True Spirituality Series
Live Long and Prosper!
3 John 2
Dr. Roger W. Thomas, Preaching Minister
First Christian Church, Vandalia, MO
“Live Long and Prosper!”
All the Trekkies here today know those words. I don’t quite have the dexterity to give the proper hand signal. Those words became the familiar greeting of Mr. Spock, the science officer of the popular Star Trek TV series. Leonard Nimoy played that role in the original version seen on NBC in the late sixties and on reruns ever since. We learned from Star Trek that this was the customary Vulcan greeting on the planet from which Spock came. “Live Long and Prosper” were also the character’s dying words in the movie Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982). Those words provide a good summary for what most of would want for the New Year.
I saw a recent list of the ten most common New Year’s resolutions. Four of the ten related to health matters. Losing weight and stopping smoking topped the list. Three related to money matters. Stick to a budget and save more money were numbers three and four. The other three were to be more organized at number six, be more patient at number eight, and become a better person at number ten.
The text I read from the little book of 3 John reflects those same concerns. I think this verse would make a good outline for some worthy resolutions that all of us could not only make but keep in this New Year. John the beloved Elder and last surviving apostle of Jesus writes to advise a local Christian leader on some problems in his church. Before addressing the issue, he extends the ancient Greek version of “Live Long and Prosper.” John voices a prayer that Gauis would know true health in every area of his life. That’s what we all want. The fact that John voices such a prayer in what was possibly the last book he penned illustrates how close these matters are to the Lord and his people.
I read the prayer from the NIV earlier. Let me read it from the more literal NASB, “Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers.” Here’s the truth—God is concerned about your life when you are in church and when you are not. Every area of your life matters to the Lord. Consider that fact with me as we with work our way through the three areas of life in John’s prayer for Gaius. This is my prayer for you as well.
First, I pray that you may prosper in all respects. John prays that Gauis would know prosperity and well being in all of his life—in all respects. We know little about Gaius. Maybe John knew something we don’t. Perhaps he knew something about Gaius’s personal struggles or temptations. We all have them. We all have areas where we know we need a nudge from God. I am here to tell you that God cares and he is available. Some areas of life may seem beyond our control. But no area of your life is beyond the reach of the God who loves you and gave himself in your behalf on the cross.
I’ll bet there is a few of us here today who feel like our lives are out of control. When life is like that we tend to look at the New Year with special hope. It can only get better. Right? Not necessarily! If we don’t change, nothing will change. The same actions will get the same results next year that it got last year.
Some of us probably feel like Charlie Brown. Lucy had just explained to Charlie that life is like a deck chair on a cruise ship. Some people place the chair facing the front so they can see where they are going. Some place it facing the back. They want to see where they have been. Some face it toward the ship so they can see where they are. Charlie Brown pondered the idea for minute. Finally, he said, "I can’t even get mine unfolded."
The original term for prosper mean to “go well” or to “have a good journey.” It came to be used as an expression for general well being, especially in financial affairs. John wants his friend to be blessed in every area of life. Since the next two expressions cover physical and spiritual well-being, I want to apply this first part of the prayer to that second big area of the popular New Year’s resolutions—financial health.
I won’t dwell on this area of finances today. We talked about it during our Stewardship Month in November. We still have some of the books and fliers on “debt-free living” for anyone who didn’t get a copy. It is worth your time to read and ponder the message of the book. God cares about this area of your life. Jesus had as much to say about this as about any other area of life. It matters to God. Your pocketbook and checkbook are part of your faith.
John Wesley, the English revivalist, knew the secret of financial prosperity. He told his followers, “Earn all you can. Save all you can. Give away all you can.” For much of his life, Wesley insisted on living on the lower income he earned early in his life. As he grew older and his finances flourished, he gave away the extra for the work of the Lord and the needs of the poor. There’s a lesson there!
Each year I repeat part of a special sermon for the benefit of our young people. It generally comes at Graduation Sunday or one of the other Sundays in our Family Month emphasis. I think it is worth repeating here. I always say this: financial well-being is no secret. Both research and personal experience make it very clear what it takes to make a good living, not necessarily get rich, but make a good honest living. If you simply do three things you will never be destitute or on welfare. This is no guarantee. There always may be exceptions. But this is about as sure a thing as you will ever find in your financial life. Number 1: finish high school. Drop out and you guarantee a life of want and hardship. Number two: stay away from drugs and alcohol. A major part of poverty and financial suffering in our society is directly related to somebody’s drug and alcohol abuse. Number three: save sex until marriage. And if you marry, stay married. We all know the hardships, financial and otherwise, that result from out of wedlock births and broken marriages. Divorce is a huge poverty maker.
To the adults, I remind you that ultimate financial prosperity is not measured in the size of your bank account, but in the level of your contentment. The Lord cares about that. He wants you to be free—free from want, free from worry, and free to give generously for the benefit of the Lord’s work and those in need.
