Heart to Heart - 2 John 12-13

John began pounding away with the truth. The truth, the truth, I love you all in truth, writing for the sake of truth. I rejoice in you are walking in the truth is his life. Christianity is a Sunday morning our walk.

This is your Christianity, your neighbors to your classmates to your clients live in been working our way through second John here on wisdom for the hearts in a series called postcards from John today.

Stephen Davey summarizes the truths of John's postcard into seven key principles for us to apply as we show Christ's love to others through the gifts God has given us before we get started with today's lesson I want to remind you that we have the manuscript for these lessons posted online. We have some listeners who follow along in the manuscript as they listen to the broadcast. If you'd like to do that you can find them@wisdomonline.org. The lesson you're about to hear is called heart-to-heart open your Bible to second John verses 12 and 13 as we join Stephen for today's Bible lesson something small can add up to making a major impact in someone's life. Today might be a pat on the back of someone near you. The question of how you're doing, causing to listen.

It can be small, but it can deliver a great impact.

We arrive at conclusion of a small act that we go back one more time this last time today to second John small letter. I referred the small letters and inspired postcard written to an anonymous woman and her children just a brief little note, but it's going to make a lasting impact on her life and nearly 2000 years later to the church today were still loving every word of this note so still that one more time as we wrap it up. He writes work verse 12.

Now, though I have many things to write to you. I do not want to do so with paper and a I hope to come to you and speak face-to-face. Now stop from John because he doesn't want to end his letter with the last paragraph was a strong rather blunt command for this woman to watch out beware of false teachers keep keep them out of her home, which would have given them a vantage point for ministry. No doubt to the church the matter home he wants to end the letter with gracious words so weak he rather quickly changes gears before placement of the original language of the words many things tells us that there were a number of topics that he hasn't mentioned in the letter that he wants to discuss them write about any of us to discuss them face-to-face with her and her family than likely as well. The believers met in her home. Yes, it is a better idea than writing making it longer and visit by the way, we get to go so fast we miss some of these telling remarks, but the word he uses here for paper I found interesting is from the word that refers to a common sheet of papyrus, rather than the more expensive parchment, which would have been available to me that the money made from leather.

This is what John is writing on common piece of parchment paper. In fact, the size of it would've been around 5 inches wide, which is the width of my study.

Note and just a little taller about 8 inches tall like a normal common stationary use today. The edges would have some glue applied to make it attach another piece next to it and make a longer role they could use for longer documents or or letters. Several scholars that I read suggested here that the apostle John. More than likely reached the bottom of one piece of parchment and he didn't want to go any further in the page 2 well, we do know that John as well as all the authors of Scripture were just writing on their own behalf. They were moved by the Holy Spirit writing under his direction. First Peter 121 seconds in the 360 so that when John did come to the bottom of the Pharisees.

He had run out of you.He didn't want to go to page 2.

Written all matter in the mind of God for him to write to this woman. The word he uses for any is equally telling. It's a word simply means black.

It was the word for cheap pain.

It was made from a mixture of ash water and tree sap. There were better grades of black ink. There were combinations of minerals that provided blue and even red would've been more expensive, better quality. We also know that his work for pay simply refers to a read and that predated John by centuries. It was a little hollow. Read where they pour this ink into it and a tiny slit at the bottom of the tip of that read withdrawing down here. John is scratching out a letter on this little piece of sheet papyrus paper which eBay and I say all that to say this, here's the last living apostle.

Here's the here's the ring now offer of books in the New Testament, the book of Revelation, the gospel of John, first, second and third John now this old more than likely it is early to mid 90s is writing his last two little letters second and third John and all he sees that his possession is she paper common sheet but my point is this is what you is as we had available Hughes. We had whatever God makes available to you, beloved, use it, but her our hair, but I don't have my my station and I was in my favor to inconvenient.

Here's the point. Whatever God is put in your hand use it with all your might be Ecclesiastes 9, first, whether it's ordinary, stationary, or that she can or a simple talent or a gift and maybe we should have more what is placed in use. Maybe it's a larger position of influence, whatever it might be effective, it doesn't even matter. What matters is you use what is put in your head for his glory. Use it.never get onto you will rebuke you for not using something he never gave you why I was implying about that. What he does do is hold us responsible use whatever he has given us to offer to others and so what is John sheet papyrus, inexpensive, Inc. ordinary stuff with as one author wrote this letter, it shines like a bright star in the galaxy of the New Testament, so it will John more than likely does reach the bottom of the sheet. The spirit is finished with this particular note ink is still wet.

