Friends for Life

We all need good friends and need to be good friends to others.

Even soldiers of Grace needs comrades and spiritual “buddies” to live life with.

10,000 Sermon Illustrations (Quotes)

• If you were another person would you like to be a friend of yours?

• Some people make enemies instead of friends because it is less trouble. - E. C. McKenzie

• Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another, “What! You, too? I thought I was the only one.” - C. S. Lewis

• Friends are like good health; you don’t realize what a gift they are until you lose them.

• Prosperity begets friends, adversity proves them.

• A small boy defined a friend as “Someone who knows all about you and likes you just the same.”

• A friend is the first person who comes in when the whole world goes out. - Henry Durbanville

2 Timothy 4:9–18 AV

Do thy diligence to come shortly unto me: For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia. Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry. And Tychicus have I sent to Ephesus. The cloke that I left at Troas with Carpus, when thou comest, bring with thee, and the books, but especially the parchments. Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil: the Lord reward him according to his works: Of whom be thou ware also; for he hath greatly withstood our words. At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me: I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge. Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Include Other People in Your Life.

Paul wanted to see Timothy. Paul wanted Timothy to visit him in prison. This would have been a long journey from Ephesus to Rome. 9-10

Timothy is Paul’s spiritual mentor-ship success story.

Paul is near the end of his life and perhaps felt lonely.

When nearing the end of life - many people are alone. Don’t be alone. Choose to love people when you can so you will be loved when you cant return the love.

Paul felt abandoned by Demas.

Even when previous relationships leave us hurting, we need to find healing and learn to trust trustworthy people again. Some people become “Close off” or distant relational because of bad experiences. Learn to open up and be relational again. IT is a defensive mechanism to shield yourself and not make new friends.

I & II Thessalonians, I & II Timothy, Titus, Philemon (1. Friends (4:9–13))

Demas … has deserted me. Being alone does not always create a sense of loneliness, but being deserted almost certainly will. Desertion has betrayal as its root. Nothing strikes at the heart of a person more than violated trust. Demas was one of the apostle’s friends and associates; Paul mentioned him in Colossians 4:14 and Philemon 24, describing him as a “fellow worker.” He seems to have served faithfully with Paul, Luke, and others in the missionary endeavor. Yet, at the end, he abandoned Paul and the work because he loved this world. In a few words, Paul penned a double tragedy: not only was Paul abandoned, but Demas had forsaken the goodness of the gospel. Two men suffered loss, though Demas’s was more lasting.

I & II Thessalonians, I & II Timothy, Titus, Philemon (1. Friends (4:9–13))

Demas probably did not deny Christ and march off to Thessalonica in defiant arrogance. He does not appear as a heretic, signing on with the false teachers. Instead, Demas seems to exhibit the human tendency to seek personal safety. He probably traded in the values of God for the values of this world—the values of immediacy. He probably still believed in Christ, but he was unwilling to endure hardship, to identify with the imprisoned apostle and his unpopular teachings. His heartstrings were attached to personal protection and comfort. This can easily happen to us who live in the affluent Western cultures.

I & II Thessalonians, I & II Timothy, Titus, Philemon (1. Friends (4:9–13))

In addition to Demas’s desertion, Crescens had gone to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia. These were fellow workers who had proceeded to other locations to continue work in established churches, perhaps even to plant new congregations. Paul found nothing wrong in their travels, but their departure magnified his loneliness.4:11. Paul stated, Only Luke is with me. Luke always seemed to be there, quietly serving, Paul’s faithful physician and friend.

New Cyclopaedia of Prose Illustrations (2404. Friendship, Proverbs)

“The dead and the absent have no friends.”—Spanish.

Include Other People in Your Life.

Invest in Other People.

Paul was helped by Luke, 11. He invested medicine.

Paul wanted to See Mark. This is a story of restoration. Paul invested in in Mark with relational restoration.

