Latest / truthunedited / 10 Powerful Messages I Learned from the Book of 3rd John

Transcript

10 Powerful Messages I Learned from the Book of 3rd John · truthunedited

0:00
Speaker 1: What if doing the right thing made you the enemy?
0:03
Speaker 1: What if standing for truth meant standing alone. What if
0:06
Speaker 1: the greatest opposition to your faith didn't come from the world,
0:11
Speaker 1: but from within the church. We live in a time
0:14
Speaker 1: where power and influence often take priority over integrity, where
0:19
Speaker 1: even in Christian circles, the loudest voices aren't always the
0:23
Speaker 1: ones speaking truth. And that's exactly what Third John warns
0:28
Speaker 1: us about. John writes this letter to address a growing
0:32
Speaker 1: problem in the early Church, the clash between those who
0:36
Speaker 1: walk in truth and those who seek control. He commends faithfulness,
0:41
Speaker 1: but he also calls out corruption. He praises those who serve,
0:46
Speaker 1: but he also exposes those who manipulate. And his message
0:50
Speaker 1: is clear, character matters. Leadership is about serving truth will
0:56
Speaker 1: always prevail. Does this sound familiar because even today we
1:01
Speaker 1: see churches divided, leaders abusing their authority, and believers forced
1:06
Speaker 1: to choose between pleasing people and pleasing God. We see
1:11
Speaker 1: hospitality replaced by status, service replaced by self interest, and
1:15
Speaker 1: truth replaced by whatever is most popular. So here's the question,
1:20
Speaker 1: where do you stand? Because the reality is this is
1:25
Speaker 1: not just a lesson from the past, it's a warning
1:28
Speaker 1: for today. Third John teaches us what true faithfulness looks like,
1:33
Speaker 1: how to recognize godly leadership, and why standing for truth
1:37
Speaker 1: will always come with opposition. But the question is are
1:41
Speaker 1: we willing to pay the cost. In this Deep Bible
1:45
Speaker 1: Stories video, we're breaking down ten powerful lessons from Third John,
1:50
Speaker 1: lessons that will equip you to walk in truth, discern
1:54
Speaker 1: spiritual authority, and stand firm even when it's not easy.
1:59
Speaker 1: But before we die, what do you think? Have you
2:02
Speaker 1: ever seen people abuse leadership in the church. Have you
2:06
Speaker 1: ever struggled with choosing truth over acceptance? Drop a comment
2:10
Speaker 1: below and let us know. And if you want us
2:14
Speaker 1: to do a video on spiritual deception, church leadership, or
2:19
Speaker 1: any other topic we mention today, let us know. We've
2:23
Speaker 1: also created a full explainer video and an ebook to
2:27
Speaker 1: help you study Third John in depth. The links are
2:31
Speaker 1: in the description. Now let's get started. The most important
2:36
Speaker 1: lesson we take from Third John is this walking in
2:40
Speaker 1: truth is the mark of a true believer. There is
2:43
Speaker 1: no shortage of people who claim to follow Christ some where,
2:47
Speaker 1: crosses around their necks, post Bible verses on social media,
2:51
Speaker 1: and even attend church every Sunday. But John makes something
2:55
Speaker 1: very clear. True faith is not just about what we believe,
3:00
Speaker 1: it's about how we live. John writes in Third John
3:04
Speaker 1: one three to four. It gave me great joy when
3:06
Speaker 1: some believers came and testified about your faithfulness to the truth,
3:10
Speaker 1: telling how you continue to walk in it. I have
3:13
Speaker 1: no greater joy than to hear that my children are
3:16
Speaker 1: walking in the truth. Did you catch that? John wasn't
3:19
Speaker 1: just happy that they believed the truth. He rejoiced because
3:24
Speaker 1: they were living it. There's a difference between knowing something
3:28
Speaker 1: and actually applying it to our lives. This is where
3:32
Speaker 1: so many people miss the mark. It's easy to call
3:34
Speaker 1: yourself a Christian when it costs you nothing. It's easy
3:39
Speaker 1: to say you believe in Jesus when it doesn't require change.
3:43
Speaker 1: But walking in truth means standing firm even when it's hard,
3:48
Speaker 1: even when it's costly, even when no one else is
3:51
Speaker 1: doing it. Jesus warned us about this in Matthew seven
3:55
Speaker 1: twenty one. Not everyone who says to me, Lord, law
4:00
Speaker 1: Lord will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but only the
4:03
Speaker 1: one who does the will of my Father who is
4:06
Speaker 1: in heaven. Think about that. There will be people who
4:10
Speaker 1: thought they were following Jesus only to realize they never
4:14
Speaker 1: truly walked in his ways, because real faith is proven
4:18
Speaker 1: by action. Imagine this. You're walking on a bridge and
4:22
Speaker 1: half way across, someone warns you that the bridge is
4:25
Speaker 1: about to collapse. You believe them, you even thank them
4:29
Speaker 1: for telling you the truth, but then you keep walking.
4:33
Speaker 1: That wouldn't make sense, would it. If you truly believe
4:36
Speaker 1: the bridge was collapsing, you would turn around immediately. And
4:40
Speaker 1: yet this is what so many people do with their faith.
4:43
Speaker 1: They say they believe in God, but continue walking in sin.
4:47
Speaker 1: They say they trust his word but live however they want.
4:51
Speaker 1: They claim to follow Jesus but never change their ways.
4:56
Speaker 1: And John tells us that is not walking in truth.
4:59
Speaker 1: Walking in truth means that our lives reflect our faith.
5:03
Speaker 1: It means we don't just hear the word, we obey it.
5:06
Speaker 1: James one twenty two says, do not merely listen to
5:10
Speaker 1: the word and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says?
5:16
Speaker 1: Did you catch that if we hear the word but
5:19
Speaker 1: don't live it, we are deceiving ourselves. This is why
5:23
Speaker 1: John emphasizes the importance of walking in truth, because it
5:27
Speaker 1: is the evidence of real faith. But let's make this personal.
5:32
Speaker 1: Have you ever met someone who talked about God but
5:35
Speaker 1: didn't live for him, Someone who could quote scripture but
5:38
Speaker 1: had a heart full of pride, gossip, or selfishness. Someone
5:42
Speaker 1: who went to church every week, but outside a church
5:45
Speaker 1: lived just like the world. Or maybe you've been that person.
5:51
Speaker 1: Maybe you've believed the truth, but you haven't always walked
5:54
Speaker 1: in it. Maybe you know what God's word says, but
5:57
Speaker 1: you've struggled to actually live it out, not alone. Peter
6:01
Speaker 1: struggled too. He walked with Jesus, he saw the miracles,
6:06
Speaker 1: he knew the truth, and yet in a moment of
6:09
Speaker 1: fear he denied Jesus three times. David struggled too. He
6:15
Speaker 1: was a man after God's own heart. He knew the truth,
6:18
Speaker 1: and yet in a moment of weakness, he fell into
6:21
Speaker 1: sin with Bathsheba. But here's the difference. They didn't stay there.
6:27
Speaker 1: Peter repented, and he became a bold preacher of the gospel,
6:30
Speaker 1: standing before thousands, unashamed of his faith. David repented, and
6:35
Speaker 1: God still used him to establish the lineage that would
6:39
Speaker 1: lead to Jesus Christ. Because walking in truth is a
6:42
Speaker 1: daily choice, and no matter how many times we have failed,
6:46
Speaker 1: God's grace is always calling us back. The question is
6:50
Speaker 1: are you willing to turn around? The world wants you
6:53
Speaker 1: to believe that truth is relative, that you can live
6:57
Speaker 1: however you want and still claim to follow Jesus. But
7:01
Speaker 1: John reminds us real faith is not just belief, it
7:06
Speaker 1: is action. That's why Jesus said in Luke nine twenty three,
7:10
Speaker 1: whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and
7:15
Speaker 1: take up their cross daily and follow me daily. That
7:19
Speaker 1: means walking in truth is not just a one time decision,
7:23
Speaker 1: It's a lifestyle. It's choosing to follow Jesus in the
7:27
Speaker 1: small moments, in the daily battles, in the decisions that
7:32
Speaker 1: no one else sees. So here's the challenge. Are you
7:35
Speaker 1: walking in truth or are you just believing? It is
7:38
Speaker 1: the way you speak, act, and live a reflection of
7:41
Speaker 1: the Word of God. Are your decisions shaped by scripture
7:45
Speaker 1: or by what feels comfortable? When people look at your life,
7:49
Speaker 1: do they see someone who talks about Jesus or someone
7:52
Speaker 1: who truly follows him? Because John reminds us of something powerful,
7:57
Speaker 1: there is great joy in war walking in truth. When
8:01
Speaker 1: we live according to God's word, we don't just bring
8:05
Speaker 1: joy to him. We experience joy ourselves. The world promises
8:11
Speaker 1: happiness in sin, in compromise, in doing whatever feels good.
