He graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary (Th.M., 1976 in Bible exposition) and Califo... More, dillac. The following lessons covers nine cases from John 3 through 11, which show how life meets the need of man's every case. 8:12) and went out into the darkness. (Matthew 9:14) It makes sense that John's confused. It's heartening to know that even John, who saw Jesus first hand, struggled with some doubts. As we’ve seen, truth and love are not opposed to one another. His problem was not his theology, but rather his personal ambition and pride that led him to oppose even the apostle John. First, Second, and Third John, sometimes called the Epistles or Letters of John, are like trail mix -- concentrated, chewy, and nutritious. But it is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant; and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all.”. John encourages Gaius to continue doing so, and he commends to him Demetrius, who was probably the bearer of this letter. "I baptize you with water for repentance. If Satan can’t prevent us from knowing the truth, then he tries to get us puffed up with pride over how much we know that others don’t know. John never seems to fall victim to this mentality. The story is told of a Texas millionaire who wanted to be buried in his Cadillac. He doesn't allow himself to get bogged down in building his own kingdom or making sure that he stays the center of attention. Jesus gives John the highest compliment when he says, "Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he" (Matthew 11:11). 4. And while we typically won’t be locked up for our honesty, there are other consequences. The Book of John . But, when adult men and women bring those rules into a local church, it creates friction among the flock. Ask the class to follow along, looking for what happened while the … Gaius’ good example teaches us four things about these essential virtues, truth and love: Gaius didn’t accidentally stumble onto the path called “truth” and just as accidentally stay on it. I’m sure that it would have been interesting to have a box seat to watch the fireworks when that happened! I highly recommend that you read the lives of these great saints from the past. 3-Question Bible Study . Obviously it would be good if we took things seriously the first time. When you find such godly role models, imitate them! We would be wrong to conclude that we should remain ignorant so that we can stay humble! Lesson 24 [] Part of the series: Life in the Know. He's a star that burns brightly in the Gospels and fades too quickly. John isn't afraid to speak truth to power—even when the cost is high. Paul baptized Gaius of Corinth. How would you refute it biblically? But it leads to poverty of soul, not to prosperity of soul. Encourage students to look in John 3 for what we must do to enter God’s kingdom. True prosperity is not to live as a millionaire and be buried in your Cadillac. Lesson 17 Lesson 7. Being hospitable is one qualification for being an elder (1 Tim. We must assume that the apostle of love was acting in love towards this sinning man. It requires deliberate purpose and effort, both to understand the truth and to walk in it. From there they mailed dozens of Bible correspondence courses. There are times when it’s important and appropriate for us to speak up. I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. Now when he is old he … Even though they are short in length, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd John are long on doctrine. Lesson 22 Lesson 12 . A. God’s way is a Man and John was one of those men of great God. But if I repeat a request over and over, they get the point that I really expect something to be done. He wanted everyone to look up to him, not to Jesus Christ. Lesson 18 Lesson 8 . After all, Jesus was teaching new ideas with authority. John warns us about counterfeit Christians – “children of the devil.” I. You play one person off of another, all in an attempt to put yourself in a powerful position. Usually they will repeat a statement more than once. Want to learn more about 1, 2 & 3 John? In John 3:21, “he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.” In John 4:23 & 24, Jesus explained that the Father seeks those who “worship in spirit and truth.” In John 8:32, Jesus said, “and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” How do you discern whether a person is worth imitating or not? All Scripture references quote the New International Version unless otherwise noted. Because John's disciples ask this question so politely, it's easy to miss what's really being asked. Life Lessons from 1, 2, 3 John and Jude: Living and Loving by Truth. John MacArthur: 3 John 2 lessons. Positively, the prosperous soul walks in the truth and love. There has been some debate about whether an author named Rather, he used people to build or protect his power base. One reason was that he was the last living apostle, and he saw numerous errors creeping into the churches. The Need of the Moral—Life’s Regenerating: 3. Summary of the Book of 3 John. But many American Christians and now many in other countries have fallen for this unbiblical teaching. When the Lord comes to him for baptism, John almost refuses. John writes of these missionaries (v. 7), “For they went out for the sake of the Name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles.” These missionaries were not “peddling the word of God” (2 Cor. Invite a student to read John 3:1–2 aloud. Explain that near the beginning of His ministry, the Savior went to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. Since John 1:1 talks about “in the beginning,” let's turn to the beginning of the Bible - in Genesis 1 - and read verses 3, … This means that his life was consistent with the character qualities and moral standards of God’s Word. As the unusual coffin slowly sank into the ground to the appropriate words of committal, a millionaire friend of the deceased brushed a tear from his eye and sighed, “Man, that’s living!”. Herod ends John's life to appease his wife and her daughter. I asked these young women if they had ever heard of the “health and wealth” or “prosperity” teaching. The prosperous soul walks in the truth and in love. Are Christians to love the church? Of course, love not only confronts sin. Look at his deeds (v. 11). 5) w false teaching (1 Jn. What Is True Christian Love for Others? They dressed the corpse in his sportiest clothes, put a cigar in his mouth, seated him behind the steering wheel, and set the speedometer at 80 miles per hour. John affirms (v. 1) that he loves Gaius in truth, which means, in the sphere of the truth about Jesus Christ. True prosperity is to be rich toward God (Luke 12:21). Mars Hill Church. Many of us struggle when we come upon evangelism because we wonder what do I say; here the simple answer is come and see. Diotrephes unjustly accused John and his delegates with wicked words. He probably had reasons for his opposition. The way to move up in the world is to build relationships with powerful people. Lesson 23 . 