PONDERING... What Will You Imitate? (3 John 9-12)

What Will You Imitate?

GIST: Hm...how about verse 11a: Beloved, do not imitate evil but imitate good.

SCRIPTURE: 3 John 9-12

This morning, we talked about persevering in sowing good seed. Tonight, I want to look at two examples from 3 John to help illustrate this point further. These are the last two testimonies in this letter, Diotrephes and Demetrius, and are tied together by verse 11. Here we are told that true Christians, those who know and have been changed by God, will imitate good rather than evil. Those who imitate evil, on the other hand, are not from God. This is the same idea we saw this morning with the sowing to the Spirit versus sowing in the flesh metaphor used in Galatians 6. Diotrephes is the example of the latter. He serves himself instead of God, which is the root of evil/sin. Demetrius, on the other hand, is set before us as an example of good. We basically learn nothing about him. Yet, what John chooses to tell us is vital. We are not to imitate his exact actions--that would verge on idol worship--so we do not need to see them. What was important is who he was in Christ.

So, tonight I just want to walk through each testimony and take some applications as we go.

1. THE DANGERS OF A DIOTREPHES

9 I have written something to the church, but Diotrephes, who likes to put himself first, does not acknowledge our authority. 10 So if I come, I will bring up what he is doing, talking wicked nonsense against us. And not content with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers, and also stops those who want to and puts them out of the church.

The situation here is pretty sad. Diotrephes apparently has some authority in the local church (which would have been a community of believers likely meeting in homes). However, he is abusing this power/influence. He refuses to recognize the authority of the apostles, those Jesus chose to spread the Truth (Gospel), and even speaks badly about them. Furthermore, not only does he refuse to help the traveling missionaries, but also kicks people out of the church who try. Clearly, there are some major issues here. But where does it all start? Look at verse 9 again: "...Diotrephes, who likes to put himself first..." He is sowing to the flesh rather than the spirit, and look at what he reaps.

1. Rejecting God-given Authority. He refuses to acknowledge the authority of John, the apostle. Now this might not seem like a huge issue. Why does he have to accept John's authority? Remember, Jesus chose to use the apostles to spread His good news. Without them, nearly the entire New Testament would be gone. John is not trying to execute ungodly or selfish leadership. We have seen from his Gospel and other letters, he leads by example and emphasizes the necessity of Christians knowing the Truth and living in Love. Rejecting John, in this context, is rejecting God's use of John. Why would he do this? Self-love rejects anything or anyone who threatens its autonomy and/or preeminence. We see that Diotrephes loves to be first, and this love is incompatible with Christian love.

Thoughts?

• What do you put first?
• How seriously do you take the authority of God's Word?
• What if you don't like what it says, or the implication of following its teaching?

2. Slandering the Name of Others. We don't know what exactly was being said against John and those associated with him. [However, it is interesting to point out that this is the only place this particular phrase is used in the New Testament (per Albert Barnes).] What is being said, nonetheless, is called wicked nonsense. He's gossiping and slandering the reputation of John and his associates. Why? He wants to be first, and he can't do that if others are held higher. So, now we see the furtherance of sin's destruction. He has already rejected God's authority. Now, he is bad-mouthing God's people--all in pursuit of preeminence.

Thoughts?

• Why do you gossip? I know we talked about this last week. As Christians, we like to package our gossip in Christianese. We’re not gossipping; we’re just "sharing the truth", or "sharing our concerns". Nope. Look at your heart (that includes me). Gossip is self-serving and destructive to its core. No one wins. You let anger and bitterness rule in your heart while tearing down someone Christ died to save. Anyone who is reading this, please take a moment to really let this sink in. There is no age or gender exclusion to this sin. From my observations, it effects us all. Pray for forgiveness, and stop. All of us.

3. Lacking Compassion and Hospitality. Here, Diotrephes is held in direct contrast with Gaius who serves through hospitality. Diotrephes refuses to accept these servants of God. Why? ... Yep, he wants to be first. Jealousy? I think so.

Thoughts?

• Look at the way you treat others. Do you have to be first?
• What priority does God being served have in your life...regardless of personal prestige?

4. Redefining the Church  This might seem like a stretch. How is he redefining the Church (yes, big "C"... the Church, the body of Christ)? Look at what he does when people want to help the traveling ministers. He kicks them out the local congregation! What is the purpose of the Church? This could be answered a number of ways, but the key purpose is to reflect and serve Christ. We are His body. We are His people. We are to use the gifts He has given each of us to serve His kingdom together. Are there reasons for the Church to execute discipline? Sure. But not for obedience... How does kicking people out of the church for trying to do exactly what Jesus has commanded us to do (love one another) fit with that picture? It doesn't. But when you're being driven by self-serving sin, it doesn't have to. It has to fit with...whatever you think benefits you. We cannot live like this.

