The Devil in Diotrephes - 3 John 9-10

Emptied himself forward to the flipping. He said that aside and took on the form of a servant. No nobility. There, he humbled himself, he obeyed even that point of death, which was death on a cross.

The most to me.I maybe demonstrated such humility and redeeming us. How can we redeem demonstrate such prime allowed himself to be mistreated by people he created and then died for our sins message of Scripture is that we are to follow Jesus example but we don't always do it today on wisdom for the heart. Stephen Devi returns to his series from third John with this lesson called the devil and geographies in verses nine and 10 of this letter to a friend.

John warns of a prideful church leader as he does. He described five symptoms of pride as you listen today.

It's an opportunity to see if you can recognize the disease of pride in your own life. If you're in a position where you can do this, go ahead and open your Bible to third John nine Stephen get started with today's lesson from God's word in his classic a fictional work for us to imagine an older demon instructing a younger demon on the art of tripping up Christian. The book is called the Screwtape letters chapter 14 is all about how to inflate the pride of the Christian man. Wormwood is younger demon has been assigned to keep from progressing in his spiritual walk with the Lord. The older demon Screwtape rights this advice to young warm with your patient has become humble, so have you drawn his attention to that fact. All virtues are less powerful against us. Once someone is aware they have them and this is especially true humility. So catch him at the moment when he is really humble in spirit and smuggle into his mind. The thought by Jovan being humble and pride at his own humility will appear. Mark Twain once wrote humorously on the occasion of abilities that if I ever achieve humility.

I'll sure be proud of it. Well set up visit that human nature Fire Chief utility of any product which is why humility is that one attribute which is unique in itself. The moment you you got it is the moment you've lost.

You've lost what our text for this morning as we continue to expound on the third letter from the apostle John turned to John his third letter, third John John is going to introduce us to a man who has stage IV pride and is going to essentially give us the symptoms of this spiritually devastating condition.

So let's pick up our studying. We've arrived. Now in verse nine I wrote something to the church but diaspora fees he loves to be first among them does not accept what we say that for a moment he notice to the John has written a letter that is evidently gone missing. We don't have it is our very first John is offering the second John is a letter where he refers to the pride of diaspora fees and yet this is the first time we hear about specifically addressing the heat evidently written to the church at large. Notice I wrote something to the church so it's fairly easy to assume that biographies rest of the leading elder pastor teacher here in this church suppress that letter and there are some that believe he decided we don't have it.didn't preserve it for many believe that John is now writing this letter, another letter, which is a follow-up letter and he's not writing it to the church yet addresses of the jerseys addresses the gas I want to make sure somebody gets all of this letter, rather than diaspora fees so that he can read it and share it with the assembly to one another letter to be lost in the dumpster or put through the shredder because Barabbas with diathermy that done I keep in mind as we sort of introduces man.

Nowhere in this letter are we given any explicit information that tells us what position he held in the church or when I told but I think frankly it's wise of the Lord. Tell us what position diaspora fees held in the church so we can all take it to heart so we can all apply this to our own lives. We get this possible for any and all of us to become infected with this is demonically inspired fallen human nature loving kind of sin were all just 1/2 step away what John does is he gives us a number of phrases that describe how bad his condition happens to be my wonderful light of the Lord preserve a letter where 15% of the content describe somebody caught up in pride. Why spend and fax even an entire sermon on Amanda and we never want to, that's the answer that's the answer.

God has given us this inspired description so that we can see the kind of person we don't want to become. Or maybe rebuke us because we arty are many give you as we work through this text that outlined five observations on disorder give you these categorical observations. The describe number one. His motivation was egotistical John Wright close again verse nine diaspora fees will allow us to be first. That's really just one word in the original.

I hated it. The compound word made up of the word love and first for loss for love and protests for first literally healed this first place. He's got any first in line at recess or is not going to be happy out of the playground is looking good here in the body sounds mature and sounds godly. Seems that direction in mind. He seems concerned for the entire church but John is not just sort of pull that mask laying shows itself seeking power hungry, eager desire.

Man is simply wants to be king of the mountain yesterday.

First is that John gives us this word in the present tense to indicate that this kind of ambition is ongoing.

It does happen, it just show up every so often.

This is all on going habitual pride in all you gotta do is get around this guy and five minutes in your conversation is going to shift to him and start talking about so he has to be first. Someone once asked the famous conductor. What is the hardest instrument. The plan he orchestrated quickly responded second fiddle with Dr. fees is of the kind of guy to play second fiddle. Even which is really amazing in regards to the apostle John. John you take a backseat… All by myself is a wonderful clue. I believe in the name of diaspora fees. His name is not a common name like John or Gaius, whom we've been introduced to in this letter already.