Now I have an announcement last part of verse 12. I hope to come to you and speak face-to-face so that your joy might be full. I hope the verb uses means that he's made up his mind. It's his decision because when you mapped out all the plans yet. The idea of this this verse by the way, I love the fact that this old man is making plans to serve in on itself that great leader 93 years over up and say I'm not doing that John class to read. I want to make it out to come visit you. I don't know the exact arrival date that your show but I've made the decision and not as I wanted to come and speak to you face to face, cross stone, literally translated, it would read mouth to mouth its common expression in this original language when mouth-to-mouth wood. When we hear the expression we think of somebody is dying and they need mouth-to-mouth resuscitation rent after the Greek's was an expression that may close proximity, we might say I do on nose to nose, translated my Bible face to face. Personally I think the best expression that captures John's desire would be the expression I want to come in and be with you so that we can talk heart to heart heart to heart. I don't talk to you and your family sitting in your your living room so I want to do that. I just want to talk to and notice this kind of conversation will bring what joy you can render it to the fullest and I was being together with him and talking with them about subjects he had in mind that he hadn't included in this letter and you could just let your imagination go down like Dr. so you'd imagine taking some great theme of his gospel guy, maybe some story that he had to manage an electronic of the Lord are maybe just a little bit more information than the included revelation about his vision of heaven without a great in your living room and just talk about his door while in in the result of this conversation, you can expand the text to read in order that your joy having been filled completely full. Might persist. It might linger on. If you have the kind of conversation, someone in and in the joy discussion about Christ just lingers.

She wants to see them personally and have this conversation John ends his letter by sending yet another greeting verse 13 the children of your chosen sister greet you with children of your chosen sister that we conclude our exposition of this bright star in the galaxy of the New Testament.

But before we set aside.

Let me rehearse seven principles that we learned along the way number 1C teaches that the truth of God's word is intended to become a way of life. John began pounding away with the truth. The truth, the truth, I love you all in the truth, writing for the sake of the truth. I rejoice that you are walking in the truth which is his life.

Christianity is a Sunday morning our Christianity is alive. It's all walk how this is your Christianity to your neighbors to your classmates to your clients deal putting is to say the Bible should be bound in shoe leather love that shoe leather taken outdoors living now put it into practice. Number two exposure of the truth we learned does not guarantee the reception truth is false teachers were exposing the truth and they rejected. John is speaking transparent to this mother's heart. As we studied, when he writes in verse four. How glad he was to know that some of her children were walking in the truth, that is, there were believers, some of them were not no doubt the desire of her heart.

A prayer that is always on the lips for all children to be saved. Maybe that is your prayer today, more than any other number three.

Embracing the truth of Christ is never separated from demonstrating love love and truth go hand-in-hand our challenges. The balance their time is read aloud and forget the truth oriented deal of evidence truth and forget.

Love, love and truth, but we can fool ourselves, and we can end up damaging or impersonal testimony as well as the effectiveness of the church. John makes it clear in verse five the to obey the commandments of God is to act in love one another. The command to love one another in verse five in the original context was first delivered by Jesus to Ms. disciples that disciple community and later here is different.

By Jonathan the context of the local church to put this in the simplest terms possible.

If there is somebody in the church that you are acting toward in a non-loving manner, either in front of them are behind their back. Don't kid yourself. You are not obeying the commands of Christ. This is this is where love and truth go hand-in-hand.

This body, this assembly this gathering.

This campus venting on be marked by grace and graciousness and love and support and encouragement if you're unloving or not obeying the command of Christ, so in a practical way churches is not made better by better climate control or better coffee, often better programming, better parking better music, better sermons, churches made better by better relationship with truth and love to hand-in-hand number four even faithful believers are never free of spiritual danger member John is writing a faithful woman were chosen can be rendered choice. She's a choice believer.

An older woman and he's telling her to watch out is that he's telling her to steer clear of false teaching that the owner you got the more inoculated.

He became against false teaching. I was telling her job get tripped out and lose your fullest world war. When you stand before you, no matter how old you are in the Lord, you can never say and I got this Christianity thing down though that at that you are in your greatest moment of peril take even while you are standing during less you fall for scripting tends well, nobody has Christianity buttoned down matter how large the Lord nobody has Christianity nail down what is beyond false teachers delusions swine stay in the truth stay in the teaching you keep your nose in the book is writing to a faithful woman with a testimony of godliness and to her children. Some of them are known for walking in the truth that he tells them the character with NMI number five. Don't assume that everyone speaking in the name of Christ belongs to Christ. Don't assume that everyone in the names of the use of the name of Jesus belongs to Jesus they're coming here how John warns her keep your eyes open.

