New England Bible Conference 2008. Part 3. Wednesday AM

New England Bible Conference 2008. Part 3. Wednesday AM.

Wednesday, August 6, 2008

“In order that you may hold your ground maturely also having been fully persuaded in every will of the God.”

We come to a man who was not only a distinguished physician, in fact, Paul’s personal physician, but Luke is a demonstration of the fact that a man can be great in his profession and even greater as a believer.

He was a very brilliant and very observant person, and he was one of Paul’s most devoted and faithful friends.

Luke joined Paul’s team at Troy on Paul’s second missionary journey,
ACT 16:10-11.
He accompanied Paul to Philippi but was not involved in the persecutions of Paul and Silas, Act 16.

When Paul came to Philippi on the third missionary journey, Luke was with Paul and he stayed with him until Paul’s death.
Luke also went with Paul when Paul went on his reversionistic trip to Jerusalem, ACT 20:6-21:18.

He also shared the Caesarean imprisonment of Paul for two years and made the very famous shipwreck voyage to Rome, Act 27,28.
He was with Paul in the first Roman imprisonment, COL 4:13, Phile 1:24.
He was also with Paul in the second Roman imprisonment, and he was with Paul at the time of his death, 2TI 4:11.

2TI 4:11 Only Luke is with me. Pick up Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for service.

“Ho iatros ho agapetos” = the certain physician and the certain beloved brother.

Luke apparently had only one patient and keeping that one patient alive was actually keeping the rest of the world alive.
Luke attended to Paul’s health, kept his writings, guided him in his courses, encouraged him in his sorrows, inspired him in his labors, and had fellowship with him in doctrine.

At the last, when many of Paul’s friends could not be with him, and others had forsaken him, Luke remained true and was at Paul’s side until his dying day, 2TI 4:11.

The Apostle spoke of him as “the beloved physician,” and “my fellow worker.”

Paul did not have many friends that he could really trust and count on, so this should increase our respect for Luke who was a true friend to the apostle Paul. Friendships are the types of relationships which can sneak up upon you and take you for a ride or take advantage of you.

PSA 41:9 Even my close friend, in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted up his heel against me.

You know a true friend, if you have any, is the one who knows all about you and still likes you. If that person is an opportunist, one who takes advantage of any opportunity to achieve a personal goal, you will be shocked at how fast they will take advantage of you.

That is why the word of God warns us about the friend who will take advantage of you and deceive you for personal gain as Jonadab did to Amnon in 2SA 13:3.

PRO 19:6 Many will entreat the favor of a generous man, And every man is a friend to him who gives gifts.
Prosperity makes friends; adversity tries them.

PRO 27:14 He who blesses his friend with a loud voice early in the morning, It will be reckoned a curse to him [the one who is being blessed].
PRO 19:4 “Wealth adds many friends”
The loss of prosperity will test the reliability and the faithfulness of your friends.

MAR 14:50 And they all [all of our Lord’s disciples] left Him and fled.

LUK 15:16 And he was longing to fill his stomach with the pods that the swine were eating, and no one was giving {anything} to him.
JOB 19:19 “All my familiar friends scorn me, And those I love have turned against me.”

It is a tremendous wake up call concerning the nature of humanity when you realize that there were people in your life who you truly loved and who you would lay down your life for, who turn against you for the right price.

PHI 1:7 “Since it is right for me to be holding this opinion in behalf of all of you, because you have a very special place in my heart [right-lobe], both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, all of you keep on being my partners in grace.”

1. The Philippians were the only church that Paul said were his partners or friends!
2. When Paul says that they were his partners, he is referring to the fact that the Philippians shared in his sufferings as well as his labors and they had been partakers of the same victory over undeserved suffering as he had.

3. The Philippians’ love and support to him in his dark moments was proof of the fact that they were partners with Paul in the joint effort of preaching the Gospel and teaching the word of God.
4. Even though Paul was separated from them and could not see how they were progressing spiritually, all through his trouble he had the assurance that they were with him and were supporting him.

Prosperity makes friends but adversity tries them!
PRO 17:17 “A true friend loves at all times and as a brother is born for adversity.”

ECC 4:9-10 Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor. For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up.

JOB 6:14 “For the despairing man there should be kindness from his friend;”
GAL 6:2 Bear one another’s burdens, and thus fulfill the doctrine of Christ.

“A friend cannot be known in prosperity: and an enemy cannot be hidden in adversity.”
– book of Wisdom
Wisdom 6:14 – “A faithful friend is a strong defense: And he that hath found such a one has found a treasure.”

2TI 1:16 “The Lord grant mercy to the house of Onesiphorus for he often refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chains;”

5. The greatest friendship in life is that which is found in our relationship with TLJC and our cooperation with one another in the work.
6. Even when it might have been dangerous to identify themselves openly with the apostle Paul, they treated his persecutions as their own and came to his assistance with their gifts and support.

A Christian friend is a person God picks so He can love you through them.

GAL 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered Himself up for me.”

a. Category one is toward God.
b. Category two is toward right man or right woman.
c. Category three is toward friends.
d. Category four is “loving the brethren” or impersonal love.

DEU 6:5 “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.”

HEB 6:10 For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward His name, in having ministered and in still ministering to the saints.

MAT 25:40 “Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, {even} the least {of them,} you did it to Me.”

Because of their personal love for God they developed a tremendous rapport with each other and they entered into category three love.

True friends don’t try to upstage you or compete with you, 1SA 20:17.

PRO 17:17 A friend loves at all times, And a brother is born for adversity.

PRO 18:24 A man of many friends comes to ruin, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

PRO 17:9 He who covers a transgression seeks love, But he who repeats a matter separates intimate friends.

You pour everything out, knowing that your friend will sift between the garbage and the valuables, and with a spirit of kindness and grace will throw the garbage away, and keep only the valuables.

PRO 10:12 “Love covers all transgressions.”

True friends also guard your privacy.

ROM 12:9 “Let your love be without hypocrisy. Abhor evil; cling to what is good.”

Category three love is also outgoing and objective rather than hypersensitive and subjective.

Capacity for category three love through Bible doctrine in the soul is the basis for a relaxed mental attitude toward all believers.

“For the first time I carried on a conversation; for the first time was the inmost sense of my words returned to me more rich, more full, more comprehensive from another mouth. What I had been groping for was returned clear to me. What I had been thinking I have been taught to see.”

ROM 8:26 And in the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words;

This is the supreme inspiration and revelation of a high and prevailing prayer, the consciousness of our inability to even pray properly.

Category three love is also a giving love,
1SA 18:1-4.
It gives time, thoughtfulness, and material things.