8:16
Speaker 1: But true joy, the kind that cannot be shaken, only
8:20
Speaker 1: comes when we are aligned with God's truth. Psalm one
8:24
Speaker 1: hundred nineteen one hundred five says your word is a
8:28
Speaker 1: lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
8:32
Speaker 1: That means when we walk in truth, we are walking
8:34
Speaker 1: in light. We are walking in freedom, We are walking
8:39
Speaker 1: in the life God intended for us. So here's the question,
8:43
Speaker 1: where are you walking. Are you walking in truth or
8:46
Speaker 1: are you drifting into compromise. Are you standing firm or
8:50
Speaker 1: are you following whatever the world tells you? Are you
8:54
Speaker 1: obeying God or are you just agreeing with him? In theory,
8:58
Speaker 1: Because in the end, true believers don't just believe the truth,
9:02
Speaker 1: they walk in it, and that makes all the difference.
9:05
Speaker 1: The second most important lesson we take from third John
9:09
Speaker 1: is this spiritual health is more important than physical success.
9:15
Speaker 1: We live in a world that constantly measures success by
9:18
Speaker 1: how much we own, how much we earn, or how
9:22
Speaker 1: high we climb on the social or career ladder. The
9:26
Speaker 1: pressure to succeed is everywhere. We are told that if
9:31
Speaker 1: we work hard, enough, hustle long enough, or make the
9:34
Speaker 1: right connections, we will be fulfilled. But John reminds us
9:38
Speaker 1: of something far more important. Our spiritual health matters more
9:43
Speaker 1: than anything we achieve in this life. In Third John
9:47
Speaker 1: one two, John writes, Beloved, I pray that you may
9:50
Speaker 1: prosper in all things and be in health, just as
9:54
Speaker 1: your soul prospers. John's words are powerful because they reveal
9:59
Speaker 1: a truth we can often forget. Prosperity is not just
10:02
Speaker 1: about material wealth or physical health. It is first and
10:06
Speaker 1: foremost about the condition of our soul. Imagine someone who
10:10
Speaker 1: has everything the world says will bring happiness, money, power, status.
10:16
Speaker 1: They drive the nicest cars, live in the biggest homes,
10:20
Speaker 1: and have everything they could ever want, But inside they
10:24
Speaker 1: are empty, anxious, and lost. They have everything except peace.
10:32
Speaker 1: On the other hand, think about a person who has
10:35
Speaker 1: very little. They don't live in luxury, they don't have influence,
10:40
Speaker 1: but they have joy, purpose, and a deep, unshakable peace
10:45
Speaker 1: that no amount of money can buy. What's the difference?
10:49
Speaker 1: One has worldly success, the other has a prosperous soul.
10:53
Speaker 1: Jesus himself posed this question in Mark eight thirty six.
10:57
Speaker 1: What good is it for someone to gain the whole world,
11:00
Speaker 1: yet forfeit their soul. Let that sink in. What good
11:04
Speaker 1: is it? What good is having a successful career if
11:08
Speaker 1: your soul is starving. What good is having millions in
11:11
Speaker 1: the bank? If your heart is far from God? What
11:14
Speaker 1: good is being admired by people? If you are distant
11:17
Speaker 1: from the one who created you. Nothing in this world
11:21
Speaker 1: is worth losing your soul. But this is where so
11:24
Speaker 1: many people struggle, because in reality, spiritual health is easy
11:28
Speaker 1: to neglect. It's not urgent. It's not something people will
11:32
Speaker 1: reward you for. Your boss won't give you a raise
11:36
Speaker 1: for praying more, your friends won't celebrate you for spending
11:39
Speaker 1: time with God. And so we push it aside. We
11:44
Speaker 1: pour our energy into our jobs, our finances, our ambitions,
11:48
Speaker 1: while our spiritual life is left to wither in the background.
11:51
Speaker 1: And then we wonder why we feel empty. We wonder
11:54
Speaker 1: why we are stressed. We wonder why we feel distant
11:57
Speaker 1: from God, even though we say we leave in him.
12:01
Speaker 1: The truth is, our spiritual health is the foundation for
12:05
Speaker 1: everything else. Jesus taught this in Matthew six thirty three.
12:09
Speaker 1: Seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and
12:12
Speaker 1: all these things will be added to you seek first,
12:16
Speaker 1: not after your career is settled, not after you've built
12:19
Speaker 1: your dream life, not after you've achieved all your goals first,
12:24
Speaker 1: because when we seek God first, everything else falls into place.
12:29
Speaker 1: Think about Mary and Martha in Luke ten thirty eight
12:32
Speaker 1: to forty two. Martha was busy working, preparing, making sure
12:37
Speaker 1: everything was in order. Mary, on the other hand, sat
12:41
Speaker 1: at the feet of Jesus listening to his words. Martha
12:45
Speaker 1: became frustrated. She thought Mary should be helping, that she
12:49
Speaker 1: should be doing something, but Jesus gently corrected her, saying, Martha, Martha,
12:56
Speaker 1: you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one
13:00
Speaker 1: thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which
13:05
Speaker 1: will not be taken away from her. One thing is necessary.
13:10
Speaker 1: And Martha wasn't wrong for working, but she was so
13:14
Speaker 1: caught up in her tasks that she neglected what mattered most,
13:18
Speaker 1: being with Jesus. And this is exactly what happens to
13:22
Speaker 1: so many of us. We think we don't have time
13:25
Speaker 1: to pray, we think we're too busy to read the word.
13:29
Speaker 1: We think we'll get serious about God later, after we've
13:32
Speaker 1: built our lives, after we're successful, after we have everything
13:36
Speaker 1: in order, But Jesus tells us if we miss him,
13:40
Speaker 1: we miss everything. So here's the question. Is your soul
13:44
Speaker 1: prospering or are you just surviving? Because the truth is
13:49
Speaker 1: you can be successful in the world's eyes and still
13:52
Speaker 1: be spiritually bankrupt. Maybe you've been feeling distant from God
13:57
Speaker 1: even though you've been doing all the right things. Maybe
14:00
Speaker 1: your life looks successful on the outside, but deep inside
14:04
Speaker 1: something is missing. Maybe you've been so focused on achieving
14:09
Speaker 1: that you haven't stopped to spend time with the one
14:11
Speaker 1: who gave you life in the first place. And maybe
14:15
Speaker 1: to day God is calling you to refocus. Because real
14:20
Speaker 1: success is not about what you own. It's not about
14:24
Speaker 1: how much you accomplish. It's about who you are becoming
14:26
Speaker 1: in Christ. So how do we shift our focus? We
14:30
Speaker 1: start by putting God first, not just on Sundays, not
14:34
Speaker 1: just when it's convenient, but in everything. We start by
14:38
Speaker 1: prioritizing time with Him, making prayer and scripture part of
14:42
Speaker 1: our daily routine, not just something we squeeze in when
14:46
Speaker 1: we have time. We start by trusting Him with our future,
14:49
Speaker 1: seeking his will instead of running after our own plans.
14:54
Speaker 1: Because when we do this, something incredible happens, our soul
14:59
Speaker 1: begins to prosper. We start experiencing real peaces, we start
15:04
Speaker 1: feeling real joy, We start living with real purpose. And
15:08
Speaker 1: that is what John was praying for in Third John
15:11
Speaker 1: one two, that we wouldn't just succeed materially, but that
15:15
Speaker 1: our soul would be full, strong, and thriving. So here's
15:20
Speaker 1: the challenge. What are you chasing that? Are you chasing
15:22
Speaker 1: success or are you seeking the kingdom? Are you building
15:26
Speaker 1: your own dreams while neglecting your relationship with God? Are
15:30
Speaker 1: you exhausted from the constant pursuit of more when God
15:34
Speaker 1: is offering you something greater? Because at the end of
15:37
Speaker 1: your life, when everything else fades away, the only thing
15:42
Speaker 1: that will matter is your soul. And if we focus
15:46
Speaker 1: on that first, God will take care of the rest.
15:50
Speaker 1: The third most important lesson we take from Third John
15:53
Speaker 1: is this hospitality reflects Christ. We often think of hospitality
15:58
Speaker 1: as a nice jest, something good people do when they
16:02
Speaker 1: have time, when it's convenient, when it doesn't require too
16:06
Speaker 1: much effort. But in the early Church, hospitality wasn't just kindness,
16:12
Speaker 1: it was survival. In Third John one five to eight,
16:16
Speaker 1: John writes, dear friend, you are faithful in what you
16:21
Speaker 1: are doing for the brothers and sisters. Even though they
16:24
Speaker 1: are strangers to you, they have told the church about
16:28
Speaker 1: your love. Please send them on their way in a
16:31
Speaker 1: manner that honors God. It was for the sake of
16:34
Speaker 1: the name that they went out receiving no help from
16:37
Speaker 1: the pagans. We ought therefore to show hospitality to such people,
16:42
Speaker 1: so that we may work together for the truth. John
16:47
Speaker 1: was writing to Gaius, a man who showed hospitality to
16:51
Speaker 1: traveling missionaries. These were men and women spreading the gospel,
16:55
Speaker 1: carrying the message of Christ from city to city. But
16:58
Speaker 1: they had nowhere to stay, no resources, no guarantees. And
17:03
Speaker 1: Guius welcomed them. He didn't know them personally, he had
17:06
Speaker 1: no obligation to help them, but he did it anyway.
17:10
Speaker 1: And John calls it faithfulness. Let that sink in. Hospitality
17:15
Speaker 1: is not just generosity, It is faithfulness. It is an
17:19
Speaker 1: act of obedience, a reflection of the heart of Christ.
17:23
Speaker 1: Think about it. How did Christianity spread in the early days.
