Seven Truths of the Christian Life

A time the influence you have had on others and the influence others have had on you

Some have made an impact in our lives

When Great Souls Die

When great trees fall,

Rocks on distant hills shudder,

Lions hunker down in tall grasses,

and even elephants lumber after safety.

When great trees fall in forests,

small things recoil into silence,

their senses eroded beyond fear.

When great souls die,

the air around us becomes light, rare, sterile.

We breathe, briefly.

Our eyes, briefly see with a hurtful clarity.

Our memory, suddenly sharpened,

examines,

gnaws on kind words unsaid,

promised walks never taken.

Great souls die and

our reality, bound to them,

takes leave of us.

Our souls,

dependent upon their nurture,

now shrunk, wizened.

Our minds, formed

and informed by their radiance,

fall away.

We are not so much maddened

as reduced to the unutterable ignorance

of dark, cold caves.

And when great souls die,

after a period, peace blooms,

slowly and always irregularly.

Spaces fill with a kind of

soothing electric vibration.

Our senses restored, never

to be the same.

Whisper to us.

They Existed. They Existed.

We can be. Be and be better.

For They Existed.

--Maya Angelou

I have asked two men to speak to you about

Men who have been influential in their life

Bro. Bill Roots

Bro. Scott Johnson

Turn to the book of Third John

This Passage shows us seven truths of the Christian life.

The First Truth is that Christians Encourage Others (Vs. 1-4)

Just as John possibly wrote this letter

As a letter of Encouragement

We should seek to lift up our brothers

Not tear them down

1 John 3:18 NASB95

Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.

Walking in Truth

1 John 2:1 NASB95

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous;

The Second Truth is that Christians Show Hospitality(Vss. 5-8, 10)

Vs. 5 Whether he knew them or not

Hebrews 13:2 NASB95

Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it.

Matthew 10:40–42 NASB95

“He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me. “He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward; and he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward. “And whoever in the name of a disciple gives to one of these little ones even a cup of cold water to drink, truly I say to you, he shall not lose his reward.”

The strangers appear to be missionaries

Didn’t seek help from the Gentiles

Pagan Missionaries

Compare to verse 10

Diotrephes prevented support

The Third Truth is that Christians Don’t become Prideful (Vs. 9)

Let me give you the history of pride in three small chapters. The beginning of pride was in heaven. The continuance of pride is on earth. The end of pride is in hell. This history shows how unprofitable it is. Richard Newton (1813 1887)

Count not thyself better than others, lest perchance thou appear worse in the sight of God, who knoweth what is in man. Be not proud of thy good works, for God's judgments are of another sort than the judgments of man, and what pleaseth man is oft times displeasing to him.

Thomas À Kempis (C. 1380 1471)

The sin of Satan himself

Isaiah 14:14 NASB95

‘I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’

Being “like the Most High” does not mean “being like God in character or attitude.” Isaiah 14:12–15 is talking about an attempted coup, a desire to surpass God.

Diotrephes wanted to be the Number-one leader CEV

He wanted to be first in everyone’s eyes on him

But in order for him to be first

Who had to be second

of any of those mentioned

Did either say

I choose him because he placed himself first

We so want to be noticed in our society

2 John 9 NASB95

Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son.

Remember the one who is Progressive...

The Fourth truth is that Christians Listen to Spiritual Leaders (Vs. 9)

We should always check what is said by the word

But their is wisdom in those

who have spent time in the word

1 Thessalonians 5:12–13 NASB95

But we request of you, brethren, that you appreciate those who diligently labor among you, and have charge over you in the Lord and give you instruction, and that you esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Live in peace with one another.

1 Timothy 5:1 NASB95

Do not sharply rebuke an older man, but rather appeal to him as a father, to the younger men as brothers,

The Fifth truth is that Christians Don’t Gossip about the Brethren (Vs. 10)

Prating against us- Speaking non-sense

He bore false witness against John

More than likely to be the Number one leader

Galatians 6:10 NASB95

So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.

The Sixth Truth is that Christians Choose Good over Evil (Vs. 11)

Psalm 34:14 NASB95

Depart from evil and do good; Seek peace and pursue it.

Psalm 37:27 NASB95

Depart from evil and do good, So you will abide forever.

Ephesians 2:10 NASB95

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

1 John 3:10 NASB95

By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother.

The Seventh Truth is that Christians Have a Good Testimony (Vss. 3, 12)

By this I mean that Others will bear witness of their faithfulness.

Vs. 3 and 12

1 Timothy 3:7 NASB95

And he must have a good reputation with those outside the church, so that he will not fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.

They see the fruit and how is this made evident:

John 13:35 NASB95

“By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

John 21:24 NASB95

This is the disciple who is testifying to these things and wrote these things, and we know that his testimony is true.