A Little Help from My Friends - Part A

Right kind of people can add to your joy. They can increase your joy they can enhance your joy. Why because they ease our burdens and they take the grind out of life and I would add to that and say that as technology increases in our world and as personal touch decreases in our world that good friends. The right kind of people are to be an even greater demand to Keller's spiritual friendship is eagerly helping one another. No sir. Love resembled God in deeper and deeper ways today on connect with Skip Heitzigs or Skip explains how you can develop friendships that draw you closer to God. Just like Timothy did for Paul before we begin using a resource that will nourish your soul, God's amazing trip those times you hear a sermon that really speaks to you. It's almost as if the pastor knows what you personally going through and he teaches a message like you're the only one listening.

Well it's not that the pastor knows you personally is that God knows you personally here. Skip, I think in nearly 40 years of expository teaching. I still love hearing that one of my messages spoke to someone better, urge them on to know God better or become more like but that's not because of me that's just the power of the word of God doing the work of God in the hearts of the people get to know the God who knows you with pastor Skip sticks a collection of some of pastor skip's most memorable teachings including is the rapture real and overcoming an anxious mind this for DVD collection is our thanks for your gift of $25 or more to help keep this ministry connecting more people to Jesus. Call now to request your copy of pastor Skip sticks 800-922-1888 working online securely connectwithskip.com/offer Philippians chapter 2 today as we get into the teaching with Skip Heitzigs great missionary to India a Stanley Jones said when I met Christ. It was as though I'd swallowed sunshine that a great statement. Speaking of the joy that he experienced in meeting Jesus Christ and I was CS Lewis. A person that we've all probably read the great British scholar who said joy is the serious business of heaven, and while I like that.

I have to say it's the serious business of heaven, but it can be seriously challenged on earth, and the greatest challenge usually is from other people.

People can challenge our joy. That's where was with Paul the apostle, he is in prison, but if you remember back in chapter 1 he spoke about those people who stir up trouble and make his chains even worse. His incarceration worse than it was. However, the right kind of people can add to your joy.

They can increase your joy they can enhance your joy.

Why because they ease our burdens and they take the grind out of life and I would add to that and say that as technology increases in our world and as personal touch decreases in our world that good friends.

The right kind of people are going to be an even greater demand note, let me have you take a test this morning and ask you six questions, you can just answer them in your own mind, but the number one. Name the five wealthiest people in the world to see if you can, you might come up with the first one or two but can you name the five wealthiest people on earth. Number two. Name the five the last five Heisman Trophy winners.

I probably lost a lot of the right amount.

Number three. Can you name the last five wonders of the Miss America contest number four. Name 10 people who have won a Nobel or Pulitzer Prize and number five.

Name the last half dozen Academy award winners for best actor or actress and finally number six test is not over.

Name the last decade's worth of World Series one. Now I bet you didn't do very well on that test, even though these people represent the best in their fields.

The truth is we forget yesterday's headliners. But there's more to the test. Someone asked you six more questions, you can do better on this part number one. List a few teachers who helped you in your journey through school.

Number two. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time. Number three. Name five people who taught you something worthwhile. Number four think of five people you enjoy spending time with and number six. Name some heroes whose stories have inspired. I bet you did great on that lots part right probably got all A's on his appointment.

The people who matter to us are not the ones with the most trophies or wealth or beauty, but those who make the most impact in our lives are those who have cared the most for us in our lives.

You know it's easy to forget that people like Paul the apostle also needed friends and Paul have friends. Can you think of the few I immediately think of Luke was a companion of Paul the apostle. I think Barnabas I think of Silas I think of a call and Priscilla was all Paul's friends, but here in second are in the. The book of Philippians, he names to more friends, Timothy and the pastor died as I know you've heard of Timothy of hepatitis. Some of your little sketchy on him but do you learn more about him next time Timothy in a path for dieters were both friends of Paul. They were both servants to Paul and they both added enormous joy to Paul's life. Now, to bring you up to speed in this book before we jump into our text.

Paul's theme is still humility lowliness of mind. He called it serving one another, loving and caring for one another and he has given us two examples. The ultimate example Jesus Christ. He said let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus. Even though he was in very nature God, get, he humbled himself, so that's number one.

Jesus first example 2nd example Paul himself who said I'm willing to pour my very life out on the sacrifice of your faith. However, it would be easy for the reader like the Philippian church to read his letter and look at those two examples and say well I could never be that I can't be exactly like Jesus or even the great apostle Paul.

Those are lives that are out of reach for me and so Paul puts the cookies down on the lower shelf so to speak. He says okay let me give you two more examples. Timothy is one and a path for dieters is another. So were introduced in verse 19 to an ordinary guy named Timothy that Paul was sending to them. Verse 19 says, but I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly that I also may be encouraged when I know your state, for I have no one like-minded, who will sincerely care for your state for all seek their own, not the things which are of Christ Jesus. But you know his proven character that is a son with his father. He served with me in the gospel. Therefore, I hope to send him at once.

