, and Amasai, and Zechariah, and Benaiah, and Eliezer, the priests, did blow with the trumpets before the ark of God: and Obed-edom and Jehiah were doorkeepers for the ark."

Applications: Be the Godly Friend You Seek

Weaver applies the message by urging believers to not only desire godly friends but to be such friends themselves, sowing godliness to reap blessings.

It Pays to Have Godly Friends

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	8150682431
Subject	Old Testament Studies
Course	Genesis: Abraham, Covenant, and Promise
Genre	Sermon
Date	2006-06-11
Dictation Name
Book	Book 077: Genesis: Abraham, Covenant, and Promise — Chapter 4
Source Timed Segments	74

Lecture Guide

Outline

Introduction: The Importance of Godly Friends and Family: Weaver introduces the topic by reading Genesis 18:16-33 and stating that godly friends and family are essential for well-being, prosperity, and health.
Biblical Principles of Friendship: Weaver surveys Proverbs and other scriptures to show that friends must be friendly, faithful in wounding, and that we must not forsake family friends, while avoiding friendships with angry or worldly people.
The Difference Between Acquaintance and Friend: Weaver distinguishes between the Greek words hetairos (acquaintance) and philos (loved friend), using Jesus' address to Judas as an example.
Illustration 1: Abraham Intercedes for Lot: Weaver explains that Abraham's intercession for Sodom stopped at ten because he knew Lot had at least ten family members there. Lot was spared because God remembered Abraham's prayers.
Illustration 2: Joseph Blesses Potiphar: Weaver shows that Potiphar, an unsaved Egyptian, was blessed in house and field because of Joseph's godly presence and faithfulness.
Illustration 3: Obed-edom Blesses a Nation: Weaver recounts how Obed-edom, a simple doorkeeper, faithfully kept the ark, and God blessed him and all his household, which encouraged David and Israel to return to God's ways.
Applications: Be the Godly Friend You Seek: Weaver applies the message by urging believers to not only desire godly friends but to be such friends themselves, sowing godliness to reap blessings.

Major Themes

Key Arguments

God spares the wicked for the sake of the righteous

Abraham's intercession shows that God is willing to spare an entire city if even ten righteous people are found there.

Weaver says, 'For ten families or for ten godly people, God is willing to spare a city even if that city is as wicked as Sodom and Gomorrah were.'

Lot was spared because of Abraham's prayers

Lot's deliverance was not solely due to his own righteousness but because God remembered Abraham's intercession.

Weaver reads Genesis 19:29, 'God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow,' and argues Lot was spared because of Abraham's prayers.

The ungodly are blessed through association with the godly

Potiphar's household was blessed because of Joseph's presence, demonstrating that godly individuals bring blessings to those around them.

Weaver reads Genesis 39:5, 'the LORD blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake,' and emphasizes Potiphar was an unsaved pagan.

Faithfulness in small tasks leads to great blessing

Obed-edom, a simple doorkeeper, was faithful in caring for the ark, and God blessed him and all he had, which in turn encouraged a nation.

Weaver notes Obed-edom's mundane job and says, 'As mundane as his job was, he was faithful to God, and God blessed him for his faithfulness.'

