A Little Help from My Friends - Part B

All of us. All of us live in one of two places we either live in Philippians 121 or Philippians 221 Philippians 121 reads for me to live is Christ and to die is gain. Philippians 221 you discredit all their own, not the things which are of Christ. 11 121 or two.

Think of it this way you're turning 21 which 21 are you turning one 2100 to 21 seeking your own Jesus for me to live is Christ and the guys game we all live in one of two. It's easy to have superficial friendships and sticks, especially in the social media today on connect with Skip Skip shares compose of his true and loyal friend know we want to tell you about a resource that will help you grow stronger in your faith reading the Bible can lead to asking some serious questions like the rapture real or how can I overcome anxiety.

These two questions are among those answered in pastor Skip text a new DVD of four impactful messages I skip.

I think, imagine knowing somebody does everything about. Now imagine somebody who knows everything about you and loves you and that's what were dealing with and we deal with the knowledge of God.

This collection of some of Pastor Steph's most memorable teachings also includes what most people don't know about heaven and it's our thanks for your gift of $25 or more to connect more people to God's life changing word visit connectwithskip.com/offer to get online securely or call 800-922-1888, 800-922-1888 and request your copy of pastor Skip this chapter to start with a parable called the parable of the two service. 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 is good.

Faithfulness leads to fruitfulness.

The second parable in the next chapter. Matthew 25 is about the parable of the talents don't pick up talents is the ability like sing and dance or something like that… Monetary commissions so he gave talent five talents one, two talents, to another, one talent to another. This is money bags of silver go. 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 that enter into the joy of your Lord.

Most people think that means happen, 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 fruitful so that the first quality of a mature friend is a good friend mature friend is reliable. Second, mature friend is compatible in verse 20 Paul says, for I have no one like minded Mark that were like-minded, who will sincerely care naturally care for your state in friendships. In fact, in any relationship. We talk about compatibility.

Are they compatible what we mean is, our personalities are better better suited to other personalities and some personalities of this art 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 one soul Paul is saying Timothy like David and Jonathan. 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 is 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 all the ones that I know it wrong. There is only one person who shares the same soul but I do.

We are soul mates and that here he has the same interest in the same goal for Christ that I 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 was 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 will your were very similar in certain respects but very very different. Another, but all the differences that we have and I remember a person or marriage.

There were things that we did that sort of irritated us. Now we sort of laugh at them and we enjoyed them.

We've learned 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 Christ Jesus never back to that servant thing again and 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. Knowledge that 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 esteem 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 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 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 I 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 say them no says 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 not certainly human beings can and Paul knew that of Timothy that he esteems others better than himself. He's not self-centered. He's not thinking what about me thinking. What about them. So a friend of mine sign me up for this thing called 23 and me. Have you heard of that you know that is 23 and me.

It was a gift that was given to me and you send a sample of saliva in the tester DNA they find out what your background is what percentage of this ethnic group you are and I fell ugly fascinating but not only do they do genetic research. They want to find out behavior pattern so they ask you a series of questions and they have sent me several emails could you answer these questions. Thank you. Answer more than the large percentage could you answer more questions.

Well, I got one yesterday that asked me a few questions. I just wanted you to hear the first two number one they said how narcissistic do you think you are. How is the question and they give you different options. I'm not at all narcissistic, which only narcissist would say I am very narcissistic, which I don't know who would say that then and some in our lives somewhat narcissistic so I went to answer that honestly ever how narcissistic do you think you are, so I thought, you know, most people will probably say somewhat narcissistic that safe until I answered at least second question that they are sent me was a scale of 1 to 5. How much do you like helping other people. And again I thought I wonder how many people are really good. To be honest with okay so now look at verse 21 he goes from saying I have nobody like-minded, who will really care. Now he makes a contrast in verse 21 for all seek their own, not the things which are of Christ Jesus, that is an amazing statement for everybody seeks to their own, not the things that are of Christ, the Moffat translation puts it this way everybody is selfish. The new living translation renders it for all others care only for themselves.

Now were not actually sure who Paul was referring to, but a surface reading of this most of us would think will he's probably describing the unbelieving world. The unconverted world.

People generally in the world are selfish in their living. I do believe he's referring to. I believe that my strong conviction is he's referring to Christian people in our believe that because he is just written in chapter 1. He said that some in Rome who were Christian people were preaching through envy and strife and selfish ambition. He noted that he said are making it worse for me while I'm in jail you see Paul had been around people he knew people and he knew that sometimes people church people just want you to think their church people they they speak Christian needs.

They got it down pat.

God bless you brother sister, praise the Lord hallelujah thank you Jesus I read my Bible to say all the right stuff but they have their own agenda and Paul knew from personal experience, I got a group of people here in Rome who are preaching from NV strife, selfish ambition for all seek their own out the things of Jesus Timothy, however, really cares. Remember him in the Gospel of John, Jesus was gaining a large crowd.

We are told this many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he performed.

But Jesus did not commit himself to them because he knew all men, and he had no need that anybody testified of man. I think Paul Newman to but he knew that Timothy was a breath of fresh air. Some of you may be familiar with the person I'm about to announce he was a French cleric over thousand years ago. His name was Bernard. Bernard of Clairvaux and he made some very interesting observations about us as human beings. He said there are four stages of Christian maturity. See if you can relate to this stage number one love of self for self sake is about as basic as you can get all about me.

