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“ONESIPHORUS” 2 Timothy 1:16-‐18

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“ONESIPHORUS” 2 Timothy 1:16-‐18 “ONESIPHORUS” 2 Timothy 1:16-18 - Made huge contributions in God’s work CWBC – 6/2/19 throughout ancient history in the Scriptures Jon Daniels all the way into our lives. - Their lives & actions & teachings impacted INTRO – Who are some of the most famous the people of God & entire nations. And people you know? Audience participation time: they’re still impacting our lives today. I’m going to give you some categories & you call out the most famous person you know in that But for the next few weeks, we are going to take a category: look at some of the less famous, less well-known - Major league baseball player people in the Bible in a sermon series I’ve - NFL football player entitled, “Notable Nobodies.” I don’t call them - Professional golfer “nobodies” b/c they didn’t make any impact or - Movie star have any influence in anyone’s life. Simply calling - Country music star them “nobodies” b/c they reside in the pages of - Rock music star Scripture in relative obscurity. - Classical musician - They’re nobodies b/c we don’t know them - President of the US very well. - Bible character - But they’re notable b/c we can learn from them very well. Usually when you think of people in the Bible, names like you called out are the most familiar & EXPLANATION – Open your Bibles to 2 Timothy notable. People like Paul, Moses, Noah, Abraham, 1:16-18 (page 995 in your pew Bible) & let’s read Peter, Joshua, Jonah, David, Joseph, & others come about our first notable nobody – a man named to mind. Onesiphorus. - Lots of things written about them. - Sometimes their stories cover many 2 Timothy is Paul’s final letter. He’s writing from a chapters in the Bible – even entire books. Roman prison cell or dungeon, languishing in chains for the Gospel. No sanitation, very little light to read or write, no prospect for relief except - 4:19-21 – Prisca & Aquila, Erastus, by death, which is what happened after he Trophimus, Eubulus, Pudens, & Linus – all finished this letter. Although the Bible doesn’t say friends & brothers & sisters in Christ who specifically how Paul died, but Eusebius, an were a part of Paul’s life. ancient church historian wrote that Paul was beheaded at the order of the Emperor Nero. This Aren’t you thankful to have those types of people is the same Nero who had Christians sewn inside in your life? We’ve all had some who have let us of the carcasses of freshly killed animals & down, discouraged us, disappointed us, & thrown into an arena of wild dogs, & who also had deserted us in our time of need. That’s just part of Christians coated in pitch & set on fire to provide life & rubbing up against sinful folks. Truth is that light for some of his garden parties. all of us have been one of those folks who disappointed someone along the way. Maybe One of the sad things we see about these final right now, you know of someone whom you’ve days of Paul’s life is that some of his friends & disappointed or let down in some way. Confess followers deserted him in his time of great need. that to the Lord right now & make a commitment He writes about some of them in this letter: to make that relationship right w/ that person if - 1:15 – Phygelus & Hermogenes at all possible. - 4:10 – Demas - Don’t be a Phygelus or a Hermongenes & - 4:14 – Alexander the coppersmith turn away from a friend in their time of - You can hear Paul’s disappointment in 1:15a need. If you have, go make it right. & 4:16-17. - Don’t be a Demas & love the world more than you love the Lord & your friends. If you He also names some who stayed faithful to him, have, confess that to God right now. continued serving with him, encouraged him, & - Don’t be an Alexander the coppersmith & ministered to him. turn on a friend & bring harm to them. You - Of course, Timothy, to whom he is writing need to know that the Lord will repay you - 4:10-12 – Crescens, Titus, Luke, Mark, for that if you don’t make it right. Tychicus APPLICATION – But let’s talk about someone in The line in that song, “Friends are friends forever Paul’s life who was a good & faithful friend to him if the Lord’s the Lord of them,” encapsulates this & discover what we need to have in our lives to be friendship between Paul & Onesiphorus. B/c they that good & faithful friend to others. Let’s talk both were committed to the Lord Jesus, they were about Onesiphorus. Everyone needs an committed to each other as friends. Onesiphorus in his/her life! He was a truly special - Having a deep commitment to God will make friend! you a better, more committed friend! - How is your commitment to the Lord right His commitment was truly special – v. 16a now? He was committed to his Father – “May the His compassion was truly special – v. 16b Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus…” – Paul prays for his faithful friend Onesiphorus’ name means “one who brings profit & his friend’s family. It’s obvious that or benefit.” If there was ever a time in Paul’s life Onesiphorus had a deep faith & love for God. He when he needed someone to bring him some had experienced the saving grace & mercy of the benefits & help, it was now. And Onesiphorus was Lord Jesus in his life, & Paul was praying that he that someone. would experience even more of that wonderful mercy that God shows to His children. What an amazing display of deep compassion he showed to Paul! Here was Paul, languishing & He was committed to his friend – How suffering on the inside of a dank, dark Roman encouraging & uplifting it was for the aged prison, & here comes Onesiphorus, arriving on apostle to have this committed friend, especially the scene to refresh Paul. I love that the Holy at this critical point in his life! Just a few weeks Spirit led Paul to use that specific word to ago, Vicki & I went to see Michael W. Smith in describe Onesiphorus’ compassion. It’s a word concert. Of course, he is most well-known for his that means “to cool, to revive by fresh air, to song, “Friends,” that he has sung thousands of recover, to breath freely.” In Jer. 31:25, God says times, including at Pres. George Bush’s funeral. that He will “refresh the weary soul, & replenish every languishing soul.” You know how He does begin searching for the girls & to find them. Why? that? Through the compassion of faithful friends. B/c of their deep concern for the welfare & safety - Do you have a friend who refreshes you? of the girls. Those folks who were searching were - Are you a refreshing friend to others? not going to give up until they found those girls, no matter what, which they did – alive & well – And on top of his refreshing compassion, he about 40 hours after they went missing. wasn’t ashamed of Paul & the terrible circumstances he was in – “…he…was not That’s the meaning of what Paul said when he ashamed of my chains…” wrote that Onesiphorus “searched for me - How sad when folks walk away from their earnestly.” He searched hard for Paul w/ urgency friends b/c they’re ashamed of the mess & diligence. Onesiphorus knew that Paul was in they’ve gotten themselves into! serious condition, & he wasn’t doing to stop - Onesiphorus wasn’t like that. He searching until he found him. Seems to indicate unashamedly came to Paul to refresh his that it was a difficult search. Maybe he couldn’t heart. What incredible compassion! find the prison. Maybe the government officials were giving him the runaround. Maybe he got bad His concern was truly special – v. 17 directions from someone. Whatever happened, Onesiphorus didn’t give up. He searched & Onesiphorus’ commitment was truly special. His searched until he found Paul. compassion was truly special. And, third, his - Are you a “never give up” kind of friend? concern was truly special. His courage was truly special – v. 17 When you hear the word “search,” what comes to mind? I think of those stories we hear of a child It took a brave man to keep searching for Paul, who wanders off & gets lost in the woods. Like knowing that there was the distinct possibility Leia & Caroline Carrico who went for a walk in that Nero & the Roman officials could have very the woods close to their CA home back in early easily snatched him up & thrown him into prison March, & got lost. People jumped into action & w/ the same death sentence that Paul had. Paul was so well-known that it certainly was a very Paul started w/ a prayer for God to show mercy risky operation to keep searching for him. to Onesiphorus. And he ends w/ another prayer Christians were being persecuted & tortured & that God would reward him for his committed, put to death, but Onesiphorus still pressed on in compassionate, concerned, & courageous his search for his good friend, Paul. friendship, praising Onesiphorus for all he had done for Paul. Here was an unknown believer Are you a courageous friend like that? Are you ministering to the prominent apostle in his willing to take risks for your friends, willing to go greatest time of need. He deserves the praise that into dangerous situations & places for your Paul was giving to him.
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