These Friends Are Forever - 3 John 13-15

John uses the term friend because he wants to emphasize her loving relationship with one another. Remember his writing like churches, but part of friendships have been lost is batteries kicking people out of the church, making them take sides because of the strange you is his corrupt defiance as a relates to the apostolic authority.

Is this church and John comes along. Just a brief relationship, how much you vested in and cared for his fellow believers their lives of faithful living were very important to him. He wanted their relationships with each other to be marked by love. We too can and should follow John's example and make an effort to care about the needs and spiritual well-being of the friends that God has brought into our lives.

That's the theme that Stephen explores today in this lesson called these friends are forever. This is wisdom for the heart and today Stephen Davey concludes his series through second and third John with this important lesson on relationships. Let's get started today to the end of our exposition and study together of second and third John which we called postcards from John second John just 13 verses along. We study together a brief note written with godly woman, godly mother about her family. Third John postcard written to a godly man about his church, but they are much more than postcards.

They are inspired by the spirit of God, and they are the word of God. Peter writes it this way. Second Peter 121 men. These authors referring to these prophets and apostles were moved by the Holy Spirit and they spoke from God. So when you read a letter like your reading along with me. Third John it's it's more than John.

It's the spirit of God moving telling guiding him, but it is also God using the human instrument and the personality of the vocabulary in the passion of the heart of John. John's not a robot's hand is not moving mysteriously by itself. He's not in a trance. The Holy Spirit is allowing John's personality and passion frame. These lying God is impressing guiding his engaged mind and his personality and I say that because we got married in a way to pick up things are different and unique because a related John is different than Paul is different than Mark and he is different than Isaiah, Jeremiah, David, and so understand that God uses the human instrument as he delivers inspired true become. For the last time in our study to the little book of third John, so turned back there if you're not there already. If you are with us. Our last study last Lord's day, John recommended that the church imitate Demetrius. They follow his example.

Will Peking in between the lines in these last few lines are the heart and maternity and passion of John and let me tell you he is worthy of imitation as well pick up some things I want to give me two or three of them worthy of imitation.

First of all we want to. These worthy of imitation because of his personal investment in the lives of people notice verse 13, I had many things to write to you, but I'm not willing to write them to you with pen any another way. John writes this informs us that when he sat down originally to write to Gaius in his mind.

There were a lot of things he planned on writing about.

So this original construction that we can.

We could sort of amplify this translation read. I had many things to write to you when I first started writing but now rather abruptly is decided not to write anymore. The spirit of God is telling him that's all. When the plane you're your finish. There was a little more on his mind.

Perhaps a lot of money when you like to know what those many things were that he planned on writing I could use another chapter right we could use another year of study that correct. We don't know what those things were, but we do know that God's Spirit is saying this is… Doesn't this really give us everything we like, but he gives us enough of what he needs for us to know now, given the information and context of both second and third John live enjoyed studying them so closely together.

Norm. They were written to members of the same church. More than likely effect. If you you glance across the page at the way John closes his second letter. Second John, he writes, though I have many things to write to you. I do not want to do so with paper spending none of his third John 13, I had many things to write to you but I am not willing to write them to you with pen and ink.

The only substantive difference in this conclusion is it John mentions paper in second John, and a pen in third John and there is no deep spiritual meaning in that distinction. Case John is not boycotting pencils he's not giving us some deep truth here.

If anything it points to the same author say vocabulary same conclusion that we get all hung up on all that stuff and and I'm really getting the weasel of his morning, but it's easy to miss the fact that John's writing mentioned that in second that he's writing. How unique is that especially today said easy for him. It is these are writing to test time on his hand. He's in his early to mid 90s. He's discipling his church planting is a leading is a lot of things to do and certainly writing in the first century was not nearly as convenient as it is today. I'm cross emails are easy texts are easy. So these are irritating, but we can do that to me to get a message but the world writes a note I wrote a letter to the fact that John doesn't have a drawer full of ballpoint pens to reach over and a ream of paper cartridges of Vicki. More than likely mix of ingredients to make the ink that this is the only time this work for pen appears in the entire New Testament and it. I'm glad he did because it gives us a window into his world.

It's the word for the read plant from which pens were made that you could literally translate this phrase I'm not going to write you with read any these pens were hollowed out. Read in the which they they poured a covered the top with wax or gobs of the ink wouldn't spill back out carve the other end to a point and put a little slit cut the end of it, which allowed the ink to draw through the word for eight is a word, a letter, so this is the common ink of his day, melon's, it refers to simply a mixture of water charcoal went up little tree horizon as they all had to get out to say writing wasn't easy. It was a time consuming investment in the lives of people and you can also pick up on the way from this opening line that John was thinking about this church. He was thinking about its members to a number of things on his heart that didn't want to write in here right that still have that churning in his heart he still had those thoughts and those ideas and those truths that he originally thought. I need to share this with this group of people to know save it for personal contact with what a model for us the following simply taking the time to think about people and desire to make a personal investment in the lives of people.

