back to index3 John Bible Study 3.29.23 v.1-7
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and gather our thoughts and would you bow with me 00:02:35.980 |
for a word of prayer as we begin our time of worship? 00:02:50.060 |
your precious truth, and then see your instruction for us, 00:02:59.780 |
to the privilege of laboring in the church together, 00:03:11.420 |
in worship, in prayer, we're always thankful, Lord. 00:03:14.940 |
We do ask, God, that you would help us truly grow 00:05:02.900 |
♪ That Christ has regarded my helpless existence ♪ 00:05:20.400 |
♪ That Christ has regarded my helpless existence ♪ 00:05:45.580 |
"It is well, it is well with my soul, with my soul" 00:06:13.580 |
"My sin, O the bliss of this glorious thought" 00:07:16.580 |
"It is well, it is well, it is well with my soul" 00:07:48.580 |
"And Lord haste the day and the faith shall be sight" 00:08:18.580 |
"The trump shall resound and the Lord shall resound" 00:08:52.580 |
"And it is well, it is well with my soul, with my soul" 00:12:27.580 |
I do want to highlight some important announcements. 00:12:30.580 |
Because Passion Week is just around the corner, 00:12:34.580 |
please do make sure that you're mindful of the calendar events. 00:12:38.580 |
But one of the things I want to highlight is, 00:12:43.580 |
this is a great opportunity where we do have need for setup, 00:12:48.580 |
We are going to be serving lunch during Easter. 00:12:51.580 |
So the link to volunteer is on the app and on the website. 00:12:55.580 |
So please make sure that you sign up for those volunteer opportunities. 00:13:00.580 |
The other volunteer opportunity I want to highlight is that 00:13:04.580 |
we do have the VBS volunteers enrollment right now. 00:13:09.580 |
So if you are a member, please do make sure that you block off these days, 00:13:19.580 |
Jim is there in the back. He's been walking around. He's waving. 00:13:22.580 |
But he's been walking around with the sign up sheet. 00:13:29.580 |
there is a softball tournament that's going to be scheduled for May 20th. 00:13:33.580 |
There is both a ladies softball program and also the men's. 00:13:45.580 |
And the last thing I just want to mention is for tonight, 00:13:50.580 |
we will be doing the observation and applications and discussion. 00:13:54.580 |
But we also have a few questions that Pastor Peter Chong gave to us 00:14:02.580 |
So for those of you guys who are going into the rooms, 00:14:06.580 |
But it says, "What does walking in truth entail? 00:14:10.580 |
How is hospitality related to sending out of gospel workers? 00:14:14.580 |
And what does it mean to do something for the sake of the name?" 00:14:17.580 |
So please make sure you include some of those observation questions. 00:59:16.580 |
Kevin Yoon, can you hear me? Oh, whoa. Ah, ah. 00:59:19.580 |
All right, if you guys can just pray with me real quick for our wrap-up time. 00:59:29.580 |
Father, a lot of times it's easy to just get lost in the details and forget the main point. 00:59:43.580 |
And Lord, a lot of times it can just become an academic exercise and not something that we really seek to earnestly apply in our lives. 00:59:51.580 |
So we pray that as we talk about your truth, your word, that it would not become so familiar that it just becomes religious information. 01:00:01.580 |
That this really would be commands that are taken as commands and not suggestions. 01:00:08.580 |
Truths that we hold on to and that we mull over and that we apply into our lives. 01:00:14.580 |
So I pray that tonight, as we start 3rd John, that you would cause us to chew, digest, and process appropriately for your glory. 01:00:26.580 |
And would you bear fruit in our time together. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. 01:00:36.580 |
The whole letter revolves around three individuals. 01:00:44.580 |
And then you have Diatrephes, he's the church's headache. 01:00:49.580 |
I call him the headache because he's just giving everybody a headache, he's kicking people out. 01:00:55.580 |
Are there instances where you are supposed to kick somebody out of a church? 01:01:03.580 |
But Diatrephes, he's just taking it upon himself and unilaterally discarding whoever is basically insubordinate. 01:01:12.580 |
So he's a headache and Demetrius is likely the one who's brought the letter to Gaius. 01:01:19.580 |
And that's why there's almost like a commendation for Demetrius as well. 01:01:25.580 |
And who knows, maybe Demetrius is someone who's gone out for the sake of the name. 01:01:31.580 |
So there are three individuals that the letter revolves around. 01:01:40.580 |
