HOW TO KEEP YOUR FRIENDS PART 6

TEXT - PHILEMON 1:8-19

Introduction

In the spring of 1887 a 20 year-old arrived in Tuscumbia, Alabama to tutor a deaf and blind girl. The tutor’s name was Anne Sullivan and the student’s name was Helen Keller. They were to develop one of the most admired friendships of the century. At seven years old Helen Keller was a wild child who uttered unintelligible animal like sounds. When angry she would shove the dishes off the table and throw herself to the floor. Many had told Mrs. Keller that her daughter was an idiot. For many weeks Anne spelled words into Helen’s hand, but was unsuccessful in getting her to understand what she was doing. Then n April 5th, something happened that changed Helen Keller’s entire life. This is her recollection of that day 60 years later.

“It happened at the well-house, where I was holding a mug under the spout. Annie pumped water into it, and when the water gushed out into my hand she kept spelling
W-A-T-E-R into my other hand with her fingers. Suddenly I understood. Caught up in the first joy I had known since my illness, I reached out eagerly to Annie’s ever-ready hand, begging for new words to identify whatever objects I touched. Spark after spark of meaning flew from hand to hand and miraculously, affection was born. From the well-house there walked two enraptured beings calling each other “Helen” and “teacher.”

Anne Sullivan gave most of her life to Helen Keller. When her famous friend decided to go to college, she sat beside her in every class spelling out the lectures into Helen’s hand as well as spelling out books that were not in Braille.

By the age of ten, Helen was writing to famous people in Europe in French. She quickly mastered five languages.

None of these things however changed the friendship that existed between Anne and Helen.

As we continue with our series on “Becoming A Friendly Church” I would like us to look at Philemon 1:8-19 and learn “How To Keep Your Friends.”

In this passage we find what kind of relationship the Apostle Paul had with his friend Philemon.

As Paul write to Philemon, he pleads for the freedom of another friend named Onesimus; Philemon’s runaway slave.

Samuel Butler once said, “Friendship is like money, easier made than kept.”

If you want to keep a friend there are four things you must do.