17:27
Speaker 1: There were no church buildings, no organizations, no social media
17:32
Speaker 1: to broadcast the message. The church grew through homes, through tables,
17:37
Speaker 1: through one open door at a time. Hospitality was a
17:41
Speaker 1: gateway for the gospel, but somewhere along the way we
17:45
Speaker 1: lost this. Today we live in a culture of isolation.
17:48
Speaker 1: People keep to themselves, avoid deep connections, stay within their
17:53
Speaker 1: own circles. Hospitality has been replaced by self interest. We
17:57
Speaker 1: don't have time, we don't want the inconvenience. We don't
18:02
Speaker 1: want to invite people into the mess of our lives.
18:06
Speaker 1: But Jesus calls us to something greater. In Matthew twenty
18:10
Speaker 1: five thirty five to forty, Jesus gives a powerful picture
18:14
Speaker 1: of the final judgment. He separates the righteous from the
18:18
Speaker 1: wicked and says to those on his right, for I
18:21
Speaker 1: was hungry, and you gave me something to eat. I
18:24
Speaker 1: was thirsty and you gave me something to drink. I
18:27
Speaker 1: was a stranger and you invited me in. They ask, Lord,
18:33
Speaker 1: when did we see you hungry, or thirsty or a stranger?
18:38
Speaker 1: And he replies, whatever you did for the least of
18:41
Speaker 1: these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.
18:45
Speaker 1: Did you catch that? Every time we open our homes,
18:49
Speaker 1: every time we welcome a stranger, every time we serve
18:52
Speaker 1: someone in need, we are serving Christ himself. But here's
18:56
Speaker 1: where it gets Real hospitality is easy when it's planned,
19:00
Speaker 1: when the house is clean, when the food is ready,
19:04
Speaker 1: when we've prepared for it. But what about when it's inconvenient?
19:08
Speaker 1: What about when someone needs a place to stay at
19:11
Speaker 1: the last minute. What about when God calls you to
19:14
Speaker 1: serve someone who can't repay you. What about when it
19:18
Speaker 1: interrupts your schedule, your comfort, your personal space. Because that
19:23
Speaker 1: is where real hospitality begins. Jesus welcomed us when we
19:28
Speaker 1: were strangers. He served us when we didn't deserve it.
19:32
Speaker 1: He made a place for us when we had nothing
19:34
Speaker 1: to offer, and he tells us to do the same.
19:37
Speaker 1: Romans twelve thirteen says, share with the Lord's people who
19:41
Speaker 1: are in need. Practice hospitality, not just when it's easy,
19:46
Speaker 1: not just when it's convenient. Practice it, Live it, be
19:51
Speaker 1: known for it. But let's make this personal. Have you
19:54
Speaker 1: ever been in a situation where you felt completely alone.
19:58
Speaker 1: Maybe you were in a new place, surrounded by unfamiliar faces.
20:03
Speaker 1: Maybe you were struggling, hoping someone would notice, would invite
20:07
Speaker 1: you in, would simply care, And then someone did. Maybe
20:11
Speaker 1: they invited you into their home. Maybe they sat with
20:14
Speaker 1: you when no one else did. Maybe they showed you
20:17
Speaker 1: kindness when you least expected it, and in that moment,
20:20
Speaker 1: it wasn't just about food or shelter. It was about
20:24
Speaker 1: feeling seen, feeling valued, feeling loved. This is what hospitality does.
20:31
Speaker 1: It reminds people that they matter. And in a world
20:34
Speaker 1: where people are disconnected, isolated and searching for meaning, this
20:39
Speaker 1: is one of the greatest ways we can show the
20:41
Speaker 1: love of Christ. But this is where it gets hard,
20:44
Speaker 1: because hospitality requires sacrifice, It requires time, It requires putting
20:50
Speaker 1: others before ourselves. It requires stepping outside of our comfort zones,
20:55
Speaker 1: opening our homes, our hearts, and our lives even when
20:59
Speaker 1: it's in convenient. And yet this is exactly what Jesus
21:03
Speaker 1: did for us. So here's the challenge. Are you reflecting
21:06
Speaker 1: Christ through hospitality? Are you only generous when it's convenient,
21:11
Speaker 1: or do you make space for people even when it
21:13
Speaker 1: costs you something. Are you willing to open your home,
21:16
Speaker 1: your table, your life not just to friends, but to
21:20
Speaker 1: those in need. Are you showing love not just in
21:24
Speaker 1: words but in action, Because in the end, hospitality is
21:28
Speaker 1: not just about making people feel comfortable. It's about making
21:32
Speaker 1: them feel loved. And when we do this, we aren't
21:36
Speaker 1: just serving others we are serving Christ himself. The fourth
21:40
Speaker 1: most important lesson we take from Third John is this
21:44
Speaker 1: your faith is not measured by what you say, It's
21:48
Speaker 1: measured by what you do. When no one is watching,
21:51
Speaker 1: anyone can talk about faith, anyone can say I believe
21:55
Speaker 1: in God. But when life gets hard, when obedience is inconvenient,
22:01
Speaker 1: when standing for truth comes at a cost, that's when
22:04
Speaker 1: faith is proven. John understood this, which is why he
22:09
Speaker 1: wasn't just praising Gias for having good theology or saying
22:12
Speaker 1: the right things. He was commending him for his actions.
22:16
Speaker 1: In Third John one five to six, John writes, dear friend,
22:20
Speaker 1: you are faithful in what you are doing for the
22:22
Speaker 1: brothers and sisters. Even though they are strangers to you.
22:25
Speaker 1: They have told the church about your love. Please send
22:28
Speaker 1: them on the way in a manner that honors God.
22:31
Speaker 1: John didn't say you are faithful in what you believe.
22:35
Speaker 1: He didn't say you are faithful in what you say.
22:39
Speaker 1: He said you are faithful in what you are doing.
22:44
Speaker 1: Because faithfulness is not about intentions, it's about action. We
22:50
Speaker 1: live in a world where image is everything. People know
22:53
Speaker 1: how to look faithful. They know how to post the
22:55
Speaker 1: right Bible verse, say the right Christian phrases and appears spiritual,
23:00
Speaker 1: but behind the scenes, their life produces no fruit. Jesus
23:07
Speaker 1: addressed this in Matthew seven sixteen to twenty, saying, by
23:10
Speaker 1: their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes
23:15
Speaker 1: from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good
23:21
Speaker 1: tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.
23:26
Speaker 1: By their fruit, not by their words, not by their reputation,
23:30
Speaker 1: by what their life produces. That means if someone claims
23:33
Speaker 1: to love Jesus but constantly lies, gossips, and manipulates, their
23:39
Speaker 1: actions tell the truth. If someone talks about humility but
23:43
Speaker 1: craves attention and recognition, their actions tell the truth. If
23:48
Speaker 1: someone preaches about holiness but makes excuses for their sin,
23:53
Speaker 1: their actions tell the truth. What you do matters more
23:56
Speaker 1: than what you say, James two seventeen. Make this painfully clear.
24:01
Speaker 1: Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action,
24:05
Speaker 1: is dead dead faith. That's terrifying that we could claim
24:09
Speaker 1: to be faithful, but in God's eyes have nothing at all.
24:13
Speaker 1: But let's make this personal. Have you ever known someone
24:16
Speaker 1: who talked about God all the time but lived completely differently.
24:21
Speaker 1: Maybe they preached about forgiveness but held grudges. Maybe they
24:25
Speaker 1: claimed to be faithful but never followed through on anything.
24:28
Speaker 1: Maybe they wanted to look like a Christian more than
24:30
Speaker 1: they wanted to live like one. Or maybe be you've
24:35
Speaker 1: been that person. Maybe you've told people you trust God,
24:38
Speaker 1: but deep down you're filled with worry and doubt. Maybe
24:42
Speaker 1: you've claimed to follow Jesus but your decisions look nothing
24:46
Speaker 1: like him. Maybe you've said all the right words, but
24:49
Speaker 1: your actions haven't backed them up. We've all been there.
24:53
Speaker 1: Peter was there when he swore he would never deny Jesus,
24:57
Speaker 1: only to deny him three times. The Israelites were there
25:02
Speaker 1: when they promised to obey God, only to chase after
25:05
Speaker 1: idoles days later. The Pharisees were there when they preached
25:09
Speaker 1: the law, only to reject the very one it pointed to.
25:13
Speaker 1: But here's the good news. Faithfulness is not about never failing.
25:17
Speaker 1: It's about what you do next. A person's reputation isn't
25:21
Speaker 1: built in a moment, it's built over time. Gius wasn't
25:25
Speaker 1: known for just one act of kindness. He was known
25:27
Speaker 1: for a life style of faithfulness. He consistently served, loved,
25:32
Speaker 1: and lived out his faith and because of that, his
25:35
Speaker 1: reputation spread throughout the church. Proverbs twenty two one says
25:40
Speaker 1: a good name is more desirable than great riches. To
25:44
Speaker 1: be esteemed is better than silver or gold. That means
25:49
Speaker 1: how we live matters, Our reputation matters. What people see
25:53
Speaker 1: in our lives matters, not because we need human approval,
25:57
Speaker 1: but because our lives should be a reflection of Christ.
26:00
Speaker 1: So here's the challenge. If some one were to describe you,
26:04
Speaker 1: what would they say? Would they say you are faithful
26:07
Speaker 1: or just religious? Would they say you live what you
26:10
Speaker 1: believe or just talk about it. Would they say your
26:14
Speaker 1: life reflects Christ or that you blend in with the world.