And so now that 2nd John is kind of in your heads and we've now gone to 3rd John, I want to do a quick review. 01:01:50.580 |
A lot of people like to call them the twin epistles because you're actually supposed to read them together. 01:01:59.580 |
Fraternal twins have enough in common, but there are slight differences in the DNA. 01:02:07.580 |
So most likely 1st, 2nd, and 3rd John were all written at the same time in the same context. 01:02:18.580 |
2nd and 3rd John, there's a lot of parallels. 01:02:21.580 |
And coincidentally, if you guys want some Bible trivia, 3rd John is the shortest book in the whole Bible. 01:02:38.580 |
You've got the elder writing to someone or people that he loves. 01:02:49.580 |
And he's so delighted that they're walking in the truth. 01:02:59.580 |
Part of it is because he's probably almost 90. 01:03:09.580 |
And when his children walk in the truth, it gives him unspeakable joy. 01:03:15.580 |
But we have to understand what "walk in the truth" is. 01:03:19.580 |
Because that's almost like a hinge word in every single one of his epistles. 01:03:32.580 |
2nd John, there's an exhortation to watch out for the deceivers. 01:03:39.580 |
3rd John is a commendation that Gaius is helping strangers. 01:03:49.580 |
So the 1st one is, don't participate in their mission work. 01:04:02.580 |
So then you've got a little bit of a tension in your heart. 01:04:10.580 |
So unlike 2nd John where there are three imperatives, 01:04:19.580 |
So this is a review slide, so you already have this in your possession. 01:04:24.580 |
And then 2nd and 3rd John, he's like, "I don't want to waste papyrus. Peace out." 01:04:33.580 |
So like I mentioned before, 2nd John is telling you not to be hospitable and don't support an endeavor. 01:04:41.580 |
3rd John is saying, do show hospitality even if they're strangers and do support their work, 01:04:49.580 |
especially since they went out not receiving any help from the Gentiles, from the pagans. 01:04:55.580 |
So help them because no one else is going to help them. 01:04:59.580 |
So the 2nd John talks about not joining with false teachers, deceivers, antichrists, and self-centered folks. 01:05:06.580 |
3rd John is talking about joining hands and partnering with real brothers and missionaries. 01:05:17.580 |
If someone comes into town asking for mission support, 01:05:24.580 |
we are supposed to either help them or shun them based on what? 01:05:42.580 |
And how much truth do they need to proclaim for it to be a good truth? 01:05:50.580 |
Because remember, most false doctrine is loaded with good truth. 01:05:55.580 |
It's just a distortion. It's just a perversion. 01:06:00.580 |
How did Gaius discern this and get a commendation? 01:06:03.580 |
What if Gaius held hands with a false teacher, with a deceiver, he would have received a rebuke. 01:06:09.580 |
For the one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil work. 01:06:21.580 |
And I think for me, I look at the greeting, and a lot of times we gloss over the greeting, 01:06:27.580 |
but for me that greeting was very significant. 01:06:39.580 |
I mean, John is like, he's not telling him health and wealth. 01:06:42.580 |
He's like, "Your soul is prospering, and so my blessing is that everything in your life prospers, just as your soul prospers." 01:06:49.580 |
And for a man whose soul is prosperous, he probably has very special insight and sensitivity to the Word of God, 01:07:00.580 |
to the will of God, to discern if these people are worth supporting, and if these people are worth rejecting. 01:07:06.580 |
It's almost like a spiritual sixth sense laden with concrete, tangible truth. 01:07:12.580 |
Okay? So Gaius is a man whose soul prospers in such a way that he has spiritual discernment. 01:07:27.580 |
He watches his life and his doctrine closely, and thus God is pleased. 01:07:34.580 |
His eyes are open to discern and sniff out things that are untrue. 01:07:43.580 |
So he is not tossed back and forth by every kind wind of doctrine. 01:07:51.580 |
He has the breastplate of righteousness, the helmet of salvation, and he's got the full armor of God on, 01:07:57.580 |
and he can distinguish even the flaming arrows of the devil, and he is a discerning man. 01:08:02.580 |
That's what it means for the soul to prosper. 01:08:06.580 |
So I feel like that is a very significant description of the man Gaius 01:08:12.580 |
that allows him to have insight into who to partner with and who to shun. 01:08:19.580 |
The bottom part, I'm sure for the back of you guys it might be hard to see. 01:08:25.580 |
Okay? So I just do some highlighting work here. 01:08:30.580 |
