English Service Sermon Notes

English
Written By RiverLife Church

29 Mar 2026

Speaker:
Pastor Joachim Tan

Sermon Series:
The Awe of God

Sermon Title:
Becoming A Friend of God
The Heartfelt Pursuit of Intimacy

Matthew 22:37 (NIV)

A Test of Love by St Augustine

“Suppose God proposed to you a deal and said, ‘I will give you anything you want. You can possess the whole world. Nothing will be impossible for you. Nothing will be a sin, nothing forbidden. You will never die, never have pain, never have anything you do not want and always have anything you do want – except for just one thing: you will never see my face.’

The Test of Love (in a modern-day context)

Suppose God proposed to you a deal of great significance.

He said: “You will be rich, well known with great reputation, well-liked by many. You will not only have the riches of the world (gold, oil, real estates, listed companies, silver, bitcoin), but you will enjoy great health and be surrounded with people you love and care for you.

But you will never see my face.
Will you like this offer?

Exodus 33:11 (ESV)

John 15:14 – 15 (NIV)

Psalms 25:14 ESV
The friendship of the LORD is for those who fear him, and he makes known to them his covenant.

Psalms 25:14 NKJV
The secret of the LORD is with those who fear Him, And He will show them His covenant.

Recognising the Different Levels of Friendships

  • The acquaintance level

  • The common friends

  • The inner circle friends

  • The closest confidants

Truth #1: It is humanly possible to be a trusted friend of God.

The Keys to becoming a trusted friend of God

  • The Fear of God

  • Our Obedience to God

Truth #2: We determine how close we want to be with God.

RiverLife Church
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