There is a price to be paid for friendship.

Steve Brown:
There is a price to be paid for friendship. Let’s talk about it on Key Life.

Matthew Porter:
Welcome to Key Life. I’m Matthew, executive producer of the program. Our host is Steve Brown. He’s an author and seminary professor who teaches that God’s amazing grace is the key to a life of radical freedom, infectious joy, and surprising faithfulness to Christ.

Steve Brown:
Thank you Matthew. If you’ve been with us the last week or two, we’ve been talking about friendship. And we’ve been looking at a side of Paul that sometimes you don’t see in the letters. But you see the softness and gentleness and almost childlike friendship that Paul has with the church at Philippi. And we’ve been looking at Philippians 2:19 through 30 and we have seen if you have been listening over the couple of weeks a number of things about friendship. We’ve noted the philanthropy, the particularity, the proving, the praise, the pathos, and the protection of friendship. And I have one more, but it’ll be kind of repetitive, so I’m not going to spend much time on it. But I want you to look, if you will, at the price of friendship. It’s Philippians 2:30.

Because he almost died for the work of Christ, risking his life to help us, send us the help that you could not, because you were not here, give to me.

Now, the Greek word that Paul uses here is a gambling word, believe it or not. It means that this brother wagered his life for Paul. He was a gambler in the third century in Carthage. After a terrible sickness, Cyprian, the bishop, urged Christians to bury the dead of the city, and thereby, because they did, and they were the only ones who did, the city was saved. They were called, using the word that Paul uses here, they were called the gamblers. And so, the one final thing I would say is that you’ve got to risk on your friends. You’ve got to give your friendship without knowing exactly where it’s going. You’ve got to say to your friend, wherever you go, I’ll go with you. And even if I don’t like it, I’ll go with you. That’s what Jesus has done for us. And that’s what we do for our friends in Christ, our brothers and sisters in Christ. It costs, and you’ve got to gamble on them. Let me tell you something, you ought to so gamble on your friendships, the ones that God has given you, that if something happens to the friendship, you will be absolutely devastated. That’s what Paul is saying in this particular passage. Is it true, said the student, that Texas is so big that all the people in the United States could live there? Yes, the teacher replied, but only if they’re friends. Friendship, it’s important, remember that. Alright, let’s turn to another text as we move into the third chapter of the Book of Philippians. Paul, and this is kind of funny, may not be to you, but it is to me. He says, finally. And then he gives us a whole lot of teaching after he says finally, so it really wasn’t finally. And if you’re a preacher, and you want to irritate people. Say, finally, two or three times during your sermon. And watch the people in the congregation, if you’re in the north in the winter, get their coats ready to leave. And then keep on talking and see what happens. You say, Steve, you’re bad. I know, but you know, this job can get boring if you don’t do something on the side on occasion to liven it up. So, don’t thank me if your preachers say finally at places where it’s not finally. And I have Biblical authority for that. And the apostle Paul, no less. He opens the third chapter by saying finally. And it’s not finally by any means.

Finally,

he says

my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is not irksome to me and is safe for you. Look out for the dogs. You know, you want to say to Paul, you’ve got to learn to say what you really mean. You know, he’s in your face sometimes. We’ve gone from this very soft and gentle and wonderful passage on friendship to something like this. Look out for the dogs, look out for the evil workers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh. For we are the true circumcision, who worship God in Spirit and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh– though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If any other man thinks that he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as refuse, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own based on the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith– that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his suffering, becoming like him in his death, that if possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already claimed this for myself or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.

Now, in a little while, we’re going to start talking about the litany of lies that we have a tendency to believe, but are not the truth. The most important, or maybe one of the most important things that God has done for us as Christians is to give us the truth. He’s given us a Canon, and that means a measurement, that would be the Bible, whereby we can see when politicians and advertisers and people in our culture tell us lies, we know the truth. And in that truth, there is real life. Jesus said.

I am the truth.

And wherever truth is spoken, no matter what kind of truth, because He is the truth, He is present. For instance, when you teach your children the two truths of the Christian faith, Jesus is there. When you speak truth in your witness to your friends, Jesus is present. When you tell the truth about yourself, Jesus is present. When you speak truth to our culture, to power, Jesus is present, because Jesus is the truth. And he’s given us truth. And truth is so very, very important. Now, we’re going to look at the litany of lies, and I’ll start that tomorrow. But today, I want you to see in the first verses that Paul starts by saying.

Finally, rejoice in the Lord.

And then he begins to say some things that aren’t very good or very helpful. That could be devastating, the difficulties he’s gone through, the pain he’s experienced.

Finally, rejoice in the Lord.

Are you crazy, Paul? What do you mean rejoice in the Lord with all of that bad stuff? Because he had learned the Pearl of Great Price. He had learned the reality of being a Christian. I remember a lady saying to my colleague, Dave O’Dowd one time, that she was really upset with what was happening in the world. And then she said, it makes me wish I weren’t a Christian. And then Dave said to her, Would you rather not really? Would you rather not have known him? And she was quiet, because she understood what Paul was saying in this particular text. It’s worth everything. The Christian faith is a place of joy, because we know that we’re forgiven, that we’re going to live forever, that God is God, and He can be trusted at every point, because we know the truth. There is real joy when we walk with Christ. Hey, you think about that. Amen.

Matthew Porter:
Thank you Steve Brown. Today we wrapped up our study of friendship in Philippians 2 and moved on to the first part of chapter 3. This is good stuff and still so much more ahead in this back half of the book. Hope you’ll continue with us on this journey. Well, there’s a booklet we’d like to send to you for free. And here are a few things covered in that booklet: ten suggestions for prayer, how to relinquish control, the pain of unanswered prayer, and how to cope when God says, no. I don’t know about you, but that one hits pretty close to home for me. The booklet is called How to Get Your Prayers Answered and What to Do When They’re Not. And here’s the best part. As I mentioned before, it is free. Claim your copy right now by calling us at 1-800-KEY-LIFE that’s 1-800-539-5433. You can also e-mail [email protected] to ask for that booklet. Or to mail your request, go to Keylife.org/contact to find our mailing addresses for the U.S. And Canada. Again, just ask for your free copy of the booklet called How to Get Your Prayers Answered and What to Do When They’re Not. And finally, would you consider supporting Key Life financially? Giving is easy. Just charge a gift on your credit card or include a gift in your envelope. Or pick up your phone and text Key Life to 28950 that’s Key Life, one word or two. It doesn’t matter. Just text that to 28950, then follow the instructions. Key Life is a member of ECFA in the States and CCCC in Canada. And Key Life is a listener supported production of Key Life Network.