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Philippians 2:19-30

19 I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I may be cheered by news of you. 20 I have no one like him who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare. 21 All of them are seeking their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. 22 But Timothy's worth you know, how like a son with a father he has served with me in the work of the gospel. 23 I hope therefore to send him as soon as I see how things go with me; 24 and I trust in the Lord that I will also come soon.

25 Still, I think it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus -- my brother and co-worker and fellow soldier, your messenger and minister to my need; 26 for he has been longing for all of you, and has been distressed because you heard that he was ill. 27 He was indeed so ill that he nearly died. But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, so that I would not have one sorrow after another. 28 I am the more eager to send him, therefore, in order that you may rejoice at seeing him again, and that I may be less anxious. 29 Welcome him then in the Lord with all joy, and honor such people, 30 because he came close to death for the work of Christ, risking his life to make up for those services that you could not give me.

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New Friendship (David Bassett)

What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear!

What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!

O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear –

All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.

Joseph Scriven in the late 1800 certainly captured an amazing truth when he wrote the words to this hymn.

I still find it amazing – that God would be a friend of me.

That indeed, God would be a friend of any human being.

Since, being made in God's likeness.

And knowing God – face to face, as friends,

Adam and Eve rejected God.

Turned their back on God.

And, as in Adam, we are born with this sinful nature.

And, yet, God chooses to restore the relationship.

God moves to break down the dividing wall – the dividing wall of hostility that is between us and God and between ourselves.

This is the good news! We have made friends with God

Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 5:1

Again, lets be reminded of what our faith is:

Our faith is that Jesus, God's only Son, fully God and fully man, gave his life so that we may be forgiven of our sins and restored to a relationship with God the Father.

We, who are in Christ, are at peace with God.

And St. Paul reminds us that this peace with God has a flow on effect. That the death of Jesus does not just bring us forgiveness of sins – it also removes the sin that causes barriers between people.

Jesus has destroyed the dividing wall of hostility. Eph.2:14

So in Christ, we are restored to a relationship with God that was the ideal. And we, like Abraham are friends of God.

Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness, and he was called a friend of God. James 2:23

What greater blessing or privilege could there be than to have God's peace and be called his friend.

This is the background to what Paul writes here in this passage that seems like the conversations we may have with an absent friend.

But, there is more than Paul just 'getting the housework' done. In what Paul writes, we gain an understanding of what it means to express our Christian faith in the area of our friendships.

And by Paul's writing about Timothy and Ep a phro ditus we gain an insight into 4 marks of Christian friendship.

Will you look with me at Philippians chapter 2 from verse 19

19 I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I may be cheered by news of you. 20 I have no one like him who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare.

Here is the first mark of Christian friendship.

Common Love.

A love marked by genuineness.

Timothy, as did Paul, had a genuine love for the Christians at Philippi. So genuine a love that it was not caught up in self interest, or self serving. Rather, it was caught up in the other person – their friends in Christ.

Epaphrodditus also shows this genuine love.

From verse 25 - 25 Still, I think it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus -- my brother and co-worker and fellow soldier, your messenger and minister to my need; 26 for he has been longing for all of you, and has been distressed because you heard that he was ill.

Knowing how the news of his own welfare would effect the Christians at Philippi, Epaphroditus was eager to be back with them so that they would not worry. His concern was for their welfare.

Terrific examples of a common love of God's people. A genuine love.

The second mark of Christian friendship we read in verse 21.

21 All of them are seeking their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ.

The second mark of Christian friendship is a common concern for the interest of Jesus Christ.

It is not a friendship that is self centered. It is not a friendship that is all one sided. Rather, it is a friendship based in Christ and directed by Christ, serving Christ.

It is as our focus is on Christ that we, having all we need, are able to serve both Christ and our fellow Christians.

The third mark of Christian friendship that we see here is a common vission.

Verse 22 - 22 But Timothy's worth you know, how like a son with a father he has served with me in the work of the gospel. 23 I hope therefore to send him as soon as I see how things go with me; 24 and I trust in the Lord that I will also come soon.

It is the sharing of the vision of the goal of the gospel that brought these people, formally strangers and enemies together.

And here, Paul, Timothy and Epaphroditus all share the same vision – to make Christ known, to strengthen believers in their faith.

Indeed, fellowship and mission go hand in hand.

I certainly know from my experience it is as I have worked with people on missions or common purpose that in the midst of it, a friendship had began. And I know that my closest friends are those who I have worked with in the Church. And my marriage is indeed strengthened by the partnership in ministry that I have with Susan.

And the fourth mark of Christian friendship has a bit of a sting in its tail. For it reminds us of the life we are called to. A life worth living – a life serving Christ – a life as a soldier in a spiritual battle.

Verse 25 - 25 Still, I think it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus -- my brother and co-worker and fellow soldier, your messenger and minister to my need;

Paul reminds us all that as Christians, we are not promised an easy life. No, we are called soldiers – a reminder that it is a spiritual battle. But, as soldiers, we are also friends – friends of God, and friends of each other.

This commitment to Christ saw Epaphroditus – 'close to death for the work of Christ' - working on behalf of the people in Philippi, caring for the needs of Paul so that he may continue to be the apostle to the Gentiles, taking the gospel of Jesus for all to hear.

What a great example to have placed before us.

Well, friends, what are we to do?

First, I think it is right, as we saw last week, to imitate the example set before us. And here we have three fine examples in Paul, Timothy and Epaphroditus.

Does your faith shape the type of friend you are?

And second, if we look at verse 29 - 29 Welcome him then in the Lord with all joy, and honor such people,

I believe we are called to extend our friendship to those who come to us as Christians.

I have certainly felt your welcome and friendship whenever I have joined with you. As a visitor, let me say, you are doing this well. Keep up the great work.

And, along with you extending your welcome, the call is to honor such people.

I think here we are called to recognize those who are faithfully serving the Lord. Those with genuine concern for others, those with the interest of Christ, those with a common vision of the gospel and those who take the risks of serving Christ – and, having recognized them – support them. Befriend them. Encourage them. Serve with them.

Our greatest example of true friendship is seen in Christ, who, gave his life so that we may be friends with God.

What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear!

What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!

O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear –

All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.

Let's pray.

God our friend, we are still amazed by this truth, that you would call us to be your friends. Thank you. Thank you for the death of Jesus that enabled us to know your peace. Thank you that in the death of Jesus we can know what it is to be a friend. Help us to be people marked with Christian friendship. People with genuine concern for others, based on your vision in making Jesus known. We pray this in His name. Amen.

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