It's a Greek name which literally means nourished by Zeus, you could render it foster by Zeus. This name was typically reserved for members of nobility and it was reserved by noble and ancient families for their firstborn son diaspora fees was more than likely member of the Greek aristocracy. Why why the church so coward before this man. Several have pointed out in my study that he would have been naturally intimidating due to his status that is his position. His rank he had perhaps never really dealt with it in his heart, and after being redeemed just sort of brought that status in the church and everybody just sort of promoted to his room. We we all have the same problem we have celebrities, you know, the church as well. We have this pecking order. Unfortunately, we have a hard time learning that there are no aristocrats in in the assembly.

There are no celebrities in the church are only redeemed it sinners who happen to belong to somebody and he's somebody he is the King of Kings and Lord of war. A man.

He's the sum judges Close off the mask here and reveals the godly truth that Pericles wants to be that somebody that's devilish that's Lucifer say I your throne for myself. Secondly, his mind was unteachable.

That is getting in verse nine he does not accept us more Woodley you could paraphrase it as my translation as he does not accept what we say expanded out which I mean here is that biographies is openly disregarding apostolic authority is not a good idea. I needed an appointment disregarding maybe even just starting on an earlier letter John big deal on the big deal. And again this is in the present tense, so John is describing someone who continually refuses to accept or acknowledge any authority but his own. That's dangerous for all of this is his ears are closed is mine shut down as I was, but it was interesting to sort of illustrate this spirit is alive and well. 80 Robertson was a wonderful scholar and professor at Southern seminary in Louisville for many years. Becky died on holiday was teaching and feel good. Let students go early when all died of a stroke. After decades of teaching in 1934, but on one occasion he was asked to write an article for the sun about his publication. He did a rotor on diopter things they just got exposed.

The whole thing that holster. A few weeks later the editor told him that 25 deacons had stopped getting the paper because they were personally offended, having been attacked in the article.

Well, if you fit just about the scales and make the deacons out here feel a little better. He also wrote on one occasion this the greatest proof.

The Bible is inspired is that it has survived so much bad preaching that was funnier if the shoe fits for one of the marks of a wise individual is that they know more is that they're willing to be taught and when they're taught more.

They love the one who delivers it, even if it's viewed John is not being loved in return, which is dangerous for this man for this assembly third. John writes further man's mouth was disgraceful. Verse 10 for this reason, if I come if I come that construction doesn't mean I may not. It means I have figured out the data going to write but if and when I do come here to call attention to his deeds which he does unjustly accusing us with wicked words no words when I arrive I'm gonna bring diopter fees out in the light of truth and expose this for the sake of Dr. fees and for the sake of the church so notice your guy is just interested in ignoring God's command is actually going further. He's interested in assassinating John's character. John describes a word Jerry says these accusations are wicked words. One of the favorite words of Johnny uses the word wicked five times in his letters four times he's talking about the devil he's the wicked one, the wicked one, the wicked one, the wicked one diaper muses using wicked words, don't think for a moment, people to connect the dots.

This is the devil in diopter giantess, what is wicked.

This is the violent nature of the devil and his unjust accusations scheme. Don't miss the fact by the label of it that even though these are unjust and John dismisses it always being, things are still being said and I can guarantee you John was hurt a human being may be felt the same way, unjust accusations hey that is it true that help you. It still hurts going on is that these essentially badmouth John, even though it is true, little doubt that it would hurt so he warns the flotsam he faces down his accuser and he announces he is going to show up as 1/4 descriptive phrase about the activities. Therefore, his mannerism was in hospital.

Look at the middle part of verse 10 and not satisfied with this, he himself does not receive the brethren either know is that David is refusing to show hospitality to those men we've already noticed that taking the gospel on the road visiting church planters.

These are the missionaries. These observed workers even individuals.

These are the individuals are taking the truth out there and KS is welcoming his home in the church is treating them generously and lavishly, and Dr. fees is going to step in and say that's enough of that. Why these are the associates of John the apostle, which means Dr. BCs these men as a threat to his authority. He was with the body around them. Even with people in church talking to them using any of the pulpit. To them he wants them out of there.

He doesn't want anybody in that assembly, which he has me as a ducted getting near those men will be exposed.

So is refusing to extended in the courtesy of hospitality.

