Pacific at the Movies Toy Story 3 Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 Let me begin with a confession.

I said last week after dealing with the issues of Justice with the movie Conviction and evil with the movie the Rite that we were going to lighten it up a bit with Toy Story 3. Thats only partially true because while the 3 Toy Story Movies are animated, in many respects, they are deeply profound. If youve seen the Toy Story movies then you understand what Im talking about. Now Im sure somebody has done a doctorate in this but I couldnt find it. Toy Story 1, 2 or 3, take your pick, is about this very formative and complex relationship a child forms withtheir toy. Now it may be an actual toy or it may be a blanket, as in a security blanket like Linus from Peanuts had or it may even be a cartoon figure like Snoopy. But these things provide us with our very first friendships. At a certain age we begin like Andy in Toy Story to let go of our toys and invest ourselves in human friendships. Now this is interesting because if our early experiences of human friendships are positive then we develop a certain outlook and commitment to investing in and building them. If not then we tend to go through life somewhat isolated and alone. So letsask the question,what does Toy Story 3 say to us? What issues does it raise for us? Let me ask for those of you who have watched any of these movies, who wouldnt want a friend like the character Woody? Hed be on my Facebook page in an instant. Here is a true friend. When I think of Toy Story and the qualities of friendship that are presented I think of the words of Solomon that are both God inspired and recorded in Ecclesiastes 4. 9 Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: 10If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. 11 Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? 12 Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. As we study this Scripture and learn from Toy Story 3 think with me about three things: What are the Benefits of Friendship, Why Friendship is important and A Friend you can Always Count On. First WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF FRIENDSHIP? Verse 9 Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: This

is interesting because it isnt necessarily how many Vancouverites may talk about friendship. Some of you may remember that a man named Robert Putnam wrote a book titled Bowling Alone. And the conclusion of that book is that many of us dont believe that Two are better than one. He gives pages of statistics to support the trend in our culture towards isolation. For instance a quarter of people polled reported they lacked a confidant with whom to discuss important personal matters and over half of all respondents reported being only one confidant away from social isolation. In others having character like Woody in your life that you can really count on. Our pursuit of rugged individualism has left us isolated. But what does the example of the character of Woody and a number of others in the movie along with this text challenge us about? Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor. Why should we believe this?Because there is something exponential about relationships. The best way to understand exponential, which is a mathematical term is to think of multiplication rather than just addition. When you enter into relationship with another person, when there is friendship its not that youre just adding to yourself, youre actually multiplying. Stephen Covey in his classic book 7 HABITS OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE PEOPLE talks about this being the LAW OF SYNERGY. Ive heard this explained in many different ways but synergy in relationships is the realization that the relationship itself brings a third element to who we are as two individuals. The relationship adds value beyond what each of us is as an individual. I know youve experienced this. Think about times when youve been with a friend and youve started talking about something, an issue youre facing. Sometimes its like magic isnt it? You bring an idea, the other person brings and idea but theres this third element that starts happening as you both inspire and challenge each other. Your relationship together brings out a quality, a solution, an inspiration that neither of you could have arrived at by yourself. What are the benefits to Friendship?A friendship adds value to you and to others. Now just stop for a moment because I know as downtown Vancouverites we can be cynical about this. Words like value added and leverage sometimes leave us feeling used. This is exactly why we steer free of relationship, but the point here is that you are created for relationship. Its not about entering into relationship because youre trying to leverage that other person, you enter into relationship because you and that other person become the best you can be through relationship.

