A Pet Service Talk / Sermon Outline: A person's best friend

(Look away now if you are coming to the Pet Service at Bodle Street Green this year)

How would you complete this sentence?

"A dog is..."

(1) "A dog is a man [or person]'s best friend"?

(see Wikipedia for the origin of the phrase)

cf. husband or wife! - not just a friend but hopefully at least a best friend!

Why might someone say that?
e.g. loyalty, companionship, the dog doesn't answer back, always pleased to see you!

The importance of human friednship - see Proverbs, Vaughan Roberts' 10 of Those book etc.

(2) Jesus is the best friend of those who trust in him

A Biblical theology of friendship with God
Adam and Eve in the garden
Abraham - only person called a friend of God in the Bible
(The prophets)
Moses - spoke with God face to face as a man speaks to his friend
Job 16
Jesus the friend who sticks closer than a brother
Jesus calls his disciples his friends
- they are to do what he commands (unlike most friends! friendship with a king)
- he loves them so much that he lays down his life for them
- he tells them his business (unlike a servant) - cf. Abraham and the prophets








(You have to choose your friends well - friendship with the world is emnity towards God)

In what ways is Jesus a good friend?
Always there, always listens, never lets you down, powerful, wise, loving, knows us etc.

Friendship with God possible for us through the cross which makes enemies friends

Songs: It's great, great, brill, brill... to have a friend like Jesus

What a friend we have in Jesus