I notice that Gaius is called "beloved" multiple times here. 01:08:42.580 |
But for some reason, Gaius has a special place in this man's heart. 01:08:49.580 |
There's also, I think, seven mentions of "the truth." 01:08:54.580 |
And 1 John, 2 John all have a lot of "the truth," 01:08:57.580 |
but 3 John, in this shortest book of the entire Bible, the word "the truth" is mentioned seven times. 01:09:06.580 |
And for Gaius, whose soul prospers, I highlighted in yellow, 01:09:11.580 |
what does it mean? What are the outward ramifications of a prosperous soul? 01:09:21.580 |
He accomplishes whatever it is for the brothers. 01:09:25.580 |
He has love, and he is eager to send them on their way. 01:09:33.580 |
And just as a background, hospitality at this time was very important. 01:09:38.580 |
Okay? And I want to just walk you through why it was important for Christians to support Christian missionaries in this period of time. 01:09:48.580 |
So this is the Apostle Paul kind of just explaining what he had to undergo. 01:09:55.580 |
2 Corinthians 11, 23-33, "Are they servants of Christ?" 01:10:02.580 |
I speak as if in saying he's engaging in a little bit of foolishness. 01:10:06.580 |
He's writing all of his accomplishments, but this is what he's saying. 01:10:09.580 |
"I more so, in far more labors, in far more imprisonments, beaten times without number, often in danger of death. 01:10:19.580 |
Five times I received from the Jews 39 lashes. 01:10:25.580 |
Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. 01:10:31.580 |
I've been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, 01:10:38.580 |
dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers amongst false brethren. 01:10:47.580 |
I have been in labor and hardship through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. 01:10:57.580 |
Apart from such external things, there is a daily pressure on me of all the concern for all the churches. 01:11:04.580 |
Who is weak without my being weak? Who is led into sin without my intense concern? 01:11:08.580 |
If I have to boast, I will boast of what pertains to my weakness. 01:11:13.580 |
The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, He who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying. 01:11:19.580 |
In Damascus, the Ethnarch under Aretas the king was guarding the city of the Damascenes in order to seize me. 01:11:27.580 |
And I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall, and so escaped his hands. 01:11:47.580 |
Paul at least had some things that he could lean on, his citizenship. 01:11:56.580 |
All other people who went out for the sake of the name of Jesus Christ had the exact same situation. 01:12:06.580 |
So for Gaius to get these brothers who were traveling through, the love of Christ compelled him to do whatever was in his power, 01:12:17.580 |
not to remove their discomfort, not to take away all of their sacrifices, but to partner with them at his expense, 01:12:28.580 |
so that their mission's work would not be obstructed to the best of their ability. 01:12:34.580 |
And the reason I wanted to share this is to share what kind of work Gaius was doing. 01:12:40.580 |
Every missionary, everyone who went out for the sake of the name, they didn't just go empty-handed. 01:12:51.580 |
So it was imperative for someone who claims to know the truth, when he sees a brother and sister in need, 1 John 3, 18, 01:13:01.580 |
that his love is not in word or tongue only, but in actions and in truth. 01:13:10.580 |
So the truth of God and the love of Christ compels me to partner with these people who are giving their all 01:13:23.580 |
to sacrifice whatever it is for the sake of Christ. 01:13:29.580 |
And this was the culture, this was very common in the culture. 01:13:34.580 |
The people who went out to proclaim the name of Jesus Christ underwent all of these things. 01:13:40.580 |
That's why when you see the New Testament, it is rife with hospitality exhortations. 01:13:47.580 |
This isn't like, our understanding of hospitality is, "Hey, let me invite you over to my house. 01:13:54.580 |
Let me give you a charcuterie cart." What is that called? 01:13:57.580 |
A char... "Let me make a board for you," right? 01:14:01.580 |
"Hey, come over. Let me make for you kimchi fried rice. That's my specialty." 01:14:05.580 |
"Oh, you need like, you know, you need just a place to stay for the night?" 01:14:11.580 |
By all means. That's not what it's talking about. 01:14:14.580 |
It is at the personal expense joining in the gospel endeavor for the sake of the name. 01:14:25.580 |
It doesn't mean just being polite as an Orange County person, inviting people into your home. 01:14:29.580 |
