Mostly dead

 

“And to the angel of the church in Sardis write,

‘These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: “I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God. Revelation 3:1-2

 

The church at Sardis did not receive very encouraging words – ‘you are dead’ John wrote. I know your works. You have a name that is alive, but you are dead.

 

But they were, as we see in the Princess Bride, only mostly dead. How do we know that? Because Jesus says Be watchful and strengthen the things that remain and are ready to die. Its plodding away. Its being in the race for the long haul.

 

But there is that glimmer of life. There is that tiny member in the fire.

 

And it only takes a spark to get a fire. We need to dig down deep and get that fire going again and revive that nearly dead spirit strengthen the little that is alive. Don’t let that last ember go out.

 

It’s not too late.

Hold on

 

Now to you I say, and to the rest in Thyatira, as many as do not have this doctrine, who have not known the depths of Satan, as they say, I will put on you no other burden. But hold fast what you have till I come. And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations— Revelation 2:24-26

 

 

Thyatira was a compromising church. They had let all kinds of corruption enter in.

 

There were some though who had not compromised. There were some who were holding true. Jesus says to them ‘hold fast.’

 

That doesn’t sound like much. Just hold on. Just don’t give up and don’t give in and don’t surrender ground.

 

Serving God is most often not glamorous. Most often it is slogging away through the muck and the mire. Its digging in our heels and holding on for dear life.

 

A great old gospel sing has the wonderful phrase ‘hold the fort for I am coming.’ Grab the horns of the altar and hold on for dear. Our King is coming. Just hold on a  little longer.

Repent

 

And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write,

‘These things says He who has the sharp two-edged sword: “I know your works, and where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. And you hold fast to My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days in which Antipas was My faithful martyr, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality. Thus you also have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate. Repent, or else I will come to you quickly and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth. – Revelation 2.12-16

 

One simple little word – repent. It’s a short, but packed with meaning and tremendously important.

 

When we are wrong, when sin has overtaken us, when we really mess up and get off track there is only one solution. We must repent. We must change. We must confess  and forsake our sin and get back on track.

 

Here in Pergamos were doing well. Many held fast and did not deny the faith. Some had even been martyred for their faith.

 

But some had given themselves over to false teaching and ungodly behaviour. Jesus says to tell these folks ‘repent or I will come quickly to deal with their sin.’

 

God doesn’t mess around with sin. We can’t blame the wickedness of the world for our behaviour. God makes simple, no excuses, no blame shifting, just do it. Just repent.

 

Are there sins in our lives that we just need to confess and forsake? Do it now. Don’t wait. Repent.

 

Faithful under persecution

 Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. – Revelation 2.10

 

Mary and I often pray for the persecuted church. I find myself having a hard time doing that. I try to pray for them but I can’t even really imagine what they are through enough to really pray for them.

 

When I think of what they are going through... It is hard to explain. My brothers and sisters are starving, living in abject poverty, in jail, being tortured, sleeping in shipping containers, losing their children, being torn from their families, and so much more.

 

And they find the strength to stay faithful.

 

But what about me? What would it take to shake my faithfulness?

 

The Smyrnans set a pattern for us all. We have brothers and sisters in Christ setting the same pattern for us today.

 

What are we going to do when things go against us? 

Poor, but rich

 

And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write,

‘These things says the First and the Last, who was dead, and came to life: 9 “I know your works, tribulation, and poverty (but you are rich); - Revelation 2.8-9

 

I wish I knew more about the church in Smyrna. All we know is that they worked hard, they were under severe persecution, and they were desperately poor.

 

But wait, were they really poor. They had nothing but Jesus said they were rich. How can that be?

Another church later on is going to hear the opposite because they thought they were rich, but they were really poor.

 

There are plenty of references in the word of God to how much better it is to have spiritual wealth than material wealth, but what we see can often blind us to the invisible things. Plus, we have a world that tells us that success mean having all we can grab.

 

The thing is all that wealth is transitory. It is all going to be gone one day. We can’t take that with us, so is that really wealth?

 

I think we are going to be shocked when we get to heaven when we discover that the real heroes of the faith, the saints who have the rewards, are not going to be the spiritual superstars of today, but the poor, humble, unnoticed saints who remained faithful even when they had nothing and less than nothing.