As soon as I see how it goes with me but I trust in the Lord that I myself shall also come shortly. Immediately a little bit of a background on Timothy. Timothy was a young man who became a protégé to the apostle Paul.

Paul met him on his first missionary journey. His first mission trip. He went through Asia minor, modern-day Turkey, and he went to a little town called Lysistrata and then another one called Derby. It was probably in that first town that he met Timothy. Timothy was the son of a Jewish woman and the son of unbelieving father but on Paul's first mission trip. Young Timothy gave his life to Christ. Later on he will become part of Paul's mission team on the second missionary journey when he comes to town. He invites Timothy to join the greater Paul the apostle evangelistic organization and he starts traveling now with Paul the apostle so over time, this young man matures spiritually and because friendship like Rome is not built in a day. It takes time to cultivate a mature love in a mature friendship. So what I want to show you out of our tax are four qualities of a good friend or four qualities of mature friendship now is were going through this. Here's what I'm hoping for. I'm hoping that as we process together.

You're not thinking man I need to find somebody like that will be that kind of a friend to me, but I'm hoping you'll say I need to learn how I can be that kind of a friend of somebody else.

So let's consider now.

These four qualities of mature friendship. Number one, a good friend of mature friend is reliable is reliable. Verse 19, Paul says, but I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly that I also may be encouraged when I know your state.

So Paul makes the announcement that he plans to send Timothy on a journey to them why why Timothy simply because Timothy is reliable. Timothy is the first person on a two-person list of exemplary, faithful friends of Paul.

I want to think about that. I bet when it comes to your friends. You can count on one hand, those who are reliable friend. I bet it's a very short list. You might have a lot of friends on Facebook, but Facebook friends are different from faithful friends.

Timothy was faithful to Paul. He was reliable. I found a little interesting tidbit in the Journal of National Academy of Sciences that said, most people tend to have between five and eight) so here's Paul's short list and first on the list is Timothy. Timothy was reliable. It was Timothy that was sent by Paul from Athens to Thessalonica. First Thessalonians chapter 3.

He was also sent from Ephesus to Corinth first Corinthians chapter 4, he was sent from Ephesus to Macedonia.

Acts chapter 19. Now he sending him again on an errand to go all the way from Rome to Philippi which is about 800 miles. It takes somebody reliable to pull that off. Now go to verse 22 and noticed something. Look at the very end of that verse, verse 22.

It says he served with me in the gospel.

Now watch this. Therefore, I hope to send him at once that I may as soon as I see how it goes with me. I want you to get that, therefore, I want you to get the file here will Paul is saying is because Timothy is been so reliable. Timothy is therefore become more valuable is valuable because he is reliable now.

Paul wanted to go himself to Philippi, he announces that I want to come if I get out of here. Basically if I see how it goes with me for goes well I'll come but if I can't come the next best to me actually going to see you is to send Timothy not how much of an honor is that to go from Paul's son in the faith to Paul's servant in the faith to Paul's substitute as he is being sent from Rome to Philippi know there's a principal and that I want you to get faithfulness is what will open the door to more fruitfulness the more faithful you are you to stay at it stay out at stay out of that will open the door to more fruitfulness.

Now that's a servants reward, by the way a servants reward is getting to serve more if you're not a servant that is not a reward people who are not servant hearted when they get asked to serve a God I began you want me to have Artie done stuff do I have to volunteer get somebody else servant says I get to do more on some and they're in it to win it and they'll see that is something that is a blessing that occurs there are two parables that Jesus gave them the gospel of Matthew about this.

Matthew 24 and Matthew 25 in Matthew 24. It's a parable called the parable of the two servants. And Jesus makes this remark Blessed is that servant, whom his master when he comes, will find so doing.

I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his good faithfulness leads to fruitfulness. The second parable in the next chapter. Matthew 25 is about the parable of the talents.

I don't think of talents is the ability like sing and dance or something like that reduction of monetary commissions so he gave talent five talents one to talents to another, one talent to another. This is money bags of silver or gold.

Jesus said, well done good and faithful servant. You were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your Lord member that enter into the joy of your Lord. Most people think that means heaven but I think what it means is you been faithful. So now you're going to be more fruitful and the joy of your Lord's expanded service. That's the joy of your Lord, you get to do more so the principal is a more reliable you are, the more valuable you become an faithfulness will lead to fruitfulness so that the first quality of a mature friend is a good friend of mature friend is reliable. Second, a mature friend is compatible in verse 20 Paul says, for I have no one like minded Mark. There were like-minded, who will sincerely care or naturally care for your state in friendships. In fact, in any relationship.

We talk about compatibility. Are they compatible will remain as our personalities are that are better suited to other personalities and some personalities discard suited to different ones.

Even Aristotle of the great Greek thinker noticed that there was what he called a natural affinity and friendship that people will get together or gravitate toward other people who like the same thing they like there's a compatibility of interest or compatibility of goal.

