WEBVTT

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 Now, I don't know if many of you else have this privilege, but I get to ride on the Central Line Tube every single day.

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 Now, I'm not on it for very long, but when I get off at Shepherd's Bush, there's one of these tube adverts, advertising a book.

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 I'm a big fan of books.

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 But this particular book is called You Were Not Born to Suffer.

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 It's a big white poster, a picture of an attractive author on the front.

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 He's got brilliant white teeth.

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 You can't miss it.

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 The shrap line for this book reads this.

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 Overcome fear, insecurity, and depression, and love yourself back to happiness, confidence, and peace.

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 It tells us that we have a problem.

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 Fear, insecurity, and depression.

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 But also, we have the power to change so that we're happy and confident.

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 And the answer, according to this book, is very simple.

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 Love yourself.

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 But tonight's passage is very different.

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 It tells us the very opposite of this.

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 It tells us that if we want to be changed, if we want to live a full life, a life that God intended for us,

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 the answer isn't to love ourselves.

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 It's that we need to understand the gospel.

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 And when this happens, the result will be that we'll no longer love ourselves,

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 but we'll look outwardly and love others.

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 Now, in this little book, John introduces us to four people who have heard the gospel.

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 Gaius, Diotrephes, Demetrius, and himself.

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 Three of them were changed by the gospel, but one of them was not.

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 And as we open 3 John this evening, and observe the contrast between their lives,

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 I hope that we'll see that it's only a true understanding of the gospel that changes us.

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 And these particular changes are shown in three ways.

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 Firstly, we all care about the spiritual condition of others.

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 Secondly, it will cause us to love one another sacrificially.

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 And finally, it will change our character.

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 Firstly, people who truly understand the gospel care about the spiritual condition of others.

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 Now, look down with me. The first person we are introduced to in this book is Gaius.

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 And John knew him very well.

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 And 3 John is a letter written to him.

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 Three dimes in this letter, John calls him beloved.

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 And it's in particular in John's personal writing to Gaius that we see

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 that John had seen him changed by the gospel.

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 Verse 4 hints that actually John may have brought this man to faith.

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 He calls him one of his spiritual children.

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 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.

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 Now, I don't know about you, but more times than we're not,

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 we're not very good at finding out how people are.

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 My good phrase, I'm sure you know it, I'm sure you've used it even today,

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 how are you?

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 It's probably the most used sentence in the English language.

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 And we've all learned the acceptable responses.

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 Yeah, good.

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 Or my personal favourite, I'm fine.

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 And we're all very satisfied with these responses,

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 even though it doesn't really tell us very much.

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 John's greeting, on the other hand, to Gaius is completely different to this.

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 I pray that you may be in good health,

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 as it goes well with your soul.

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 John is interested in how Gaius is doing physically,

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 but his emphasis is upon how well Gaius' soul is.

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 And John saw firsthand that it was our souls

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 that need the greatest care and attention

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 because this is the part of us that matters to Jesus.

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 This is the part of us that will last for eternity,

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 either with God or without God.

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 Now, John's emphasis towards Gaius

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 is not something that we think about often today, is it?

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 I would say that the majority of us might even get offended

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 if we are asked about our spiritual condition.

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 I'm sure it often implies that we've done something wrong

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 or we've missed church for a few weeks.

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 It is a myth to say that we have to know one another well

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 in order to ask these questions of each other.

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 John's focus at the very beginning of this letter

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 should remind us that we need to be concerned

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 about one another's spiritual condition.

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 And this isn't the only place in the Bible where this happens.

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 In the book of Hebrews,

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 the writer instructs Christians

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 to exhort one another every day,

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 as long as it is called today,

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 that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.

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 You and I need one another

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 to be encouraged and challenged

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 so that we can grow in our faith

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 and live out the gospel.

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 And as we understand more of the gospel,

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 we want to care for one another.

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 Care for one another's spiritual condition

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 like John cared for Gaius.

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 Right from his conversion,

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 John saw how the gospel had impacted Gaius' life.

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 And this brings him great joy

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 and so he wrote this letter to commend him for this.

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 John saw that Gaius had understood the extent of his sin

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 and how it had changed his life,

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 particularly in the way that he loved others.

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 Which brings me to my second point.

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 That as we understand God's love,

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 it causes us to love one another sacrificially.

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 John tells us about this love

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 in verses 5 to 6.

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 I don't know if you want to look down with me.

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 It says,

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 It is a faithful thing you do

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 in all your efforts for these brothers,

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 strangers as they are,

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 who testified to your love before the church.

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 You will do well to send them on their journey

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 in a manner worthy of God.

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 Now, Gaius probably wasn't very extraordinary.

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 And in fact,

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 we don't really learn a whole lot about him

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 other than that he loved others.

