An Example to Live By

Build Connection

Some funny tombstone sayings…

He made one little blunder, and now he’s six feet under.

I came here without being consulted.

One way, do not enter.

I’d rather be reading this.

Beneath this tombstone my wife lies, now she’s at rest and so am I.

I’m ready to meet my maker. Whether my maker is prepared for the great ordeal of meeting me is another matter” by Winston Churchill

Life is hard. Then you die. Then they throw dirt in your face

While these are funny More people will read your obituary than your tombstone.

The real question isn’t about tombstone or obituary but…

“If someone was to write you biography, what would it say?”

Create Tension

How do yo want to be remembered?

Is there something you can do to be remembered well?

If so, what is it?

Let’s see what God’s Word has to say!

Provide Solution

3 John 1–15 (NLT):

This letter is from John, the elder.

I am writing to Gaius, my dear friend, whom I love in the truth.

2 Dear friend, I hope all is well with you and that you are as healthy in body as you are strong in spirit. 3 Some of the traveling teachers recently returned and made me very happy by telling me about your faithfulness and that you are living according to the truth. 4 I could have no greater joy than to hear that my children are following the truth.

5 Dear friend, you are being faithful to God when you care for the traveling teachers who pass through, even though they are strangers to you. 6 They have told the church here of your loving friendship. Please continue providing for such teachers in a manner that pleases God. 7 For they are traveling for the Lord, and they accept nothing from people who are not believers. 8 So we ourselves should support them so that we can be their partners as they teach the truth.

9 I wrote to the church about this, but Diotrephes, who loves to be the leader, refuses to have anything to do with us. 10 When I come, I will report some of the things he is doing and the evil accusations he is making against us. Not only does he refuse to welcome the traveling teachers, he also tells others not to help them. And when they do help, he puts them out of the church.

11 Dear friend, don’t let this bad example influence you. Follow only what is good. Remember that those who do good prove that they are God’s children, and those who do evil prove that they do not know God.

12 Everyone speaks highly of Demetrius, as does the truth itself. We ourselves can say the same for him, and you know we speak the truth.

13 I have much more to say to you, but I don’t want to write it with pen and ink. 14 For I hope to see you soon, and then we will talk face to face.

15  Peace be with you.

Your friends here send you their greetings. Please give my personal greetings to each of our friends there.

Diotrephes: A Man with a Harmful Agenda

His Ambitions were Driven By Pride

3 John 9 (NKJV): who loves to have the preeminence among them, does not receive us

Other sins are against God’s law, but pride is against God’s sovereignty.

Thomas Manton

Dangers of Pride:

You become unrealistic

You see yourself better than you are

You become isolated

You have no need for anyone else

You become critical

You easily point out the faults of others

His Accusations were Profane

3 John 10 (NKJV): against us with malicious words

People who gossip to you will gossip about you!

Gossip is often just “FAKE NEWS”

It doesn’t matter if it is spoken or written…

Sometimes it is just misinterpreting true content…

His Activities were Profane

3 John 10 (NKJV): he himself does not receive the brethren, and forbids those who wish to, putting them out of the church.

Unlike the the false teachers and “antichrist” of his previous letters it was not his theology that

was wrong it was his attitude and actions!!!

Demetrius: A Man with a Good Testimony

Pursue a Godly Example

3 John 11 (NKJV): do not imitate what is evil, but what is good

To imitate evil you don’t have to find out what evil is to do it, you will naturally do it.

To imitate good takes knowing and effort.

You have to learn what good is

You have to work against your natural self to do good

Possess a Good Testimony

3 John 12 (NKJV): Demetrius has a good testimony from all, and from the truth itself.

A good testimony from people…

A good testimony from the Truth…

Encourage change

If God was going to put YOU in the Bible, what would you want him to say about you? What legacy would you want written?

Now go and live the legacy you want written about you!

Close in Prayer