Pastor Jon Burgess
November 13, 2016 - W1646

Please look at the top of your notes, 2 Timothy 1:3?4, "I thank God, whom I serve, as my ancestors did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers. Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy."

It is clear Paul and Timothy's relationship started out as discipleship. He established kingship in Timothy's life and taught him how to go through hardship. Now they have come to a place of friendship. I'm not talking about surface friendship. I'm talking about a godly friendship.

You can write this in the first blank of your outline: “godly friendship is fierce, not fluffy.” Godly friendship is not something that just makes us feel good. It doesn't just tell us what we want to hear. It tells us what we need to hear. You can see that in 2 Timothy 4:5, when Paul says to Timothy, "But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry."

Paul doesn't mince words. He gets to the fact that Timothy can sometimes be intimidated. He can sometimes agree with a spirit of fear. He can sometimes be bullied by people around him that are disagreeing with his teaching. Paul is telling him, “Timothy, you've got to stick up for what you've been called to do. Don't back down. Step up and stay consistent on all of these things.”

I can see in the relationship between Paul and Timothy that there is something important we need to have in our lives. We need to have a few friends that love us enough to tell us what we need to hear, not just what we want to hear.

I don't need someone just to agree with me. I don't always need agreement. I need discernment. I need somebody in my life that is willing to care enough to correct me when they see me going in the wrong direction.

I don't need flattery. I need the fraternity of the saints surrendered to the will of God. Men and women who are willing to love me enough to say, "Hey, Jon, [just like Paul did with Timothy] let's get back on track." That's fierce, not fluffy. That's the kind of friendship we need, and you're only going to get that through a godly friend.

If you are frustrated with your Christian walk, it could be that you have surrounded yourself with people that are only telling you what you want to hear, not what you need to hear. We need “Dream Releasers” in our lives that are willing to open the cage of our souls and say, “Hey, you haven't flown yet. You haven't gone to where God has called you to go.” I want you to consider who you might need to thank for their friendship and write it down.

I love this quote from Pastor Wayne: “Imagine how many restless souls are waiting for someone to take time to bind a broken wing, to breathe in new courage, to nudge them into flight.” Fierce friendship takes time.

The second point is really important: godly friendship is about forgiveness not fault?finding. Paul says, "Do your best to come to me quickly, for Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia.  Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry.  I sent Tychicus to Ephesus.  When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, and my scrolls, especially the parchments." (2 Timothy 4:9-13) Mark had deserted Paul earlier so there had to be forgiveness before the relationship could continue. Genuine, godly friendship is fierce not fluffy. It's about forgiveness not fault?finding. Ask God if it's time for a new beginning in your friendships just like Paul recognized with his friend Mark.

Who is it that God might be placing on your heart to reconcile with—to talk story with again? It's important that we do this because all of us have been called to the ministry of reconciliation. Write down the name of a person you are going to reconcile with. Maybe it was their fault. Maybe it was your fault. Usually it's fault on both sides. It begins with one person willing to take the road of humility to reconcile.

Considering that we just had a very emotionally contentious election, I ask right now that we don't lay our friendships on the altar of politics. Our friends are more important. They are more eternal. They are more valuable than our feelings about the current political situation. Consider the wisdom from James 1:19?20, "Know this my beloved brothers. Let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God."

The third point where we finish tonight is important: God's friendship will never fail you. People will fail you at some time or other. If you start a friendship with God, He will inform your friendships on every other level—with those who know God, as well as those who don't know God. God will show you how to love them unconditionally.

One of the biggest revelations for me in my walk with Christ is that I could be a friend with God. The God of the universe wants to befriend me. How amazing is that? He doesn't just put up with me. He actually wants to be with me. When I realized that He wanted to be my friend, it changed everything in my life.

Paul understood that as well. 2 Timothy 4:16?18: "At my first defense, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them. But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was delivered from the lion's mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory forever and ever. Amen."

Paul remembers his friend, God, and all of his missionary journeys and the many times he should have been dead and was brought back to life. He recounts the many times God helped him to keep going. He realizes that no one else will be able to bring him safely to heaven.

There is a parable about a man who fell into a deep hole and could not get out. He looked up and yelled for help. He saw a doctor walk by and said, "Doctor, Doctor, please help me! I'm inside this hole and I can't get out!" The doctor stopped and looked into the hole. He wrote out a prescription, threw it into the hole, and kept walking.

Then a priest came by. The man in the hole said, "Oh, Father, Priest, please stop and help me!” The priest stopped and looked down into the hole. He took out some very holy parchment and wrote a very beautiful prayer for him. He rolled it up, threw it down into the hole, and kept walking.

Finally, he saw a man walk by he barely recognized. He called out to him, “Friend, friend, can you please help me? I'm stuck down in this hole and I can't get out!” Before he knew what was happening, the friend jumped down into the hole with him. Startled, he said, "What are you doing? Now we're both in the hole. How are we supposed to get out?" His friend looked him in the eyes and said, "I've been in this hole before and I know how to get out. Follow me!"

Our friend, Jesus, left the glories of heaven and came to us in this hole called earth. In fact, He went to the depths of hell for us—to save us from slavery to sin. He died for us and He's calling each one of us. Our God in heaven is the same God on earth who wants to be the Lord of your heart. He wants to be a friend to you.

If you don't know Jesus like that, get ready to have your dreams released. The holy God of the universe wants you and your friendship. He's looking you in your eyes and He's saying, “I've been here before. Follow me. I'll show you the way.”

Let's pray.

Study Suggestions

1. What is Godly friendship?

2. What is Godly friendship about?

3. What will God’s friendship never do?

4. What kind of friend do you want? Why?