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 But he loved these brothers sacrificially.

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 In fact,

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 he didn't even know who they were.

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 These brothers were,

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 verse 5,

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 strangers to Gaius.

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 And what they were doing,

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 verse 7 tells us

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 that they were

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 gone out for the sake of the name.

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 Maybe they had been on an evangelistic mission

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 or maybe they were going to encourage other Christians.

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 But this did not stop Gaius

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 from opening up his home,

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 inviting them into his house.

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 He opened up his heart

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 and shared his life with them.

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 He was faithful in all his efforts.

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 He gave 100% to strangers.

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 Imagine the love that he gave to his friends.

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 He gave up his time,

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 his energy,

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 his home,

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 and his resources

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 in order to serve others.

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 And Gaius cared for their needs

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 before they set off from their journey.

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 And he prepared them for their journey.

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 Because he loved the gospel.

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 He was changed by the love

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 that Jesus had for him.

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 And this is what it means

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 to love others sacrificially.

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 And sacrificial love

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 is not just hospitality,

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 the perfect Sunday lunch

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 with a house full of people,

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 or just being nice.

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 It's loving all Christians

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 at any cost

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 as the opportunity arises.

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 This could be

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 serving in church,

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 spending time with

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 other Christians,

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 or doing something

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 that scares us,

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 like the book table

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 in Greenford

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 on a Saturday morning.

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 Jesus told his disciples,

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 people will know

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 that you are my disciples

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 if you love one another.

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 Now in saying this,

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 Jesus reveals that

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 not all men

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 are his disciples.

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 Only those who have been

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 changed by the gospel

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 so that they live out

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 a sacrificial love

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 for one another.

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 And in the same way,

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 at the end of this letter,

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 we will see that

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 not all people

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 who have heard the gospel

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 are truly Jesus' disciples.

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 John tells guys

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 about two men,

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 two men called

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 Diotrephes and Dermetrius.

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 And John very cleverly

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 contrasts them

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 alongside one another,

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 particularly to show

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 their different characters.

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 And this brings me

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 finally that a true

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 understanding of the gospel

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 changes our character.

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 Look down at verses

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 9 to 11.

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 Now this tells us

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 a little bit more

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 about Diotrephes.

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 In particular,

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 he likes to put himself first.

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 He was selfish.

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 And he doesn't acknowledge

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 church authority.

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 He was also talking

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 wicked nonsense

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 against John and others.

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 Diotrephes was a bit

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 of a gossip.

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 And he didn't recognize

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 John's authority

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 as an apostle,

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 which is incredible

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 since John had spent

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 three years with Jesus.

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 And in wanting

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 to cement his position

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 further in his church,

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 Diotrephes attempted

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 to poison the minds

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 of his congregation

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 in order to

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 distrust John

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 and other Christians.

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 He refused to love

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 other Christians

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 and he prevented

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 those who tried

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 to live out

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 the gospel.

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 Diotrephes

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 may have heard

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 the gospel,

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 but he didn't

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 understand it.

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 And we all struggle

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 with sin of gossiping

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 and selfishness

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 at times.

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 Sometimes it's a little

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 bit juicy,

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 isn't it?

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 But as Christians,

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 we want to fight

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 against sin

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 because of what Jesus

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 has achieved for us.

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 Now,

00:10:21.600 --> 00:10:22.639
 John Stock once said

00:10:22.639 --> 00:10:24.299
 to remind yourselves

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 of this every day.

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 Christ is my brother,

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 my sin died with him,

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 and I now reign

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 with him.

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 As Christians,

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 we reign with Jesus

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 and we have the power

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 to fight against

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 our struggles with sin.

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 This is a wonderful

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 truth of the gospel.

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 In Romans chapter 5,

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 it says that

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 as we endure

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 in living the Christian

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 life,

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 it produces character

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 and character

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 produces hope.

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 And even though

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 Diotrephes had heard

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 the gospel,

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 it hadn't shown

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 this change in character.

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 So although he may

00:11:03.159 --> 00:11:03.919
 have claimed to have

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 known God,

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 John tells us that

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 by his evil works,

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 we know that he

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 had not seen God.

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 And John here is

00:11:14.120 --> 00:11:15.299
 unmasking the true

00:11:15.299 --> 00:11:16.279
 nature of his character

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 in order to protect

00:11:17.339 --> 00:11:17.839
 the church.

00:11:18.899 --> 00:11:20.120
 He wants to ensure

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 that the church

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 isn't led into evil

00:11:22.259 --> 00:11:24.039
 because he recognises

00:11:24.039 --> 00:11:25.059
 the danger of a

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 false Christian

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 who claims to know

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 the truth.

