Becoming A Creature Of Habit 04 Series

BECOMING A CREATURE OF HABIT PART 4

3 JOHN 1:11-14 DEAR FRIEND, DO NOT IMITATE WHAT IS EVIL BUT WHAT IS GOOD. ANYONE WHO DOES WHAT IS GOOD IS FROM GOD. ANYONE WHO DOES WHAT IS EVIL HAS NOT SEEN GOD. 12 DEMETRIUS IS WELL SPOKEN OF BY EVERYONE--AND EVEN BY THE TRUTH ITSELF. WE ALSO SPEAK WELL OF HIM, AND YOU KNOW THAT OUR TESTIMONY IS TRUE. 13 I HAVE MUCH TO WRITE YOU, BUT I DO NOT WANT TO DO SO WITH PEN AND INK. 14 I HOPE TO SEE YOU SOON, AND WE WILL TALK FACE TO FACE. PEACE TO YOU. THE FRIENDS HERE SEND THEIR GREETINGS. GREET THE FRIENDS THERE BY NAME.

INTRODUCTION: AS WE COME TO THE END OF THIS SERIES ON 3RD JOHN, WE HAVE ONE MORE HABIT THAT WE SHOULD SEEK TO EMBRACE.

SO FAR WE HAVE SEEN BOTH POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE HABITS THAT HAVE A PROFOUND EFFECT ON OUR WALK AS A FOLLOWER OF CHRIST. THESE HABITS HAVE BEEN:

GOSSIP

PRIDE

FELLOWSHIP

SPIRITUAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH

TESTIMONY

THIS MORNING, WE TURN OUR ATTENTION TO ONE LAST HABIT – THE HABIT OF IMITATION.

I. WHAT IS IMITATION ANYWAY?

a. JOHN IS ASKING GAIUS AS HIS FRIEND TO EMBRACE IMITATION

b. IMITATION IS IN OUR NATURE

i. FROM OUR VERY YOUNGEST OF YEARS, WE HAVE PARTICIPATED IN IMITATION.

ii. WE SEE IT IN OUR CHILDREN

iii. WE SEE IT IN THE REQUESTS OF GOD HIMSELF – BE YE HOLY EVEN AS I AM HOLY

c. THE WORD HERE MEANS TO MIMIC OR TO PANTOMIME

i. TO BEHAVE AND ACT IN SUCH A WAY THAT THE PERSON YOU ARE TRYING TO REPRESENT IS CLEARLY SEEN

d. THE HARDEST CHOICE IN WHO WE CHOSE TO IMITATE/FOLLOW

i. ACCORDING TO JOHN WE ARE ENCOURAGED TO FOLLOW THOSE WHO ARE GOOD AS OPPOSED TO THOSE WHO ARE EVIL

ii. JOHN ENCOURAGES GAIUS TO CHOOSE TO IMITATE GOOD

1. DEMETRIUS IS GIVEN AS AN EXAMPLE

a. LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT HIM

b. PROBABLY CARRIED THIS LETTER FROM JOHN

c. HE IS PLACED AS THE OPPOSITE OF DIOTREPHES WHO JOHN CONSIDERED EVIL

i. GOSSIP

ii. PRIDE

II. JOHN’S CHOICE OF IMITATION

a. THE CHOICE TO IMITATE DIOTREPHES

i. JOHNS USES HIM AS THE EXAMPLE OF EVIL

ii. IT IS AN ACTION WE ARE TO STOP – STOP IMITATING THAT WHICH IS EVIL

iii. EVIL IS AN INTERESTING WORD, MEANING

1. BAD

2. DOES HARM

3. MISERABLE

4. MISERLY

5. NOISOME – OFFENSIVE SMELL

6. DISAGREEABLE

7. UNPLEASANT

iv. WITHIN THE BODY OF CHRIST, EVIL HAS A DEVASTATING EFFECT

1. THINK ABOUT HOW EVIL EFFECTS THE CHURCH

2. HURTS THE CHURCH, NOT HELPS

a. THE LOCAL FELLOWSHIP

b. THE COMMUNITY WITNESS

3. OFFENSIVE IN SMELL

a. DEAD THINGS SMELL

b. UNCLEAN THINGS SMELL

4. DISAGREEABLE

a. BREAKS UP THE UNITY OF THE LOCAL BODY

b. UNITY OF PURPOSE, NOT UNIFORMITY OF PERSON

b. THE CHOICE OF DEMETRIUS

i. JOHN USES DEMETRIOUS AS AN EXAMPLE OF GOOD

ii. THE MEANING OF THE WORD GOOD

1. EXCELLENT

2. DISTINGUISHED

3. THE BEST OF PERSONS

4. GOOD CHARACTER, DISPOSITION

iii. RELATED TO DEMETRIUS, GOOD SPECIFICALLY MEANT HIS CHARACTER – LOVE AND VIRTUE

iv. THE CHARACTER OF DEMETRIUS WAS

1. KNOWN TO OTHERS OVER A PERIOD OF TIME

2. WAS VERIFIED BY JOHN – WHOM GAIUS KNEW TO BE TRUTHFUL

3. AND PERHAPS ONE OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT TESTIMONY TO THE CHARACTER OF DEMETRIUS WAS HE WAS “WELL SPOKEN OF BY THE TRUTH ITSELF”

a. HIS LIFE WAS CONSISTENT WITH THE GOSPEL

III. CHOOSING TO IMITATE GOOD – WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE?

i. IMITATION HAS ITS ROOTS IN THE BOOK OF GENESIS

1. WE WERE CREATED IN THE LIKENESS AND IMAGE OF GOD

2. WERE ARE TO IMITATE GOD, NOT BE LIKE HIM – YOU WILL REMEMBER AFTER THE APPLE INCIDENT, THAT MAN WAS KICKED OUT OF THE GARDEN BECAUSE HE NOW KNEW GOOD AND EVIL – WHICH IN THIS CASE WAS AN ACT OF REBELLION AND SIN

ii. IMITATION IS BEING “GODLIKE” IN ACTIONS WHILE AVOIDING THE DESIRE TO ASPIRE TO BE GOD

1. WE ALL KNOW HOW THAT WORKED OUT AT THE TOWER OF BABEL!

2. YET WE ARE COMMANDED TO BE IMITATORS OF GOD -- EPHESIANS 5:1 (NIV) BE IMITATORS OF GOD, THEREFORE, AS DEARLY LOVED CHILDREN

3. HOW DO WE DO IT?

a. RECOGNIZE THAT WE ARE HIS CHILDREN

ALTHOUGH WE CANNOT BE GOD, WE DO HAVE GOD’S DNA SO TO SPEAK

WE HAVE BEEN MADE IN HIS IMAGE

WE HAVE BEEN REDEEMED FROM DEATH – SEPARATION FROM GOD TO LIFE – TOGETHER WITH GOD

WE CAN BE IMITATORS OF GOD BECAUSE WE ARE NEW CREATIONS IN CHRIST

b. WE IMITATE GOD BY DOING GODLY THINGS – LIKE LOVING OTHERS

GOD IS THE VERY DEFINITION – THE PERSONIFICATION OF LOVE