Thoughts?

• Who are you serving?
• How do we determine, as a local church, what we should or should not be doing? Is God's Word our standard, or personal preference or gain?

We really need to ask ourselves these questions. Diotrephes was not some "outside" force. He was a prominent member of the church letting selfishness (sin) destroy himself and those around him. If we're honest, we've all probably seen these tendencies in our lives. Remember: "11 Beloved, do not imitate evil but imitate good. Whoever does good is from God; whoever does evil has not seen God."And this was set before us as an example of evil. Let’s look at an example of good.

2. THE DELIGHTS OF A DEMETRIUS

11 Beloved, do not imitate evil but imitate good. Whoever does good is from God; whoever does evil has not seen God. 12 Demetrius has received a good testimony from everyone, and from the truth itself. We also add our testimony, and you know that our testimony is true.

I'll be brief on this one, but I think there is a lot we can glean from these fairly simple truths. And the fact that they are simple says a lot about the kind of life God wants from us. We only get one verse on this guy in the entire Bible, but that one verse speaks volumes. Demetrius sows in the spirit, and we see as a result he “has received a good testimony from..."

1. Everyone

Hold on a second. Is receiving a good testimony from the world a good thing? What about what Jesus said in John 15?

John 15:19  If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

The question to answer here is: why? Why does the world give good testimony? Though the immediate context might imply "everyone in the Church", it does not need to be limited to this. There are other references in Scripture which call for having this kind of reputation. Spurgeon's treasury of Scripture lists these companion verses which, I feel, cast light on this topic.

• "22 And they said, "Cornelius, a centurion, an upright and God-fearing man, who is well spoken of by the whole Jewish nation, was directed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his house and to hear what you have to say."" Acts 10:22
• "12 "And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, well spoken of by all the Jews who lived there," Acts 22:12
• "12 so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one." 1 Thessalonians 4:12
• "2 Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach... 7 Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil." 1 Timothy 3:2, 7

We are not to live like the world and, so, be loved by them for our kindred actions, or beliefs. Rather, we are to live in such a way that though the world may hate us for our convictions and despise our commitment to Christ Jesus, they will have to respect our conduct. Moreover, this character will be honored among fellow believers because it is imitating Jesus...the only real good.

2. And The Truth (Because of the Truth?)

But, why was Demetrius' conduct regarded as good by everyone? I think the second statement here is key. He had a good testimony "from the truth itself." This is a theme John brings up again and again in his writing; we are to walk in Truth. Our lives should be defined by our commitment to living like Jesus--The Truth. I know this might sound like vague rhetoric. But, let's try to make it practical here. Whoever Demetrius was, whatever his profession and personality, one thing we know: he loved Jesus and strove to live like Him. Which means, however it may have manifested itself, he loved God and loved people and lived to share this compassion by pointing others to the Truth of Jesus found in God's Word. Are you? Now, hold on to that thought, we'll come back to it in just a second.

3. And John

The last testimony John lists...is himself. Now this could strike you as super arrogant. Especially following the first two testimonies. Everybody speaks well of Demetrius. The Truth speaks well of Demetrius. I speak well of Demetrius. We were definitely building up until this point, so is John implying his testimony is somehow of greater weight than the other two. Nope. He does this in his Gospel account as well (see John 19:35), and I think he is making two points:

1. This is not hearsay. (And, yes, that is how you spell that word. And, yes, it does look weird. :P) By saying that he and his associates (like those who serve with him in the local congregation/church) add their testimony, he is letting Gaius know that he has personally experienced Demetrius' character and considers him to be a man of God.
2. He can be trusted. Again, you could take this as arrogance to say "and you know that our testimony is true", but you shouldn't. Though John speaks highly of Demetrius, we know that he too possessed a character that imitated good. He is not a righteous man because of his own prowess, but a man who, at this point, had dedicated the past fifty some odd years exclusively to Jesus. Gaius was his friend. He knew this. So, John is basically saying: You can trust me. I wouldn't lie to you.

TAKEAWAYS

We could take a lot away from these verses. Let's chew on a few.

