"Friend To Friend—He’s The One"
Pastor Albert Almore
“Many people have set out to write accounts about the events that have been fulfilled among us. They used the eyewitness reports circulating among us from the early disciples.”
Luke 1:1-2 NLT
“Having carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I also have decided to write AN ACCURATE ACCOUNT for you, MOST HONORABLE THEOPHILUS,”
Luke 1:3 NLT
Another translation says beginning in verse 3,
“it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, MOST EXCELLENT THEOPHILUS,”
Luke 1:3 NKJV
It’s amazing to me that the ENTIRE book of Luke was written to a friend—and so was the book of Acts. Acts 1:1 reads,
“In my first book I told you, THEOPHILUS, about everything Jesus began to do and teach until the day he was taken up to heaven after giving his chosen apostles further instructions through the Holy Spirit.”
Acts 1:1-2 NLT
The entire book of Acts was written to a friend—THEOPHILUS.
The name Theophilus comes from the Greek and it means “FRIEND OF GOD.” Luke the friend, is writing to his friend, whose name means friend, and ironically enough, there’s no other gospel that portrays Jesus the most as a friend more than the gospel according to Luke. This is why Jesus is often referred to in Luke’s gospel as Friend of Sinners.
EXAMPLES
“Then one of the Pharisees asked Him to eat with him. And HE WENT TO THE PHARISEES HOUSE, and SAT DOWN TO EAT.”
Luke 7:36 NKJV
“And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that JESUS SAT AT THE TABLE IN THE PHARISEES’S HOUSE, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil,”
Luke 7:37 NKJV
“Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, “This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is WHO IS TOUCHING HIM, FOR SHE IS A SINNER.””
Luke 7:39 NKJV
“Then all the tax collectors AND THE SINNERS DREW NEAR TO HIM TO HEAR HIM. And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, “THIS MAN RECEIVES SINNERS AND EATS WITH THEM.””
Luke 15:1-2 NKJV
“When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I MUST STAY AT YOUR HOUSE TODAY.””
Luke 19:5 NIV
“All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be THE GUEST OF A SINNER.””
Luke 19:7 NIV
“But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” SO HE WENT IN TO STAY WITH THEM.”
Luke 24:29 NIV
“WHEN HE WAS AT THE TABLE WITH THEM, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them.”
Luke 24:30 NIV
So this friend Luke, is writing to His friend Theophilus, whose name means friend, and Luke portrays Jesus the most as a friend, and Luke says in verse 4, friend, I’m writing you this letter, this gospel,
so YOU CAN BE CERTAIN of the truth of everything you were taught.”
Luke 1:4 NLT
In another translation he says,
“that you may know THE CERTAINTY of those things in which you were instructed.”
Luke 1:4 NKJV
Friend to Friend, I wrote this so that you may know THE CERTAINTY.
📝 I’M CERTAIN that He’s The Son of God.
I’m not writing to ask you your thoughts on this. I’m not writing to ask you to weigh in on this. I’m writing to inform you that I’m certain that He’s The Son of God!
He wasn’t just a good man. He wasn’t just a prophet. He wasn’t just a good teacher. Yes He came as Lord. Yes He came as King. Yes He came as redeemer. Yes He came as God in the flesh, But THEOPHILUS, HE ALSO CAME AS FRIEND.
So having carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I also have decided to write an accurate account for you. I’m here to report back to you over these next couple of months, over these next couple of chapters…
FRIEND TO FRIEND—HE’S THE ONE
That’s our message title for today…
FRIEND TO FRIEND—HE’S THE ONE
I’m writing you this letter, this gospel,
so YOU CAN BE CERTAIN of the truth of everything you were taught….
I’m certain that He’s FOR YOU.
Jesus didn’t just come for the popular. Jesus didn’t just come for the rich. Jesus also came for the sick, the poor, the prostitutes, the overlooked, the introvert as well as the extrovert.
📝 Jesus came to sit at the TABLE, to invite you to HIS TABLE.
“Jesus replied: “A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’”
Luke 14:16-17 NIV
““But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, ‘I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.’ “Another said, ‘I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.’ “Still another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’”
Luke 14:18-20 NIV
““The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.’”
Luke 14:21 NIV
““ ‘Sir,’ the servant said, ‘what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.’”
Luke 14:22 NIV
““Then the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the roads and country lanes and COMPEL THEM TO COME IN, SO THAT MY HOUSE WILL BE FULL.”
Luke 14:23 NIV
“Then the master said to the servant, ‘Go out into the HIGHWAYS AND HEDGES, and compel them to come in, THAT MY HOUSE MAY BE FILLED.”
Luke 14:23 NKJV
“I tell you, not one of those who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.’ ””
Luke 14:24 NIV
In similar fashion, Jesus says in Matthew 21:31,
“….I tell you the truth, corrupt tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the Kingdom of God before you do.