This has really challenged me personally because I was listening to someone talk about being like a river or a reservoir. I understand that there are many reasons to be cynical and skeptical about friendships but a river allows a constant stream to flow into other peoples lives, while a reservoir contains it. Now heres the important question. What type of person do I want to be? You see we can watch Toy Story and think Oh, if I had a friend like Woody in my life who exemplifies all these fine qualities of friendship like Eccl. 4 talks about: Loyalty, warmth, protection, strength I would be so happy. But let me just take you back to the movie and the theme songs which goes, Youve got a friend in me. It doesnt say boy do I have a friend in you. The emphasis is on being a friend, of being a river and not a reservoir. That you are constantly planting seeds of friendship that can take root and flourish in peoples lives and may even reciprocate and develop into your best friendships. What are the benefits? There is this incredible synergy that can take place. It wont happen with everyone but as you invest in others, in relationships, you discover whom you do have it with. But lets just ask the question that maybe some of you think should have come first. WHY INVEST IN FRIENDSHIPS?Eccl. 4 says, in fact Toy Story 3, 2 and 1 say, BECAUSE OF CRISIS. Verses 10 to 12 tell us, 10If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. 11 Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? 12 Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. Why do you need a friend? Because life is full of crisis. What happens when you fall, or when youre cold or when you are overpowered? When life is good we may think friendships are too expensive of an investment but thats short sighted. Life has a way of bringing us face to face with things that can devastate us. And in those moments to have a friend like Woody who is loyal, who speaks the truth in love, who helps us see ourselves as we really are, is one of the most valuable things on earth. How many people do you have like the character Woody in your life or that have the qualities of Ecclesiastes 4. You need to nurture them now, while the sun is shinning, so that when you fall, when youre cold, when youre vulnerable you have someone standing alongside you. I found it very interesting to read in a follow up to Putnams book Bowling Alone that the younger generation that was witness to the events of 9/11 has significantly different social habits than their parents. Their understanding or commitment to what is called social

currency is much great. Why? Because the crisis of 9/11 helped them understand how interdependent we truly are. Crisis was no longer an idea it was a reality and it helped them value the people around them. One of the expressions I was raised with by my grandparents was the idea of saving for a rainy day. The idea is dont spend all your money because something may happen and if your bank account is empty youre not going to be able to face the challenge. Thats financial currency. But its also true of what is called social currency. Why value friendships, relationships, and community? Why invest in Life Group? Because you want to save for a rainy day. But one important last point. If you were here a few weeks ago you heard me talk about a letter my dad wrote me in my early teens expressing concern that my closest friends were four footed and four hoofed ones. I didnt trust people. In my life they were fickle and undependable. Even though I sensed Gods call in my early twenties to invest in people instead of animals as a Veterinarian my feelings about people didnt chang that much. People are fickle. They are self-centered, untrustworthy and undependable a lot of the time. Maybe youve found that too. How can we engage in relationships the way God challenges us? We can because all of us truly do HAVE A FRIEND WE CAN ALWAYS COUNT ON. I would even say it like this, Woody is a picture of the true friend we have in Jesus Christ. This is found in the passage were reading because verse 12 says, A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. Now a part of that verse is telling us that theres even more strength in three people than two, but remember the passage began Two are better than one. The passage ends with this reference to a strand of three. Who is the third strand in your life? I would even ask it like this, who is the one that gives you the confidence to be a loyal friend to others in spite of their inconsistencies? I encourage you it is the third strand. Two passages of Scripture especially emphasis this. First, Proverbs 18 says, 24A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. I believe that friend this passage is talking about is Jesus. And we might wonder how can Jesus be a friend that sticks closer than a brother. I dont get that. Romans 5 tells us, 6For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7For one will scarcely die for a righteous personthough perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die 8but God shows his love for us

inthat while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. How is Jesus the ultimate friend? He gives his life for you and not because you were such a good friend to him. He dies for your worst so that through his death you might become your best. On one hand that shows us the kind of friend we truly have in Jesus. He sacrificed himself for us because of how much he loved us. And we can experience an actual relationship with Jesus by inviting him to be our Savior and to forgive our sins. But let me also say that we can nurture that relationship by spending time with him. By reading his Word. By listening to Him in prayer. By serving him through serving others. But heres the other hand. Jesus not only becomes the ultimate friend, butthrough his friendship shows how to be friend others. Through Jesus we have the friend who will never leave us or forsake us, which means we can have friendships that are less than ideal. I can love you as you are because I am loved as I am and am experiencing what it means to be transformed because of it. In the words of 1 John 7Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.