3 John 9-12
The Good, The Bad, The Ugly.
Introduction
A. Guess what we are going to finish up 3 John today. Wow that was quick
B. The Good The Bad The Ugly
C. It is common to hear those words together
D. John Fedko sometimes uses then to show sports highlights/lowlights
E. Various other news people use it.
F. Sometimes we get home an ask our wives what they want to hear first the good the bad or the ugly
G. Do you know who invented this phrase?
H. The Bible
I. 3 John mentions it
a. The Good (11-12)
b. The Bad (9)
c. The Ugly (10)
J. Lets take a look and see how this relates to our lives
I. The Good (11-12)
A. Explanation
1. Demetrius – We do not know that much about this guy
a) It possibly could be the Demetrius 19:24, However this is a little bit difficult because it does not mention his conversion in the Bible
2. More importantly is how he has been living
a) Demetrius has lived a life that caused him to be respected by everyone
b) Understand Demetrius was that pastor, he was probably and elder
c) He was obviously well known and well like,
3. This is the interesting part he was spoken well by the truth itself
a) He had to be living out how we as Christians are suppose to live
4. Look at Verse 11
5. John was thinking about Demetrius when he wrote that
6. We are to imitate what is good, Demetrius did what was good
7. John again state that those who do good know God those who don’t do good, do know God, simple formula
B. Application
1. What can we gain from all of this?
2. Demetrius was a common man
3. He was not some sort of paid professional pastor
4. However, he set a good example
5. And example that we need to imitate
6. I think we have wrongly placed pastor’s and missionaries on too high of a petal stool
7. Someone who has lived in a manner worthy of God, deserves the Petal stool, there should be no preference given to the occupation
8. We are all called to serve to Lord, not just the “paid professionals”
C. Illustration
1. If John would have written this book during our lifetime he would obviously not used Demetrius as an example. We could insert Mary Staley’s name in there. She Modeled the Good. She imitated what is good. Obviously, everyone spoke well of her. She kept working hard at imitating Christ. Her prayer request for the 2002 prayer clock, “That I would be a Godly witness to my neighbors”
2. When I first read that request, I was amazed this was coming from Mary. But that was Mary, constantly wanting to imitate Christ
3. Constantly wanting to become more like Jesus
4. That my friends are the good.
II. The Bad (9)
A. Explanation
1. Unfortunately now we have to talk about the Bad
2. Diotrephes
a) WE have to look at his character, granted we do not have a full blow explanation of his character but we will look as some of the things John mentions
b) Unlike today, Diotrephes was a common name, and we do not know much about this guy
c) What we do now is this was a very prideful guy
d) “Who loved to come first”
e) This guy controlled the Church, everyone knew that
f) More then likely Diotrephes had great leadership skills, that is how he always got to be in the spotlight
3. Now other then the fact that he loved to hog the spotlight what else do we know about Diotrephes
4. We know that he also wanted to make sure no one ruined his games
a) He had nothing to do with us
b) He was not accepting John – The apostle, authority
c) He plain rejected it.
B. Application
1. How can we apply this to our lives
2. We can become easily like Diotrephes
3. It is easy to get an attitude like Diotrephes
4. We do this not even meaning to act that way
5. WE do not want the district office of the Western PA looking over our shoulders at every decision we make
6. WE rather they leave us alone
7. However, they have authority over us just like John had authority over Diotrephes
8. You know what, that is a good thing, they keep us straight
9. Having a non denomination Church is not always a good thing
10. You have no one other then your church to make sure that you are following the right doctrines and teachings
11. These people are put their in authority to watch over us
C. Illustration
1. I remember when I was a teenager I often did not feel like I needed my parents. I felt like I could do everything my self. And I made sure that everyone thought that I was “doing by myself” However, now that I look back on certain situations that my parents step in on, I am glad that they were there, they helped me stay on the correct course.
2. People in authority are not the enemies, trust them, there might be a reason why God put them their
3. Avoid the Bad
III. The Ugly (10)
A. Explanation
1. Here is were it gets ugly, Diotrephes is about to get, how to put it, schooled
2. So if I come, That is less of a if statement and more of a when I come without telling us the exact date
3. John is going to reveal Diotrephes for who he is
a) We learn that besides being boastful, and having nothing to do with John
b) He also has been busy gossiping with the intent on hurting John and his reputation
c) But he does not stop there he goes on further, as we learned we are suppose to be doing last week, he is not offering hospitality
d) On top of all that, he publicly tries to stop these good things that our occurring.
4. Picture John writing this, again when you think of John I think of Rev. Zerbe, I have seen on very few occasions Rev. Zerbe get upset
5. I can tell you it aint pretty, I don’t want to imagine what john looked like during this
6. It is going to get ugly; John is going to publicly scold Diotrephes.
B. Application
1. That’s an interesting Story Pastor Dan, but what does that have to do with me?
2. Well lets look at the accusations against Diotrephes and compare them to our lives
3. Gossiping – Yea we do that, worse part is that we often “ask prayer for these”; so and so needs us to pray for her because let me tell you about her.
a) Hurts when we realize how close it comes to home
4. Refusing to welcome brothers – That one is really tough for us to swallow, if we are not be hospititable to missionaries and various other traveling coworkers, it is sin
a) Doesn’t it hurt when we use the word sin correctly? When we do not do what we are suppose to we miss the mark, missing the mark = sin
5. Here we go, stops those who want to follow the correct teaching and kick them out – Rather then look and make an objective decision a lot of times we just say your wrong get out
a) However, more often then any of us would like to admit it we end up having to say “sorry”
C. Illustration
1. In College, my one professor told of a story of two people in his congregation that had not spoken to each other for 30 years. When he finally figured out what the cause of the argument was, it was over the color of the carpet in the Sanctuary, what a needles argument, carpet who care, however we often all do stupid things like that. We often all act Childish when we don’t get our ways
2. It is time we grow up, maybe then we would not have to say I’m sorry so much
3. Diotrephes showed us how ugly ugly can be, don’t be ugly
Conclusion
A. I have given you a lot to think about today
B. We have the good – which we are suppose to model – as an example of how to live
C. Unfortunately in our sinful nature we sometimes become bad like Diotrephes
D. Then being the glutens that we are fall into the ugly, and boy for a creature that was created in the image of God, I don’t know how we do it, but we get ugly
E. We know that we are to model the good
F. The question in your life our you modeling the good or our you modeling the bad and ugly
G. Are you living a life were you are saying I’m better then you life, don’t bug me
H. Are you living a life were you want to be better then everyone else so you gossip about them?
I. Are you living a life were you refuse to welcome others because you are afraid they will reveal the real you?
J. Are you living a life were you rather falsely accuse someone then to think about the situation and probably owe the other person an apology?
K. God hates those lies.
L. He has a word for them “sin”
M. Maybe today you need to take care of those issues, the alter is open, maybe you need to go up to someone and apologize and ask forgiveness before we celebrate God’s communion.
N. We are to ask forgiveness before we take communion, it is before communion, now is the time
O. (Option one) = Silence, maybe you need to grab someone hear and ask forgiveness, maybe you need to publicly ask for forgiveness, then you don’t have to be silent if that is the case
P. (Option Two) = Heather sing and Play, or CD, Refiners Fire, think about this song think about forgiveness, if you need to apologize do it now (by the way the phone works go and make a phone call, NOW, not later), If it is a public confession now is the time to do that.
