3 John Chapter 1 Verses 5 – 8

· “You do faithfully whatever you do for the brethren, and for strangers,” is a high compliment. John is the apostle and disciple of Jesus Christ. The writer of the Gospel of John, the receiver of the Revelation of Jesus Christ, and the very disciple whom Jesus loved. And he thinks extremely highly of Gaius.

· Why am I making this point? We are about to be introduced to a person named Diotrephes who does not think highly of Gaius. He speaks against him and John even will say in a moment that he does it with malice, with the intent to harm.

· So, here we have a bit of a dichotomy, a duality. And let me tell you, this is common in everyone’s lives at some point or in some situations. I would love everyone to love me. Who wouldn’t. AND…, I pay attention to who does and who does not. Paul wrote to Titus in Titus 3:9-11, “Avoid foolish disputes, genealogies, contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and useless. Reject a divisive man after the first and second admonition, knowing that such a person is warped and sinning, being self-condemned…”

· If a person that is warped and sinning does not have a fond affection for me…, (this is why I pay attention), isn’t that a good thing? If they perceived me to be aligned with them, isn’t that a bad thing? Someone once said, “A lion does not lose sleep over the opinion of the sheep.”

· Be awake to this, please. Because in return for the malicious sin against him of Diotrephes, Gaius should not hate him or return evil for evil. Gaius should lead him in love. Forgive them Father for they know not what they do! Diotrephes has not the capacity or intelligence to see his own sin which does nothing but harm himself and others… You cannot hate a blind man for tripping over a chair in a pitch-dark room…

· Paul wrote in Ephesians 4:17-19, “This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness…”

· So don’t get so angry or frustrated with someone who doesn’t treat you right. Someone who doesn’t respect you. Someone who doesn’t love you. Pray for them and look around. Do the disciples of Jesus love you? Do those that walk in wisdom, freedom, living for the service of others over themselves, do they align with you? If so, RELAX, people-pleaser! Now…, if not…, seek to be corrected in love and desire to change…

· John has HIGH praise for Gaius and in light of who John is, Gaius should be able to field the malice of some warped and sinning imbecile…, right!? Even, as John says here, the church as a whole testifies of the truth and the love that is in Gaius…

· Gaius is praised for his receiving and hospitality of those that serve the Lord. In John’s previous letter he warned the elect lady and the church in her home against receiving and offering support to those that serve themselves… What’s the difference? Well, one of them is the ask…

· Jesus said in Luke 9:2-4, “He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. And He said to them, “Take nothing for the journey, neither staffs nor bag nor bread nor money; and do not have two tunics apiece. “Whatever house you enter, stay there, and from there depart.”” There’s no funding drive, no ask for support and when they enter a home, they enter to serve, not to financially profit…

· John says here, praises Gaius here, saying, “The servants of God that you helped went forward for His name’s sake, taking nothing from the Gentiles.” It was common knowledge in the early church that is there was an ask for money then they were a false profit. Micah 3:11, speaking of the servants of a false god, “Her heads judge for a bribe, her priests teach for pay, and her prophets divine for money. Yet they lean on the Lord, and say, “Is not the Lord among us? No harm can come upon us.””

· Now, I’m not going overboard here and throwing the baby out with the bath water… I’m not against ministries or missionaries raising support. I’m saying that if that is primarily what they are after, then how is it they serve the Lord? Jesus had no place to lay His head… If you have the same as Jesus had, are you still going to serve the Father? If the answer is yes then raising financial support is a concern and yet unimportant…

· Another bit of common knowledge in the early church was that if someone sought to stay with you for more than three days then that was an indication of a false prophet… The idea is that someone serving the Lord simply serves the Lord. If resources come, they come at the hand of the Lord. If not, hey…, we sleep outside… One of the distinctives of Calvary Chapel is that we are not financially supported by any denominational conglomerate. Where God guides, God provides…

3 John Chapter 1 Verses 9 – 10

· So, we get to the heart of the matter. Gaius receives the brethren which Diotrephes has forbidden. Why? Well, all we know is what John says here, that he loves to have the preeminence among the church. And this has resulted in Gaius, (in his own city), being put out of the church.

· “Loves to have the preeminence,” is one word in the Greek and it means to be ambitious towards and fond of being the most important person in the room. The holiest, the smartest, the cutest, the most successful. Man, does that not sound like everything that has to do with modern culture and especially American culture!? WOW!

· But this really has no place in the church. Wanting to do your best and striving to do your best is different than having to be the best amongst others. One is stemmed in work ethic, integrity and character. The other is stemmed in insecurity and fear! That’s just from a practical perspective… From a spiritual perspective, true maturity doesn’t highlight ones own name! It highlights the name of Jesus!

· Jesus said the last shall be first and the first shall be last. Jesus said true authority and strength is not to make sure they know your name so that you can be somebody in their eyes but that the greatest amongst people are those that serve not themselves but others. Not as a command…, THAT’S A REVELATION! Serving those that aren’t worthy of your service doesn’t degrade your stature…, it reveals the health of your holiness and the strength of your intelligence and personal potency! Pride is fear that has been bedazzled and it has no place in the church not only because it is sin but because it is pathetic in all practicality!

· So why doesn’t the church slam the door on Diotrephes? Well, perhaps he can draw a big crowd. Perhaps he can fill the coffers with offerings! As sad as that is…, that may be why. Or it could be that people are just ok with being lorded over by someone who has worldly authority… But John even says that Diotrephes’ mouth is a problem…

· He is prating against us (John and Gaius) with malicious words. Look, no matter if John is a saint or a sinner, Diotrephes doing this is out of bounds and should not be so in the family of God.

3 John Chapter 1 Verse 11

· John makes clear that the ambition to be first among others, the prating against authorities (John is a well-known and obvious pillar in the early church), speaking maliciously against another…, John makes clear that these things are evil. No buts, no defenses, no deflections, no excuses…, these things are evil. And good water and bitter water should not both come from the same stream…

· And notice the emphasis on reality. John doesn’t say he who believes is of God and he who doesn’t believe hasn’t seen God… John says he who does good… Why? Believe what you want in your head. What you do is reality of who you are…

3 John Chapter 1 Verse 12

· Demetrius most likely is the letter bearer and John provides an introduction for him as he carries this letter to Gaius. One thing I will say about him…, John describing him as having a good testimony from all may make him sound like a people pleaser but not so. Universal integrity, walking in truth and love, (100 truth/100 love), universal goodness to folks no matter who they are, what they believe, how they live, where they’re from…, universal integrity and universal goodness are the pathway to universal applause.

· Paul even said in 1 Timothy 3 that a bishop in the church, an overseer, even he must have a (1 Tim 3:7), “good testimony among those who are outside…”

3 John Chapter 1 Verses 13 – 14

· Help is on the way! God deploys John to first remind Gaius how much he is loved. To comfort him and console him. Be a friend…, and, John, the elder…, intends to come in person and help this situation. That point and that promise is ALL throughout the Bible!