I love myself how I look how I feel. How do you make me feel its love of self or self sake stage number one station number two love of God for self sake stage number three love of God for God sake and stage number four love of self. For God sake Noel going through all the stages. Let me just say that my observation is that many of us Christians are still at stage number two we love God for ourselves. Say we love God because God makes me feel good. And as long as God keeps giving me what I think he had to be given me and blessing me like he ought to be blessing the 111 but if he doesn't, that may go away. His love of God for the sake of myself, not for him, not for his glory. It's all about me. Think of it this way all of us. All of us live in one or two places we either live in Philippians 121 or Philippians 221 Philippians 121 reads for me to live is Christ and to die is gain. Philippians 221 you discredit all seek their own, not the things which are of Christ Jesus.

You either live in. 121 or 221. Think of it this way you are turning 21 which 21 are you turning 121 or 221 seeking your own Jesus or for me to live is Christ and to die is gain. We all live in one of two camps, a gal by the name of Ruth caulking wrote a piece that is stuck with me for years on the reader to you. It's a prayer Jesus, you know, Lord, how I serve you with great emotional fervor in the limelight. You know how eagerly I speak for you at a woman's club.

You know how I effervescence when I promote a fellowship group. You know my genuine enthusiasm as him at a Bible study, but how would I react.

I wonder if you pointed to a basin of water and asked me to wash the callous feet about that and wrinkled old woman day after day and month after month in a room where nobody saw and nobody knew I was deeply convicted when I first read that, and I still am when I read it now is only the Lord knows if I'm in 121 or 221 but I think we could all say I want to be in 221. I hope the word going from level to all the way up to three and four, while a mature friend is reliable, mature friend is compatible a mature friend is thoughtful and give you a fork and will close out a mature friend is loyal to have you look at verse 22.

Speaking of Timothy says, but you know his proven character that, as a son with his father. He served with me in the gospel's point is this Timothy was not a novice. He was seasoned he had maturity. He had mileage spiritual mileage under his spiritual bill. He said he had proven character. That word proven character versus a single word in Greek docking main and it means to prove something or make something known as valuable after it has gone through a testing and so they would test metals or they would test horses and once it it was tested and it was proven to be valuable because it's gone to the Destin today. Everything's tested your car. They just didn't sell you your car and cross their fingers and say, and I hope it runs.

They took it to a factory they put a dummy, not not not one of us are a crash dummy in it and they landed up in the wall and they want to make sure the airbags deployed the electronics work etc. it was tested everything from toasters to toilets are tested and it's the testing that proves the worker proves the value so Paul didn't just add Timothy to his evangelistic team. Day one after his conversion, he waited a couple years until he came back through Lester and Derby and saw him a second time and we are told in acts 16 Timothy was well spoken of by the brethren.

It was that endorsement because all the say Tim, I want to join my team and so young.

Tim joined Paul's team and followed him throughout Macedonia and Corinth and then to Jerusalem. When Paul brought a special offering of money for the suffering church in Jerusalem.

The point is this, there must be waiting before there is working.

There must be testing.

Before there is a teaming up with another person, especially in ministry because rapid advancement in ministry can cause someone to become proud. This is why Paul said Timothy. He wrote to Timothy first and second Timothy said when you choose up leaders make sure their season.

His words, not a novice lessening puffed up with pride he falls into the same condemnation as the devil, and I've noticed over the years that whenever somebody famous some rockstar, some singers, some actor makes any overture of belief in Jesus Christ. The church wants to immediately platform to bring the man Adam stand up and share his testimony. No, don't have them do that. Have them get rooted and grounded first and grow otherwise. Become a tree whose branches a lot further than his roots go down and that free will topple. And when that tree topples the world's intellect go ha another fake one. So Paul made sure Timothy was loyal and that loyalty turned into a long term reliability and so he mentions them 24 times. Paul does in all of his writings and I love this relationship pallets it said as his son is with his father Paul thought of Timothy as his son in the faith, and he writes about that here is a son is with his father because of their site. Don't know if you know who Henry Luce is L you see Henry Luce was the founder of time in life Inc. so the great communication enterprise Henry Luce probably influence world opinion more than any single publisher in recent history and back when he was alive he was called the most influential private citizen in America, where he talks about his early life is that he was raised, the son of a missionary in China raised in China. His father had an enormous responsibility running the school running his mission and he said every evening. My dad would take me for a walk, but he said what was interesting is my father spoke to me as though I were an adult said I was just a kid walking next to my dad my dad talk about the philosophy of education and things that I didn't quite know, but it just elevated me and I felt like I not just a kid.

I'm not just his son, I'm his friend.

He felt so honored that his father made him a friend. What an honor to be called a friend of Paul the apostle's an honorable title just a friend of anyone but a friend of Paul the apostle, and you know who was called a friend of God. Can you think of his name in the Bible anybody. If you know it shouted out. Abraham was called the friend of God only one who had that title. What an honor for God to say hey if you know my buddy Abraham.

My friend Mike Goodfriend is the truth when Jesus Christ becomes your Savior. He brings you into relationship with his father, so you become a child of God more than that friend Jesus said to his followers. From this day on, I don't call you just might serve my friend subscription to the series technical right now to speak with Mr. well, no matter how difficult life might get you can still have deep abiding joy through Christ because when you invite Jesus into your life.

He sets your heart free and fills you with his peace Bible calls a peace that passes all human understanding we want to share that great news with so many others, and you can be a part of that today when you give a gift you helped take the gospel of Jesus. Two more people all around the world here so you can do that. Give us a call at 800-922-1888 to give a gift 800-922-1884. Give online@connectwithskip.com/donate that's connected with skip.com/thank you for giving generously to them again, Skip Heitzigs and most of the apostle Paul Perkins treat others with the same love and compassion. Christ should cancel, skip, presentation of connection communications to God's unchanging truth