The Bible Series 3 John

Walking… I appreciate the fact that I could walk up here this morning. I think walking is something many of us take for granted.

DID YOU KNOW?

The average person will walk 65,000 miles in their lifetime (3 times around earth)

Most people walk at a speed of 3 miles per hour

Your average tennis shoe will last 500 miles

Walking for 10 miles every week would eliminate 500 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions a year (how?)

Walking increases blood-flow to your brain… improves mood, creativity, thinking ability (Einstein walked 1.5 miles to the university daily)

You need to walk 25 steps to burn off 1 blueberry and about 11 miles to burn off a box of macaroni and cheese (share the box!!!)

To walk takes 200 muscles in your body

Walking 6,000 steps a day will help improve your health and walking 10,000 will help you lose weight

Walking is one of the understated necessities of the Christian life, as physical walking is beneficial and vital in our daily lives so too is our “walking” with God… consider Enoch Genesis 5:21-24

Genesis 5:21–24 NASB95

Enoch lived sixty-five years, and became the father of Methuselah. Then Enoch walked with God three hundred years after he became the father of Methuselah, and he had other sons and daughters. So all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years. Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.

Hebrews tells us this man Enoch lived and walked by FAITH… in his faith he pleased God!

John in this brief letter is speaking of our walk…

Forward progress, steadily… IN TRUTH!

Reminder of Love & Truth…

Love is :

Patient

Kind

Not Jealous

No Bragging

Not Arrogant

Rejoices in Truth

Bears, Believes, Hopes, & Endures … ALL THINGS!

Never Fails

Truth :

Became Flesh

Dwelt among us

Reveal’s God’s Glory

Filled with Grace

Jesus would declare HE IS :

The Way

The Truth!!!

The Life

To walk in the truth is more than to give assent to it. It means to apply it to one’s behavior. He who “walks in the truth” is an integrated Christian in whom there is no dichotomy between profession and practice. On the contrary, there is in him an exact correspondence between his creed and his conduct. Such conformity of life to the truth on the part of his children brought John greater joy than anything else. To him truth mattered.

—John R. W. Stott, The Epistles of John

His address in this letter is very simple… 3 John 1

3 John 1 NASB95

The elder to the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth.

John’s final Letter Information

Once again we see John identify himself as “the elder”. His tone, grammar, vocabulary and style all reflect this is from the beloved disciple of Jesus.

His recipient is Gaius… a common name and other than this letter nothing else is really known.

Most likely written along with the other letters we looked at

Written around 90AD, possibly sent with 1 John

It is the second shortest book by 1 verse!

It is a “DO THEOLOGY” type of a letter… very practical and it encourages us in what to DO… in our Christian life our “walk”…

Like one of our “heroes of the faith” Enoch, lets look at three other individuals John writes about to illustrate for us this walk...

Letter overview

TRUTH = Jesus Christ (The Word in Flesh) & the Word He has given… Scriptures!

This Truth… will impact our LOVE / INTERACTIONS with others (specifically fellow believers)

LOVE will be developed in TRUTH and displayed in our HOSPITALITY…

Caring for Needs

Welcoming Strangers

This is seen through our WALK IN TRUTH… (In Christ)

Our steady progress moving towards / closer with Christ “TRUTH”

John ILLUSTRATES this by looking briefly at three individuals:

Gaius vs 2-8

John speaks of this man in 3 John 2-8 and affirms his love

3 John 2–8 NASB95

Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers. For I was very glad when brethren came and testified to your truth, that is, how you are walking in truth. I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth. Beloved, you are acting faithfully in whatever you accomplish for the brethren, and especially when they are strangers; and they have testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God. For they went out for the sake of the Name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles. Therefore we ought to support such men, so that we may be fellow workers with the truth.

Love walks in truth

It thrills John’s heart that those he has ministered to “children” are walking with the Lord

“Faithfully” loving and caring for brothers and sisters in Christ… EVEN those who were strangers!!!