 

Most of us will never see that kind of persecution, and we have a hard time be faithful when the slightest difficulty enters our lives.

 

Thank God for those who are truly rich. May we learn from them.

True wealth

 

And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write,

‘These things says the First and the Last, who was dead, and came to life: 9 “I know your works, tribulation, and poverty (but you are rich); - Revelation 2.8-9

 

I wish I knew more about the church in Smyrna. All we know is that they worked hard, they were under severe persecution, and they were desperately poor.

 

But wait, were they really poor. They had nothing but Jesus said they were rich. How can that be?

Another church later on is going to hear the opposite because they thought they were rich, but they were really poor.

 

There are plenty of references in the word of God to how much better it is to have spiritual wealth than material wealth, but what we see can often blind us to the invisible things. Plus, we have a world that tells us that success mean having all we can grab.

 

The thing is all that wealth is transitory. It is all going to be gone one day. We can’t take that with us, so is that really wealth?

 

I think we are going to be shocked when we get to heaven when we discover that the real heroes of the faith, the saints who have the rewards, are not going to be the spiritual superstars of today, but the poor, humble, unnoticed saints who remained faithful even when they had nothing and less than nothing.

 

Most of us will never see that kind of persecution, and we have a hard time be faithful when the slightest difficulty enters our lives.

 

Thank God for those who are truly rich. May we learn from them.

Leaving the first love

 Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent. But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. – Revelation 2.4-6

 

The words are very clear. Ephesus was not perfect. She had a major issue. She had left her first love.

 

She had left her first love.

 

How do we lose that fervency of that love we had for God and others when we first got saved. What happens? Its clearly a big deal because Jesus wants them of their need to repent and return to the first love.

 

I think this is something that we need to be aware of when we are plugging away and persevering. It is sadly possible to stick with it just because we are expected to do it and not out of love.

 

Service not motivated by love too easily becomes drudgery. That is a danger in any situation or relationship. Love is not something that just happens.

 

That’s true in human relationships, but it also true in our love for Him. His loves never dims. He never changes. So when things change it is our fault. When our love fades it is our failure.

 

Sadly, it happens. 

 

But that’s not where it ends. We have to choice by God’s grace and with His help to turn make and refresh that love in our hearts. If we don’t we risk that God might chose to lay us to the side and do the work without us. 

Examples from the Ephesian church

 

I know your works, your labour, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; and you have persevered and have patience, and have laboured for My name’s sake and have not become weary. – Revelation 2.2-3

 

Jesus starts His letters to the church with a letter to the church at Ephesus. This church is mostly praised. Jesus said

 

I know your works

I know your labour

I know your patience

I know your stand against sin

I know you check out false teachers

I know your perseverance

 

What a wonderful list of traits and what a challenge to us. How do we measure up to the standard set by Ephesus? Could God say that He can commend us in there area? This church was not perfect as we will see, but they had a lot of the basics right. They were doing a good work. They were patient in waiting on God. They did not allow sin or falsd doctrine.

 

And the persevered.

 

It’s that last one that really sticks out. Sometimes all we can do is keep on keeping on, but at least we have not given up.

 

Let’s strive with the spirit of the Ephesians. Let’s stick with it, but lets not fail where they did.

 

 

Don't be afraid

 

And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last.  I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.  Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this – Revelation 1.17-19

 

A lot of people are frightened when they read Revelation and it can be kind of scary when we read it. There is a lot of scary language there. We read of demon and locusts and earthquakes and hail stones and fire from heaven and that kind of stuff.

 

But we read hear to not be afraid when we see this happening. All of what we read is God’s working in a last desperate measure to help man sees his sin before it is eternally too late. It is the lost world’s last week up call.

 

For those of us who are believers God is going to be there for us. If we are alive today He will call us out of the world before all of this happens. For those saved during the Tribulation He will be with them and enable them to endure the world’s attacks on them.

 

When this is all said and done Jesus is coming to sort this all out. One day it will be worth it all.

Alpha and Omega

 

Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.

