I waited and I waited, and I waited. I waited for the phone to ring. I was sure I was going to get a call. I was sure I was going to get a call asking me to sing August 13th with the Aladdin music being sung and shared. Look at me and then look at that blue genie… you must admit it’s not too far of a stretch. “You ain’t never had a friend like me”, could only be sung by me, I was sure of it. Who else could pull off a Robin Williams version of a song in church around here…ME! Okay, there might be a few, however, I waited for my call.
I thought, it’s my phone, my phone number, someone doesn’t have my phone number. This is my song, my message to share, let me try out… you ain’t never had a friend like me… right?
My phone hasn’t rung yet.
Oh well, I may not be singing the song, but I love the message; You Ain’t Never Had a Friend Like Me!
Can you imagine… not me singing it, not even someone from Broadway singing it, but Jesus singing it to you, to me, to all of humanity.
You ain’t never had a friend, never had a friend
You ain’t never had a friend, never had a friend
You ain’t never had a friend like me.
Look at John 15:13-15 with me.
“There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me”. (John 15:13-15, NLT)
This is good stuff my friends. Jesus is sharing with us that we are to love everyone like Jesus loves us… first and most. What would the world be like, okay not the world; what would our country be like, okay not our country; what would our state be like, okay not our state, what would your corner of the world look, be like, if we all loved first and most? Not waiting on others to do so, but you and me being first to love no matter.
9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love”.
I don’t know about you, but I want to remain in His love. I don’t want to not be loved by Jesus, that’s for sure. To remain in his love, I think part of the message might just be that when we love others we are remaining in His love. Now, we don’t have to agree with everyone, we don’t have to like what people are doing, but we are called to love them anyway, no matter how silly or upside down their life gets, nor how silly or upside down my life gets, love anyway.
14” You are my friends if you do what I command”.
There it is. It’s as if Jesus were at St Luke’s on Broadway singing…
Mister Aladdin, sir, (or Joe) have a wish or two or three
I’m on the job, you big nabob
(not sure what a nabob is, but I probably am one)
You ain’t never had a friend, never had a friend
You ain’t never had a friend, never had a friend, You ain’t never had a friend like me.
You ain’t never had a friend like me, ha!
Jesus, I will try and be a friend to others, as you are a friend to me.
Excuse me while I go charge my cell phone. I’m sure someone is going to call me to sing soon.
Rev. Joe Hodges, Edmond Campus Associate Pastor
