A Mile Wide and an Inch Deep - 3 John 11-12

The people in your life and ask yourself this question, what would it be like if they followed your example is one thing to watch someone who is worth following. It's another thing to be watch and work follow. What about me when I are we.

My worth imitating everyone is said not really but of God make us like this, like him. Today we explore the topic of our influence.

What kind of influence do we have today to Christians merely have a presence in this world or are we making a significant difference. Today were going to learn that the depth of our Christian impact depends on our actions throughout the Bible were encouraged to follow the example of godly people and godly virtues and were warned against imitating evil today were going to be introduced to our role model who was worth imitating and will be challenged to be worthy of imitation ourselves.

Let's join Stephen Devi as he continues through his series from third John with this lesson that is calling a mile wide and an inch deep. Here Stephen with today's lesson early on a history of the Israelite exodus the Lord more people from Moses and is really addressing statement in Exodus 23 where God said you shall not imitate the masses 50 the crowd there is a crowd there probably heading in the wrong direction. Solomon delivered an interesting guarantee in this principle of imitation when he recorded this way. He walks with the wise will be wise, but a companion of fools will suffer harm. In other words, you hang around wise people rub off on you iron sharpening iron gag around flows and you suffer harm you paid. Apparently your faith in others. Remember, the Bible also has nothing to do with their IQ has nothing to do with her SATs is as nothing to do without a sitting government to get them out is nothing to do with any of that. What it has to do with that.

We read it this way, the full is the full all has said in his heart there is no God, no, live independently of God. I want to be in defiance of God care if there is a God. I don't want anything to do with God. That's the wise person says I will obey and follow God.

I want to know the word of God.

I want to know the mind of God revealed in Scripture. That's the difference between being a wise person and a foolish person you follow after the wrong person, especially this individual defies God and you will suffer harm, and that's the majority opinion that the majority of I think that often when I stop to put gas in my pickup truck, which is about five times a week to venerate the gas pump has the safe. They redid this gas station I go to and there is like a video screen right in the gas pump. We really need more and and as soon as you swipe your card. It starts and it starts with what trending now any other state or watch it three minutes, three minutes worth of what's hot what the hottest book is without his quote is, you know, without a celebrity sighting is in in your sort of unite, there is no off button. Trust me, I've looked all around, I guess, although I will tell you this guy came up to me after the second service. I'm so glad we have three service because after the second service again to me that Stephen on the right-hand side is a column of buttons. The second one from the top mutes it is at greater what I asked if there's a button to change the channel. He said now we can take detail, but you can unit so there you go.

The trouble is, we are imitators by nature and God never comes along and says stop taking those months. He does say stop and think about what you're imitating effective use positively the apostle Paul told the church in Philippi to imitate his example Philippians 317 Hotel.

The Corinthians to imitate him as he imitates Christ first met his 11 on the writer of Hebrews will tell the believer to be an imitator of those who demonstrate patience. Hebrews 612 and later on in chapter 13/7. He also tells us that we should imitate the faith of those who taught us the word after having observed their conduct is an important clarification. He will tell the church in Thessalonica. Interestingly enough, that they should imitate other churches in the way they are handling suffering, God never tells us to stop the practice of imitation, he tells us to stop and think about who it is, were imitated that you are with us in our last session when we were last in this little letter where I invite your attention to return back to third John John as described for us the wrong example to follow. His name to remember was diopter fees. John introduced us and we took a close look at this man. He was proud he was unaccountable. He was power-hungry he was inhospitable. He was unteachable.

He was a gracious and the problem is he was more than likely the pastor teacher of this church created an interesting dilemma go back 1/3 John is not going to tell Gaius the recipient of the letter. Here's here's another man in the assembly word following before he introduces us to Demetrius and and will eventually get to that will cover a couple of verses today is a good example. I want you to notice that John actually delivers us to SAA mandates a command to practice the art of imitation to the imperative to command to do this in verse 11. Beloved, do not imitate what is evil. But what is good that the construction of the command implies, you could insert the word person or conduct know what you can read it safe, do not imitate the person who is evil or the conduct which is evil, but the implication is imitate the person who is, and/or the conduct which is good to God never says stop imitating.

He just says you make sure that what trending might not be worth following the careful it might be superficial at best sinful and worst and notice how John broadens his command with his description. Verse 11 is the one who does good is God and what it is. He owes us together. What it does good anointed as evil.

There contrasted but you need to understand that the tense of the verb here indicates is present. This is active. This is ongoing. This is habitual. This is the pattern. This is the lifestyle and it's important to understand if I don't know. The Christian who always does good right I'm not one of them have achieved intact. It's possible for someone who is evil to do something good. John is describing desire, direction of pattern like to think of it as a work practice. You might insert that word into the margin of your your taxis talking about the one who practices good as opposed to the one who practices evil. The one who does good only practice is good. This is their pursuit, and passion is all God talk to people that don't put Jesus in John 15, as is telling the unbelievers there. The world what that means is there is a connection there is a bond there is a relationship which is rather chilling because what that means is that somebody who loves and pursues and practices evil is essentially revealing their bond to the devil. Their relationship to the devil their familiar relationship with the world they belong to the world as opposed to being God God that is having a bond with God the one who does good is of God that is demonstrating the family likeness and don't misunderstand.

