Friends and Foes in the Church, Part 2

The person who does good is of God, the person who does evil is not of God, the person who does righteousness is of God, the person who sins is not of God, do good is evidence of divine birth so imitate those who do. John continues a series of influential sermons from five decades of ministry. It's a compelling study that includes one sermon from each New Testament book. We titled the series. The New Testament beginning to end the lesson you're about to hear is from third John, maybe a book you're unfamiliar with. John MacArthur is going to help you identify genuine followers of Christ and phonies who are actually enemies of the gospel.

So how do you know who your friends are in the church and who your foes are find out as John begins today's lesson.

Third, John, and were going to be looking at the final half of this book verses nine through 14 of the main character in the section of this little epistle is a man named Teatro fees followed at the end by another man named Demetrius, but for the most part, geographies, occupies our attention, and you might even title this section, the man who loved the preeminence.

There have always been such people who love the preeminence who are proud and selfish and self-centered, who seek the places of power and the places of fame and the places of prestige. In fact, the Scriptures literally abounds with such characters in this category and I thought it might be instructive for us to just go back and meet some of this whole of infamy. People who would never show up in the 11th chapter of Hebrews, that's for sure these are the antiheroes.

Genesis chapter 4 introduces us to such a man by the name of Lamech.

In Genesis chapter 4 we meet him. In verse 23 in regard to this particular perspective, and Lamech said to his wives ETA and Zillah it already broken God's commandment by being a polygamist. But he said it was wives ETA and Zillah, listen to my voice, you wives of Lamech give heed to my speech, for I have killed a man for wounding me and a boy for striking me if Cain is avenged sevenfold, then Lamech 77 fold.

This is the first bully in the Bible.

Lamech composed his own song. Here it is Hebrew poetry.

I have slain a young man who merely wounded me a young man who merely hurt me. God may take care of Cain sevenfold, but I'll take care of myself 77 fold. Here is an illustration of blasphemous arrogance. The first murderer, Cain had produced a grandson who was also a murderer. The first murder was the result of envy. This one was the result of pride in what you have there is a picture of Lamech stretching before his two wives and pontificating about his bloodied deed and how able he is to defend himself even to the 77th limit. Interestingly enough, Lamech was the seventh in the line from Adam and God calls Lamech's cousin Enoch, the seventh in the book of Jude verse 14 it says Enoch in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied, saying, behold, the Lord came with many thousands of his holy ones to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of their ungodly deeds which they've done and on godly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. We must conclude then that Lamech was an object of Enoch's testimony since Enoch lived in the same generation. Lamech was one of those ungodly people who did ungodly deeds in an ungodly way, and spoke harsh things against God. Lamech was a hard sinner and he flaunted his sin against God. He viewed himself as above God, and is long as were thinking about these people, we would be remiss if we didn't make a comment or two about one other very famous man who sought the preeminence by the name of Nebuchadnezzar. In Daniel chapter 4, Nebuchadnezzar sought to exalt him self because he sought to exalt himself. You remember God turn them into a maniac and left him out grazing like an animal for years, seven years. In fact, until he finally came to his senses.

He is model of self-centered proud power mad love for preeminence.

And then of course to become to the New Testament, there is Herod, we find that story in the 12th chapter of acts. Herod declared it.

Herod day in all modesty and he appointed day acts 1221, put on his royal apparel came out before the people took his seat there in Caesarea sat in his throne and began delivering an address to them and the people kept saying the voice of a God and not a man, and that's what he wanted and immediately an angel the Lord struck him because he didn't give God the glory was eaten by worms and died and so ended Herod day, not exactly the way you planned it, and then you could also throw into the littlest that we been putting together Matthew 23.

Because in Matthew 23 you have not one, but a whole collection of people who love to have the preeminence. Jesus identified them as whited sepulcher curses two rooms full of dead men's bones.

Jesus identified them repeatedly as hypocrites identified them as snakes and Vipers and who were they there were the scribes and the Pharisees who seated themselves in the chair of Moses. Matthew 23, one they love to be noticed by man.

They broadened their phylacteries that you the little letterboxes that held slips on which were written passages of the Mosaic law. They carried them around like they made. There is very very big.

So the people would know how devoted to Scripture.

They were they lengthened the tassels of their garments.

Tassels were supposed to be evidences of their devotion and they made there is this long as possible. Extending them down so that they were dragging on the ground so people would exalt them for their piety or always have been.

These kinds of people always and even among the people of God.

We've given you an illustration of it and it said temptation even for good people.

You go to Matthew chapter 20 in your mind, you will remember the James and John had the audacity to get their mother go to Jesus and plead with Jesus to give them the preeminent place in his kingdom because they thought they were worthy of it. Can you imagine Matthew 2020 to 28 Jesus said, you know that something for the father to give, but it goes to those who suffer the most, not those who sought the preeminence. If you want to be first, you should seek to be last. You should be like the Son of Man, who didn't come to be served but to serve, and give his life a ransom for many. That ended that conversation all that leads us to their John, let's go back and here in third John we meet.

