Becoming A Creature Of Habit 02 Series

BECOMING A CREATURE OF HABIT 02

CHANGING OUR WAYS IN 2023

3 JOHN

INTRODUCTION: AS WE RETURN TO OUR SERIES IN 3RD JOHN, WE CONTINUE TO LOK AT THOSE ACTIONS THAT JOHN BROUGHT TO LIGHT THAT WERE EVIDENT IN HIS FRIEND GAIUS. THESE ACTIONS ARE GREAT HABITS FOR US TO DEVELOP AS WE BEGIN THIS NEW YEAR.

LAST WEEK, WE LOOKED AT TWO HABITS TO DEVELOP. THE FIRST WAS OUR HEALTH – BOTH PHYSICAL AND SPIRITUAL. BOTH HAVE APPLICATION TO OUR WALK WITH THE LORD. THE FIRST BECAUSE WE ARE A VISIBLE TESTIMONY AND THE LATTER AS WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO GROW IN OUR WALK WITH THE LORD. THE SECOND HABIT WAS OUR TESTIMONY. HOW WE LIVE OUR LIVES HAS AN IMPACT ON PEOPLE. IN THE CASE OF GAIUS HIS TESTIMONY WAS SO PROFOUND THAT JOHN WAS SOUGHT OUT NUMEROUS TIMES AND TOLD OF HOW GAIUS HAD BEEN MIN THEIR PRESENCE.

TRANSITION: THIS MORNING, WE WANT TO LOOK AT ANOTHER HABIT WE CAN DEVELOP AS SEEN IN THE LIFE OF GAIUS; FELLOWSHIP. IN VERSES 5-8 WE SEE FOUR ASPECTS OF FELLOWSHIP WORTHY OF CONSIDERATION.

3 JOHN 5–8 (NIV84)

5 DEAR FRIEND, YOU ARE FAITHFUL IN WHAT YOU ARE DOING FOR THE BROTHERS, EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE STRANGERS TO YOU. 6 THEY HAVE TOLD THE CHURCH ABOUT YOUR LOVE. YOU WILL DO WELL TO SEND THEM ON THEIR WAY IN A MANNER WORTHY OF GOD. 7 IT WAS FOR THE SAKE OF THE NAME THAT THEY WENT OUT, RECEIVING NO HELP FROM THE PAGANS. 8 WE OUGHT THEREFORE TO SHOW HOSPITALITY TO SUCH MEN SO THAT WE MAY WORK TOGETHER FOR THE TRUTH.

I. THE FIRST QUALITY OF FELLOWSHIP IS FAITHFULNESS

a. THIS IS THE FIRST THING JOHN COMMENDS GAIUS FOR – HIS FAITHFULNESS IN MINISTERING TO OTHERS

b. THIS IS AN IMPORTANT ISSUE

i. INNKEEPERS WERE CROOKED AND TREACHEROUS

ii. ROOMS WERE FILTHY AND FLEA INFESTED

iii. PROSTITUTES AND THIEVES LOOKED FOR A WAY TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF TRAVELERS.

c. TRAVELERS SOUGHT TO AVOID THESE PLACES AT ALL COSTS

i. DEVELOPED A NETWORKS OF FAMILY AND FRIENDS

ii. PEOPLE WERE IDENTIFIED BY SOME SORT OF TOKEN

iii. THE TOKENS WERE PAST DOWN THROUGH THE GENERATIONS

d. CHURCHES USED THIS SAME SYSTEM TO IDENTIFY TRAVELING PREACHERS WHO WOULD OTHERWISE BE UNKNOWN.

e. FAITHFULNESS IN THIS AREA DISPLAYS THE VERY ATTITUDE OF CHRIST

i. WHAT BETTER COMPARISON CAN A FOLLOWER OF CHRIST HAVE THEN TO HAVE ACTED IN A MANNER WORTHY OF GOD HIMSELF

KEY THOUGHT HERE: FAITHFULNESS IS NOT RELATIVE. WE DO NOT GRADE FAITHFULNESS ON A SCALE. WE ARE EITHER FAITHFUL OR WE ARE NOT

HERE ARE A FEW THINGS THAT CAN AND DO KEEP US FROM BEING FAITHFUL TO GOD

• WE ARE HARBORING SOME SECRET SIN. OSWALD CHAMBERS WRITES, "IF A MAN CANNOT GET THROUGH TO GOD, IT IS BECAUSE THERE IS A SECRET THING HE DOES NOT INTEND TO GIVE UP."

o FOR SOME REASON WE DO NOT WANT TO GIVE UP WHATEVER IT IS AND WHATEVER IT IS KEEPS US FROM BEING FAITHFUL TO GOD

• WE GOT STUCK IN THE PAST

o SOMETHING HAPPENED TO US AND WE FELT LIKE GOD WAS NOT THERE, SO WHY BE FAITHFUL TO HIM

o OR PERHAPS IT IS SOMETHING YOU BROUGHT TO GOD OVER AND OVER AND HE HAS NOT RESPONDED

• MAYBE WE ARE HOLDING A GRUDGE

o THE GRUDGE MAY BE AGAINST SOMEONE ELSE, BUT THAT GRUDGE ALSO BUILDS UP A WALL BETWEEN YOU AND GOD.

o THAT GRUDGE MAKES IT IMPOSSIBLE TO GET THROUGH TO GOD BY THE HOLY SPIRIT BECAUSE OUR HEARTS ARE NOT CLEAN

o THE ISSUE HERE IS FORGIVENESS. I AM CHOOSING NOT TO FORGIVE.

• OR OF COURSE, YOU CAN’T BE FAITHFUL TO GOD BECAUSE YOU LACK A RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM

IF WE ARE STRUGGLING IN ONE OF THESE AREAS, WE CANNOT BE FAITHFUL AS WE WOULD LIKE TO BE, AND AS GOD EXPECTS US TO BE. LIKE THE AUTHOR OF HEBREWS TELLS US – WE NEED TO LAY THINGS THAT TANGLE US UP IN ORDER TO RUN THE RACE GOD HAS PLANNED FOR US.

II. THE SECOND QUALITY OF FELLOWSHIP IS FAMILY

a. WHEN I USE THE WORD FAMILY, I AM REFERRING TO THE TREATMENT OF FOLKS.

b. YOU WILL NOTICE THAT JOHN POINTS OUT HOW GAIUS TREATED STRANGERS, NOT JUST BROTHERS

c. WE ALL KNOW OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO OTHERS IN THE FAITH.

i. ABOVE ALL ELSE WHAT WE DO FOR OTHER BELIEVERS WE ARE DOING FOR CHRIST

MATTHEW 25:40 (NIV84) “THE KING WILL REPLY, ‘I TELL YOU THE TRUTH, WHATEVER YOU DID FOR ONE OF THE LEAST OF THESE BROTHERS OF MINE, YOU DID FOR ME.’

ii. YET WE ALSO HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO THOSE WHO DO NOT KNOW CHRIST.

ROMANS 12:20 (NIV84)

20 ON THE CONTRARY:

“IF YOUR ENEMY IS HUNGRY, FEED HIM;