The Resident Minister for Born Again Worship Centre in the Achimota Area of The Church of Pentecost, Pastor Isaac Annor, has stated emphatically that Jesus Christ is the best friend one can ever have in life.
He said this in a sermon he preached on Sunday, June 14, 2020, during the Born Again Worship Centre weekly online service dubbed, “In His Presence” via Facebook and Zoom cloud.
Speaking on the topic, “What A Friend We Have In Jesus,” Pastor Annor, who is also the Publications Officer of The Church of Pentecost, read Psalm 139:1-18 and outlined some qualities that characterize Jesus as the best and reliable friend in life.
As the best friend, the Resident Minister explained that Jesus does not only know His people but He also loves them even to the extent of laying down His life to redeem them from the bondage of sin (Romans 5:6-8; John 15:13). “Jesus is not our enemy; He is not our foe. He is our friend. He loves us more than we can imagine,” he said.
Another quality that describes Jesus’ friendship as the best, according to Pastor Annor, is the fact that He is constantly by the side of His friends regardless of their plights. This, he explained, Jesus is not a fair-weather friend who only sticks with people in good times, but an all-round friend who is always with His companions in all situations (Psalm 23:1ff; Hebrews 2:18; John 3:16-17), stressing that “Jesus is on our side in our struggle against sin and the evil one.”
He added: “Jesus Christ during His earthly sojourn was tempted in every conceivable way and did not sin. He can relate with temptation. So, when we are tempted, He knows. When we are going through temptations and trials, He knows and He is with us because He wants us to win the battle against sin and temptation. That is the kind of friend we have.”
Quoting Hebrews 4:14-16 and John 15:15, Pastor Annor underscored that Jesus Christ supports and sympathizes with His friends in all circumstances, saying, “If Jesus is your friend, you don’t need any protocol but you can boldly go to Him and ask for whatever you need.”
According to the Publication Officer, human friends are not trustworthy and can be very disappointing when they are needed most. However, he said, Jesus is a very present and well-proven help in times of trouble.
“There are people that we call friends but when we are down, they just jubilate over our downfall and leave us to our own fate but Jesus, who is our best friend, is always with us even in our struggles,” he reiterated.
Pastor Isaac Annor further explained that unlike man, Jesus never considers one’s background, level and class before He befriends them, saying, “Whoever comes to Him, whether rich or poor is accepted.” He, therefore, called on all and sundry, particularly the unbelievers to come to Jesus Christ because He is ever ready to receive them as His friends and will be there for them at all times.
After the exhortation, he ushered the viewers into a period of prayers.
Report by Emmanuel Nana Nsiah.