In last week’s sermon, “Platoon”, we learned that in order to mature in the Lord and develop a healthy fear of the Lord, we need a peloton around us.
But often, we don’t know what kind of friends we should have or should be.
Three Don’ts When it Comes to Getting a Peloton
- Don’t gather a “Bad Peloton”, instead, get a Good Peloton together: “Do not be deceived: Bad company ruins good morals.” (1 Corinthians 15:33 ESV)
- Don’t covet other pelotons, instead start seeing the peloton God gave you as valuable: “…having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves.” (Philippians 2:3 NIV)
- Don’t just study together, instead submit to one another’s views and gifts: “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.” (Ephesians 5:21 NIV)
Instead, let’s focus on what kind of friend we should be to others and who we should have in our pelotons.
In his book, 11
The two we want to focus on today are the Editor and Encourager (Nathan and Barnabas).
Nathan, the Editor
Nathan’s name means “a gift from God,” and he was a court prophet for King David. Len Sweet says that having a Nathan draws you into deep reflection and repentance.
It is Nathan who reprimands and convicts King David for committing adultery and murder. (2 Samuel 12:1-7).
The Lord sent Nathan to David. When he came to him, he said, “There were two men in a certain town, one rich and the other poor. The rich man had a very large number of sheep and cattle, but the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up with him and his children. It shared his food, drank from his cup and even slept in his arms. It was like a daughter to him. Now a traveler came to the rich man, but the rich man refrained from taking one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare a meal for the traveler who had come to him. Instead, he took the ewe lamb that belonged to the poor man and prepared it for the one who had come to him.” David burned with anger against the man and said to Nathan, “As surely as the Lord lives, the man who did this must die! He must pay for that lamb four times
Then Nathan said to David, “You are the man!”
Much like David, we don’t have self-awareness. We need people who will expose us to truths that we want
“Nathan is less about pointing a finger than parting a curtain.”
Because the truth is, we are worse than we think and better than we think. But we don’t know that truth about ourselves by ourselves.
“Then David the king went and sat before the Lord.” (1 Chronicles 17:16)
Nathan is an Editor because he/she is helping you get back to your True Voice, back to the narrative God has intended for you to live. A Nathan in your life says essentially, “This isn’t who you are, you aren’t ____. You need to snap out of it, sit before the Lord and consider your ways.”
“Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ…”
– Ephesians 4:15
In order to become a Nathan, we must build truth and respect and learn to love our friends and want the best for them.
But the reason we might not have Nathans around us is because we don’t want to be a Nathan to our friends. We often care more about harmony than holiness.
Barnabas, The Encourager
The name Barnabas means “Son of Encouragement,” and comfort (Acts 4:36). He is first mentioned in Acts when he sells his land and gives the entire profit to the apostles for the sake of the gospel. He was also Paul’s missionary companion.
Len Sweet describes Barnabas this way, “Barnabas is an encourager, not an embalmer. Some people will embalm you in flattery. That’s not Barnabas.”
A Barnabas:
- Cheers and celebrates. Doesn’t compete with you
- Co-labors
- Is compassionate toward your pain, struggles and weariness
- Calls you and is thinking of you.
- Calibrates you back to God’s will and reminds you of who you are.
“One of my spiritual friends has been in my face and by my side.”
– Klaus Issler
In order to grow into the head, which is Christ, we need both confronter (Nathan) and a comforter (Barnabas). Or as Pastor Bryan illustrates, the two hands of friendship: The Fist and the Palm
Together, may we “grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every join with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.” (Ephesians 4: 15-16)
Pray this with us this week:
For those of us who feel alone, may God provide us friends to comfort.
For those of us who are unknowingly proud, may God provide us friends to confront.
For those of us who are surrounded, may God be glorified in our friendship.
And may we all grow up into Christ, our Savior.
Amen.
You can listen to the sermon In Good Company f
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