Amanda belongs in the hall of interest me with all the rest of those people are just kind of rehearse for you. This is a man named DOP for fees and he loved to have the power, the preeminence, the prestige, the prominence, the chief seat. The chief place it says it in verse nine theocracies who loves to be first fill out who has a strong affection Pro 202B. First to be first, that term protrusions only one other place in Colossians 118 and there it talks about the preeminence of Christ. So here is a man who is competing with Christ. Here is one who doesn't believe that Jesus alone is first but seeks to supplant Christ and to rule the church in the place of Christ is Laika New Testament Absalom so power-hungry that he would murder his own father to take the throne. Theocracies was a very proud man. He was so proud that in seeking his place of preeminence. He was actually busy supplanting Christ busy replacing Christ in the church how to do it by rejecting those who were serving Christ in the opening eight verses we saw Gaius the man who gave hospitality. I want you to look in verses nine and 10, at theocracies, the man who refused to give hospitality as graciously hospitable as Gaius was so ungracious and on hospitable was theocracies, they are poles apart.

They are absolute opposites. Gaius is seen knowing truth walking in truth loving the brother and entertaining strangers who are faithful ministers of the gospel theocracies to see loving himself refusing to allow anyone to come in who might somehow receive the accolades, the love, the affection, the response of the congregation which he wants for himself.

The conflict is not doctrinal.

It's not theological it's not a spiritual issue is a personal issue of loving one's self and so does John address this issue so frequently arising in the church. Look at verse nine I wrote something to the church but theocracies who loves to be first among them doesn't accept what we say.

John wrote a letter to this church and theocracies had managed to put himself in a position to filter everything and so geographies who loves to be first among them doesn't accept what we say we do not know about this letter written earlier to this church, it was not written to geographies. It was written to the church. It is lost perhaps because geographies destroyed.

It probably never even read to the church and that's why John tells Gaius was in that church that he wrote that letter geographies managed to move himself into the position of power and became the screener for anything and everything. He came to the church and literally rejected a letter from the apostle John Johnson's geographies does not accept what we say. Another way to translate that will have nothing to do with us. He is his own authority, even to the point where he rejects one with apostolic authority.

These kind of people who are proud and self-righteous. These kind of people who love spiritual preeminence and seek power and control. They know no bounds on who they will reject they will reject the most faithful, profound, respected, revered authorities, Scripture. In fact, the more influence a person has, because of faithful ministry, the more likely they are to reject that person and you will notice he loves is in the present tense. This is a pattern for him.

This is habitual for him. He is driven by personal ambition. This is so hard to deal with in the church.

Not only was he perverted by ambition but it led to perverted action.

Verse 10 I will call attention. He says if I come to his deeds which he does.

It's not just an attitude can't contain an attitude. Anyway, whatever. An attitude is becomes an action John says. For this reason because of the fact that in his self-love and in his longing to be preeminent. He doesn't even accept what I an apostle of Jesus Christ have to say.

Because of this. For this reason, if I come on I will call attention to his deeds which he does I'm going to expose the man if I come, I will not forget John is saying I will not forget. I will bring up the subject of geographies conduct that I will make it an issue in the church because it is an issue for discipline. Now he basically indicts him on four counts. Look at them in verse 10 forecast number one unjustly accusing us with wicked words. This is characteristic in every occasion of these people who rise to preeminence. They falsely accuse other people.

This is how they gain trust.

They don't gain trust by the virtue of their life. They don't gain trust by their character they don't gain trust. The long slow true way by exposing all that they are the people letting people make a judgment on their righteousness on their integrity. They get the trust of the people by destroying the people's trust and everybody else. They are malicious and destructive, accusing the word accusing here is actually a word that occurs only here in the entire New Testament but a cognate form of it occurs in first Timothy 513 where can be translated toddlers.

They are toddlers they go around telling malicious gossiping tales. By the way, the root word in the Greek comes from boiling up or bubbling over and there's a reason for that bubbles are hollow. This is hollow talk foolish talk with a phone meant foolish.

Nothing bubble talk the bursts when it's poked false, unfounded, foolish, contrived, manipulated accusations to cause people to distrust those in leadership, and then the people are left with them as the only one they can trust they get good at this very adept they bring up malicious charges. They don't make them minimal superficial. They use evil words. There's a certain viciousness here, by the way, this term wicked words is used of Cain's wickedness.

In first John 312 and it's used of the devil. In first John 518 90.

They accuse these people that they want to replace these people. They want to rise above of devilish things horrible things and including us. Notice that there unjustly accusing us me to tell me geographies was even falsely accusing the apostle John S if anybody was a threat. John was a threat and if you're a threat you'll get it all would man, you may not know it at first. They may give you that silky hypocritical façade, but underneath the surface that like to slit your throat everybody's threat. Everybody's a threat to the position of power, and then he adds is if it's not enough to destroy all those around you with malicious, destructive, gossip it says and not satisfied with this is not enough to do that. Neither does he receive the brother and whoever is already respected, they seek to destroy anybody who comes in. They begin to undermine as well. In fact, they will not even receive them. They will not treat them with humble love not only slandered the apostle John himself geographies not always letter John, but he deliberately defied John by refusing to welcome the faithful brother who came to preach for the sake of the name because everybody's a threat. If you're on the inside you get undermine so they can get into the prominent place. If you're on the outside and your come along, they shut you out. And of course they don't want anybody to close because some of them I discover what's really going on. How does he get into that position in the church of Jesus Christ. Well, all that simply to say the Bible warns us here about those people who are power-hungry in the church. Arrogance is where it all starts.

