Would You Be My Friend?

Would you be my Friend?

2 Timothy 1:15-18

Online Sermon: http://www.mckeesfamily.com/?page_id=3567

Friendship is “a reciprocal relationship characterized by intimacy, faithfulness, trust, unmotivated kindness, and service.” Surviving in a fallen world where chance happens to everyone (Ecclesiastes 9:11) and persecution for believing and pointing to the one true Light, Jesus Christ (John 8:12, 15:18-25), is far from easy! To help us not merely survive but thrive believers have not only been given a Comforter (John 14:16) but also the church whose members are called to help each other grow and mature in the faith (1 Thessalonians 5:11). Love for one another is one of the defining marks of being a disciple of Christ (John 13:35) and yet despite the interconnectedness of our world through travel, phones and internet lines believers often find it incredibly difficult to develop and maintain genuine friendships. If only we could learn to love our enemies, forbear, and celebrate differences, forgive real or imagined grievances, then maybe we would have a chance at finding true friendship! Even if one does all these key “love building” activities these alone do not guarantee genuine, intimate friendship will blossom because for one to obtain true friendship one must be willing to put the needs of others sacrificially and continuously above that of one’s own (Philippians 2:3)! Today’s sermon is going to review 2 Timothy 1:15-18 to illustrate how genuine friendship is found through unconditional love that continually seeks, helps and prays for other believers, even when they are going through tribulations and/or being persecuted for righteousness sake! To help us better understand today’s passage lets do a quick review of Paul’s circumstances at the time he wrote this passage.

Paul’s Farewell Party

Imagine starting out your ministry and being told “I (Jesus) will show you much you will suffer for My name’s sake” (Acts 9:6)! I wonder if Apostle Paul had any idea on the day he said YES to Jesus that he would one day be flogged, receive forty lashes minus one five times, beaten with rods, pelted with stones, shipwrecked three times and his life continually threatened by bandits, Jews and Gentiles (2 Corinthians 11:22-29)? And yet despite these hardships Paul fearlessly preached the Gospel to the Gentiles (Ephesians 6:19) in three missionary journeys that spanned from Perga, Iconium, Lystra and Derbe all the way to Philippi, Corinth, and Athens! Upon completion of his missionary journeys Paul was compelled by the Holy Spirit to set sail for Jerusalem (Acts 20:22). Knowing that he would not return to the region Paul stopped and said his goodbyes to both the elders of Ephesus (20:17) and the believers at Tyre (21:4). Despite their pleas to forgo what would be incredible persecution and eventual death, Paul told them he considered his life worth nothing to himself and his only aim was to finish the race and complete the task of “testifying to the good news of God’s grace” (20:24). Paul left Tyre, went to Ptolemais and then onto Caesarea where a prophet named Agabus who told him the Jewish leaders would bind and hand him over to the Gentiles (21:10). When the people pleaded, wept, and begged Paul not to go to Jerusalem again he refused. His response this time was he was “ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus” (21:13). Despite the love of all those who said their goodbyes nothing would change Paul’s mind; he must obey the Spirit and in chains testify about Jesus Christ all the way to Rome!

Being Imprisoned for Righteousness Sake

Upon his arrival in Jerusalem the brothers and sisters received Paul warmly, praising God for all that “was done among the Gentiles through his ministry” (21:19). Despite undergoing purification rites (21:24-26), when the Jews from the province of Asia saw Paul at the temple, they convinced the crowd that he was against the Jewish law and therefore deserved death (21:28). While the crowd was trying to kill him the commander of the Roman troops arrived, bound him with two chains and had him carried away by soldiers to the barracks (21:33-36). Before entering, Paul witnessed to the crowd about his conversion and calling by Christ to preach to the Gentiles (22:1-21) but this further angered the crowd (22:1-21). After having discovered their plot to kill him and due to his appeal of being a Roman citizen (22:22-23:22), Paul was subsequently sent to Caesarea with armed guards to stand trial before Governors Felix and later Festus. Despite the Jewish chief priests and leader’s accusations that Paul was stirring up riots and was trying to desecrate the temple (24:5-8), instead of charges being laid Paul appealed to Caesar (25:11) and was first sent to king Agrippa for further questioning (25:23-32) and then onto Rome. Upon arrival he was not likely placed into a military or government prison but instead was chained to a guard and put under house arrest at his own expense. In Paul’s words he was “the Lord’s prisoner.”