Secondly, there is this element of personal influence in the lives of other people notice he writes in verse 14, but I hope to see you shortly so we can talk face-to-face since saving the second letter speaking face-to-face literally in the Greek text is mouth to mouth with the language means stoma process. Stoma mouth-to-mouth which conjures up in the English mind some kind of medical emergency out by the swimming pool ready to provide mouth-to-mouth resuscitation with target translate this idiom in our day.

We would say face-to-face I think even that might be inadequate. I'd rather say heart to heart what he wants. This is referring to close personal conversation. John wants to spend that kind of personal time with them so he can bring his wise his elderly.

His experiences wisdom, experience, wisdom barer in a church that has been hijacked by an unwise ungodly man. Unfortunately, more than likely the pastor teacher that you put the timeline of these two postcards together more than likely. Second, John is arriving to this godly woman's house.

She reads it quickly shares it with the other believers in this assembly soon after word.

Third, John arrives this time to one of the godly church members.

A man named Gaius John announces again proceed in a minute. EEs is going arrive soon.

He doesn't give a date think there's a reason for that is easy to follow them off a few days later with a personal appearance. All of it wisely planned, wisely timed by John so that the congregation is notified, but there's not enough time for diopter fees to marshal his forces in a call one of those infamous church meeting.

Close the door so John can't get so John doesn't get that day, but notice what he does tell them is that he plans to come to them shortly. That works shortly as Marx favorite word in the gospel by Mark translated over and over again immediately. Immediately, I am coming your way immediately. Boswell pulled the chair put out another dinner plate. Dominic be there. Get ready because I'm on my way. The idea John wants to make up personal investment in the lives of people he wants to share godly influence in the lives of people. Thirdly, John has a personal interest in people, and that might sound a little redundant.

It isn't like you want to make the point here she's possible, it's possible to want to influence people and not really care about people advertisers do it all day long. They wanted influence you but they don't care about. It's possible that John wants it was nobody really care about really does care about. He was to show up here influence the church and is not just because he is a free weekend or because the assembly meets only cozy lots of fresh air in a series of messages. He was the pulpit.maybe an honorary whatever know he's interested in them. For those who are committed to Bible exposition those pastors and teachers a little concerned over the last number of years I hear a lot about loving to preach loving to expound Scripture loving to be in execute loving that we don't love preaching.

We love the people to whom we are preaching. John is interested in them, not just delivering certain and it shows up here in this text. Two different ways. His interest for them.

First John offers comfort to the notice. The first phrase in verse 15 piece be to you sweet thing to say is a piece in the world. There is a PC within the church is all messed up piece the proverbial notice in your text is italicized, which means the translator supplied it is not in the original text to try to make sense and sometimes it's it's it's wonderful sometimes it's unfortunate this time. I think it is so because John is not expressing oh wish that they could get a piece dropout verb and you have a statement John is making a statement that they've already got any implication is you've got it because you're in Christ not given away. You are in Christ. People would rather that way because you are in Christ you have peace because you have peace with God because you have the peace of God, not treat each other that way.

Please in the church.

That's the subtle implication in this original construction. By the way, this is the exact same phrase in the Greek translation of the Old Testament when the brothers show up.

Joseph Joseph has every right to execute his every authority and ability to torment them and tortured in his first work of them is peace to you. By the way this happens to be first word of the Lord delivered to his disciples that they are huddled in that upper room after his resurrection there, terrified he supernaturally just moves through that close door and he shows up and he is everywhere right to discard them.

His every right to give them a tongue lashing.

They will never forget.

And yet John by the way, was there never forgot this because he said that piece you same phrase here. John now ends his letter piece, word of comfort. By the way, this is a work for you today maybe in your world. There is nothing like piece. It's all tumultuous, tall, rough way to solve difficult you come in here and perhaps perhaps this is been the first hour of your week or it's been quiet and he states still for 60 minutes you have because you are incorrect you are in this peaceful state because you belong to Christ, he is delivering to the promise of his peace and with that strength and grace to help you walk through piece to you. John not only offers comfort.

