Series Title: What are Friends for?
Message Title: Two are better than one
(Ecclesiastes 4:9-10) Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. 10 For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.
No matter what you say, people just like to be around other people. I know, I’ve heard all those stories about people saying they would like to go and live by themselves somewhere in the mountains. However, the number of those kind of people per 100,000 in any population is pretty low. People just like to be around other people!
There are lot’s of reasons other than those that we’ve mentioned. One such reason is that it’s just easier to get certain jobs done with more people. Take evangelism for instance. It would always be better if two people go together instead of one.
When I was young boy, before those big hay-rolling machines took the place of the hay baler, we used to bale up our hay on the farm. Those bales of hay weighed from 40 to 80 pounds per bale depending on the kind of hay being baled. You had to have help in moving the bales of hay from the field into the barn. Well, yes, you could have done it all yourself, but some of those Texas fields had more than 5,000 bales in them and, well, it would just be better to have some help.
On the trucks that went back and forth from field to barn there were always two or more young men working on them. Maybe one driving the truck and two on the back loading and stacking. It was fun, but it was hard and hot work. I couldn’t imagine doing it all by myself.
And I couldn’t imagine myself going through life without a good friend by my side, or me by theirs. It’s just too tough to go it alone. Two are [definitely] better than one.
We have only a couple of things to look at in this message, Two are better than one, and they are:
A Good Reward for their labor
A Good Hand to lend in a fall
A Good Reward for their labor
Anything that we put our hand to, we undoubtedly want to have a return on it. Whatever the action is, we want to gain from the experience, and that of course is a Godly gain.
For this section, we’ve broken it down even further into different areas that can benefit by having a good friend with you in life. A friend, of course, that God has provided.
Ministry
It just stands to reason that people in ministry need all the help they can get. Why is that? Well, Jesus Himself told us in Matthew 9:37b:
The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few;
Ask any Pastor or seasoned church worker and they’ll tell you that 80 percent of the people do 20 percent of the work, while 20 percent of the people do 80 percent of the work! Now, of course, that will fluctuate from church to church, or ministry to ministry, but it comes pretty close across the average.
As God servants we do want a good reward for our labor. And, how better to approach a ministry, than to approach it with a friend? A good friend to help you during evangelism will certainly increase not only your ministries validity, but help boost your confidence as well.
True friends will be like-minded in ministry, and God has brought you together to go forward together in His ministries.
Planning
(Proverbs 20:18a) Every purpose is established by counsel…
Having to make up a schedule on your own is only inviting disaster to any project or any goal that you may have in mind. Having a true, Christian friend to bounce ideas off of and help you in planning can only lead to success. Read Proverbs 20:18a again, every purpose is established by counsel. You can’t fail when you and your good friend in Christ get together in the Spirit and start planning! Go for it!
Decision Making
(Proverbs 11:14) Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.
Decision making, like planning can be easier when there are others to help you to reach a decision. Decisions about college, marriage, car loans or mortgage companies, can be a little easier when you have someone else to help you, especially a good Christian friend. Having someone on your side during these times ensures that they are looking out for your best interest and not the interest of the person or company you are doing business with.
The Psalmist says there is safety! What we see here is not only safety, but comfort as well. Making a decision when you only have one and not the other is not a decision, but an invitation for failure. The good, Christian friend provides that sounding board to make sure safety and comfort are considered.
There is an old cliché that says, “Failure to plan, is planning to fail.”
A Good Hand to lend in a fall
Our primary scripture passage for this message was:
(Ecclesiastes 4:9) Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. 10 For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.
So far we’ve been discussing verse nine of those two passages, but in the second passage, verse ten, we see ’if they fall.’ We see the plural ’they.’ The author, Solomon, tells us that they are falling ’together.’ Which, when we think about it, tells us that the true friend does not desert their good friend when things get a little tough. They don’t jump ship when the water is a little rough.
Two are better than one in work and success, but, there will not always be success. There will be tough times and those times are when a friend will be needed most. During tough times, and as our passage indicates, both may fall together, but it says also ‘the one will lift up his fellow.’
I’m reminded of that acrostic T.E.A.M. which is ’’Together, Everyone, Achieves, More.’’ You can’t achieve anything when you are lying down on the ground after a fall. Whatever the reason for the fall, it’s just tough to recover when you have no one there to help you regain your footing. Remember that when your looking at the hand of that best friend as he or she is sticking it out to help you up.
Summary
(Ecclesiastes 4:9) Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. 10 For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.
Two are better than one, because that is God’s design. God is three in one, and we should learn a lesson from the trinity. But, woe to him that is alone…reach out for God today and ask Him to bring that special friend into your life that can help you to have a good reward for your labor.