1. What's your reputation?
• Of course, I don't care how popular you are. Neither should you. Yet, how are you perceived in the areas that matter? Do you have integrity? Do you work hard at everything you do? Do you show compassion/do people believe you when you say you care? Are you a good friend? Are you a faithful spouse/parent? Are you a gossip, a luster, a dirty-joke teller, a filthy show watcher, a bully, a liar, a cheater...? What would those who interact with you every day say about your character? I know you need to stop and ask yourself this question because you are a sinner... just like me. I know my heart (though not nearly as well as I should), and I know that those who see me everyday don't always see Jesus.
• Lord, so fill my heart with You that my overflow would be nothing less. (Ponder Luke 6:45)
2. What's your purpose? Are you living for the Truth, for Jesus?
• Just like we said this morning, unless your life has been transformed by Jesus Christ, no matter how hard you work to be "good", your heart will still be corrupt, and it will show. Why can I say this? Jesus did.
• 27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness. 28 So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. Matthew 23:27-28
• 20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:20
3. Can you be trusted?
• I love that John ends this testimony, like his Gospel, by saying: You can trust me. I love this not because it shows us how awesome John was, but rather how incredibly Jesus changed him. John was a "son of thunder". He was young, impudent, and impulsive...but Jesus loved him. That love so changed him that he became known as "the apostle of love". He could be trusted not because of his great character, but his great Savior, to whom he had given due control over his life. Can I say that? Can you?

PONDERING... Will You Persevere? (Galatians 6:7-10)

Will You Persevere?

GIST: The harvest is worth the hardship, so don’t grow weary of doing good.

SCRIPTURE: Galatians 6:7-10

7 Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. 8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. 9 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. 10 So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.

Right after Mother’s Day, we began a series on living in the face of trials. I have gotten a lot out of these passages, and pray they have worked in your hearts, as well. Today, we’re coming to the end of that brief study. This morning, we’re going to look at the next part of the Galatians 6 passage which talks about our need to persevere in the face of trials. Then tonight, we’ll take a closer look at what this will actually look like in practice, as we consider the second half of 3 John. After that, you’ll have a break from me for two weeks :D. Nonetheless, please know my family will be praying for you guys while we’re gone. Part of that prayer? That in all things, you persevere. And that’s the gist today: The harvest is worth the hardship, so don’t grow weary of doing good.

1. THE HARVEST IS WORTH THE HARDSHIP

7 Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. 8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.

You cannot fool God. In the most immediate context, Paul has just talked to them about the fruit of the Spirit and the works of the flesh, or sin. These lists might be familiar, and we don’t have time this morning to look at them in detail, but let’s just get a refresher on what they are.

19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.

-Galatians 5:19-25

So, after describing the difference between a life lived for God (in the Spirit) and one lived for sin/self (in the flesh), he tells his readers to live in the Spirit. Then, he starts talking about what that will look like. Last week, we saw that that involves living upright as a humble and devoted servant to Jesus and carrying one another’s burdens. Here we’re told it involves sowing the right seeds. But before he gets into that, he starts with the serious reminder that God is not mocked; you cannot fool Him. His readers needed this reminder, and so do we. We can trick a lot of people into thinking we’re taking this Christian life seriously. We might even be able to trick ourselves. In fact, we kind of like to be self-deceived. It is easier to pretend than to face our failings head on. Nonetheless, despite your best efforts, you cannot fool God. He knows your heart. He knows what you’re sowing. And at the end of the day, it is only His opinion that matters.  

So, what do you sow? (See what I did there with the so’s :D). There are only two options. We either sow our own flesh or to the Spirit. We either feed our sinful desires--which is what the world around us, sadly, tells us we need--or we live like Jesus--who loves with joy, patience, and kindness, who is good and faithful, who demonstrated gentleness and self-control. The results are clearly stated here. Living for Jesus results in eternal life. Living for yourself, no matter how good it feels here, results in corruption, Hell.

Now, let me be clear here. These aren’t just moral actions we’re asked to start doing. Christianity isn’t about doing the right things, and then getting into Heaven on the basis of your own merits. Sowing to the Spirit, means living for Jesus in such a way that you let Him transform your life. When you’re saved, you give Him control. When you continue walking under that gracious leadership, you’ll be changed. The more time you spend with Him--reading His word, speaking to Him in prayer, being about His work of sharing Jesus with the world--the more these fruits of the Spirit will start blooming in your life.

Benjamin Franklin, in his Autobiography, chronicled how he basically tried doing this without Jesus. He had no interest in following Christ; he just wanted to have a good character. So he came up with 13 virtues and a checklist. He would work exclusively on one virtue at a time until he’d mastered it, checking off his day’s progress every evening, then move on to the next. He assumed that with deliberate effort, he could master a virtue per week and, therefore, be virtuous in thirteen weeks. After several years, he never made it past the third virtue, and this not without relapsing on the first two. He couldn’t do it, so determined it was just not meant to be done. If we try to just do good stuff in our own strength, we’ll find the same. But that was never God’s intention. We are to be so transformed by our relationship with Him, that we do good, not out of obligation, but desire. It is that life-transforming salvation that leads to eternal life, not just doing good for our own vanity’s sake.