26:18
Speaker 1: Because in the end, our words mean nothing if our
26:21
Speaker 1: actions don't back them up. And John reminds us true
26:25
Speaker 1: faithfulness is seen, not spoken. The fifth most important lesson
26:30
Speaker 1: we take from third John is this, who you follow
26:33
Speaker 1: shapes whom you become. Not every one who claims to
26:36
Speaker 1: lead is worth following. Some leaders build, others destroy, Some
26:41
Speaker 1: guide with humility, others manipulate for control, and the most
26:46
Speaker 1: dangerous kind the ones who disguise pride as authority, control
26:51
Speaker 1: as wisdom, and self interest as godliness. John warns about
26:56
Speaker 1: this in Third John one nine to ten, saying I
27:00
Speaker 1: wrote to the church, but Diatrefies, who loves to be first,
27:04
Speaker 1: will not welcome us. So when I come, I will
27:08
Speaker 1: call attention to what he is doing spreading malicious nonsense
27:12
Speaker 1: about us. Not satisfied with that, he even refuses to
27:16
Speaker 1: welcome other believers, he also stops those who want to
27:19
Speaker 1: do so and puts them out of the church. This
27:24
Speaker 1: is a serious warning. Diotrefies wasn't just a bad leader,
27:28
Speaker 1: he was a toxic one. He didn't seek to serve,
27:32
Speaker 1: he sought to control. He didn't lift others up, he
27:37
Speaker 1: silenced them, and worst of all, he used his position
27:41
Speaker 1: to push people away from the truth. This is why
27:45
Speaker 1: who you follow matters, because a leader who serves will
27:49
Speaker 1: bring you closer to Christ, but a leader who seeks
27:52
Speaker 1: power will pull you into deception. And John makes it
27:56
Speaker 1: clear you need to be careful who you follow. But
27:59
Speaker 1: let's be honest. Bad leaders don't always look bad at first.
28:04
Speaker 1: They are charismatic, They sound convincing, they know exactly how
28:08
Speaker 1: to win people over. They say things that sound biblical,
28:11
Speaker 1: but their actions reveal something different. Jesus warned about them
28:16
Speaker 1: in Matthew seven fifteen, saying, watch out for false prophets.
28:21
Speaker 1: They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they
28:24
Speaker 1: are ferocious wolves. Did you catch that? They don't come
28:28
Speaker 1: looking like wolves. They look holy, they look wise, they
28:32
Speaker 1: look like they have good intentions. But over time the
28:35
Speaker 1: truth always comes out. This is exactly what happened with Diotrefis.
28:41
Speaker 1: He was a leader in the church, but instead of
28:44
Speaker 1: guiding people toward Christ, he controlled them. Instead of welcoming
28:49
Speaker 1: fellow believers, he shut them out. Instead of humbling himself,
28:54
Speaker 1: he loved to be first. And this is where so
28:57
Speaker 1: many people get trapped because into day's world, people follow
29:01
Speaker 1: personalities more than they follow Christ. They follow preachers who
29:06
Speaker 1: tell them what they want to hear. They follow influences
29:10
Speaker 1: who make them feel good, even if they distort scripture.
29:14
Speaker 1: They follow churches that promise blessings without obedience, grace without repentance,
29:20
Speaker 1: faith without surrender, and before they know it, they are
29:24
Speaker 1: no longer following Jesus. They're following a brand, a personality,
29:29
Speaker 1: a movement. Paul warned about this in Secod Timothy four
29:33
Speaker 1: three to four, saying, for the time will come when
29:37
Speaker 1: people will not put up with sound doctrine instead to
29:41
Speaker 1: suit their own desires. They will gather around them a
29:44
Speaker 1: great number of teachers to say what their itching ears
29:48
Speaker 1: want to hear. They will turn their ears away from
29:51
Speaker 1: the truth and turn aside to myths. That time is now.
29:56
Speaker 1: Think about it. How many people to day blindly follow
30:00
Speaker 1: leaders without ever testing if what they teach alignes with
30:04
Speaker 1: God's word. How many churches have abandoned truth just to
30:08
Speaker 1: stay relevant. How many believers have fallen into deception because
30:13
Speaker 1: they followed a leader's words instead of following Christ. This
30:18
Speaker 1: is why John's warning is so important, because not every
30:23
Speaker 1: spiritual leader is from God. So how do you know
30:26
Speaker 1: the difference? Jesus gave us the answer in Matthew seven sixteen.
30:31
Speaker 1: By their fruit, you will recognize them. That means, if
30:35
Speaker 1: a leader talks about humility but craves power, their fruit
30:39
Speaker 1: tells the truth. If they preach about love but destroy
30:43
Speaker 1: others with their words, their fruit tells the truth. If
30:47
Speaker 1: they claim to follow Jesus but reject correction, their fruit
30:52
Speaker 1: tells the truth. Character matters, integrity matters, Truth matters. Because
30:57
Speaker 1: bad leadership doesn't just affect one person, it can corrupt
31:02
Speaker 1: an entire church, an entire generation, an entire movement. Think
31:08
Speaker 1: about King Saul. He was chosen by God to lead Israel,
31:12
Speaker 1: but over time pride poisoned his heart. He stopped listening
31:16
Speaker 1: to God, started abusing his power, and eventually his own
31:21
Speaker 1: kingdom crumbled. Think about the Pharisees. They were religious leaders,
31:26
Speaker 1: experts in scripture, but their hearts were filled with pride
31:30
Speaker 1: and self righteousness. And when Jesus came, instead of recognizing
31:35
Speaker 1: him as the Messiah, they fought to silence him. Because
31:40
Speaker 1: when power becomes more important than truth, leaders will do
31:44
Speaker 1: anything to protect their control. And that's exactly what John
31:48
Speaker 1: was dealing with. That Deo Trefis didn't just reject truth,
31:52
Speaker 1: he attacked those who preached it. He refused to welcome
31:55
Speaker 1: fellow believers. He spread lies about John, He ex communicated
32:00
Speaker 1: people who disagreed with him, and John wasn't afraid to
32:04
Speaker 1: call it out. Because bad leadership doesn't just work itself out.
32:08
Speaker 1: It needs to be exposed, It needs to be confronted,
32:12
Speaker 1: it needs to be removed. So here's the challenge, who
32:15
Speaker 1: are you following? Are you following leaders who point you
32:19
Speaker 1: to Christ or ones who keep the focus on themselves.
32:23
Speaker 1: Are you following teachers who preach truth or ones who
32:25
Speaker 1: twist scripture for their own agenda. Are you blindly trusting
32:29
Speaker 1: someone's words or are you testing everything against God's word?
32:34
Speaker 1: Because the truth is who you follow will shape who
32:38
Speaker 1: you become, and if you follow prideful, power hungry leaders,
32:42
Speaker 1: you will eventually become like them. So be careful, be discerning,
32:47
Speaker 1: be rooted in scripture, because in the end, there is
32:50
Speaker 1: only one leader worth following, and his name is Jesus Christ.
32:56
Speaker 1: Some of the most dangerous people in the church are
32:59
Speaker 1: not those who oppose it, but those who lead it.
33:03
Speaker 1: This is the terrifying truth that few people talk about.
33:06
Speaker 1: When leadership is done right, it can strengthen a church,
33:10
Speaker 1: empower believers, and advance the gospel. But when bad leaders rise,
33:16
Speaker 1: leaders driven by ego control and self importance, it doesn't
33:20
Speaker 1: just damage individuals, it destroys entire communities of faith. This
33:26
Speaker 1: is what John confronted in Third John one nine ten.
33:29
Speaker 1: He writes, I wrote to the church, but Diotrephies, who
33:33
Speaker 1: loves to be first, will not welcome us. So when
33:36
Speaker 1: I come, I will call attention to what he's doing,
33:39
Speaker 1: spreading malicious nonsense about Us. Not satisfied with that, he
33:44
Speaker 1: even refuses to welcome other believers. He also stops those
33:49
Speaker 1: who want to do so and puts them out of
33:52
Speaker 1: the church. Diotrephis wasn't just a bad leader, he was
33:57
Speaker 1: a toxic one. He loved to be first. He silenced
34:01
Speaker 1: the voices of others. He spread lies to maintain his control.
34:05
Speaker 1: He excommunicated those who didn't bow to his authority. Does
34:10
Speaker 1: this sound familiar because this still happens to day. Some
34:14
Speaker 1: churches are built around one personality, not Jesus. Some leaders
34:19
Speaker 1: demand loyalty instead of earning trust. Some pastors control rather
34:25
Speaker 1: than serve, and before long they stop leading people to
34:29
Speaker 1: God and start leading them to themselves. This is why
34:34
Speaker 1: Jesus warned about false leadership in Matthew twenty twenty five
34:38
Speaker 1: to twenty eight, saying, you know that the rulers of
34:42
Speaker 1: the gentiles laud it over them, and their high officials
34:46
Speaker 1: exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever
34:52
Speaker 1: wants to become great among you must be your servant,
34:56
Speaker 1: and whoever wants to be first, must be your slave.