It starts with arrogance. Arrogance produces ambition.

Ambition produces accusations and accusation leads to annihilation.

You start out driven by pride, your pride produces the desire to be preeminent preeminent then lead you to falsely accuse everybody else. Are you clear the field of all other claimants, and then eventually have the knowledge and put them out if they don't roll over so sad when this happens in the church in many churches are willing to deal with it. They are willing to face if they aren't willing to overturn such a man because many of them been deceived. Others in the name of love church unity allow this to be perpetuated.

There's 1/3 character in this book by the name of Demetrius and if Gaius showed hospitality need to continue to do it no matter what pressure might be coming and if geographies was the man who refused to give hospitality. Demetrius is one who is to receive hospitality. So here are to the beloved Gaius John introduces a man that he wants Gaius to receive beloved verse 11 do not imitate what is evil.

But what is good.

The one who does good is of God, the one it is evil has not seen God.

Demetrius has received a good testimony from everyone and from the truth itself and we also bear witness and you know that our witness is true he's introducing into this man Demetrius and sensei received them. You need to do that. He said that to faithful men, who go out for the sake of the name. Back in verses seven and eight.

You need to do that to be a fellow worker, the truth, in spite of the fact that there is geographies in the church you need to do that and here's one in particular that I want you to receive in his name is Demetrius and if you will receive him. You will not be imitating what is evil. But what is good.

You will then give evidence that you are of God back in verse 11 will pick it up right there beloved, do not imitate what is evil. How does that fit in well.

It simply means don't follow the pattern of geographies don't follow the pattern of geographies he saying to Gaius, don't be like the art refusing to be the leading influence in church. Don't be like him. Demetrius is coming he is to be commended. Maybe was a member of the Ephesian church coming to whatever church this was. He doesn't want Gaius to be influenced by geographies. If still in the church and thus not to receive Demetrius may have been that he was thrown out of the church and maybe he's back and we don't know those details, but the bottom line is, he says, do not imitate what is evil.

Do not in the home. I do not become a mimic of what is evil. Don't follow that model just do what is good. Everybody follow somebody don't think you choose will you follow those who do good of those do evil and goes right back to the basic principle. Verse 11 the one who does good is of God, the wanted does evil is not seen God. It's that simple. That sounds like first John doesn't back to the distinction between the true Christian and the false Christian the moral test. The person who does good is of God, the person who does evil is not of God, the person or does righteousness is of God, the person who sins is not of God to do good is evidence of divine birth for your day none to good works so imitate those who do good if something was to be affirmed is true how many witnesses were needed to or three right.

Everything had to be confirmed in the mouth of two or three witnesses. Deuteronomy 17 six Deuteronomy 1915 noticed three witnesses to Demetrius in verse 12, he's received a good testimony first from everyone you know very many people like that from everyone who bought Pantone all the testimony of everyone to Demetrius in the past remains valid in the present perfect passive. He has received an ongoing and continually good testimony from everyone. Second witness and from the truth itself. That is to say you can measure him by his doctrine.

You can measure him by the truth, he is loyal to the truth and again it's an ongoing thing.

The truth he professes in the truth. He preaches that is the truth he embodies and lives. It is self-evident and always has been and thoroughly verse 12 he says. And we also bear witness. John says we bear witness. We continue to bear witness Gaius if you have any question about this man.

Everybody will testify to his character and his faithfulness. The truth will testify to his character and faithfulness. He can be measured against it and we also as an apostle bear witness and you know that our witness is true, you know you can trust me.

How do you know a man's worth what is everybody seven houses life match up with Scripture, and what do Christian leaders say about when you get a man who passes muster on all three of those open your arms notwithstanding, geographies or anybody else and embrace your listening to John MacArthur, Chancellor of the Masters University in seminary our current series on grace to you is looking at the New Testament beginning to end. Now today's lesson was all about helping you identify those who are friends of the church and those who are foes and one man we heard from recently seems to have identified himself as a friend of the church on grace to you has played a part in strengthening his church ministry. John, you have his letter right there in front of you share it with us. I look to Phil he writes I was raised in church and I've been a believer for 23 years and a pastor for 14 years. I had always heard of John MacArthur but I did not have access to grace to you on local radio. However, your stand for the church in the midst of covert, 19 situation and the resulting media scrutiny garnered my attention. I watched the video of John preaching in the early days of the pandemic and I was hooked.

Since then I have benefited greatly from your ministry of learn more about God's word in the past two years. In the previous 20 years combined your influences borne fruit in my life as well as in the life of our church over the past year and 1/2.

We have gone verse by verse through the gospel of Mark and we are currently working our way through acts. I have no doubt that during this pandemic.

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