He does not receive them. He is personally in hospital that I was in that enough to protect his turf is one more characteristic this number five is method was inflexible. First, in the latter part and he forbids those who desire to do so and puts them out the church and others that we find somebody in the assembly going behind his back and taking care of one of these church workers, he's actually going to kick that individual out of the church did not twist his this is become he's refusing to take godly people and he's going to kick godly people out. You could see the danger this jerk is a danger that is become a one man wrecking crew. He's bullheaded he's obstinate, pugnacious frankly nobody save around to be the one behind on his back besides filling a big castle pity that poor woman pity the poor couple and say you guys. I have a spare room. You spend the night here at Dr. fees finds out your D trouble. He will put you out with her to get the ironing. This self twisted pride to take someone in the assembly. Dr. fees is practicing church discipline on people who are doing the right thing twisted is unaccountable proud is yielding his unteachable and wormwood has worked his way in his pride is bearing the fruit of lust for even more power and control that John uses the verb here in verse 10 where he says it he puts them out of the church is a verb that literally did a violent physical action almost too hard to imagine this is the same verb used of the Lord driving out of the temple, the moneychangers throws them out.

Dr. fees is driving them out this perverted sense he is successfully hijacking his local church is literally driving away the was who are the healthy ones of the body church is in danger, John John, you know he's the apostle of love is in his early to mid 90s, memories earned his nickname by the church is called apostle love so kind, passionate Millie was given anything you remember I mentioned this by Jesus. Decades earlier, the son of thunder were fun. You're about to hear some fun. I mean it's it's it's often the distance a little bit going to arrive and that thunder is going to be directed toward the lady who cooked the castle truth is Dr. fees is all prepped up in 10 he's self-destructing. He started.

He courageously left his heritage. Some noble family is highborn status and entered the church, we can assume believing the gospel affect it's interesting that John really is a go much further than this, I think, in an attempt to know he wants to win him back, when I come in going to expose this to the light that's all I'm gonna say for now, but he's in danger, and the church with his motive is egotistical is mine is unteachable. His mouth is disgraceful.

Mannerism is is inhospitable method is flexible, not easy to pack. We are Bibles at this point leave in a few minutes and save ourselves diet message was what a mess. I love it when the pastor preaches about somebody not there were a few people always were here to hear that message.

It's been great with for lunch. This make a person's spirit of diopter fees, beloved can be me on the halfstep of can be in you there church to be in grave danger. I can tell you how many times on the phone with a graduate of our seminary is not planting a church work as a young pastor taking an older church died trying to revitalize it, and it is along same message comes back to me over the phone. Stephen we need to move in this direction, but there's this one guy. There's this one man expenditures for second so he's an officer of the truth, and he has hijacked the my vice is always the same state as gracious as you possibly can keep preaching the word and pray you will outlive nothing, do anything dealt with Selznick's personal couple questions my attending this church because of what he can do for me that could be where it starts. I mean maybe your new year and and you know you do it at checklist, but we've all got it and when I arrived at church is not a go to church. I got the checklist has to be all there, check in a readily available parking space friendly greeter and I sure check plenty of seats in the back check music is excellent. Check the sermons outstand double check the church just works so well for me know say the church works for me is the spirit of diopter to my willing servant to serve even if no one recognizes or notices any mineral island you been serving the lonely feeling.is he going over different ways you could think you know this church is big enough where I can come slip in and slip out. It's big enough that I want to do anything and nobody will notice me for this church is big enough to allow opportunities to serve where someone will notice either way that's dangerous third in my teachable when challenged or corrected with the way I think or act how I respond. My parents fear in the home. I don't respond to my spouse how I respond when challenged by the truth of God's word by means of the spirit you challenge a foolish man and he will hate you. You challenge a wise man and he will love one more do I always have to be right, but I always have to be first. Do I always have to be in front of us. Be warned more than that, let's be wise as we walk with Christ and serve one another and especially during the season is all about the gospel we have opportunity to take the facility people. What is the gospel. The gospel is about our Redeemer, the one who's humility and when you talk about setting aside status nobility glory. He deeded himself forward to the flipping piece set that aside and he emptying himself took on the form of a servant. No nobility.

There, he humbled himself, he obeyed even that point out that which was death on a cross.

The most demeaning way to die. IEP demonstrated such humility in redeeming us. How can we redeem demonstrates such prime is no point gospel and somebody will be hurt were not stuck with other captured the danger when he wrote it this way, pride is the mother hen under which all other sins are hacked good is so to be warned.

Let's be winsome. The lesson you just heard your unwisdom for the heart comes from a series called postcards from John and is entitled the devil in geographies if you joined us late and missed the first part of this lesson you'll find it in its entirety on our website. Wisdom online.org you can go there anytime.

If you miss a lesson and want to get caught up or if you want to access the other resources we have available wisdom for the heart is the Bible teaching ministry of Stephen Devi and we believe God's Word has the power to transform the lives of people of all ages listen to this cute note we received from a mother. My five-year-old Benjamin used to ask me if it was time to listen to pastor, baby. As we listen to the wisdom broadcast on our way to school for years. He can now pronounce Devi and still does when wanting to remind me.

Even on days off from school that he is ready for the sermon. Thank you for the lessons you give that are easy to understand and making an impact.

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