35:00
Speaker 1: Just as the Son of Man did not come to
35:03
Speaker 1: be served, but to serve and to give his life
35:06
Speaker 1: as a ransom for many. Not so with you. The
35:11
Speaker 1: world fights for power, the world seeks control. But in
35:16
Speaker 1: God's kingdom, the greatest leaders are the greatest servants. Let's
35:21
Speaker 1: be real, that's not what most people want. Most people
35:25
Speaker 1: want the title of leadership, not the cost of it.
35:27
Speaker 1: They want influence not sacrifice. They want respect not humility.
35:34
Speaker 1: And that's how you end up with leaders like dear Trefies,
35:37
Speaker 1: people who build their own kingdom instead of gods. But
35:40
Speaker 1: let's make this personal. Have you ever experienced spiritual manipulation?
35:46
Speaker 1: Maybe you were part of a church where questioning leadership
35:49
Speaker 1: was seen as rebellion. Maybe you've watched as pastors exploited
35:53
Speaker 1: people instead of shepherding them. Maybe you've been under leadership
35:57
Speaker 1: that cared more about power than people. Or maybe you've
36:01
Speaker 1: been that leader. Maybe you've found yourself wanting recognition instead
36:05
Speaker 1: of focusing on serving. Maybe you've taken on responsibility but
36:10
Speaker 1: struggled to remain humble. Maybe leadership has started to feel
36:14
Speaker 1: like a position to hold rather than a calling to serve.
36:18
Speaker 1: We've all been there. Even the Disciples struggled with this.
36:22
Speaker 1: In Luke twenty two, twenty four to twenty six Right
36:25
Speaker 1: before Jesus was about to go to the cross, his
36:28
Speaker 1: disciples were arguing over who among them was the greatest,
36:32
Speaker 1: and Jesus shut them down. He said, the greatest among
36:36
Speaker 1: you should be like the youngest, and the one who
36:39
Speaker 1: rules like the one who serves. Because in God's kingdom,
36:43
Speaker 1: leaders don't rise to the top, they bow to the bottom.
36:47
Speaker 1: But let's talk about the damage. Bad leadership doesn't just
36:51
Speaker 1: affect one person. It poisons an entire church. We've seen
36:55
Speaker 1: it at churches that become dictatorships where only one voice matters,
37:00
Speaker 1: ministries that prioritize loyalty over accountability, pastors who become celebrities
37:07
Speaker 1: instead of shepherds. And when this happens, people don't leave
37:11
Speaker 1: the faith because of Jesus. They leave because they were
37:14
Speaker 1: never led to him in the first place. This is
37:17
Speaker 1: why John called out dear Trefis, because bad leadership doesn't
37:22
Speaker 1: fix itself, it must be confronted. So here's the real question.
37:27
Speaker 1: Who are you following? Are you following leaders who serve
37:31
Speaker 1: with humility or rule with control? Are you under leadership
37:35
Speaker 1: that loves people or just loves power. Are you blindly
37:40
Speaker 1: accepting authority or are you testing everything against God's word.
37:45
Speaker 1: And if you are in leadership, what kind of leader
37:48
Speaker 1: are you becoming? Because at the end of the day,
37:51
Speaker 1: true leaders don't need to control, they don't need to
37:55
Speaker 1: demand submission, they don't need to silence questions, they don't
37:59
Speaker 1: need to hold on to power, because when you lead
38:02
Speaker 1: like Jesus, your life speaks for itself. And that's the
38:06
Speaker 1: only leadership that matters. Nothing destroys a church faster than pride.
38:11
Speaker 1: It doesn't take an outside attack, it doesn't take persecution,
38:15
Speaker 1: it doesn't take a crisis. All it takes is one
38:19
Speaker 1: person who refuses to humble themselves and the foundation of
38:23
Speaker 1: unity begins to crack. This is the seventh lesson we
38:28
Speaker 1: take out of the Third John. Pride has been at
38:32
Speaker 1: the root of every church split, every leadership scandal, every
38:36
Speaker 1: moment where division has taken hold of the body of Christ.
38:40
Speaker 1: It starts small, just a leader who refuses correction, just
38:44
Speaker 1: a believer who thinks their way is best, just a
38:47
Speaker 1: slight elevation of self over others. But then it spreads.
38:53
Speaker 1: It turns disagreement into hostility, It turns discussions into battles,
38:59
Speaker 1: It turns the House of God into a battlefield of egos.
39:04
Speaker 1: John saw this happening with Diotrefis, a man who turned
39:08
Speaker 1: leadership into a weapon. In Third John one nine to ten,
39:12
Speaker 1: John writes, I wrote to the church, but Diotrefis, who
39:17
Speaker 1: loves to be first, will not welcome us. So when
39:20
Speaker 1: I come, I will call attention to what he is doing,
39:24
Speaker 1: spreading malicious nonsense about us. Not satisfied with that, he
39:29
Speaker 1: even refuses to welcome other believers, he also stops those
39:33
Speaker 1: who want to do so and puts them out of
39:36
Speaker 1: the church. This was not about theology, This was not
39:39
Speaker 1: about doctrine. This was about pride. Diatrefis loved to be first.
39:45
Speaker 1: He didn't just want leadership, he wanted control. He didn't
39:49
Speaker 1: just reject John, he silenced him. He didn't just ignore
39:52
Speaker 1: fellow believers, he excommunicated them. This is what pride does.
39:57
Speaker 1: It makes people more concerned with winning than with being
40:01
Speaker 1: right before God. It makes people defend their reputation more
40:05
Speaker 1: than they defend the truth. It makes people build a
40:08
Speaker 1: kingdom for themselves instead of submitting to God's kingdom, and
40:14
Speaker 1: the result division, conflict, a fractured body of Christ. This
40:18
Speaker 1: is exactly why Satan loves using pride to destroy churches
40:24
Speaker 1: because he doesn't need to convince people to abandon their faith.
40:27
Speaker 1: He just needs to convince them to elevate themselves. This
40:32
Speaker 1: is what happened in Isaiah fourteen twelve to fifteen where
40:36
Speaker 1: we see the downfall of Lucifer. He wasn't cast out
40:40
Speaker 1: of heaven because he hated God. He was cast out
40:44
Speaker 1: because he wanted to be equal to God. He didn't
40:47
Speaker 1: deny the truth, he just wanted control over it. And
40:51
Speaker 1: that same spirit of pride still corrupts leaders to day.
40:56
Speaker 1: We see it all the time churches where the pastors
40:59
Speaker 1: were word is final even when it contradicts scripture, ministries
41:03
Speaker 1: where leaders punish those who ask questions, Christian communities that
41:08
Speaker 1: value reputation over repentance. And in the end, people don't
41:13
Speaker 1: walk away from Jesus because of him. They walk away
41:17
Speaker 1: because they were hurt by people who misrepresented him. But
41:21
Speaker 1: let's make this personal. Have you ever let pride get
41:25
Speaker 1: in the way of reconciliation. Maybe you were in an
41:29
Speaker 1: argument and instead of choosing peace, you chose to be right.
41:34
Speaker 1: Maybe someone corrected you and instead of listening, you got defensive.
41:39
Speaker 1: Maybe you knew deep down that you needed to humble yourself,
41:43
Speaker 1: but your ego wouldn't let you. Or maybe you've been
41:46
Speaker 1: on the other side. Maybe you've seen how prideful leadership
41:50
Speaker 1: has driven people away from church. Maybe you've watched as
41:54
Speaker 1: personal ambition replaced godly humility. Maybe you've felt the pain
41:59
Speaker 1: of being silent, excluded, or rejected not because you were wrong,
42:04
Speaker 1: but because someone else refused to humble themselves. This is
42:08
Speaker 1: why humility is the only thing that can hold the
42:11
Speaker 1: church together. Paul gives us the blueprint in Philippians two
42:16
Speaker 1: three four, saying, do nothing out of selfish ambition or
42:21
Speaker 1: vain conceit. Rather, in humility, value others above yourselves, not
42:28
Speaker 1: looking to your own interests, but each of you to
42:31
Speaker 1: the interests of the others. Did you catch that value
42:35
Speaker 1: others above yourself? That means in conflict, humility chooses reconciliation
42:40
Speaker 1: over pride. That means in leadership, humility seeks to serve,
42:46
Speaker 1: not to be served. That means in the church, humility
42:50
Speaker 1: builds unity instead of causing division. And no one demonstrated
42:55
Speaker 1: this better than Jesus in John thirteen, just hours before
42:59
Speaker 1: his crucifixion, Jesus did something shocking. He knelt down and
43:05
Speaker 1: washed his disciples feet. The Son of God, the one
43:09
Speaker 1: with all power, all authority, all glory, chose humility. And
43:14
Speaker 1: after he finished, he told his disciples, now that I,
43:18
Speaker 1: your Lord and teacher, have washed your feet, you also
43:21
Speaker 1: should wash one another's feet. John thirteen fourteen. That is
43:26
Speaker 1: the heart of true leadership, not fighting to be first,
43:30
Speaker 1: not demanding recognition, not holding on to pride, but serving,
43:34
Speaker 1: lifting others up, humbling yourself before God. So here's the challenge.