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 Now,

00:11:29.359 --> 00:11:30.139
 Demetrius,

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 on the other hand,

00:11:32.120 --> 00:11:33.039
 demonstrates to us

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 by his character

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 that he was transformed

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 by the gospel.

00:11:37.299 --> 00:11:38.079
 Verse 12.

00:11:38.080 --> 00:11:41.259
 Demetrius has received

00:11:41.259 --> 00:11:42.160
 a good testimony

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 from everyone

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 and from the truth

00:11:44.340 --> 00:11:44.840
 itself.

00:11:45.639 --> 00:11:46.360
 We also add

00:11:46.360 --> 00:11:47.220
 our testimony

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 and you know

00:11:48.600 --> 00:11:49.460
 that our testimony

00:11:49.460 --> 00:11:50.120
 is true.

00:11:51.200 --> 00:11:51.400
 Now,

00:11:51.440 --> 00:11:52.220
 there are three things

00:11:52.220 --> 00:11:52.900
 that we should take

00:11:52.900 --> 00:11:54.100
 note about Demetrius.

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 Firstly,

00:11:56.379 --> 00:11:57.040
 he has received

00:11:57.040 --> 00:11:57.860
 a good testimony

00:11:57.860 --> 00:11:58.660
 from everyone.

00:11:59.740 --> 00:12:00.620
 Demetrius was living

00:12:00.620 --> 00:12:01.720
 a life transformed

00:12:01.720 --> 00:12:02.660
 by the gospel

00:12:02.660 --> 00:12:03.840
 and everyone

00:12:03.840 --> 00:12:04.680
 could see it.

00:12:05.379 --> 00:12:06.520
 Perhaps you know

00:12:06.519 --> 00:12:08.480
 a Christian like her.

00:12:08.980 --> 00:12:10.600
 In a previous church

00:12:10.600 --> 00:12:11.299
 there was this

00:12:11.299 --> 00:12:12.740
 elderly lady.

00:12:14.240 --> 00:12:15.199
 She was a lovely,

00:12:15.460 --> 00:12:16.360
 sweet lady

00:12:16.360 --> 00:12:18.000
 who was genuinely

00:12:18.000 --> 00:12:19.759
 happy to give up

00:12:19.759 --> 00:12:20.399
 things for her

00:12:20.399 --> 00:12:20.919
 forsaken,

00:12:21.039 --> 00:12:22.039
 to love others.

00:12:23.059 --> 00:12:24.000
 And one time

00:12:24.000 --> 00:12:24.860
 she came up to me

00:12:24.860 --> 00:12:25.639
 on a Sunday morning

00:12:25.639 --> 00:12:28.120
 and told me

00:12:28.120 --> 00:12:29.120
 how much she didn't

00:12:29.120 --> 00:12:30.000
 like her television

00:12:30.000 --> 00:12:31.600
 and that she wanted

00:12:31.600 --> 00:12:32.179
 to give up

00:12:32.179 --> 00:12:33.059
 her TV watching

00:12:33.059 --> 00:12:34.279
 and give up

00:12:34.279 --> 00:12:35.139
 paying for her

00:12:35.139 --> 00:12:36.059
 TV license.

00:12:36.519 --> 00:12:37.240
 So that she could

00:12:37.240 --> 00:12:38.259
 support me financially.

00:12:39.679 --> 00:12:40.419
 And even now,

00:12:40.480 --> 00:12:41.679
 nearly six years later,

00:12:42.199 --> 00:12:43.319
 I'm still impacted

00:12:43.319 --> 00:12:44.519
 by how she lived

00:12:44.519 --> 00:12:45.179
 out her faith

00:12:45.179 --> 00:12:45.779
 and loved me

00:12:45.779 --> 00:12:46.480
 sacrificially.

00:12:49.659 --> 00:12:50.139
 Secondly,

00:12:50.299 --> 00:12:51.059
 about Demetrius,

00:12:51.120 --> 00:12:52.179
 the truth gives him

00:12:52.179 --> 00:12:52.919
 a good testimony.

00:12:53.799 --> 00:12:54.460
 He was living

00:12:54.460 --> 00:12:55.059
 in accord

00:12:55.059 --> 00:12:55.879
 with scriptures.

00:12:56.879 --> 00:12:57.500
 He lived

00:12:57.500 --> 00:12:58.120
 as God

00:12:58.120 --> 00:12:58.819
 intended him.

00:13:00.699 --> 00:13:01.519
 And thirdly,

00:13:02.059 --> 00:13:02.899
 the Apostle John

00:13:02.899 --> 00:13:04.139
 affirmed his faith.

00:13:04.139 --> 00:13:07.199
 This is a threefold

00:13:07.199 --> 00:13:08.100
 testimony about

00:13:08.100 --> 00:13:09.279
 the faith of this man.