Scripture References

Genesis 18:16-33: Weaver reads the passage as the primary text for the sermon, detailing Abraham's intercession for Sodom.
Proverbs 18:24: Weaver cites this to show that a man must be friendly to have friends and that a friend can stick closer than a brother.
Proverbs 27:6: Weaver uses this to teach that faithful wounds from a friend are better than deceitful kisses from an enemy.
Leviticus 19:17: Weaver quotes this to support that rebuking a neighbor is an act of love, not hatred.
Proverbs 27:17: Weaver cites this to illustrate that friends sharpen one another like iron sharpens iron.
Proverbs 27:10: Weaver uses this to emphasize not forsaking one's own friend or a father's friend.
Proverbs 22:24-25: Weaver warns against making friends with an angry man lest one learn his ways and get a snare to the soul.
Proverbs 1:10: Weaver quotes this to caution against consenting when sinners entice.
James 4:4: Weaver cites this to show that friendship with the world is enmity with God.
Psalm 1:1: Weaver uses this to outline three steps to destruction: walking in the counsel of the ungodly, standing with sinners, and sitting with the scornful.
Matthew 26:50: Weaver references Jesus calling Judas 'friend' (hetairos) to distinguish between an acquaintance and a true friend.
Genesis 19:8, 14: Weaver uses these verses to calculate that Lot had at least ten family members, explaining why Abraham stopped interceding at ten.
2 Peter 2:7-9: Weaver reads this to show that Lot was a righteous man vexed by the wickedness around him, and that the Lord knows how to deliver the godly.
Genesis 19:29: Weaver cites this as the key verse showing that God remembered Abraham and sent Lot out of the overthrow.
Genesis 39:1-6: Weaver reads this to show how Joseph found favor with Potiphar and was put in charge of all he had.
Genesis 39:5: Weaver emphasizes that the Lord blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake.
2 Samuel 6:1-11: Weaver reads the story of Uzzah's death and the ark being placed in Obed-edom's house.
1 Samuel 6:18-21: Weaver references the men of Beth-shemesh being smitten for looking into the ark.
1 Chronicles 13:14: Weaver reads this parallel account emphasizing that the Lord blessed Obed-edom and all he had.
1 Chronicles 15:24: Weaver points out that Obed-edom was a doorkeeper for the ark, highlighting his humble role.

Historical References

The Philistines capturing the ark and being smitten with hemorrhoids: Weaver recounts the story from 1 Samuel 5-6 of the Philistines capturing the ark, being afflicted, and returning it on a cart pulled by milk cows.
The men of Beth-shemesh struck down for looking into the ark: Weaver mentions that God smote 50,070 men of Beth-shemesh for looking into the ark, leading them to send the ark away.
Hurricane Katrina and tornadoes: Weaver suggests that such disasters could have been worse if not for the presence of godly people, applying the principle of Genesis 18.

Important Quotes

Friends and family are important. Godly friends and family are essential. I'm going to show you from the Word of God that they are essential for our well-being, prosperity, and health.

This is the central thesis of the sermon, emphasizing the vital role of godly relationships.

Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.

Weaver uses this proverb to teach that true friends show love through honest rebuke.

Thine own friend, and thy father's friend, forsake not; neither go into thy brother's house in the day of thy calamity: for better is a neighbour that is near than a brother far off.

This quote underscores the duty to maintain long-term friendships, especially those of one's family.

And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when he overthrew the cities in the which Lot dwelt.

This is the key verse Weaver uses to argue that Lot was spared because of Abraham's prayers.

And the ark of God remained with the family of Obed-edom in his house three months. And the LORD blessed the house of Obed-edom, and all that he had.

Weaver uses this to illustrate how one man's faithfulness brought blessing to his entire household.

It was due to the faithfulness and godliness of one man that an entire nation was encouraged to follow the Lord biblically and to do that which was right.

This summarizes the impact of Obed-edom's example on David and Israel.

If we want godly friends, we need to sow godliness in our lives and faithfulness in our lives, that we might be a blessing to others.

This is the main application, calling believers to be the kind of friend they desire.

Discussion Questions

[Question]

Why does Weaver say that godly friends and family are 'essential' rather than just important?

[Context]

Weaver opens the sermon by stating that godly friends and family are essential for well-being, prosperity, and health.

[Question]

How does the distinction between hetairos and philos affect our understanding of biblical friendship?

[Context]

Weaver explains the Greek words for friend, using Jesus' address to Judas as an example of hetairos (acquaintance).

[Question]

Why did Abraham stop interceding at ten righteous people?

[Context]

Weaver argues that Abraham knew Lot had at least ten family members in Sodom, so he stopped when he reached the number needed to spare the city.

[Question]

In what ways can one godly person bring blessing to an ungodly environment, as seen in Joseph's life?

[Context]

Weaver uses the example of Joseph to show that Potiphar's household was blessed because of Joseph's presence.

[Question]

What does Obed-edom's story teach us about the impact of faithfulness in small tasks?

[Context]

Weaver highlights that Obed-edom was a simple doorkeeper, yet his faithfulness led to blessing for his household and encouragement for the nation.

[Question]

How can we practically 'sow godliness' to become the kind of friend we want to have?

[Context]

Weaver applies the principle of sowing and reaping from Galatians 6 to the pursuit of godly friendships.

Applications

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