Becomeing A Creature Of Habit 03 Series

BECOMING A CREATURE OF HABIT 03

3 JOHN 1:9-11 (NIV)

9 I WROTE TO THE CHURCH, BUT DIOTREPHES, WHO LOVES TO BE FIRST, WILL HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH US. 10 SO IF I COME, I WILL CALL ATTENTION TO WHAT HE IS DOING, GOSSIPING MALICIOUSLY ABOUT US. NOT SATISFIED WITH THAT, HE REFUSES TO WELCOME THE BROTHERS. HE ALSO STOPS THOSE WHO WANT TO DO SO AND PUTS THEM OUT OF THE CHURCH. 11 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.

PROPOSITION: NOT EVERYONE IN THE CHURCH WILL DEVELOP HABITS THAT PLEASE THE LORD; WE NEED TO BE CAREFUL WE ARE NOT ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE

INTRODUCTION: AS WE CONTINUE OUR SERIES IN 3 JOHN, WE ARE NOW CONFRONTED BY A COMPLETE CHANGE OF DIRECTION. UP TO THIS POINT IN THE TEXT, JOHN HAS NOTHING BUT PRAISE FOR THE GOOD HABITS AND ACTIONS RESULTING FROM THOSE HABITS THAT GAIUS HAS DEVELOPED. NOW JOHN TURNS HIS ATTENTION TO DIOTREPHES, WHO HAS NOT DEVELOPED SIMILAR HABITS, WITH HE RESULT THE HE HAS DEVELOPED NEGATIVE HABITS.

I. WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT DIOTREPHES

a. LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT HIM

b. NAME ONLY APPEARS HERE IN THE NEW TESTAMENT

c. HIS NAME TELLS US THAT HE CAME OUT OF THE PAGAN WORLD

i. NAME MEANS “NURTURED BY ZEUS”

d. HE HAS AN AGENDA

i. OWN AMBITIONS – LOVES TO BE FIRST

ii. HAS DISREGARDED JOHN’S PREVIOUS COMMUNICATION

iii. REBUKED BY JOHN

e. WE KNOW JOHN WROTE THE CHURCH ABOUT THIS ISSUE

i. WE DO NOT HAVE THE LETTER

ii. LETTER WAS LOST

iii. LETTER WAS INTERCEPTED BY DIOTREPHES

iv. LETTER MADE IT TO THE CHURCH AND REJECTED BY PART OF THE CHURCH

f. ACTIONS OF DIOTREPHES

i. REFUSED TO WELCOME MISSIONARIES

ii. EMBARRASSED JOHN

iii. ACTIONS WERE SHAMEFUL GIVEN THE CULTURE

g. BOTH DIOTREPHES AND GAIUS WERE MEMBERS OF THE SAME CHURCH!

AS MUCH AS JOHN WOULD COMMEND GAIUS FOR THE HABITS HE HAS DEVELOPED, HE ALSO NOW CONDEMNS THE HABITS AND ACTIONS OF DIOTREPHES.

II. THE NEGATIVE HABITS OF DIOTREPHES

a. GOSSIP -- SATAN HAS A SLICK MARKETING TRICK THAT HE SELLS TO CHRISTIANS ABOUT GOSSIP

i. IF YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT A SITUATION WITH OTHERS AND ARE NEITHER PART OF THE PROBLEM OR PART OF THE SOLUTION, YOU ARE PROBABLY GOSSIPING.

ii. WE WOULD BETTER SPEND OUR TIME PRAYING FOR THE SITUATION THAN TALKING ABOUT IT.

iii. DON’T HIDE BEHIND PRAYER

1. THIS IS WHERE WE ARE “SHARING” THE ISSUE AS A PRAYER REQUEST, WHEN WE ARE ACTUALLY GOSSIPING

2. WE GOSSIP WHEN WE DIVULGE UNNECESSARY DETAILS IN PRAYER REQUESTS AS IF GOD NEEDS TO BE BROUGHT UP TO SPEED ON THE ENTIRE SITUATION.

iv. DON’T HIDE BEHIND CASUAL CONVERSATION AND QUESTIONS

1. SHARING OUR CONCERNS

ILLUSTRATION: COMING OUT OF CHURCH, MRS. SMITH ASKED HER HUSBAND, "DID YOU SEE THAT PIERCING THAT THE JOHNSON'S DAUGHTER IS PARADING AROUND WITH?"

"I DIDN'T EVEN SEE HER," ADMITTED MR. SMITH.

"AND THAT DRESS MRS. DAVIS WAS WEARING," CONTINUED MRS. SMITH, "REALLY, DON'T TELL ME YOU THINK THAT'S THE PROPER OUTFIT FOR A MOTHER OF TWO."

"I'M AFRAID I DIDN'T NOTICE THAT EITHER," SAID MR. SMITH.

"OH, FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE," SNAPPED MRS. SMITH. "A LOT OF GOOD IT DOES YOU TO GO TO CHURCH."

2. VENTING TO A BROTHER OR SISTER

3. OPPS, I SHOULD NOT HAVE SAID ANYTHING, …..

v. GOSSIP CAN EVEN BE TELLING THE TRUTH.

1. WE LIKE TO THINK WE ARE IN THE CLEAR IF WE KNOW THAT THE INFORMATION IS TRUE AND WE ARE SIMPLY BEING "HONEST" AND "TELLING IT LIKE IT IS".

2. FRANK CLARK CORRECTLY STATED THAT "GOSSIP NEEDN'T BE FALSE TO BE EVIL - THERE'S A LOT OF TRUTH THAT SHOULDN'T BE.

vi. WHAT DOES THE BIBLE HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THIS “BAD” HABIT?

1. "DO NOT SPREAD SLANDEROUS GOSSIP AMONG YOUR PEOPLE." LEVITICUS 19:16

2. THEY VISIT ME AS IF THEY WERE MY FRIENDS, BUT ALL THE WHILE THEY GATHER GOSSIP, AND WHEN THEY LEAVE, THEY SPREAD IT EVERYWHERE. PSALMS 41:6

3. A TROUBLEMAKER PLANTS SEEDS OF STRIFE; GOSSIP SEPARATES THE BEST OF FRIENDS. PROVERBS 16:28

4. WRITING IN ROMANS ABOUT THOSE WHO WERE REJECTING GOD, PAUL SAYS THIS, THEIR LIVES BECAME FULL OF EVERY KIND OF WICKEDNESS, SIN, GREED, HATE, ENVY, MURDER, QUARRELING, DECEPTION, MALICIOUS BEHAVIOR, AND GOSSIP. ROMANS 1:29

a. GOSSIP LINKED IN WITH MURDER

5. AND ONE MORE HERE FOR GOOD MEASURE -- FOR I AM AFRAID THAT WHEN I COME I WON'T LIKE WHAT I FIND, AND YOU WON'T LIKE MY RESPONSE. I AM AFRAID THAT I WILL FIND QUARRELING, JEALOUSY, ANGER, SELFISHNESS, SLANDER, GOSSIP, ARROGANCE, AND DISORDERLY BEHAVIOR. 2 CORINTHIANS 2:20

a. THE CHURCH AT CORINTH WHICH HAD PROBLEMS WITH CARNALITY