Characters in Christian Community
Survey of 3 John
A couple of months back, We had a lunch with those in our church who recently graduated from college. A common theme of many recent graduates was a desire for community. It was no surprise, but it was difficult to nail down exactly what that community look like. So I took an email survey of young adults from our church asking what is their picture of a warm church community.
Before I share some of their responses from the survey, I want you to have the opportunity to describe your picture of a warm church community. In your own mind, take a minute to complete this sentence, “ I picture a warm church community to be…” After a minute, I want to give you a chance to share your description with the people around you.
What came to my mind that describes a warm community, not necessarily a church community, is captured in this song, "Where everybody knows your name (Cheers)." Let’s play this song. (Play video)
According to this song we need community because life is hard. And community is where everybody knows your name, where you don’t struggle alone, and where you are accepted unconditionally. This is the theme song to Cheers, a 1980s sitcom that takes place in a bar in Boston.
Now Here are a few of the many survey responses from our YAs:
I picture a warm church community to be Acts 2 church, a place where people share life comfortably not just on Sunday and people are genuinely care what others' going through both ups and downs. A community where you would cheer people on and mourn with those who mourn and challenge one another to be devoted in God's words and go outside our church building to serve the needy together. Be the light that would shine and warn the world together.
I picture a warm church community to be a place of openness and vulnerability. A place where everyone is welcomed and has a part in the church body.
I picture a warm church community to be a place that welcomes broken hearted sinners and provides spiritual fulfillment through Christ, equipping them to face the challenges of the world.
I picture a warm church community to be home - or at least the idea of home. Where you feel secure, love, rest, and can be yourself without worry.
I picture a warm church community to be...gospel filled people,lovingly involved/interested in each other and welcoming to everyone.
If you were listening carefully to the song and to the responses from the young adults, and even to your neighbor’s descriptions, you would have noticed those in the bar and those in the church were looking for community similar in some ways and different in others. This shouldn’t surprise us.
Similar, because we are all broken people living in a broken world. We have the same needs from community. Different, because those in the bar are comforted by the god in a bottle and we’re comforted by the God of the Gospel. They have the evening news, we have the Good News.
But in order for Christian community to be different from bar room community we must be intentional characters in Christian community. Our text is 3 John (Read)
Let me begin by directing our attention to the similar. We see these in the initial and final greetings of 3 John. The initial greeting (1-2) points to caring for the whole person. The final greeting (13-15) points to caring for the individual person.
Caring for the whole person.The Christian community is a spiritual community. But it is also a physical and emotional community, because we are spiritual, physical and emotional beings. True Christian community happens when you cry, and I taste salt. When you get promoted, I throw a party.
Caring for the individual person. Christian community involves face to face interaction. Where everybody knows your name. And we are glad that you came. Your presence matters, and so does your absence. This happens in Small Groups only, rarely in gatherings this size.
Let me continue by summarizing 3 John in context before applying it to our community. Notice John points out three characters. John commends Gaius for his hospitality to missionaries. John corrects Diotrephes for being self-centered.. Finally John calls us to the example of Demetrius, a worker for the truth or the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Let’s look closely at these three characters in Christian Community and see who we want to become like. First is Gaius. Second is Diotrephes. Third is Demetrius.
We see Gaius facilitated the gospel. Vs. 3-8
Gaius represents the character in Christian community who promotes the gospel and partners with gospel workers. He promoted the gospel by living what he learned. We see this in verses 3 to 4.
To facilitate the good news of Jesus Christ, Gaius lived out the good news. Gaius loved as Christ loved. Gaius was walking in the truth.
When I was in high school, a friend of mine invited me to his church fellowship. I made up all sorts of excuses for why I couldn’t go, until I heard the girl I liked was there. Then I couldn’t wait for my friend to ask me again.
To make a long story short, I did not see the girl I liked at the fellowship, but I kept on going back to the fellowship. Here’s why. The high schoolers in that fellowship were not like other high schoolers. They cared about each other. They served each other. They built each other up with their words.
I not only studied the Bible with them, but I saw the Bible lived out in their lives. I didn’t just learn about Jesus, I saw high schoolers who lived like Jesus. Within a year of attending the high school fellowship, I believed in the good news of Jesus Christ.
These high schoolers lived out the gospel of God‘s love. Like Gaius they were walking in the truth. They promoted the gospel.
Another description of this character Gaius is that he partnered with those who spread the gospel. Like many of you, Gaius was not a missionary, not a Pastor nor a full-time church worker. But he supported people like these. That made him a partner with gospel workers.
Support can happen in many-ways. Familiar to us are financial and prayer support. Karen Tan, a missionary care specialist, will provide training in additional ways on Sunday, January 27 from 12:45 pm to 3 pm in MC2. Mark your calendar so you can learn to partner more effectively with missionaries.
We see Diotrephes frustrated the gospel. Vs. 9-10
Diotrephes interfered with the promotion and partnership of the gospel. He promoted himself. He was self-centered and selfish. We see this in verses 9 and 10.
Self-centeredness could mean actively putting oneself First. Thinking more highly of ourselves then we ought to. Or putting ourselves in a high position. Or constantly wanting to have our own way.
A more subtle self-centeredness, which was not Diotrephes’s problem, is insecurity. This is not focused on being in first place, but fear being last or disliked by other people.
Both forms of self-centeredness interfere with the gospel. One says I’m more important than the gospel. The other says the gospel of God’s unconditional love doesn’t apply to me.
Diotrephes was also selfish. We see this in verse 10. He refuses to share hospitality with missionaries and interferes with those who want to.
3 men were discussing how much money they would give to support God’s work.
The first man said: "I’ll draw a circle on the ground and throw the money in the air and whatever lands inside the circle I will keep for myself and whatever lands outside I’ll give to the Lord."
The second man said: "I have a similar process but when I draw my circle and throw my money I keep whatever lands outside the circle and give what lands inside to the Lord."
The third man said: " I throw the money in the air and whatever God wants, he takes, and I keep whatever lands on the ground!"
Selfish people will always find a way to keep everything they have and even what don’t belong to them.
In the true Christian community, there is no place for self-centeredness nor selfishness. The gospel destroys self centeredness when God put us first and gave himself to be a ransom for us. The gospel destroys selfishness when God demonstrated his love for us by sending his only Son to die on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins.
We see Demetrius imitated the gospel. Vs. 11-12
John calls us to imitate God, to imitate good, to imitate Demetrius. Not by following a set of rules. Not because we want to be liked by people. John says that a good testimony in life and in ministry is the response to seeing God‘s goodness to us.
My daughter loves working with little kids. She told me about one five year old child praising another child with these words, “you are such a beautiful and kind person.” She also told me about a child putting her stuffed animal in time-out. She often tells me how the kids imitate what they see their parents do to them.
This is the gospel. God loved us first. And because we see God being good to us, we are motivated to be good to others.
In the true Christian community, we are motivated to being good because we have seen God‘s goodness. We are motivated to serve because we have seen God help us when we could not help ourselves. We are motivated to forgive because we have seen God forgive us.
Let me close with this. At our last young adult ministry lunch, Rachel Ong gave some closing remarks about community. She shared from First Thessalonians 5:12-15 which reads, “We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone.”
In this short letter, John put into practice First Thessalonians 5:12-15. John commended the faithful. He corrected the wrong. And he called us to copy the good. In so doing, we become intentional characters that foster Christian community.