00:13:10.120 --> 00:13:11.199
 The church sees it,

00:13:11.860 --> 00:13:12.539
 the scriptures

00:13:12.539 --> 00:13:13.840
 give evidence for it,

00:13:14.480 --> 00:13:15.340
 and the Apostle John

00:13:15.340 --> 00:13:16.019
 confirms it.

00:13:17.960 --> 00:13:19.500
 Demetrius was from God.

00:13:20.199 --> 00:13:21.279
 He had been born again

00:13:21.279 --> 00:13:22.779
 and was one of his children.

00:13:24.000 --> 00:13:25.299
 His life was transformed

00:13:25.299 --> 00:13:26.299
 by the truth

00:13:26.299 --> 00:13:27.139
 of the gospel

00:13:27.139 --> 00:13:28.139
 inside and out.

00:13:28.919 --> 00:13:30.100
 Just like Gaius.

00:13:30.100 --> 00:13:32.860
 And in the same way,

00:13:32.960 --> 00:13:33.440
 we too,

00:13:33.580 --> 00:13:35.159
 we need to be from God.

00:13:35.680 --> 00:13:37.240
 To be born again.

00:13:38.420 --> 00:13:39.320
 We need God

00:13:39.320 --> 00:13:40.220
 to reveal himself

00:13:40.220 --> 00:13:41.180
 to us

00:13:41.180 --> 00:13:42.100
 in order for us

00:13:42.100 --> 00:13:42.879
 to understand

00:13:42.879 --> 00:13:43.460
 the gospel

00:13:43.460 --> 00:13:44.379
 and live it out.

00:13:46.560 --> 00:13:47.120
 And this is what

00:13:47.120 --> 00:13:48.019
 changed the lives

00:13:48.019 --> 00:13:48.560
 of John,

00:13:49.320 --> 00:13:49.820
 Gaius,

00:13:49.980 --> 00:13:50.960
 and Demetrius.

00:13:52.720 --> 00:13:54.180
 So let's not settle

00:13:54.180 --> 00:13:55.680
 for what an advertisement

00:13:55.680 --> 00:13:56.759
 board tells us,

00:13:56.820 --> 00:13:58.279
 what culture tells us.

00:13:58.279 --> 00:14:00.039
 that we have the power

00:14:00.039 --> 00:14:01.039
 to change ourselves.

00:14:01.639 --> 00:14:02.339
 That we can only,

00:14:02.740 --> 00:14:03.699
 that can only be learned

00:14:03.699 --> 00:14:04.799
 through self-help book

00:14:04.799 --> 00:14:06.399
 with a couple of top tips.

00:14:07.539 --> 00:14:08.740
 Let's not listen to this.

00:14:09.939 --> 00:14:10.959
 And even as Christians,

00:14:11.120 --> 00:14:12.039
 it's so easy

00:14:12.039 --> 00:14:13.639
 to step back

00:14:13.639 --> 00:14:14.399
 into thinking

00:14:14.399 --> 00:14:15.360
 that somehow

00:14:15.360 --> 00:14:16.120
 we can change

00:14:16.120 --> 00:14:16.959
 our own hearts.

00:14:18.120 --> 00:14:19.399
 By looking inwards

00:14:19.399 --> 00:14:20.419
 to try to think

00:14:20.419 --> 00:14:21.659
 more positively

00:14:21.659 --> 00:14:22.480
 about something.

00:14:22.779 --> 00:14:23.959
 To replace sin

00:14:23.959 --> 00:14:24.980
 with something else.

00:14:26.179 --> 00:14:27.980
 But this is futile.

00:14:28.279 --> 00:14:31.299
 Jesus died for us

00:14:31.299 --> 00:14:32.220
 because we cannot

00:14:32.220 --> 00:14:33.259
 save ourselves.

00:14:35.779 --> 00:14:36.839
 So we need to put

00:14:36.839 --> 00:14:37.740
 our hope in Jesus.

00:14:39.159 --> 00:14:40.519
 And as we trust in him

00:14:40.519 --> 00:14:42.299
 and depend upon him,

00:14:42.379 --> 00:14:43.199
 we will be changed.

00:14:44.659 --> 00:14:45.759
 And we will begin

00:14:45.759 --> 00:14:46.899
 to care for each other's

00:14:46.899 --> 00:14:47.579
 spiritual needs.

00:14:48.399 --> 00:14:49.679
 And love others

00:14:49.679 --> 00:14:50.379
 sacrificially.

00:14:51.259 --> 00:14:52.259
 And our characters

00:14:52.259 --> 00:14:53.019
 will be changed

00:14:53.019 --> 00:14:53.980
 to become more

00:14:53.980 --> 00:14:54.579
 like Jesus.

00:14:55.740 --> 00:14:56.459
 Let me pray.

00:14:56.900 --> 00:14:56.900


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