Matthew 21:31
Jesus came to sit at the TABLE, to invite you to HIS TABLE.
📝 Regardless if you feel that your past is working AGAINST YOU, I’m certain that He’s FOR YOU.
But let me be clear…
📝 He’s not for your SIN, but He’s for your SALVATION.
I’m certain that He’s WITH YOU.
In Luke’s gospel we see Jesus so much in people’s homes visiting, healing, and comforting people, not just as Savior, and Lord, but also as FRIEND.
Luke 5:18…
“Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus.”
Luke 5:18 NIV
“When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “FRIEND, your sins are forgiven.””
Luke 5:20 NIV
📝 Jesus didn’t just come to sit with us at our tables. Jesus also came to sit with us in our TROUBLES.
“When Jesus stepped ashore, he was met by a demon-possessed man from the town. FOR A LONG TIME this man had not worn clothes or lived in a house, but had lived in the tombs.”
Luke 8:27 NIV
“Jesus asked him, “WHAT IS YOUR NAME?”….
Luke 8:30 NIV
WHEN EVERYONE ELSE DISREGARDED HIM. WHEN EVERYONE ELSE SHUNNED HIM. FRIEND JESUS TOOK THE TIME TO ASK HIM HIS NAME.
I KNOW THE DEMONS ANSWERED HIM, OUR NAME IS LEGION, BUT I BELIEVE THAT JESUS WAS ALSO ASKING THE MAN HIMSELF—WHAT’S YOUR NAME?
HE SEES YOU.
📝 When all everyone else sees is your ISSUES, friend Jesus sees YOU.
“and the people went out to see what had happened. When they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone out, SITTING AT JESUS’ FEET, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid.”
Luke 8:35 NIV
Where else would He be?
Jesus didn’t just come to sit with us at our tables. Jesus also came to sit with us in our TROUBLES.
I’m certain that He’s SEEKING YOU.
He knew we could never make it to him, so He came to us. Theophilus, the one who’ve we’ve been seeking all this time, came seeking us.
KEY VERSE:
"For THE SON OF MAN came to SEEK AND SAVE those who are lost.””
Luke 19:10 NLT
📝 He’s seeking you to SAVE you, not to SHAME you.
He’s seeking you to CHANGE you, not to CONDEMN you.
My prayer is that you will believe in the one, who believes in you. Because…
I’m certain that He’s EVERYTHING we’ve been waiting for.
Jesus sums up Who He is, and all He will be BEFORE the start of His ministry in Luke 4:18-19,
““The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to THE POOR; He has sent Me to heal THE BROKENHEARTED, To proclaim liberty to THE CAPTIVES And recovery of sight to THE BLIND, To set at liberty those who are OPPRESSED; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.””
Luke 4:18-19 NKJV
“Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him.”
Luke 4:20 NKJV
“And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.””
Luke 4:21 NKJV
No one knew what to think of it at the time THEOPHILUS, but as time went on, all would see. All would see that He was exactly Who He said He was. He was everything we’ve been waiting for.
Man THEOPHILUS, I sat down with one eye witness who told me about the time that Jesus was THE MEDICINE for Peter’s mother in law. Luke 4:39 says,
“So HE STOOD OVER HER and REBUKED THE FEVER, and it left her. And immediately she arose and served them.”
Luke 4:39 NKJV
Oh THEOPHILUS, you have to hear about the time that Jesus was THE CURE for this man who HAD leprosy. Luke 5:12…
“And it happened when He was in a certain city, that behold, a man who was full of leprosy saw Jesus; and he fell on his face and implored Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.””
Luke 5:12 NKJV
“Then He put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Immediately the leprosy left him.”
Luke 5:13 NKJV
You should’ve seen when He first called Matthew also known as Levi the tax collector to be his disciple. Luke 5:29 reads,
“Then Levi gave Him a great feast in his own house. And there were a great number of tax collectors and others who sat down with them.”
Luke 5:29 NKJV
“And their scribes and the Pharisees complained against His disciples, saying, “Why do You eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?””
Luke 5:30 NKJV
“Jesus answered and said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 32) I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.””
Luke 5:31-32 NKJV
They didn’t understand at the time, but one by one, He was REDEEMING WHAT WAS LOST.
Over the next couple of months we’re going to get to know THE SON OF MAN. We’ll witness HIS HEALING, HIS LOVE, him being THE TRUEST FRIEND, THE COMFORTER with FAITHFUL LOVE. Towards the end of His life, He’ll have THE FINAL WORD. One thing that’ll be constant throughout this journey is HIS STEADY LOVE.
So having carefully investigated everything from the beginning, THEOPHILUS, I’m certain that He’s…
Everlasting Father,
Prince of Peace
Immanuel
God with us,
He’s right here with us
Wonderful Counselor
I’m certain that the government is resting on His shoulders. And I am too.
HAVE YOU PUT YOUR FAITH IN HIS NAME?
The name that says it all.