43:40
Speaker 1: Are you building unity or are you fueling division? Are
43:43
Speaker 1: you the kind of person who brings people together or
43:46
Speaker 1: tears them apart. Are you willing to admit when you're
43:49
Speaker 1: wrong or do you always have to win? Are you
43:53
Speaker 1: humbling yourself like Christ? Or are you secretly fighting to
43:56
Speaker 1: be first? Because at the end of the day, pride
44:00
Speaker 1: will destroy everything it touches, but humility, humility will build
44:05
Speaker 1: what pride tries to tear down. And that is the
44:08
Speaker 1: difference between a church that thrives and a church that collapses.
44:13
Speaker 1: What you imitate, you become. It's an undeniable truth, whether
44:17
Speaker 1: we realize it or not. The people we listen to,
44:20
Speaker 1: the values we adopt and the behaviors we normalize shape
44:24
Speaker 1: us for better or for worse. The question is are
44:29
Speaker 1: we imitating what is good? Or are we unknowingly following evil.
44:33
Speaker 1: This is the eighth lesson we take out of the
44:36
Speaker 1: Third John. John gives a simple but urgent warning in
44:41
Speaker 1: Third John one eleven, saying, dear friend, do not imitate
44:47
Speaker 1: what is evil, but what is good. Anyone who does
44:50
Speaker 1: what is good is from God. Anyone who does what
44:53
Speaker 1: is evil has not seen God. It's black and white.
44:59
Speaker 1: There is no mins ground, no neutral zone, no gray
45:03
Speaker 1: area where compromise is acceptable. You are either walking in
45:07
Speaker 1: righteousness or you are drifting into evil. And the most
45:11
Speaker 1: dangerous part, most people don't even realize they've started imitating
45:15
Speaker 1: the wrong things until it's too late. That's because sin
45:20
Speaker 1: never presents itself as evil. Evil always disguises itself as
45:25
Speaker 1: something harmless, something justified, something normal. No one wakes up
45:30
Speaker 1: one morning and says, to day, I am going to
45:33
Speaker 1: abandon my faith. No leader starts their ministry saying I
45:37
Speaker 1: want to deceive people. No believer makes it their goal
45:41
Speaker 1: to slowly compromise their convictions. But over time, small imitations
45:47
Speaker 1: become permanent habits. A small lie here, a little gossip there,
45:52
Speaker 1: a compromise for the sake of convenience, and before you
45:56
Speaker 1: know it, you are no longer following Christ. You are
45:59
Speaker 1: following whatever is easiest. This is why the battle for
46:02
Speaker 1: your soul doesn't start with an attack. It starts with
46:06
Speaker 1: an influence. Who are you watching, Who are you learning from?
46:10
Speaker 1: Who are you imitating? Because the reality is what you admire,
46:15
Speaker 1: you will eventually reflect. Paul understood this when he wrote
46:20
Speaker 1: in First Corinthians fifteen thirty three, do not be misled.
46:26
Speaker 1: Bad company corrupts good character. That means if you surround
46:32
Speaker 1: yourself with people who compromise, you will compromise. If you
46:37
Speaker 1: constantly watch leaders who twist scripture, you will start excusing
46:42
Speaker 1: false teaching. If you normalize sin in small ways, you
46:46
Speaker 1: will soon justify it in bigger ways, And before long,
46:51
Speaker 1: your faith isn't being shaped by Christ, It's being shaped
46:54
Speaker 1: by culture. But let's make this personal. Have you ever
46:59
Speaker 1: found yourself slowly tolerating something you once stood against. Maybe
47:03
Speaker 1: at one point you were careful with what you watched,
47:06
Speaker 1: but now it doesn't bother you any more. Maybe you
47:10
Speaker 1: used to have strong convictions, but now you've softened them
47:14
Speaker 1: to avoid conflict. Maybe you once stood boldly for truth,
47:18
Speaker 1: but over time you've learned to stay silent to fit in.
47:22
Speaker 1: It happens so easily, and before we know it, we
47:26
Speaker 1: aren't imitating Christ. We are imitating the world. But here's
47:30
Speaker 1: the danger. What the church tolerates to day, it will
47:34
Speaker 1: embrace tomorrow. We've seen it. Churches that once stood for
47:38
Speaker 1: holiness now excuse sin in the name of love. Believers
47:43
Speaker 1: who once spoke truth now water it down to stay relevant.
47:46
Speaker 1: Christians who once lived set apart now blend in with
47:50
Speaker 1: the culture. And why because they started imitating the wrong things.
47:56
Speaker 1: This is why John's warning is so important, because what
47:59
Speaker 1: you imitate will either lead you closer to God or
48:03
Speaker 1: pull you further from him. And the truth is, choosing
48:07
Speaker 1: righteousness will never be easy. It will cost you popularity,
48:12
Speaker 1: it will cost you relationships, it will cost you opportunities,
48:16
Speaker 1: because following Christ means rejecting what the world calls normal.
48:22
Speaker 1: Jesus made this clear in Matthew seven thirteen to fourteen,
48:26
Speaker 1: saying enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate,
48:31
Speaker 1: and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and
48:35
Speaker 1: many enter through it. But small is the gate, and
48:38
Speaker 1: narrow the road that leads to life, and only a
48:41
Speaker 1: few find it. Few find it because it's easier to
48:45
Speaker 1: follow what everyone else is doing. It's easier to take
48:48
Speaker 1: the broad road. It's easier to imitate evil than it
48:52
Speaker 1: is to stand for what is good. But here's the truth.
48:56
Speaker 1: God is not calling you to fit in. He is
48:58
Speaker 1: calling you to stand. He is calling you to be
49:02
Speaker 1: a reflection of Christ, not a reflection of culture. And
49:05
Speaker 1: that means you have to make a choice. Will you
49:08
Speaker 1: follow righteousness or will you follow convenience. Will you imitate
49:13
Speaker 1: Jesus or will you imitate whatever the world says is acceptable.
49:18
Speaker 1: Will you guard your faith or will you slowly let
49:21
Speaker 1: compromise take over? Because in the end, who you imitate
49:25
Speaker 1: determines who you become. So be careful, choose wisely, because
49:30
Speaker 1: your eternity depends on it. Some of the most faithful
49:34
Speaker 1: people in the Kingdom of God are completely unnoticed by
49:38
Speaker 1: the world. No applause, no recognition, no grand platform, just quiet,
49:47
Speaker 1: steady obedience. And while people may overlook them, God never does.
49:54
Speaker 1: This is the ninth lesson we take out of the
49:56
Speaker 1: third John John had just worn about Diotrephes, a prideful
50:02
Speaker 1: leader who rejected truth and sought personal power, but immediately
50:06
Speaker 1: after he shifts the focus to Demetrius, a man who
50:10
Speaker 1: was known not for his status but for his faithfulness.
50:14
Speaker 1: In Third John one eleven to twelve, John writes, dear friend,
50:18
Speaker 1: do not imitate what is evil, but what is good.
50:22
Speaker 1: Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone
50:25
Speaker 1: who does what is evil has not seen God. Demetrius
50:30
Speaker 1: is well spoken of by everyone, and even by the
50:32
Speaker 1: truth itself. We also speak well of him, and you
50:35
Speaker 1: know that our testimony is true. John doesn't describe Demetrius
50:41
Speaker 1: as powerful, influential, or successful in the eyes of the world.
50:45
Speaker 1: He simply says that he was known for doing what
50:48
Speaker 1: is right, and in the end, that's what matters, because
50:53
Speaker 1: true faithfulness isn't about being seen, it's about being steadfast.
50:58
Speaker 1: We live in a world that constantly seeks recognition. People
51:01
Speaker 1: want their efforts to be noticed, their work to be praised,
51:05
Speaker 1: Their sacrifice is to be acknowledged, and if they don't
51:08
Speaker 1: get that, they feel unseen. But here's the truth. God
51:13
Speaker 1: sees what no one else does, every hidden act of kindness,
51:17
Speaker 1: every silent sacrifice, every moment where you chose to do
51:20
Speaker 1: the right thing, even when no one was watching. Nothing
51:24
Speaker 1: escapes his eyes. Jesus made this clear in Matthew six
51:28
Speaker 1: three four, saying, but when you give to the needy,
51:32
Speaker 1: do not let your left hand know what your right
51:35
Speaker 1: hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret.
51:39
Speaker 1: Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret,
51:42
Speaker 1: will reward you. Did you catch that God sees and
51:46
Speaker 1: God rewards? But let's be honest. Sometimes it's hard to
51:49
Speaker 1: keep serving when it feels like no one cares. It's
51:52
Speaker 1: hard to keep being faithful when no one appreciates your effort.
51:56
Speaker 1: It's hard to keep doing the right thing when others
51:59
Speaker 1: get reward added for doing less. It's hard to stay
52:02
Speaker 1: committed to God when it feels like no one notices
52:06
Speaker 1: your faithfulness. But let's make this personal. Have you ever
52:10
Speaker 1: done something out of love only to feel completely unappreciated.
52:15
Speaker 1: Maybe you poured yourself into ministry but no one thanked you.
52:20
Speaker 1: Maybe you went out of your way to help someone
52:22
Speaker 1: but they didn't even acknowledge it. Maybe you've been faithfully
52:26
Speaker 1: living for Christ, but instead of feeling encouraged, you feel invisible.
52:31
Speaker 1: If that's you, you're not alone. Think about Noah. He
52:35
Speaker 1: spent one hundred twenty years building an ark while the
52:38
Speaker 1: world mocked him. Think about Joseph, he spent years in
52:42
Speaker 1: prison for a crime he didn't commit. Think about Moses,
52:45
Speaker 1: he led Israel through the wilderness, only to be constantly criticized.
