Restoring
the Joy
Sermon # 6
“Friends Help Us to Maintain
Joy.”
“A youth minister was attending a
One boy by the name of Andrew
quickly took the lead, and was soon about 50 yards ahead of everybody else. As he
approached the final turn he looked back and saw that his best friend had fallen and hurt
himself on the track.
Andrew stopped and looked at the
finish line. Then he looked back at his friend. People were hollering, "Run, Andrew,
run!" But he didn’t. He went back and got his friend, helped him up, brushed off
the cinders. And hand in hand, they crossed the finish line dead last. But as they did,
the people cheered, because there are some things more important than finishing
first.”
Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes 4:9-10,
"Two are better than one... If one falls down, his friend can
help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!"
We do fall or get knocked down at times in
life, don’t we? And how wonderful it is when we have a friend who cares enough to
lift us up, dust us off, and help us continue on.
I cannot even imagine
what life would be like today were it not for a handful of friends who have and continue
to bring joy into my life. Let’s face it friends make life a lot more fun!
We talk rather glibly
about friendship and toss the word “friend” around rather freely. But when the
Bible speaks about friendship, it does so with great seriousness.
This morning I
want to speak to you on the subject of “Friends Help Us to Maintain Our
Joy.” As Paul looks at his situation he see two friends that have helped him
tremendously.
First, he
tells us of Timothy- His Son In The Faith. (vv. 19-24)
(v.
19) “But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly, that I also may be
encouraged when I know your state.”
What Paul suggests here would require
Timothy to travel to Philippi, take stock of the situation, and either travel back to, or
send a message to Paul in Rome. This is first century Rome, and travel is a lot slower
than it is today. Timothy’s journey requires about 400 miles of land travel and at
least one sea voyage. We can finish this journey in a day, while Timothy would have been
traveling for weeks.
This is not the first time Paul has sent
Timothy as an emissary. During Timothy’s missionary
association with Paul he was sent to Thessalonica (1 Thess. 3:6) and to Corinth (1 Cor.
16:10-11) and now to Philippi.
The Qualities
of Timothy’s Character
(vv. 20-23)
Paul tells us three
things about Timothy’s character!
First, we are told that He Had a
Kindred- Spirit. (v. 20) Paul says in verse twenty, “For
I have no one like-minded, who will sincerely care for your state.”
In fact, the New
American Standard Version translates that verse to say, "I
have no one else of kindred spirit." Chuck Swindoll points out that the Greek
word used here (and used no where else in the New Testament) (isopsychos) is a word that means "same soul."
[Charles Swindoll. Laugh
Again: Experience Outrageous Joy. (Dallas: Word, 1991) p.]
Paul is saying, "Timothy and I
have the same soul. We’re kindred spirits, like-minded." But being of
kindred spirit does not mean that they had the same temperaments nor that they
always agreed.
By the time Paul wrote these words from
prison in Rome, Paul and Timothy had served together for more than ten years, ever since
Paul’s second great missionary journey. They had traveled together and preached
together. Paul knew that Timothy was a man he could count on … one that would never
turn on him. He knew this -Timothy would always be loyal.
Yet Timothy was a
relatively young man, it is possible that he is not yet 30 years of age at this point. I
want to observe two things at this point from the example of Paul and Timothy’s
friendship.
First, Paul encouraged younger Christ-ians
to observe, learn, help and then to lead. And likewise Paul expected the older Christians
to teach, to model, to mentor and then to turn over leadership.
Secondly, Timothy’s faithfulness
serves a strong example to all of us modern-day Christians that there are many ministries
in the church that depend upon the faithfulness
The second quality of Timothy character
that we are told about is - He Had a Genuine Concern for Others. (v. 21) Paul says
in verse twenty-one, “For all seek their own, not the
things which are of Christ Jesus.” I
think Paul is presenting a contrast. He is saying, "Most everybody else looks
out for his own interests, but Timothy is not like everybody else. He’s
special, and he is interested in you."