These were traveling preachers of the Truth… God’s Word (possibly sent by John from Ephesus)

The church testifies of this… he had a reputation

The care given was from the church, the help was from fellow followers of Christ

This is some of where we get the concept of supporting missionaries (sent out)

We are to have as our Heavenly Father does a generous heart

“manner worthy of God” … hospitality

We see another man mentioned quickly on the heals of this wonderful commendation… he is mentioned in CONTRAST and as a WARNING!

Diotrophes vs 9-11

John is very pointed towards this man Diotrophes who has rejected truth 3 John 9-11

3 John 9–11 NASB95

I wrote something to the church; but Diotrephes, who loves to be first among them, does not accept what we say. For this reason, if I come, I will call attention to his deeds which he does, unjustly accusing us with wicked words; and not satisfied with this, he himself does not receive the brethren, either, and he forbids those who desire to do so and puts them out of the church. Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. The one who does good is of God; the one who does evil has not seen God.

Pride Rejects Truth

This was a leader within the church!!! Paul warned that there would be those who would rise up like this EVEN AMONG YOU!

Pride and arrogance is at odds with truth

Jesus Christ Himself set an example of humility… Pride cannot accept truth

When truth is rejected it impacts our actions / our deeds / our love

NOTICE: when truth is rejected, TRUE LOVE is lacking for brothers and sisters

There is no care, no welcoming, no hospitality

We find him rejecting all who do hold to the truth

John here warns his readers… “do not imitate what is evil!”

John boldly states this man’s actions are EVIL!!!

This individual does NOT progress forward. There is NO WALK in truth… one may even have good reason to question ones salvation. (one who “has not seen God” But look at the CONTRAST…

Demetrius vs 11-12

Most likely the one bringing the letter John speaks of the Good Reputation of this man 3 John 11-12 Demetrius…

3 John 11–12 NASB95

Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. The one who does good is of God; the one who does evil has not seen God. Demetrius has received a good testimony from everyone, and from the truth itself; and we add our testimony, and you know that our testimony is true.

Truth does Good… we see more of this “DO THEOLOGY”

Imitate what is good… (God first and foremost) and here is a man to look to… Demetrius!

This man is of God, he is doing good

Maybe this man had suffered at the words and deeds of Diotrophes, but either way his actions/deeds testify of his walk in truth!

The outcome of walking in truth is Christian Hospitality

Hospitality: caring for the needs of others (especially brothers and sisters… AND welcoming strangers

This should be seen and demonstrated by followers of Jesus Christ (like Gaius, Demetrius… you, Me!!!)

It is one of the Standards of and Elder (church leaders) Timothy and Titus both declare this

It is seen and demonstrated in our Heavenly Father to YOU & ME!

We too were once strangers, separated from God through our sin

We too were in need and He met our greatest need in His Son Jesus Christ

REPUTATION REFLECTS...

John has more to say along these lines but some things are better in person… to those walking in truth John leaves them in PEACE until he arrives.

Every time I preach I ask a series of Who, What, How, Why, Where questions… I thought I would close this letter with those…

WHO IS GOD:

He is the One who graciously walks with us

WHAT DOES GOD WANT FROM US:

Walk in truth, to be caring, generous, welcoming, love one another

HOW DOES GOD HELP US:

He gave examples… Christ, Gaius, Demetrius (Even Diotrophes)

WHY DID GOD NEED TO SEND HIS SON:

So we could see Truth in the flesh, and walk as He did

WHERE DOES THIS FIT IN SCRIPTURE:

This is instruction focused… DO / DON’T DO Theology for the church

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR TODAY:

I need to have my life reflect Christ’s life

Hospitable

Caring

Welcoming

Generous

Love and do Good

Walking in Truth… I love that it requires just one step at a time. And Truth can ONLY impact our Love for fellow believers for the good. Let’s leave here today REFLECTING CHRIST WITH EACH AND EVERY STEP!