Acts 15:36–41 AV

And some days after Paul said unto Barnabas, Let us go again and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord, and see how they do. And Barnabas determined to take with them John, whose surname was Mark. But Paul thought not good to take him with them, who departed from them from Pamphylia, and went not with them to the work. And the contention was so sharp between them, that they departed asunder one from the other: and so Barnabas took Mark, and sailed unto Cyprus; And Paul chose Silas, and departed, being recommended by the brethren unto the grace of God. And he went through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the churches.

Preparing for the second missionary journey, Paul’s team is divided up. He views Mark as not responsible. God used this division to multiply the church. Instead of one missionary team, there is two.

Conflicts with people is not the end of the world - in fact, God can use them to further the Gospel. The Bible is real life. There will be relational conflict.

John Mark is useful in the ministry now. he has grown up. He has developed. He is dependable. We can work together. I am commending him.

Timothy was planning to Invest in Paul.

A Coat / Cloak for warmth.

The Books for study.

The Parchments (Probably OT portions).

Ryrie Study Bible Expanded Edition: New American Standard Bible, 1995 Update (2 Timothy 4)

cloak to protect from the cold and damp of his dungeon. the books. Papyrus rolls. the parchments. Skins of vellum, used for more precious documents, in this case probably Paul’s personal copies of portions of the OT. This missionary-prisoner still wanted to study!

Proverbs 27:17 (AV)

Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.

Include Other People in Your Life.

Invest in Other People.

Identify Problem People.

14-16

There will be some clear enemies in life.

Steer clear of evil people. “BE THOU WARE ALSO.” 15

Watch our for Alexander and people like him.

Alexander was very persuasive.

He opposed Paul’s preaching and message. “Words.”

Pray for evil people. “The Lord reward...”

Don’t look for fights with Evil people. Paul prayed for God to fight on his behalf.

Paul stood alone at times when the Truth was not popular, or envious people like Alexander stole influence from him.

Why was Alexander like this?

The Pastoral Epistles: An Introduction and Commentary d. A Particular Warning (4:14–15)

Two other references to an Alexander are found in Acts 19:33–34 and 1 Timothy 1:20. In the latter case Paul links Alexander with Hymenaeus in a temporary excommunication and some have identified the metalworker (or coppersmith) with this man, and then have proceeded to argue that 2 Timothy must have preceded 1 Timothy. But even if the two Alexanders are the same person there is insufficient evidence that the present verse must describe an event prior to excommunication. The aorist tenses point to a specific act of opposition, but no indication is given as to how long ago the action happened. The other Alexander mentioned in Acts has some claims for consideration, for he attempted on that occasion to make a defensive speech but was prevented from doing so. It is possible, therefore, that on some later occasion he sought revenge at Paul’s expense for the humiliation he suffered at the hands of the mob. It has been argued that it is inconceivable that Alexander would have nursed his grudge for so many years (cf. Harrison), but personal grievances have been known to survive a great deal longer than this theory necessitates. Even if we cannot with certainty identify this coppersmith, he was evidently well known to Timothy, who is urged be on your guard against him, or literally ‘keep yourself away from him’ (to bring out the force of the middle voice).

Invite Jesus to Be Your Friend.

16-18

At my first answer (trial, defense in court of Nero) No one was with me. 16

“God, don’t charge my friends for contempt of being my friend.”

Paul was alone, but not alone. 17

Jesus was with him.

Even in moments we are physically alone, the Christian is never really alone. Stand tall with Jesus at your side.

God can deliver us from troublesome moments as well!

Conclusion: Have some friends for LIFE!

We all need good friends and need to be good friends to others.

Proverbs 18:24 AV

A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.

John 15:14–15 AV

Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.

D and A

What are some qualities you look for in a friend?

Why are friends helpful to us in difficult times?

Share ideas about the importance of having friends who love Jesus.

List several ways a friend can make you a better person/christian/friend.

Discuss ways to make new friends.