Did you know that there is selfishness in
the church? Did you know that there are people in the church who are much more interested
in themselves and what they can get out of it than they are what they can put into it?
Well, they are! Tragically, that attitude of selfishness is alive and well in the church.
Indeed, selfishness is the source of most of the problems in the church and in personal
relationships.
But by contrast when Timothy was with
others his heart was touched by their needs. And if we are genuinely interested in others,
the church can become a training ground where we learn how to help one another. So when
you come to church, be on the lookout. Over there is a mother with both hands full, trying
to herd her kids through the door. Maybe she could use your help.
Or you’re sitting near a guest, here for
Or when you look at the prayer list, and
learn of someone who is having a difficult time - get a card and write them a note, and
let them know that you’ll be praying for them.
The third character quality of Timothy we
are told about is - He had a Servant’s Heart. (vv. 22-24) Paul says in verse
twenty-two, “But you know his proven character, that as a
son with his father he served with me in the gospel. (23) Therefore I hope to send him at
once, as soon as I see how it goes with me. (24) But I trust in the Lord that I myself
shall also come shortly.”
All the service that a son could give to
his father Timothy had performed for Paul and all the affection that a father could feel
for a son Paul lavished on Timothy.
Application.
We all need friends like Timothy, kindred
spirits people who understand us and will encourage us.
Former televangelist Jim Bakker speaks of
events that occurred immediately after his release from prison:
“When I was transferred to
my last prison, Franklin [Graham] said he wanted to help me out when I got out - with a
job, a house to live in, and a car. It was my fifth Christmas in prison. I thought it over
and said, "Franklin, you can't do this. It will hurt you. The Grahams don't need my
baggage." He looked at me and he said, "Jim, you were my friend in the past and
you are my friend now. If anyone doesn't like it, I'm looking for a fight….. "
So when I got out of prison the Grahams sponsored me and paid for a house for me to live in and gave me a car to drive. The first Sunday out, Ruth Graham called the halfway house I was living in at the Salvation Army and asked permission for me to go to the Montreat Presbyterian Church with her that Sunday morning. When I got there, the pastor welcomed me and sat me with the Graham family. There were like two whole rows of them - I think every Graham aunt and uncle and cousin was there. The organ began playing and the place was full except for a seat next to me. Then the doors opened and in walked Ruth Graham. She walked down that aisle and sat next to inmate 07407-058. I had only been out of prison 48 hours, but she told the world that morning that Jim Bakker was her friend." [Jim Baker. “I Was Wrong.” (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1996) pp.600-609]
Well we all need
friends like that. Friends are the people who are there when others are not. When the
crowd dies down after a crisis, your friends are the ones who are still there.
Friends will:
- Sit with you at the hospital
- Sit quietly as you grieve
- Be available at a moment’s notice in a
crisis
- Come to help you in the middle of the night
- Lend a hand when there is work to be done
Do you have that kind of friend in life? If
Not only does Paul tell us of Timothy- His
Son in the Lord but …
Secondly, he
tells us of Epaphroditus - His Brother In the Lord. (vv. 25-30)
(v.
25) “Yet I considered it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow
worker, and fellow soldier, but your messenger and the one who ministered to my
need.”
Epaphroditus
who’s name means “charming” seems to live up to his name. Paul wanted
the Philippians to know how highly he regarded Epaphroditus, so he used three terms to
characterize him; my brother, fellow worker, and fellow
soldier.
Epaphroditus had been
sent to Rome to minister to Paul, but somewhere either along the way or after arriving he
became very ill. So much so that he for a while he was literally at death’s door.
News of Epaphroditus’ illness reached back to Philippi and he was concerned that his
friends would be worried about him. Furthermore, when Paul determines to send him back
early, he was afraid that some might think that he was a quitter, so Paul writes some
strong words in his defense.
He wrote about the
seriousness of
“since
he was longing for you all, and was distressed because you had heard that he was sick.