52:50
Speaker 1: They were faithful and for a long time no one
52:53
Speaker 1: recognized it, but God did, and when the time was right,
52:57
Speaker 1: he rewarded them. Because faithfulness is never wasted. Hebrews six
53:02
Speaker 1: ten reminds us God is not unjust. He will not
53:06
Speaker 1: forget your work and the love you have shown him,
53:09
Speaker 1: as you have helped his people and continue to help them.
53:14
Speaker 1: Did you catch that even when people forget, God never does.
53:18
Speaker 1: He sees every unseen prayer, he sees every late night
53:22
Speaker 1: act of service, he sees every quiet sacrifice, And in
53:25
Speaker 1: the end, his reward is worth more than any human recognition.
53:31
Speaker 1: But here's the challenge. Will you stay faithful even when
53:34
Speaker 1: no one notices? Will you keep serving even when it
53:38
Speaker 1: feels like no one appreciates you. Will you keep giving
53:42
Speaker 1: even when no one says thank you? Will you keep
53:45
Speaker 1: standing for truth even when the world ignores you? Because
53:49
Speaker 1: the reality is, faithfulness isn't about the spotlight. It's about obedience.
53:55
Speaker 1: And one day when you stand before God, you won't
53:58
Speaker 1: need human applause, because if you have lived faithfully, you
54:02
Speaker 1: will hear the only words that matter, Well done, good,
54:05
Speaker 1: and faithful servant. And that is a reward worth waiting for.
54:09
Speaker 1: Long after you're gone, Your reputation will remain, your name
54:13
Speaker 1: will be remembered for good or for bad. The impact
54:17
Speaker 1: of your life will not be measured by your wealth,
54:19
Speaker 1: your accomplishments, or your influence, but by one thing, did
54:24
Speaker 1: your life reflect Christ? This is the tenth lesson we
54:28
Speaker 1: take out of the Third John. John ends his letter
54:32
Speaker 1: by highlighting Demetrius, a man whose reputation was a testimony
54:36
Speaker 1: of his faith. In Third John one twelve, he writes,
54:41
Speaker 1: Demetrius is well spoken of by every one, and even
54:46
Speaker 1: by the truth itself. We also speak well of him,
54:50
Speaker 1: and you know that our testimony is true. Did you
54:53
Speaker 1: catch that? John wasn't just saying that people liked Demetrius.
54:56
Speaker 1: He wasn't just saying he was popular. He was saying
54:59
Speaker 1: that the truth itself bore witness to his life. That
55:03
Speaker 1: means Demetrius didn't just have a good reputation. He had
55:07
Speaker 1: a godly reputation, and that is far more valuable than
55:11
Speaker 1: any status, any success or any public recognition. But to
55:16
Speaker 1: day people care more about being seen than about being holy.
55:21
Speaker 1: Reputation has become a carefully managed image. People work harder
55:26
Speaker 1: to appear righteous than to actually be righteous, and the
55:30
Speaker 1: world rewards it If you look good, that's all that matters.
55:35
Speaker 1: But here's the truth. You can fool people, but you
55:37
Speaker 1: can't fool God. Matthew twenty three, twenty seven to twenty
55:42
Speaker 1: eight speaks directly to this. Woe to you, teachers of
55:46
Speaker 1: the law and pharisees, you hypocrites. You are like whitewashed tombs,
55:51
Speaker 1: which look beautiful on the outside, but on the inside
55:55
Speaker 1: are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean.
56:00
Speaker 1: In the same way, on the outside you appear to
56:02
Speaker 1: people as righteous, but on the inside you are full
56:05
Speaker 1: of hypocrisy and wickedness. That is the danger of living
56:11
Speaker 1: for public approval instead of godly character, Because in the end,
56:16
Speaker 1: it doesn't matter what people say about you, it matters
56:19
Speaker 1: what the truth says about you. When here's the reality.
56:24
Speaker 1: Your daily choices are shaping your testimony right now. It's
56:28
Speaker 1: not the big moments, it's not the public highlights. It's
56:32
Speaker 1: the small daily decisions that determine whether your reputation reflects
56:37
Speaker 1: Christ or contradicts him. Think about it. If people watched
56:42
Speaker 1: how you treat others, would they see Jesus in you?
56:46
Speaker 1: If they saw how you respond to stress, would they
56:48
Speaker 1: see faith or frustration? If they listen to how you
56:52
Speaker 1: speak about others, would your words reflect Christ? Because whether
56:57
Speaker 1: you realize it or not, your life is telling a story.
57:02
Speaker 1: Paul reinforces this in Second Corinthians three two three, saying
57:07
Speaker 1: you yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known
57:12
Speaker 1: and read by every one. You show that you are
57:15
Speaker 1: a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written
57:19
Speaker 1: not with ink, but with the spirit of the Living God.
57:24
Speaker 1: Your life is a letter. Your reputation is a message.
57:27
Speaker 1: Your testimony is either leading people closer to Christ or
57:31
Speaker 1: pushing them further away. But let's make this personal. Have
57:35
Speaker 1: you ever met someone who claimed to be a Christian
57:38
Speaker 1: but their life didn't match their words. Maybe they spoke
57:42
Speaker 1: about love and grace but were quick to gossip and
57:45
Speaker 1: tear others down. Maybe they preached about humility but were
57:49
Speaker 1: obsessed with status and recognition. Maybe they had a reputation
57:54
Speaker 1: of being spiritual, but behind the scenes lived a completely
57:58
Speaker 1: different life. It's easy to talk about faith, but true
58:03
Speaker 1: character is revealed in what we do when no one
58:06
Speaker 1: is watching. And that's why integrity matters, because your reputation
58:11
Speaker 1: is not built on what you say, It is built
58:14
Speaker 1: on what you do. That means if you compromise in private,
58:18
Speaker 1: it will eventually be exposed in public. If you cut
58:22
Speaker 1: corners in small things, it will show up in big things.
58:26
Speaker 1: If your faith is only real when people are watching,
58:30
Speaker 1: it isn't real at all. Proverbs twenty two one reminds
58:34
Speaker 1: us a good name is more desirable than great riches.
58:38
Speaker 1: To be esteemed is better than silver or gold. Did
58:43
Speaker 1: you catch that a godly reputation is more valuable than wealth,
58:48
Speaker 1: more valuable than success, more valuable than anything you could
58:52
Speaker 1: gain in this life. Because in the end, the only
58:55
Speaker 1: thing that will matter is what your life reflected. So
59:00
Speaker 1: here's the challenge. If people were to describe you, what
59:03
Speaker 1: would they say. Would they say you are faithful or
59:06
Speaker 1: just religious? Would they say you live what you believe
59:09
Speaker 1: or just talk about it. Would they say your life
59:12
Speaker 1: reflects Christ or that you blend in with the world.
59:16
Speaker 1: Because at the end of the day, you don't just
59:18
Speaker 1: carry your own name. You carry the name of Christ,
59:23
Speaker 1: and if your life doesn't point to him, your reputation
59:26
Speaker 1: means nothing. But if your life is a testimony of
59:29
Speaker 1: His truth, your name will be remembered not because of
59:33
Speaker 1: who you are, but because of who you reflect, and
59:37
Speaker 1: that is the only reputation that matters. Everything we've learned
59:42
Speaker 1: from Third John comes down to this, will you stand
59:45
Speaker 1: firm in truth or will you compromise? The world is
59:49
Speaker 1: filled with people who once stood strong in faith but
59:54
Speaker 1: slowly drifted away, not because they openly rejected God, not
59:59
Speaker 1: because they set out to abandon the truth, but because
1:00:03
Speaker 1: compromise crept in, little by little, moment by moment, until
1:00:07
Speaker 1: they no longer recognized how far they had fallen. So
1:00:14
Speaker 1: where do you stand. We've talked about prideful leaders like
1:00:18
Speaker 1: dear Trephies, who twisted leadership into control. We've talked about
1:00:23
Speaker 1: humble men like Demetrius, whose life reflected Christ. We've talked
1:00:27
Speaker 1: about truth, integrity, faithfulness, and standing firm in a world
1:00:32
Speaker 1: of deception. But now the question isn't about them. It's
1:00:36
Speaker 1: about you in your life right now, are you standing
1:00:40
Speaker 1: firm in truth or have you started to bend? Have
1:00:43
Speaker 1: you started making small compromises to fit in, to avoid conflict,
1:00:48
Speaker 1: to make life easier. Have you started letting go of
1:00:51
Speaker 1: convictions that once defined your faith? Have you started prioritizing
1:00:56
Speaker 1: comfort over obedience, reputation over righteousness, approval over integrity. Because
1:01:03
Speaker 1: the truth is, no one drifts toward holiness by accident.
1:01:08
Speaker 1: You don't wake up one day and suddenly find yourself
1:01:10
Speaker 1: stronger in faith, bolder in truth, and unshakable in your convictions.