To live long and prosper in our finances, we should all resolve to work hard, stay on a budget, get out of debt and stay there, and give generously. I recommend you give at least a tithe or ten percent of your increase to the priorities of the Lord. He will prosper you. The more generous and faithful you are the more abundance and contentment you will know! Guaranteed!
Like John, I pray that you will prosper in all you do, including your finances. I also pray that you may be in good health. We all know the value of this. Most of us take our health for granted until it begins to fail. Only then do most of us realize how invaluable it is and how fragile we really are. When we are teenagers, we think we can never get sick. In our 20’s, we are too busy to worry about it. In our 30’s and 40’s, we begin to feel the first signs of aging, but we decide we have plenty of time to worry about it later. In our 50’s and 60’s, many of us begin to pay the price for poor eating habits, little exercise, and the neglect of our health.
Remember the old story about the man who goes to consult a specialist about his medical problem. After the visit the man asks, "How much do I owe you?" "My fee is $500," replies the physician. "$500? That’s impossible. No one charges that much!"
"In your case," the doctor replies, "I suppose I could adjust my fee to $300." "$300? For one visit? Ridiculous." "Well, then, could you afford $200?" "Who has that kind of money?" "Look, replies the doctor," growing irritated, "Just give me $50 and get out." "I can give you $20," says the man. "Take it or leave it."
"I don’t understand you," says the doctor. "Why did you come to the most expensive doctor in St. Louis if you have no money?" "Listen, Doctor", says the patient, "When it comes to my health, nothing is too expensive."
Our health matters to God. He made us. We are his creation. He also redeemed us with the cross. Remember how the New Testament words it. "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own. You were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body” (1 Cor. 6:19-20).
Your health is not a small matter. You deserve the best. The Lord deserves your best. I don’t need to tell you what better health means for you. You probably already know. I encourage you to do something about it. The Lord cares. You do to!
Your finances and your health matter to God. But so does the health of your soul. John raises the ante in his prayer. His third part comes to his real concern. Of course, he wants Gaius to know good physical health. But he also prays for the health of his soul, his spiritual life to prosper. That raises a whole new set of New Year’s resolutions that we ought to be making. This is actually what I intend to talk to you about in the series of sermons that will follow for the next several weeks. We will look at what it takes to develop a healthy, fruitful spiritual life.
Even as inconsistent as we are about our health, most of us would pay any price or travel any distance for the sake of our health. We would do that for a physical body that will wear out and deteriorate eventually regardless of what we do. But on the other hand, we too often act and live as if our souls, our spiritual lives, can take care of themselves.
Jesus put it bluntly when he said, “What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul” (Mk 8:36-37). The Bible comes to the logical conclusion. “Train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come” (1 Tim 4:7-8). How is your soul getting along? Had a check up lately? Is it healthy and strong? What if your physical condition were only as strong as the health of your soul?
From the rest of John’s little letter we learn a few things about Gauis that means he probably already had a fairly healthy spiritual life. He knew Christ. He was faithful to the truth. He knew what he believed and was willing to take a stand for it. He practiced what he preached. He walked in the truth. He demonstrated that in the practical affairs of generosity and hospitality. This provides a good checklist with which to examine our soul health. Over the next several weeks we will look deeper into some of these matters. We will also look at some of the popular talk about “spirituality” that can actually lead us down some dangerous detours on our journey to spiritual well-being. More about that next week.
Our challenge today is to firmly resolve to begin that journey toward financial, physical, and spiritual health. Today is the time to start. Tomorrow is too late.
Some time ago, USA Today had an article on the front page about those who escaped the World Trade Center on September 11. After interviewing over 300 survivors and family members of victims, USA Today concluded that in the South tower those who didn’t delay but ran for safety immediately were the ones who survived. Those who delayed were the ones who perished (USA Today-9/3/02).
There’s a spiritual lesson there. Delay in matters of life and death, spiritual or otherwise, is never good. Today is a starting point. What’s your next step toward living long and prospering! Financially, physically, and spiritually?
For some of you, it may mean taking that first step toward making Christ Lord of your life. It might mean finally making that decision about believer’s baptism that you have been putting off. It may mean becoming a functional part of this congregation. It might mean beginning to do what you have been thinking about doing but never got around to doing. Whatever that step is, this is the day. Now is the time.
Live Long and Prosper!
That’s my prayer for you!
***Dr. Roger W. Thomas is the preaching minister at First Christian Church, 205 W. Park St., Vandalia, MO 63382 and an adjunct professor of Bible and Preaching at Central Christian College of the Bible, 911 E. Urbandale, Moberly, MO. He is a graduate of Lincoln Christian College (BA) and Lincoln Christian Seminary (MA, MDiv), and Northern Baptist Theological Seminary (DMin).