(27) For indeed he was sick almost unto death; but God had mercy on him, and not only on
him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow.”
Epaphroditus’s illness can teach us some
valuable things. Some people have taught that good health
is the birthright of all true Christians and that sickness is the result of sin or the
lack of strong faith. There is not the slightest indication that Epaphroditus sickness was
the result of sin in his life. In the providence of God even the Godly can and do
get sick. Epaphroditus was a man whom Paul
said should be held in the highest regard, yet he grew sick even in the middle of
unselfish service to others and beside that he was obviously sick for some time. Why
did Paul not just heal him? It would appear that while the Apostles had been given the
ability to heal; it was not a permanent gift nor could it be used at will.
H. A. Ironside gives us some needed
perspective on sickness among believers.
“Let it be noted that the apostle did
Paul tells them that Epaphroditus’
illness was so severe that Paul regarded his recovery as an intervention of God.
He wrote about the
reason for Epaphroditus’ s return (28-30).
“Therefore
I sent him the more eagerly, that when you see him again you may rejoice, and I may be
less sorrowful. (29) Receive him therefore in the Lord with all gladness, and hold such
men in esteem; (30) because for the work of Christ he came close to death, not regarding
his life, to supply what was lacking in your service toward me.”
There are always those
who sit on the sidelines and criticize those who are actively trying to serve God. As I
have already mentioned Paul set out to defuse any criticism of Epaphroditus that might
exist, from critics in Philippi who might misinterpret Epaphroditus return as a sign of
desertion of Paul during a critical period in Paul’s life and ministry.
Paul does so by describing the risk that
Epaphroditus took in coming to see him. In those days when people visited prisoners who
were being held under Roman authority, they were often prejudged as criminal types
themselves. Paul says that even more than
that Epaphroditus carries out his ministry “not regarding his life” (v. 30) this is the translation of a
Greek word (paraoboleuomai) which
means “to hazard with one’s life, to gamble.” William Hendriksen in
his commen-tary says, “In the early church there were
societies of men and women who called themselves the parabolani, that is, the riskers or
gamblers. They ministered to the sick and imprisoned, and they saw to it that, if at all
possible, martyrs and sometimes even enemies would receive an honorable burial. . . What a
contrast with the practice of the heathen who were throwing the corpses out of the
plague-stricken city and were running away in terror.” [William Henriksen. N.T. Commentary:
Expositions of Philippians. (Grand Rapids:Baker, 1989) pp. 144-145]
In our comfortable and don’t-get-to
involved age we need to look at the example of Epaphroditus who was willing to risk
everything even his health to serve Jesus.
Application
We also need friends like Epaphroditus who
are willing to take risk to help us.
Such a story comes to us from the 1936
Olympic games held in Berlin. “Jesse Owens seemed sure to
win the long jump at the 1936 games. The year before he had jumped 26 feet, 8 1/4
inches—a record that would stand for 25 years. As he walked to the long-jump pit,
however, Owens saw a tall, blue eyed, blond German taking practice jumps in the 26-foot
range. Owens felt nervous. He was acutely aware of the Nazis’ desire to prove
“Aryan superiority,” especially over blacks.
At this point, the
tall German introduced himself as Luz Long. … For the next few moments the black son
of a share--cropper and the white model of Nazi manhood chatted….
In the finals Owens
set an Olympic record and earned the second of four golds. The first person to
congratulate him was Luz Long—in full view of Adolf Hitler.
Owens never again saw
Long, who was killed in World War II. “You could melt down all the medals and cups I
have,” Owens later wrote, “and they wouldn’t be a plating on the 24-carat
friendship I felt for Luz Long.”
[David Wallechinsky
in The Complete Book of the Olympics - www.bible.org/illus/f/f-63.htm]
Conclusion
We all need friends like Timothy, kindred spirits people who understand us and will encourage us. We also need friends like Epaphroditus who are willing to take risk to help us. Friends like that bring joy into our lives and make life more fun.