Who Is Your Sam?
In yesterday’s post, I blogged about Spiritual Teammates: Sun-Athleo from a recent message I preached on Philippians 1:26-2:18. I asked, “Who are your spiritual teammates?”
Today I ask:
“Who is your Sam?”
Our Ultimate Encourager
Assaulted by internal fears and external opposition, the people Paul ministered to were tempted to give up and give in rather than to stand firm for the gospel. When you feel like this, where do you turn? When internal fears have you ready to give up and when external opposition has you ready to give in, where do we turn?
In Philippians 2, notice where the Apostle Paul doesn’t turn and what he doesn’t do. He doesn’t tell a bunch of cute stories. He tells the truth about Jesus. He doesn’t point people to their own resources. He points people to the resources of Christ. In Philippians 2:1, Paul says to struggling people:
“If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion.”
Now let’s read that verse in the context of Philippians 1.
“Even when the world tries to knock you down, you can stand firm together because you have already received encouragement from Christ, because you have already received the comfort of His love, because you already have the fellowship of the Spirit, because you have already received tenderness and compassion from God the Father.”
When we’re tempted to give up and give in, we need to apply the truth of encouragement from our union with Christ and the truth of our fellowship with the Spirit. “Encouragement” comes from another compound word in the Greek: para-klesis. Klesis means to call and para means around, near, or alongside. Jesus is the One Who is called to come around us, near us, and alongside us to help us in our time of desperate need.
In John 14, Jesus promises His fearful disciples that He will not leave them as orphans, but will send them another counselor, another comforter, another encourager, another para-klesis—the Holy Spirit. Jesus, through the Spirit, does not simply come alongside to help you, He dwells within you to en-courage you—to place courage within you by dwelling in you!
Mr. Frodo and Sam 
Every week I counsel by phone with a young missionary to Italy. He’s single and struggles with loneliness and fears. He also loves the Lord of the Rings trilogy. In a recent phone counseling call, we talked about the final scene in the second LOTR movie. Frodo is exhausted and about to give in and give up. He’s reaching up to surrender himself and the ring to this evil flying creature.
Just in the nick of time, Frodo’s friend, Sam, tackles Frodo, preventing him from surrendering. Knife in hand, Frodo is half-crazed and about to kill Sam. Sam looks up from beneath Frodo and says, “Mr. Frodo, it’s me. Your Sam.” Frodo then tells Sam, “I just can’t do it. I can’t go on.”
In response, Sam shares an incredibly inspiring story that empathizes with Frodo’s exhaustion, but also encourages Frodo that there’s something worth fighting for. There’s a bigger picture than just their two little Hobbit lives. They are on a mission that has lasting significance. The scene ends with Frodo encouraged and telling Sam that he couldn’t go on without his Sam—his spiritual friend and traveling companion.
Our Ultimate Sam
As my young missionary friend and I discussed that scene, we turned to Philippians 2:1 and rejoiced together that Christ is our infinite, ultimate Sam. Christ doesn’t just travel with us; He travels in us. Christ doesn’t just talk about fighting for the Hobbit Shire; He calls and equips us to fight for His Kingdom purposes. Christ doesn’t just speak words of encouragement to us; He is our Encourager.
We’re not done yet with this sermon—remember, it’s not a twelve-minute sermonette. However, I want to do something a tad different right now. I want to stop now, one-third of the way through our message, and pray for you.
A Prayer…
“Heavenly Father, I don’t know what’s beating down my friends right now. I don’t know what has some of them near the end of their rope. I don’t know what is so discouraging that they sometimes feel like they’re ready to give up and give in. But I do know the One who is their sun-athleo—the one who is their Teammate ready to fight for them. I do know the One who is their para-klesis—their En-courager. Heavenly Father, may my friends know Your Son and Your Spirit as their ‘Sam’ standing ready to en-courage them—to place Your eternal, all-mighty power, courage, and boldness within them by dwelling in them. In the name of Jesus Christ our Savior, Friend, and Encourager, I pray. Amen.”
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