SOAKED IN TRANSPARENCY: Walk your talk.

3 JOHN
October 26, 2008
with Jeff Martin

INTRO:
This is the last sermon of “Soaked in Transparency”.
In the last several weeks, we have learned what it would look like if we lived our faith in a fishbowl. So transparently that everyone could see right through us.

Adam has spoken of the battles we face as we try to be transparent: lying to ourselves versus living in the light, confessing to and obeying God.
We have learned what it is to be a Christian out in the open, living in God’s light by following the Old/New command to love one another.
Adam asked the four questions of “The Transparency Test”: “What do they teach about Jesus?”, “How do they treat those around them?”, “What are they afraid of?”, and “Do they tell the truth?”
We have learned what it would look like if we lived a transparent life so the next generation would also be transparent in their faith. Matt spoke last week how the lessons we learn as Christians stay with us and are taught to future generations, so we’d better get it right.

I wouldn’t call this a sermon, really. It’s more of a devotion-type lesson. I didn’t go to a bible college for a degree in ministry like Adam and Matt, so I won’t be preaching a three point sermon on the dichotomy of light and dark that’s found in the 3rd letter of the Apostle John. As a former youth worker, I have many years of experience teaching junior high and high school in Sunday school and retreat settings. That’s probably how this morning will look like.

Let’s get started. Guys, quit hitting each other. Girls quit talking. Couples in the room, please no public displays of affection while we’re in the church building. And get your feet off of the furniture. If your mom doesn’t let you do it, neither do I.

Seriously, if you have your Bibles, turn with me to 3 John. This is the shortest book in the New Testament, as Matt said last week, and is similar to 2 John that he preached on last week.
It is a simple letter written by the Apostle John to a man named Gaius, who is a faithful follower and leader of a local church, to warn about what another leader, Diotrephes, is doing, and finally to give a reference for another believer, Demetrius.

READ: 3 John

It’s a simple letter, right? Two are good guys- one bad. Let’s ask some questions.
First: Why is John writing this letter?
As an Elder of the church, John is the shepherd/leader of this particular flock of believers. More than likely, there are a few house churches in this area that John started. Gaius, to whom he is writing, is the leader of one. Diotrephes is probably the leader of another house church. John has heard some not so good things Diotrephes was doing and wants Gaius to know what’s going on over there.

Next question: What exactly is going on over there?
What we do know is that Diotrephes is refusing to accept John as Elder, and talks maliciously about him. He also refuses to welcome the traveling emissaries John has sent to this church. John tells Gaius that he has sent a letter to Diotrephes before about this, but it got “lost”. John wants to make sure he praises Gaius for doing just the opposite. You see, Gaius has accepted these men John has sent with open arms, welcoming them into his home, feeding them, and probably giving them some spending money while they stay with him. Being gracious and hospitable to these men was very important considering the distances traveled from church to church. In 1Timothy 3:2 and Titus 1:8, Paul lists this quality as a requirement for leaders of the church. Peter does the same in his first letter. John was no doubt the leader of this particular group of house churches, and he obviously has a problem with what Diotrephes has been doing.

Next question: Why is Diotrephes doing this?
We don’t know for sure. Scripture says that he loves to be first. It could be that there’s a power struggle going on here. This matter isn’t recorded anywhere else in the Bible. John’s the leader and Diotrephes wants to be. The fact that he wouldn’t let any of John’s messengers hang around could be to keep John out of the picture. Then, on top of that, he starts bad mouthing John to this local church and refuses to accept his authority over the church. Let’s see…isolation, lies against the leadership, disobeying God’s truth. It sounds like it could have been the start of a cult there. We’ve seen similar behavior in our lifetime. Jim Jones isolated hundreds by moving entire families to Guyana. David Koresh lied about who the true Leader of the church was to the people in Waco, Texas. They both disobeyed God’s truth.

Next: Who is Demetrius?
According to John, he’s a good guy. He’s gotten good reviews about his service to the Kingdom. Like Gaius, he’s a faithful follower and servant. We don’t really know much else about him except what is here in John’s letter. We as a church are looking for leaders such as Gaius or Demetrius. A good way to find out if that is something you’d like to explore, why not sign up for the Roots Class that Adam and Matt are leading. The Roots 101 class is scheduled for Sunday, November 9.

Last question: Now what?
Now that we know who John was writing to and about, we can try and apply that to our lives today. And here it is: If you’re going to talk the talk, then you’d better walk the walk. If you want to live a transparent life in Christ, you need to be like Gaius and Demetrius. The first part of Matthew 12:33 says it plainly, “A tree is identified by its fruit. Make a tree good, and its fruit will be good.” These two men walked in the truth and people noticed. John had received praises from others about these men. They believed in God and it showed in their actions. Gaius showed love to the messengers John sent by offering up his home, his food, and his money. Demetrius was praised for the same. Both men followed the command to love one another, show hospitality, and share whatever they had with others. They did this without John being present. Folks, that’s what integrity is all about- doing what is right when no one is looking. But you know what? There’s always someone watching. It could be your neighbor, who sees you leave every Sunday morning for church, and waits for your reaction when a neighborhood dog gets in your garbage and scatters it all over the yard. It could be your co-worker, who sees you pray before lunch, and watches when the boss yells at you for something that you didn’t do. It could be another believer, who sees you do and hears you say all the right things at church, and waits for your reaction to a son or daughter who just got caught with drugs in their locker at school. And even if there isn’t a neighbor, co-worker, or fellow believer watching, God is. Don’t we all want to be greeted by our Savior and hear those words, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”


John has a simple message for us in his third letter- “Don’t be a hypocrite!” or even more simply “Walk your talk.” Gaius and Demetrius were commended for their faithful work in the church. They were held as examples of faithful, selfless servants. We shouldn’t take for granted those Christian workers who serve faithfully. Be sure to encourage them so they won’t grow weary of serving.