3:14-18; 2 Jn. Lesson 14 Lesson 4 . Now a certain man, a Pharisee named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council, came to Jesus at night and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. Even the Pharisees come out to listen to him, and John doesn't shy away from publicly challenging them. Do you think churches should beg non-Christians for financial support? John fulfilled this calling in several ways. Mark Dever: Can I Have a Greater Joy Than Knowing God? Or, those who emphasize love are soft on the truth; they end up being nice when they need to stand up for the truth. Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me'" (Matthew 11:2–6). While we were yet enemies of God, God loved us and sent His Son to die for us. When he was young, he was Jesus' "beloved disciple." The three characters named in the book provide us with three keys to pursuing a prosperous soul: As in all of John’s writings, truth is a central concept in 3 John. Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. It is designed for children’s church or Sunday School. Many translations—like King James Version, the New American Standard Bible, and the English Standard Version—translate His words this way: "And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.". Hebrews 12:3-11 – A father has authority to discipline his children. The chapters have been broken down into sections to make it easier to follow. In John 1:14 (see also, 1:17), John testified that Jesus was “full of grace and truth.” In John 3:21, “he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.” In John 4:23 & 24, Jesus explained that the Father seeks those who “worship in spirit and truth.” In John 8:32, Jesus said, “and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” In John 14:6, Jesus claimed, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” Jesus referred to the Holy Spirit as “the Spirit of truth” (John 14:17; 15:26; 16:13). He prayed (John 17:17), “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.” Jesus told the skeptical Pilate (John 18:37), “For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Peter and John were locked up by the temple guard for preaching about Jesus. A: The contrast of light and darkness are prevalent throughout John’s Gospel from the very beginning. 6:5), “who suppose that godliness is a means of gain” (see also, 2 Pet. Peter immediately speaks up and preaches to them about Jesus. Unfortunately that doesn’t always happen. How a person thinks about God, man, salvation, and life determines how that person lives. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. God did not sit in heaven while His Son … What does the Bible say to the church, and to the individual Christian, about the role of politics in the church? 3:6-8) w brotherly love and concern (1 Jn. But John doesn’t stop there. John is just a senile old man who means well, but he’s gone soft in his old age. As we’ve seen, truth and love must always go together. 24 Weeks . But in the end, Jesus' advice is critical. John describes for us here the prosperous soul: The prosperous soul walks in the truth and love, submits to apostolic authority, and imitates godly examples. They are those of whom Paul wrote (1 Tim. 3 John encourages Gaius to show hospitality to Demetrius, a Christian missionary, and not to follow the example of self-centered leader Diotrephes. Q. The world writes books on how to get what you want and how to win by intimidation. The decision to call out Herod for his sins put John in prison (and would eventually cost him his life). God Laid Down His Life For Us John 3:16 must be juxtaposed against 1 John 3:16. You may find it helpful to also read the entire case found in John 4:1-42. If not, how can you correct this situation? But all believers are commanded to “pursue hospitality” (Rom. For a brief, shining moment, John the Baptist is a local celebrity. John 4:7, 13, 14, 24. Boldness is a sign you’re close to Jesus. Is it a joy to hear that your children walk in the truth? As we've noted, even the most respected officials were making the journey to hear him. Gaius, however, to this point had resisted the strong-armed tactics of Diotrephes. Lessons on 1 John . But, Diotrephes was a self-serving, unloving man, and John hits him very hard for these sins. Discuss. Rather than being domineering, as Diotrephes was, Demetrius was a humble servant. 1 John 3 – The pretenders. Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Like all who reject the Messiah, Judas rejected the Light of the world (Jn. But he didn't shy away from speaking his mind. Jesus said to her, Give Me something to drink. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”. Rather than being a prosperous soul, Diotrephes was a destitute soul. True prosperity is to have. Also, the Lord Jesus had repeatedly emphasized the truth in His earthly ministry. We are to be a people “zealous for good deeds” (Titus 2:14). He always lived up to God’s Calling . Judas is the ultimate lesson of what it means to reject Christ. The Need of the Immoral—Life’s Satisfying: 4. He mentions it in verses 1, 3 (twice), 4, 8, and 12, plus the world “true” in verse 12. Because he did not value people and relationships. Luke tells us: "But when John rebuked Herod the tetrarch because of his marriage to Herodias, his brother's wife, and all the other evil things he had done, Herod added this to them all: He locked John up in prison" (Luke 3:19–20). _ _ _ 4. But John was preparing the way for Jesus, and it was necessary for everyone present that John expose the corruption that Jesus would replace. Matthew 3:11 (John 1:26, 31, 33) – John baptized with water … Contrary to the current postmodern philosophy that denies absolute truth in the spiritual realm, the Bible clearly affirms that there is theological and moral truth and error. Please try again or contact website administrator. Many people in Jerusalem believed in Jesus after they saw the miracles He performed (see John 2:23–25). Happy New Year: Past, Present, and Future Perspectives. My brother’s club rules were very simple: (1) I am the boss of this club. Twice (vv. John gives us three reasons for a holy life. One practical way for you to show Christ’s love by good deeds is to help support missionaries who go out for the sake of His name. Again, how like the world! Please modify as best fits your ministry. Gaius prospered in his soul because he walked in the truth (v. 3). What are the marks of such pride. 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