Keep your door clauses. Keep your wallet shot. Remember, make sure you evaluate every teacher in light of this teaching verse 10. If they come to you and don't bring this teaching don't let them pastor frontal as we learned in this letter, the devil has his own agenda. The devil has his own file system. The devil has his own spokesman. The devil has his own preachers. The devil has his own miracle. He has his own global workers spread around the world and remember they are passionate about their disciple making mission just as passionate as you using biblical terminology and even the name of Jesus is open more doors for the devil and any other method six. The older you grow in Christ, the less you need to experience joy. The less you mean. I've been reading a little history of the North African church in the came across a proverb and it goes like this translated rather Woodley in two English haste, haste but no blessing.

I really need to put that on the – my pickup truck haste.

Hey, no blessing. The idea as we were thrilled why I mean were rushing rushing rushing and we miss so many blessings we don't even see there was a time when John was in a hurry we study his life in a hurry. I wanted immediate results number that village they came to they didn't believe he said let's does the writer will bring down fire that are chance one only work done and no results. What is John know at what point he says yeah dictate them.

I believe it can't wait. Bring all by going to give my brother James and me.

Romans one on either side of you. I mean, let's make this thing matter and let's make it happen more greatly. Wonderful joy.net is what I want. I would come planing to come to your home will wanted to sit down with you, your family, and my joy by talking with you will be filled up, and it will linger on no gimmicks, no glory no fanfare, just one more. This brings us full circle. No one seven no one in the family of God is too insignificant to protect and encourage encourage his mother would to read this letter. Reread this letter is words of warning care and hope John is John is a renowned apostle.

You don't think they wanted his signature back then they sure did I he sees the great author he penned the gospel account he penned these letters depend revelation. I mean, he saw heaven.

In his glory. He was given visions few were ever given. And now in his mid-90s what you got right now. John says, right, I got a little cheap, Inc. cheap paper is a woman I want to write along with their children could use a word or two warning and instruction and encouragement for get in touch In send send a private message sent an email write a letter resisting: envelope and stamp spherulitic as a place called post office. We listen love it if you had one more day to live one more day to live, who to contact, with whom would you reconcile who to call who to visit with you, waiting today so we maybe today you got a letter right or a phone call summit city many years ago. As I close a middle-age pastor by the name of William stitcher was reflecting on his gratitude for the teacher. He that is younger years. Teacher who had sparked in him a love of reading. Maybe you have a teacher in your past that did the same. I certainly do my fourth grade teacher. He reflected this was the woman that really helped prepare him for what would become his future vocation in ministry, in writing, and he realized that he had never ever thanked them she came to mind. So he decided to set out found out her contact information now living alone wrote her a letter. Thanks. Several days later he received a reply written in a shaky scrawl.

It read my dear Willie she evidently remembered him. Even though admin decades, my dear Willie, I am now an old lady living alone in a small room cooking my own meals a bit lonely, seemingly like the last leaf fall is already full. You will be interested to know Willie that I taught school for over 50 years and in all that time.

Yours is the first letter of appreciation. I never came on a blue cold morning, but it brought joy to my old is nothing his cheered so many no act is too small. No one is too insignificant to demonstrate the love of Christ to reach out to protect, encourage, support thing, she as we walked together.

Truth of our Lord and Savior you tuned into wisdom for the heart. Stephen Davey is the pastor of colonial Baptist Church in Cary, North Carolina.

He's currently teaching verse by verse through second and third John in a series called postcards from John today's lesson from that series is called heart-to-heart. You know, one of the things that encourages us most is hearing from listeners like you who right to tell us how God is using this ministry for his glory. Listen to this note. The person didn't provide us with the name but it came to us from Bogotá Columbia it reads is a great joy for me to contact you give you a warm greeting in God our Lord. I'm a faithful listener to the radio program and I pray that the Lord will continue to guide you, giving you wisdom and insight so that your sermons will fill us with the fullness of joy, of God's word will that really is our goal that God through his word will fill you with wisdom and joy as we study through it together. We'd love to get a message from you are mailing address is wisdom for the heart PO Box 37297, Raleigh, NC 27627 if you're trying to jot that down.

I'll give it to you one more time. So here it is wisdom for the heart PO Box 37297, Raleigh, NC 27627. You can also write to Stephen. If you send an email to info@wisdomonline.org. I hope we hear from you if you use social media go ahead and readjust that way as well. Hit the like button on the wisdom for the heart Facebook page or follow us on Twitter, YouTube or Instagram. We post there regularly and it's a great way to interact with our ministry as we near the end of the month.

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