1:01:17
Speaker 1: That kind of faith only comes through intentionality. Jesus warned
1:01:22
Speaker 1: us about this in Matthew seven twenty four to twenty seven,
1:01:26
Speaker 1: where he described two types of people, one who built
1:01:31
Speaker 1: their house on rock and one who built their house
1:01:34
Speaker 1: on sand. Both houses looked fine, Both houses stood tall
1:01:38
Speaker 1: until the storm came. Then the foundation was revealed. The
1:01:43
Speaker 1: house on sand collapsed, the house on rock remained. And
1:01:46
Speaker 1: that is the difference between those who stand firm and
1:01:50
Speaker 1: those who fall the foundation. So ask yourself what is
1:01:54
Speaker 1: your faith built on? Is it built on feelings the
1:01:58
Speaker 1: change with the seasons. Is it built on opinions that
1:02:01
Speaker 1: shift with the culture. Is it built on comfort that
1:02:05
Speaker 1: disappears when trials come? Or is it built on Christ
1:02:09
Speaker 1: the unshakable rock that never moves, because make no mistake,
1:02:13
Speaker 1: the storm is coming. Your faith will be tested, your
1:02:16
Speaker 1: convictions will be challenged, your beliefs will be attacked, and
1:02:20
Speaker 1: in that moment, the strength of your foundation will be revealed.
1:02:25
Speaker 1: This is why Paul lurge believers in First Corinthians sixteen thirteen.
1:02:29
Speaker 1: Be on your guard, stand firm in the faith, Be courageous,
1:02:34
Speaker 1: be strong because faith requires action. It's not passive, it's
1:02:39
Speaker 1: not automatic. It's a daily, intentional choice. And here's the reality.
1:02:44
Speaker 1: Standing for truth will cost you something. It will cost
1:02:48
Speaker 1: you relationships, it will cost you popularity. It may even
1:02:52
Speaker 1: cost you opportunities because when you refuse to compromise, you
1:02:57
Speaker 1: will stand out. But that's it, exactly what Jesus said
1:03:01
Speaker 1: would happen. John fifteen nineteen says, if you belong to
1:03:05
Speaker 1: the world, it would love you as its own. As
1:03:09
Speaker 1: it is. You do not belong to the world, But
1:03:12
Speaker 1: I have chosen you out of the world. That is
1:03:17
Speaker 1: why the world hates you. Did you catch that at
1:03:20
Speaker 1: the world will never embrace true faith. It will tolerate
1:03:24
Speaker 1: a watered down, comfortable version of Christianity, one that doesn't challenge,
1:03:29
Speaker 1: doesn't convict, and doesn't call for change, But if you
1:03:33
Speaker 1: choose to stand firm, you will be hated, misunderstood, rejected.
1:03:38
Speaker 1: And yet God has given you everything you need to
1:03:42
Speaker 1: remain strong. You have his word which never changes, You
1:03:47
Speaker 1: have his spirit, which empowers you. You have his promise
1:03:50
Speaker 1: that he will never leave you. And you have the
1:03:52
Speaker 1: hope of eternity, a reward far greater than anything this
1:03:56
Speaker 1: world could ever offer. So here's the check challenge. Where
1:04:00
Speaker 1: will you stand? Will you stand firm even if it
1:04:04
Speaker 1: means standing alone. Will you refuse to compromise, even when
1:04:08
Speaker 1: the pressure is unbearable. Will you build your life on
1:04:11
Speaker 1: the rock of truth so that when the storm comes
1:04:14
Speaker 1: you remain unshaken. Because one day you will stand before God,
1:04:20
Speaker 1: not before people, not before culture, not before those who
1:04:24
Speaker 1: pressured you to compromise, but before the one who gave
1:04:28
Speaker 1: his life for you. And in that moment nothing else
1:04:31
Speaker 1: will matter, not popularity, not opinions, not the temporary comforts
1:04:36
Speaker 1: of this world. The only thing that will matter is this.
1:04:39
Speaker 1: Did you stand firm in truth? So I ask you again,
1:04:44
Speaker 1: where do you stand? Let me know in the comments
1:04:47
Speaker 1: which lesson from third John spoke to you the most
1:04:50
Speaker 1: because to day, right now, God is calling you to
1:04:54
Speaker 1: be unshakable. Will you answer? If there is one thing
1:04:58
Speaker 1: we all need, it is God's strength to remain faithful.
1:05:02
Speaker 1: We live in a world that constantly tries to pull
1:05:05
Speaker 1: us away from the truth. Temptation, whispers, culture pressures, fear paralyzes,
1:05:12
Speaker 1: and sometimes standing firm feels impossible. But here's the good news.
1:05:18
Speaker 1: You don't have to do it alone. God never calls
1:05:21
Speaker 1: us to walk in truth without also giving us the
1:05:24
Speaker 1: strength to do it. He never commands us to remain
1:05:28
Speaker 1: faithful without first promising to uphold us. He never expects
1:05:33
Speaker 1: us to resist deception without providing us with wisdom, discernment,
1:05:38
Speaker 1: and power through His spirit. And right now, as we
1:05:42
Speaker 1: close this journey through Third John, let's come before him
1:05:46
Speaker 1: in prayer, not just as a ritual, not just as words,
1:05:51
Speaker 1: but as a desperate cry for the strength to stand.
1:05:55
Speaker 1: Let's pray, Heavenly Father. We come before you knowing that
1:05:59
Speaker 1: we are weak but you are strong. Knowing that the
1:06:02
Speaker 1: world is full of deception, but your truth never changes.
1:06:07
Speaker 1: Knowing that our hearts are easily swayed, but your spirit
1:06:11
Speaker 1: anchors us. God, we ask you to help us stand
1:06:14
Speaker 1: firm in truth when we are tempted to compromise. Remind
1:06:18
Speaker 1: us of what is at stake. When we feel pressured
1:06:21
Speaker 1: to conform. Give us the courage to be different. When
1:06:25
Speaker 1: we are tired, discouraged, and weary, fill us with your strength. Lord.
1:06:30
Speaker 1: We confess that sometimes we care too much about what
1:06:34
Speaker 1: people think. We want approval, we want comfort, we want acceptance.
1:06:40
Speaker 1: But to day, we choose you, even if it cost
1:06:44
Speaker 1: us relationships, even if it costs us opportunities, even if
1:06:48
Speaker 1: it costs us everything, because nothing in this world is
1:06:53
Speaker 1: worth more than knowing you and walking in your truth. God,
1:06:59
Speaker 1: teach us to love the way you love, not with
1:07:01
Speaker 1: a love that compromises truth, not with a love that
1:07:04
Speaker 1: tolerates sin, but with a love that reflects who you are, Holy, righteous,
1:07:10
Speaker 1: and unshakable. Jesus, we look to your example. You stood
1:07:14
Speaker 1: for truth even when it meant being hated. You spoke
1:07:18
Speaker 1: boldly even when it led to rejection. You loved fiercely,
1:07:22
Speaker 1: even when it cost you everything. And now you call
1:07:25
Speaker 1: us to do the same. So, Father, let our lives
1:07:28
Speaker 1: be a testimony of faithfulness. Let us be like Demetrius,
1:07:33
Speaker 1: known for truth not popularity. Let us be like John,
1:07:37
Speaker 1: fearless in calling out deception. Let us be like Jesus,
1:07:41
Speaker 1: faithful to the end, no matter the cost. We surrender
1:07:45
Speaker 1: our fears to you. We surrender our weaknesses to you.
1:07:50
Speaker 1: We surrender our future to you, because we know that
1:07:53
Speaker 1: when we stand on your truth, we cannot fall. Lord,
1:07:57
Speaker 1: I pray for every person who has walked through this study.
1:08:00
Speaker 1: You see their struggles, you know their battles, You understand
1:08:04
Speaker 1: their pain, and I ask right now that you would
1:08:08
Speaker 1: fill them with supernatural strength. Give them clarity where there
1:08:12
Speaker 1: is confusion, give them boldness where there is fear, give
1:08:16
Speaker 1: them endurance where there is weariness, and remind them that
1:08:19
Speaker 1: you are with them, even in the moments when they
1:08:22
Speaker 1: feel alone. We thank you, Lord for your word. We
1:08:26
Speaker 1: thank you that in a world of shifting opinions, your
1:08:29
Speaker 1: truth remains the same. We thank you that in a
1:08:32
Speaker 1: time of deception, your wisdom guides us. We thank you
1:08:37
Speaker 1: that no matter what happens around us, you are faithful.
1:08:40
Speaker 1: So we stand. We stand on the unshakable foundation of
1:08:44
Speaker 1: your truth. We stand against the lies of the enemy.
1:08:48
Speaker 1: We stand with confidence, knowing that you have already won
1:08:51
Speaker 1: the victory, and we declare that no matter what comes,
1:08:55
Speaker 1: we will remain faithful. In Jesus Mighty name. Amen. If
1:09:00
Speaker 1: this deep Bible story study has strengthened your faith, I
1:09:03
Speaker 1: encourage you to go even deeper. We've created a full
1:09:06
Speaker 1: explainer video breaking down every lesson from Third John, and
1:09:11
Speaker 1: we've also put together an ebook to help you apply
1:09:13
Speaker 1: these truths to your daily walk. You can find both
1:09:17
Speaker 1: in the description below and before you go, tell us
1:09:20
Speaker 1: in the comments which lesson from Third John impacted you
1:09:24
Speaker 1: the most, because at the end of the day, truth
1:09:27
Speaker 1: is not just something we learn, it's something we live.
1:09:31
Speaker 1: And as we move forward, let's not just be hearers
1:09:34
Speaker 1: of the word. Let's be doers. God bless you, Stay blessed.