So Paul uses the word notice like-minded and the reason I'm having you notice the word is because the only single time it appears in the New Testament is here it's never use anywhere else. The Greek word ESOP Sue costs ESOP Sue costs literally means equal sold or like sold.

We are of one's soul. Paul is saying Timothy is sort of like David and Jonathan. You remember in the Old Testament. First Samuel 18 were told the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David. They were like sold equal sold CS Lewis once wrote true friends don't spend time just gazing into each other's eyes, but they face the same direction toward common projects, interest, goals, and above all, toward a common Lord.

So get this Timothy and Paul at the same goal. Their goal was to serve God and to serve God's people.

But here's what's remarkable. There were hundreds of Christians at this time in the city of Rome and Paul probably knew a bunch of in fact, at the end of his letter to the Romans. Romans 16 Paul lists personal friends, personal names 27 personal names so he must've known a lot of them but what he saying is, of all the ones that I know it wrong. There is only one person who shares the same soul that I do. We are soul mates and that he happens he has the same interest in the same goal for Christ that I'd first Corinthians 1610 Paul describes Timothy he does the work of the Lord as I do also twice in the very last letter Paul ever wrote in his life. Second Timothy. He writes to Timothy saying twice you have carefully followed my doctrine. My manner of life, purpose, faith, long-suffering love and perseverance.

Those guys are like sold like-minded, so find someone who pursues Jesus Christ as much as you do and walk into the future without person.

That's what I did with my wife. My wife Lenny and I we were were very similar in certain respects but very very different. Another, but all the differences that we have a nine-member person or marriage. There were things that we did that sort of irritated us.

Now we sort of laugh at them and we enjoy them. We've learned of accommodate the one thing we agree on one thing we are like-minded on and that is our pursuit of Christ. We are like sold so mature friend is reliable, mature friend is compatible here's the third, a good friend mature friend is thoughtful, thoughtful, in verse 20 he says I have no one like-minded, who will sincerely care for your state. Verse 21 for all seek their own, not the things which are of Christ Jesus never back to that servant thing again in Paul's been harping on that for several verses and perhaps just when you thought it was over and you could move on your thinking skip. I remember we had a couple weeks of telling us where to serve one another love one another and be humble with each other all that stuff under so glad were done with that we can move on to real life will evidently deploy are not done because he keeps bringing it up and use an example after example, an application after application and so he said let this mind be any which is also in Christ Jesus, but he said as his premise. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility or lowliness of mind let each of us is steam others better than himself at the wonderful passage. Trouble is, it's hard. It's difficult to actually esteem prefer others more than ourselves. While one who did that was Timothy. He will sincerely care for your state. In other words he genuinely cares for your welfare. The word sincerely simply means he's the real deal.

There's nothing fake about him. There's nothing phony about, and there's nothing hypocritical he actually cares. Timothy didn't plaster a fake smile on them so that he could sell you something you get a bigger tip. He actually genuinely cared. I think you can tell a somebody sincere in their care.

I mean animals can found this funny little study scientific journal where they took dogs and put them in MRI scanners with something to read brain waves and they noted dogs care about what we say and how we say it, I found it fascinating that they can process word meaning and intonation of that have big vocabulary but they get the basic rudimentary commands and and things you say but they listen to the words are familiar with, but also how you save them no, this is nothing at all to do with my study. I just thought it was fascinating except for this I think of animals know and they can tell a person's are not certainly human beings can and Paul knew that of Timothy.

He esteems others better than himself is not self-centered is not thinking what about me about them that Skip the message from the series technical or joint. Right now the trip to Israel is a life-changing Bible study will never be the same Skip has lived in Israel, and lead tours. Many many times to refuse to invite you. One is next to her. You know there's always something new to see and experience in Israel and I'm so excited to let you know that I'm taking another tour group to Israel next spring. In 2022 urine for an incredible time as we traveled throughout Israel and experience the culture that's so unique to that country will start on the Mediterranean Sea and head north. Seeing places like Caesarea and Nazareth, the Sea of Galilee and the Jordan River will spend several days in and around Jerusalem and see the temple mount Calvary, the garden of Gethsemane and the Mount of olives and much more. This remarkable itinerary is made richer with times of worship, Bible study, and lots of fellowship.

Now I've been to Israel a number of times over the years and I can honestly say that visiting the places where the events of the Scriptures unfolded where Jesus lived taught and healed. It just never gets old. I can't wait to see you in Israel start planning and saving now to to Israel with Skip Heitzig information and inspiration. Cruises.com/see ABQ that's inspirational cruises.com/C a BQ coming up tomorrow Skip Heitzig six years. In Paul's epistle you preview true and loyal friend. All of us live in one or two places we either live in Philippians 121 or Philippians 220 Philippians 121 reads for me to live is Christ and the die is gain. Philippians 221 threaded all seek their own, not the things which are of Christ read 11 one 2100.

Think of it this way you're turning 2121 are you turning one 2100 to 21 seeking your own Jesus for me to live is Christ and the guys all live in one of the Skip Heitzig presentation of connection communications is never changing to ever-changing time