You don't do good things, even suggesting or hinting that you do good things you can be saved. You can't do enough good things to be said. John is in suggesting that were automatically saved. If we imitate good conduct eroded this way to the Galatian church. A man is not justified by the works of the law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of off does the text there there that there's a careful distinction between the works of the law. If we would be good things to do and justification being right with God. You don't do good things so you can go to heaven if you could Jesus wonder that it die. You do good things because you are going to heaven and you want to demonstrate this family likeness that you have this father you have this family home and its inhabitants. I know John Calvin the reformer balance this when he wrote we are saved by faith alone, but saving faith is never alone. A believer demonstrates their family bond by desiring to do that which is good, which ultimately brings others to glorify their father who is in heaven, which gives the believer. No greater delight. Betty 516. The believer isn't perfect in doing good, but he's he's passionate he is desirous he is practicing the art of imitating everything that is good, as opposed to that which is evil that I want to give you one more observation. John writes at the end of verse 11.

The one who does our practices evil has never seen God that that's odd, because you would expect a parallel statement, the one who practices good is off God who expected to say in the one who practices evil is not of God, Jesus, to say they've never seen God, which is a little confusing because nobody is seen God, at least in all his glory. So what does he mean this is again one of the major themes in John's writing to John the way he expresses it. Seeing God is tantamount to knowing God, seeing God is equal to believing in God. So if you have your eyes open to the gospel and you believe the gospel about Jesus, you have had their eyes open to see the reality of God. That's why people out there who don't believe the gospel.

The Bible tells us. Their eyes are closed. There blinded to the reality of God and no argue with you as to whether or not there is a God. They wanted to file Jesus put it this way that classic conversation at that place between he and his disciples felt sort of inner optimism.

I'm glad Phil did because he said exactly where we would sit. Jesus is saying that if you had known me, you would have known my father also.

But from now on you do know him and have seen him selling his design motif seen him and those of the Lord.

We put our vernacular house see anything. I was CMD fallacy.

We'll see him show was him do something miraculous. Let us see the father and will be satisfied. Jesus goes on to describe the oneness between the son and the father and he essentially says if you had your eyes open to who I am is your Messiah you have your eyes opened into the reality and the glory of God so that John writes here, the one who practices evil has never seen God.

John Knox, the reformer wrote it this way on this text, the one who loves evil has caught no glimpse of God that there's a there's a question here. It's as if John is posing this question.

Who are you imitating the point of Scripture's transformation is giving us a model and will do that so that we can ask the question is that me and the Lord make that me I want to pursue that for yourself who you talk like who you walk like this is someone is a life is evil at worst, trivial and shallow at best. They are a mile wide and an inch deep. But the trend that who you follow.

You decide. The apostle John says while you're thinking about it I got somebody in mind for you worthy of imitation to following John's mandate to obey. He now provides us with a role model to closely observe verse 12 introduces us to him.

His name is Demetrius thing on there and will get to the rest of the verse with Holland Demetrius, we don't know much about apart from what were given in this letter, but we do know that his name means belonging to Damon Terry. That's that's the pagan goddess of agriculture, which means Demetrius had been born into an unbelieving family with idolatrous parents who thought what a name are sought. I don't get a name are somewhat payment after one of our favorite goddesses. In fact, let's dedicate him to our or so let's give them a name all word forearm that says he belongs to her. Damon tells us that somewhere along the line. Demetrius had a wonderful testimony of salvation where he came to faith. Would love to know it will talk with him one day and find out.

But let me just pull over for a moment and encourage you, beloved, the work if you're if you're under the impression that the only people worth following. Are these Christians who come from along the line of believers, and I mean they got the pedigree and he talked to them and they got the father and the grandfather and great-grandfather and even the guy they can move around on the baseline mean they are connected to the right family tree in your thinking. If I only had that God would really do something through me.

Beloved, the Holy Spirit has never been handicapped by an individual who comes to faith in Christ and maybe that's view and you're a first generation Christian and perhaps for you there's not even anybody else in your family that is bought end of this gospel and believed in the Lord you're the only one done everything that I'd really do something for God. If no time you met Demetrius Demetrius was named in honor of the pagan goddess of first generation Christian. I love that and John says you know I'm just wondering who to provide for you to be a good example of following the congregation. I know who it is. It's this guy named after a pagan goddess, why would he be worth following. John's going to tell us why effective in the slip into the language of the court can use a word several times that comes from the context of someone giving legal testimony in a court of law. So I'll give those three testimonials, a word to describe it. Categorical terminals called them forward. The first is the testimonial for the testimony of reliability. Notice verse 12 Demetrius has received a good testimony from everyone statement by the people. Anybody over a work where Demetrius works by the watercolor needs a what you know about that guy arrived as say the same thing he does the right thing effective phrase. Good testimony is related to the idea of doing good in verse 11, apostle Peter uses that expression and and is translated often he does the right thing. They do what is right and even an evil person can look at another person and say Heather doing the right thing even they know and I don't resent Demetrius has a reputation for doing what's right.