The cost is high, but worth it. I’ll be brief with this last point, but we have to hammer this down. Living this way will not be popular, and it won’t make hardships and trials go away. In fact, it will most often be the opposite.

“23 And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” Luke 9:23

“14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” Matthew 7:14

“33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

Oh, but it’s worth it. The result is eternal life with Jesus. And if we’re sowing in the Spirit, trusting Him for the results, it should change the way we look at these trials.

2. SO DON’T GROW WEARY OF DOING GOOD

9 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.

This is really the point I want to remind us (because I need reminded of this daily) of most today. Simply put: in the face of trials, don’t give up. Now, I could very easily fall into the danger of sounding like a vague motivational speaker. So let’s break this down a little more concretely.

First, why would we grow weary? Paul puts this here on purpose. He knows it’s within our nature to despair of doing good. So, you’re not a lesser Christian because you sometimes feel this way. In fact, in some cases, those who never feel weary are those who are not doing anything in first place. It’s like me watching Mizzou basketball. I’m never as sweaty as the players afterwards. :D. And some church members can be like that, right? They come; they watch; but they don’t really do anything. It’s pretty easy not to feel tired after that kind of activity. But, that’s another topic for another day. The question here is, if we’re doing God’s will, why do we grow weary? I have heard, and given, many replies to this question. Here’s just a few.

1. So much to do, so little time.
2. So little gratitude from those we’re serving.
3. So much pressure to not. (That is either to just look out for self, or to wholeheartedly embrace sin).

What is at the core of these discouragements? Pride. Sin. Satan. It’s natural to feel overwhelmed or weary, but that does not make it good! We grow weary of doing good when we start to think our strength is sufficient for the task--but it’s not. It was never meant to be. We grow weary when we expect gratitude when Jesus told us to expect persecution. So this is not an encouragement not to give up that says, “Press on. You can do anything you set your mind to. Be the best you for the best results.” No, you can’t do this alone.

Second, why shouldn’t we grow weary?* I will try to be brief here. We can persevere in the midst of trials because...

1. We know Who called us.
1. We didn’t decide to do this Christian thing; we were saved by the marvelous grace of God. 6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. (Philippians 1:6) He started this. He’ll finish it.
2. We know the importance and truth of our work.
1. We know the world needs to hear the gospel, and should love them enough to care. There are two results, remember? Eternal life or corruption. 18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20)
3. We know the temporary nature of this life.
1. We will be with Jesus soon. Remember how I said I’m good with quoting the same verses over and over again… Here’s one: 16 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. 17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:16-18)
4. We know a harvest is coming.
1. This promise is right here in the verse: for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. Now, we may never see the harvest the way we’d like to. But, it is there. Ultimately, this harvest is fulfilled when we are with Jesus in Heaven as we were meant to be--conformed to His image, free from sin. However, I also believe this means there is a harvest here on earth. People will come to know Jesus if you are faithful to “...let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16) Is this the kind of harvest you’re looking for?

TAKEAWAYS:

10 So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.

1. Don’t give up; trust the God who never fails. It’s not about you. It’s for Him, and He can.
2. Take full advantage of the opportunities you’re given; they won’t last forever. Every day is a unique opportunity you’ll never get back. Man, I need to remember this.
3. Do good to everyone--especially other believers. This isn’t because we love Christians more, but “35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:35

This world can be hard, but the harvest is worth the hardship, so don’t grow weary of doing good.

RESOURCE:

*I am indebted to Alistair Begg’s exposition of 2 Corinthians 4:7-18 (a parallel passage). I highly recommend checking into it!

A FEW QUOTES:

We meet with many unworthy and many ungrateful persons. The vast number of necessitous cases overwhelms us, and the applications which crowd upon us from every quarter exhaust our patience. Our warmth is abated by the coolness of other men. In short, the world presents innumerable hinderances, which tend to lead us aside from the right path. Most properly, therefore, does Paul admonish us not to relax through weariness. John Calvin

“10. While we have opportunity.” The metaphor is still pursued. Every season is not adapted to tillage and sowing. Active and prudent husbandmen will observe the proper season, and will not indolently allow it to pass unimproved. Since, therefore, God has set apart the whole of the present life for ploughing and sowing, let us avail ourselves of the season, lest, through our negligence, it may be taken out of our power.  John Calvin