Philippians 1:12
What has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, 18 And because of this I rejoice.

Philippians 1:21
For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

As the body is nourished by food, so the soul is nourished by people.
John Ortberg

You Need Friends

When God saves us, He saves us into His family.

Proverbs 18:1
Loners who care only for themselves spit on the common good.

Philippians 1:27
Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel Paul says, you gotta live this life side by side with other people.

Friendships are central to living a life worthy of the gospel.

Philippians 2:19
I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, that I also may be cheered when I receive news about you. 20 I have no one else like him, who will show genuine concern for your welfare. 21 For everyone looks out for their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. 22 But you know that Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his 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 am confident in the Lord that I myself will come soon. 25 But I think it is necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, co-worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger, whom you sent to take care of my needs. 26 For he longs for all of you and is distressed because you heard he was ill. 27 Indeed he was ill, and almost died. But God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, to spare me sorrow upon sorrow. 28 Therefore I am all the more eager to send him, so that when you see him again you may be glad and I may have less anxiety. 29 So then, welcome him in the Lord with great joy, and honor people like him, 30 because he almost died for the work of Christ. He risked his life to make up for the help you yourselves could not give me.

#1 God Uses Friendships To Help Us Experience and Extend His Grace

Grace is the unmerited, undeserved, unearned kindness and favor of God.

Philippians 2:5
In your lives you must think and act like Christ Jesus.

The win for us in relationships, in friendships, is being an image of the grace of God to someone else.

We are to image the unmerited, undeserved, unearned kindness and favor of God to the world.

Philippians 2:20
I have no one else like him, who will show genuine concern for your welfare.

Genuine - gnēsiōs = Sincerely
To regard their interests with a sincere tenderness and concern.

Philippians 2:26
For he longs for all of you and is distressed because you heard he was ill.

Timothy and Epaphroditus are living lives that image the life of Jesus well.

Philippians 2:5
In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; 7 rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant,

To save us, Jesus served us.

Matthew 23:11
The greatest among you will be your servant.

Philippians 2:25
I think it is necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, co-worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger, whom you sent to take care of my needs.

Very often, when we’re in need and asking God for a gift to help us, the gift God sends is in the form of a friend.

Philippians 2:28
Therefore I am all the more eager to send him, so that when you see him again you may be glad and I may have less anxiety.

Philippians 2:29
So then, welcome him in the Lord with great joy,

Are you receiving the grace gifts of the friends God has placed around you?

"As a rough rule of thumb, if you belong to no groups but you decide to join one, you cut your risk of dying over the next year in half."

You Need Friends

God is still accepting friend requests; how about you? 

Galatians 6:7
You reap what you sow.

If you want to have great friends, be a great friend.

#2 God Uses Friendships To Spread The Gospel

Philippians 2:22
But you know that Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father he has served with me in the work of the gospel.

Philippians 2:25
my brother, co-worker and fellow soldier,

Gospel is = “The Kingdom is here now”

The mission of the Gospel is to bring people into the Kingdom now.

Friendships are central to living a life worthy of the gospel.

Philippians 1:27
Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ… striving side by side for the faith of the gospel

Philippians 2:30
He almost died for the work of Christ. He risked his life to make up for the help you yourselves could not give me.``