"Oh, I did a good job. I'm so hospitable," right? 01:14:35.580 |
So 1 Peter 4:9, "Be hospitable to one another without complaint." 01:14:43.580 |
If supporting a mission's endeavor costs you a month's paycheck, 01:14:55.580 |
And perhaps even if you're not... you're familiar enough with their work where you trust it, 01:15:01.580 |
but even if you've never really met them before, 01:15:04.580 |
do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers for by this I may have entertained angels without knowing it. 01:15:09.580 |
Romans 12, 10 to 13, "Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. 01:15:14.580 |
Give preference to one another in honor, lot lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord, 01:15:20.580 |
rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, 01:15:25.580 |
contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality." 01:15:33.580 |
I believe that it is almost sinful to see the needs of gospel workers 01:15:50.580 |
Even at personal expense and sacrifice, we are called to partner 01:15:57.580 |
because this is our labor, not just his labor. 01:16:07.580 |
And there was a... they bore witness to his love. 01:16:10.580 |
So what's the relationship between a prosperous soul, truth, and partnering in the gospel ministry? 01:16:23.580 |
I just have a couple of final points for you. 01:16:27.580 |
1 Timothy 4, 16, "Pay close attention to yourself," okay, watch your life, 01:16:35.580 |
"and to your teaching and your doctrine. Persevere in these things, for as you do this, 01:16:41.580 |
you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you." 01:16:48.580 |
Gaius, he was teaching truth, if you look at verse 3, right? 01:16:58.580 |
And he was also practicing truth, and that was evident in even the sacrifices that he made. 01:17:06.580 |
Next week, we're going to look at Diatrephes. 01:17:13.580 |
He distorts the truth, and then he obstructs the truth. 01:17:22.580 |
So the relationship between a prosperous soul and the truth and gospel ministry, 01:17:31.580 |
I hope you can kind of see, like, the connection that is there. 01:17:37.580 |
So how do we discern whether someone is worth partnering with or not? 01:17:52.580 |
Or are they people like in Titus 1, they claim to know God, but by their deeds they deny him, right? 01:18:08.580 |
I'm going to get behind him, even if he is a stranger. 01:18:12.580 |
And I will do well to send him on his way in a manner worthy of God. 01:18:19.580 |
So give generously, but scrutinize those to whom you plan to give generously. 01:18:27.580 |
And that's, I think, kind of the thrust of the first seven verses. 01:18:32.580 |
And verse 8, I wanted to break it up there so that you see next week just the application of what we looked at this week. 01:18:44.580 |
So next week, there is no Bible study as we have Passion Week events. 01:18:50.580 |
So Monday through Wednesday we have an evening devotional. 01:18:54.580 |
Thursday we have a Passover dinner, which you have to sign up for. 01:19:00.580 |
Friday we have the Good Friday service that's open to all. 01:19:05.580 |
So for Wednesday, April 12th, which is two weeks from today, we're going to be doing the last... 01:19:17.580 |
And I'm going to be putting up the template tonight. 01:19:21.580 |
So here's some group discussion questions for you for your own discussion. 01:19:27.580 |
The pre-discussion questions usually are for, like, textual related. 01:19:31.580 |
The post-discussion is usually applicational when you're actually reflecting on your own life and your own application. 01:19:41.580 |
So the first question, "Is your soul one that is prospering objectively? 01:19:48.580 |
Is there evidence that you are walking in truth?" 01:19:53.580 |
Number two, "What are the steps we should take to discern whether or not we practice hospitality to those who go out for the sake of the name?" 01:20:10.580 |
Third, "In what ways can you get more involved in sending workers on their way in a manner worthy of the Lord?" 01:20:25.580 |
Father, in our study of Your Word and in our application of Your truth, help us to walk in step with You. 01:20:33.580 |
Help us not to run too far ahead or lag behind or to be entangled in sin that we are apathetic toward the things that we learn today. 01:20:43.580 |
I pray for Your help to really engage not just our heads but our hearts as well, to not just meditate and think deeply upon Your Word, 01:20:53.580 |
but also to put it into practice in our day-to-day lives. 01:20:56.580 |
So we pray for just Your Spirit to continue to minister to us through Your truth.