Follow Only What Is Good

[00:00:00] Foreign. [00:00:07] Pastor Chuck Allen. And I'm back today to talk a little bit more about that little book we started yesterday. Third John. [00:00:14] So if you missed yesterday, go ahead and go back and listen to it. It's about five minutes long and it's the start of this tiny letter. Third John we tackled the first eight verses and today we're going to finish verse nine through 15. [00:00:29] So welcome again to the weekday podcast. [00:00:32] In yesterday's Excuse me. In yesterday's podcast, we sat with a fellow named Gaius, the friend who opened the door, the man John loved. In truth, he was the partner who made room for the people that Jesus sent his way. [00:00:47] Today, the letter turns a little bit and another name walks into the door. [00:00:52] Every faith family has a Gaius. And if we're honest, every faith family has a Diotrephes. [00:01:02] Now, when you look at Diotrephes, or some would call it Diotrephes, the question is, which name is taking shape in us? John writes, and I think this is awesome. He says, I wrote to the church about this. But Diotrephes, who loves to be a leader, refuses to have anything to do with us. When I come, I will report some of the things he is doing and the evil accusations he's making against us. This 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. [00:01:38] That's 3 John 9, 10. When you read it slowly, Diotrephes loves to be the leader. The older language is even sharper. He loves to be first. [00:01:50] Not loves to serve, not loves with people, just loves the first chair. He likes being the guy in charge. [00:01:57] And once you love the first chair, you start guarding it. [00:02:01] He won't help or welcome the traveling teachers. He tells other people not to help them. And if someone does help, he puts them out of the church. You see the contrast. Gaius in the first eight verses uses his house to make the gospel wider. Diotrephes. He uses his influence to make the church smaller. [00:02:22] One turns strangers into family, the other turns faithful people into exiles. John doesn't just shrug it off, though, he names it. Then he turns back to Gaius with a line that might could save a life. He says, dear friend, in verse 11. [00:02:38] Don't let this bad example influence you. Follow only what is good. Now that those are five great words, follow only what is good. [00:02:49] Then he goes on and says, remember that those who do good prove that they are God's children, and those who do evil prove they do not know God. [00:02:58] I mean, you read that in verse 11 and you realize we're not to let a bad example influence us that is so pastoral and is so urgent. It's a message today because we become what we watch. We imitate what we applaud. We absorb the temperature of the room that we're sitting in. [00:03:19] If the example we follow is control, accusation, closed doors, closed fists, you can call it discernment and still be drifting from Jesus. [00:03:30] So John gives Gaius another name, not just a warning, but a witness. In verse 12, everyone speaks highly of Demetrius as dud, the truth itself. We ourselves can say the same for him. And you know, we speak the truth. [00:03:46] Gaius diotrephes Demetrius. One opens the door, one guards the throne, one has a life that even the truth can vouch for. I wonder which name would fit the quiet parts of our week this week. Not the public parts, the private ones. When nobody's clapping, when a traveling soul needs help, when someone else gets the credit, when you could welcome or you could shut it down. John's not asking Gaius to become famous, he's asking him not to become hard hearted. [00:04:18] Then the letter in verses 13 through 15 ends the way the best letters end, not with a slogan, but with a longing. It says, I have much more to say to you, but I don't want to write it with pen and ink, for I hope to see you soon. And then we will talk face to face. Peace be with you. Your friends here send you their greetings. Plea give my personal greetings to each of our friends. There pen and ink carry truth. But some things need a face, a table, the sound of a friend's voice in the same room. John has just named conflict, pride, hospitality and hope. And then he says, I don't want to finish this on paper. I want to see you. Truth wants to become presence. [00:05:06] Peace wants to be spoken over actual people by name. [00:05:11] So here's the invitation for us today. [00:05:15] Follow only what is good. If you've been absorbing a diotrophy, step back. If you've been closing doors you used to open, ask Jesus to soften you. If you have a Demetrius in your life, a person whose walk matches their words, stay close to them. [00:05:34] And if there's a conversation that's lived too long in texts and emails and quiet resentment, go find a face, make the call, sit at the table, say the person's name, speak the peace. Because the Christian life is not just believing the right things from a distance, it's becoming the kind of person, the truth itself. Would speak well of. [00:05:59] Thanks for walking through third John with me the last couple of days. Now go live today in such a way that someone is helped, someone is welcomed, and someone sees the goodness of God and an ordinary open door through your life. God bless you friend. Have a great day. And thanks again for joining me on today's weekday podcast.