You can rely on him to do the right thing. I read recently of a 19-year-old college student was waiting for the subway in New York City standing on a busy platform people milling around everywhere and suddenly and inexplicably the first time in his life. He had a seizure and as his body contorted. He lost control of his faculties and he stumbled off that platform and landed directly onto one of the tracks with seconds to spare. You could see the train coming was a man standing in that crowd, a 50-year-old construction order hauling vans of his two daughters and he said I realize we just a second and nobody else was moving. I dropped answer my girls jumped down there and grab the young man. We whirled onto the drainage trough in between the tracks was little depression.

Seconds later, the train roared over them with inches to spare. Neither one of them were hurt will immediately of course it made the news this older man was presented the city's highest award for civic achievement by the mayor of New York City. He received surprisingly, a $10,000 check in the mail from a businessman in New York. The name of Donald Trump. He took that check immediately to the bank and cash it.

He was invited on the television show after television show after television show and he was humbled. In fact, was a humble man, any sort of downplay the holding is an ally and I just need somebody needed help and nobody else was moving the executive director of the Transportation Authority disagreed, calling what he did nothing less than quote a death defying act of bravery and he then says this is Mark. My thinking he was at the right place at the right time and he chose to do the right thing. It wasn't just that he was at the right place or that he was in the right place at the right and you and I are at the right place at the right time. All the but do we choose to do the right thing is Demetrius you can count on him to do the right thing. Let's call testimony number two to the witness stand will call this the testimony of integrity. What he does here is personify truth turning to a person is and I hear you walk up and stand here on this witness stand and you deliver your testimony and truth says oh I agree I agree with the testimony of everybody else and what they said about Dimitris. It's indeed true. And really, at first thought, I just thought that John was, you know, adding things for the sake of emphasis and it was a bit redundant. The more I study this text to my realize he wasn't being redundant. Why because it it is possible for everybody to say the same thing about somebody and everybody to be absolutely wrong it's it's possible to polish a reputation, and yes you know you you rewatch it for the camera and you make sure when it shows up your smiling when the boss turned the corner, you got it covered.

You most reliable you look like you have character, but as John wooden, the famous basketball coach famously put it, character is what you really are.

Reputation is what people think you are. It's possible for air. Everyone to say he's a good man until we shine the light of truth and what's exposes not necessarily the same thing. It's possible to polish up a good reputation while hiding in private corruption. There is the testimony of Demetrius and John says truth shines a light on him and there are no skeletons in his closet. He's the real deal, genuine item he is in private. What you see of him in public. There is third the testimony of accountability. John writes, and we had our testimony. This is the apostolic community. John is a spiritual leader is submissive to that apostolic authority in fact is we've studied together in third John.

The problem with diopter fees is that he is defying the apostolic authority, not Demetrius so we can add our testimony, the plural pronoun seem to indicate that John may very well be including his home church. We have watched him grow we've discipled him. We've invested in his life. You want to model worth imitating wise turnaround before we walk out of here.

Are we a mono worth imitating everyone is on the said not really but no God may cuss like this like him.

She is one thing the watch someone who is worth following. It's another thing to be watched and worth following.

Why is that important because were demonstrating a family relationship. Close with this on the wall near the main entrance to the Alamo in San Antonio Texas is a portrait I have read of a man with the following inscription James Butler Bonhomme but then in paragraph form. It says essentially. But this is not a picture of him we don't have a picture of him so this is a picture of his nephew who looked like there's no picture of Jesus. I know I've seen some hanging on walls but that's not him. There's no portrait urine we bear the likeness of him. By the way we live and we tell our world.

We don't have a portrait of him, but were standing in as his family representative because we look like we act, we talk we will mention if someone followed you would lead them all like Jesus sobering challenge today and I hope it encourages you as you interact with the people in your life today. Thanks for being with us this is wisdom for the heart.

The Bible teaching ministry of Stephen Davey Stephen is the pastor of colonial Baptist Church in Cary, North Carolina. He's been working his way through a series from second and third John entitled postcards from John the lesson you just heard is called a mile wide and an inch deep. There's one more lesson to go in this series and that'll be tomorrow sure and join us for that. I want to make you aware that next week on Wednesday. Stephen begins a series on angels, God created these mysterious beings and Stevens going to explore who they are and what they're like in a series called angels, demons and other flying creatures. I wanted to mention this now because we have a study guide that corresponds with that series and you might want to have it with you as we go through it together.

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