He offers consideration to them is the last phrase in verse 15. The friends Greek greet the friends by name John uses that term friend twice because he's run out of cinnamon because he wants to emphasize her loving relationship with one another. Remember is he's writing the church is been ripped apart and friendships have been lost near Zachary's kicking people out of the church, making them take sides as it is strange you is his corrupt defiance as a relates to the apostolic authority. He wants to be his own man. He's defying John he won't provide hospitality to those church workers who are coming. He's he's up to this church. The he would say it belongs to him. So you got all of this turmoil, yet always friendships that are being shattered, and John comes along and in just a brief crazy make you happen to be friends, friends, word is for Loy your friends fill you fully for loss that that that the Greek word family that carries the idea of of caring affectionate love. We use the term today for law for loss Philadelphia city of brotherly love some of you are from Philadelphia and you know from personal experience that it is an affectionate, loving city. The truth is making friends is an automatically easy require self-sacrifice. It requires intentionality. It requires going out of your way requires saying not to God. I will wait for someone to be friendly to me but Lord, give me someone to be friendly to Disney's friendships or difficult. It's as if John is closing this postcard asking that Gaius remind people who haven't perhaps spoken to each other since the divisions occurred at all the tumultuous events began to take place under the term radical role of director fees activities as destroying friendships, Johnson's Gaius, I want you to go along and what you to begin restoring friendships and here's the best way to start. Go tell them they have friends back in Ephesus. Go tell them they belong to an assembly that set that's a brother assembly battered and bruised, that they may be going greet each of them by their name. It's hard to be an enemy with somebody when you greet them by their name someone wrote that your name is the sweetest and most important, most powerful sound in your language. It represents you who you are. Can you imagine the goodwill as Gaius treats them now like Jesus treats us, who calls us his friends invented that he calls us by our name John five in John 10 is one thing to know Pres. so-and-so. It's another thing to know a superstar so-and-so. It's another thing to know Sen. so-and-so but it's another thing entirely to say all he or she there. My friend entirely different takes it to a whole new level.

Like when you were in fifth grade. Assuming you made it that far and in you wrote a note to that little girl with pigtails and freckles your classes and in and you got right to the point. Would you like to be my friend and then you you wrote a box and bite you wrote the word no and then another box of big and next, with the word yes and then you passed it to her and she opened it. She got her pencil and looked over at and then she made a mark and that she handed it back to you and you have breathed yet you're holding your breath and you open it and she checked yes we settle mindset not hardly :-) we learned early on it's it's one thing to sit in the same class on the same bus. It's another thing for you to be my friend Ivar and the same thing here in the same dorm room urine during the same classroom you're in same shop in St. boardroom.

The same church. John reminds the church that it is made up of friends. These friends are forever. This is in a box to check. This is a statement to live your friends greet you greet all of our friends in your church by name, so just try to imagine what the next Lords. They look like as Gaius on behalf of John goes around all the brothers and sisters in the assembly. I can just imagine, much to the infuriate should die out her fees to his irritation.

Gaius is going a bill pay just want you to know that I'm coming to you on behalf of John the apostle who who want you to know that the people back this church consider you therefore me, yet you pay Sarah. I can you come over here for just a second.

I want to let you know that that John send you his personal greetings and wants to remind you how grateful he is that you're his friend different culture that creates in the assembly, and to a church that no doubt needed this kind kind, gracious conversation from John your friends of Christ's.

Because of his cross work. She believed in and near Nunnally friends of his, you're friends with each other so live in that he said demonstrate that peace with one another deepen your friendships deepen them. One name and a user friendships and lands message as well as the series.

He's been working his way through the second and third John in this brand-new series entitled postcards from John. If you missed any of the lessons in this series and want to get caught up. We posted them to our website.

We also posted them to our smart phone app and in just a few minutes I'm gonna tell you how you can get a copy of this series on CD, but Stephen before we do that we receive some encouraging correspondence from listeners. As always, it's a thrill to hear from you friends as you write us email us. Here's Amy from Westbrook, Maine, who wrote and I listen to you on the wisdom app. Every morning as I drive to work. Your sermons are the exact length of my commute and start my day with my heart right where it belongs in the Lord's hands. I'm sending love and prayers.

Thank you Amy for that kind note Leonard right from Griffin South Carolina on the pastor of a small church and have been encouraged greatly by your program. I'm amazed by the hours of study they go into each message and I'm using much of what I gained from listening towards the shepherding of my own flock. Thank you.

Scott is always a blessing to feed another Shepherd who then can feed his flock. Thank you letter for writing one more. Deborah writes from Florida the daily podcasts are a huge blessing to me this morning's message was a wonderful reminder to allow God to do the multiplying and not me.

I do some volunteer work with the women's restoration home and we meet each Sunday afternoon when I first began there were 8 to 10 women who participated well at the moment. There's only one shows up faithfully for little while. I was discouraged, but as a result of our one-on-one time together. I've been able to actually become a mentor to her and I've seen growth in her life and I don't believe I could've helped her as much if there were a larger group of women participating your message this morning reminded me that I need to allow God to do the multiplying.

Even when it's just one person at a time. Thank you, Deborah. It's so great to hear from our listeners, so thank you for writing. We would enjoy getting a card or letter from you if you'd like to send Stephen a note you can email that to info@wisdomonline.org if you prefer to use the U.S. Postal Service. Our mailing address is wisdom for the hearts. PO Box 37297, Raleigh, NC 27627. Again, that's wisdom for the heart PO Box 37297, Raleigh, NC 27627 this series that Stephen has just concluded postcards from John is available as a set of CDs and we'd be happy to give you information on how you can get a copy.

If you'll call us today at 86 648 Bible number once again is 86 648 Bible or 866-482-4253 on tomorrow's broadcast. Stephen will be answering some questions that have come in from listeners. You are not going to want to miss that. So join us at this same time tomorrow right here on wisdom for the heart