“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” – Revelation 1.7-8

 

‘The Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End’ is a marvellous description of Jesus. There was not a time when He was not and there will never be a time when He will not be. He is the I AM.

 

He always was in the present tense.

 

That means He transcends the bonds of time and circumstance. That means nothing catches Him off guard. It means there is nothing new with Him

 

There are terrible and tumultuous times coming, but we can be sure of one thing – Jesus will not change.

 

That kind of constancy ought to be a real blessing for us. The Tribulation will be a time of change and upheaval but Jesus will be the same Jesus that He was at Creation, that He is today, and that He will be when He establishes His kingdom on earth

Kings and priests

 

John, to the seven churches which are in Asia:

Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth.

To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. – Revelation 1.4-6

 

This picks up where we left off yesterday. We are still looking at living as citizens of a heavenly kingdom while in this very unheavenly world.

 

While we are here we can live as victors because He has made us kings and princes and washed away our sins in His blood.

 

He has washed us in His blood. We can’t look over that one little phrase without pausing and reflecting on its impact. He washed away our sins. When we think that we are not of much worth we are looking at it wrongly. We are seeing it as a reflection on us.

 

We must remember that any esteem we have is not self-esteem, but esteem from Jesus that makes us worthwhile. He has already man us kings and priests in His kingdom so we can give Him glory no matter we face in His life. It’s a sure as though it has already happened – He will one day lift us up.

Faithful ruler

 

John, to the seven churches which are in Asia:

Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth.

To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. – Revelation 1.4-6

 

We see a lot of descriptions of Jesus in the book of Revelation. All of them point to His glory and majesty and power. The images are striking and might even seem scary.

 

For those of us who believe though they images give us great hope and encouragements.

 

Here we read that Jesus is a faithful witness, that is the firstborn of the dead, and that He is the true ruler over all the earth. He is in charge ultimately even though Satan often seems in control of this sinful broken world.

 

All of our human rulers are going to fail us. They are only human. They really are no different than us. They will let us down. They will not always be faithful.

 

But God is always faithful. He will never ever let us down no matter what. When everyone lets us down He never will. Everything He says in this book will come true.

 

We live in a broken world with broken leaders, but we can live here as a part of a heavenly kingdom where we will never be let down.

Blessed is he who reads

 

Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near. – Revelation 1.3

 

For most of my Christian life I have not focused much on the book of Revelation. I did not like the old ‘headline eschatology’ so didn’t want to deal with it.

 

Recently we studied Revelation in our church Bible study. It was my first experience in doing an entire Bible Study on Zoom so it took a while to really get into it. We read about and studied this verse early on, but it never really had an impact until we got close the end.

 

We see that there is a blessing for those who will read and hear the words of this book and apply them to our lives and keep them in our hearts.

 

We think of Revelation as being kind of scary and mysterious. The visions can frighten us and make us anxious.

 

But there is no need for that. This is written to us to remind us that our King is coming and of the judgements coming on the world. The purpose is keep us active and warn others of the wrath to come that we are going to escape and to give us hope that one day this will all be over.

To Him alone

 

Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling,

And to present you faultless

Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,

To God our Saviour,

Who alone is wise,

Be glory and majesty,

Dominion and power,

Both now and forever.

Amen. – Jude 24-25

 

This is one of the beautiful doxologies of all of scripture and it is neatly tucked away here in the little book of Jude. After writing about the dangers if false teachers and warnings to us and a challenge he writes just a few wonderful words of praise.

 

He alone is wise and He alone is wisdom. We read in 1 Corinthians that the wisdom of men is foolishness with God. The fear of the Lord is the very foundation of true wisdom.

 

To Him alone be glory and majesty. All kind of things can get glory and majesty in our lives. We can glorify sports team or nations or people in our lives. So much can be elevated above God if we are not careful.

 

There is nothing wrong with love of country or supporting a sports team if it is kep in the balance, but to often we know the songs of patriotism and the stadium crowd than we do the things that glorify. We dress in our team’s colours and carry its banners proudly. We fly our flags and high and give them honour sometimes more than we do the Lord.

 

Who do we glorify more? Who are we most proud of? Who are we most ashamed of?

 

To Him alone be glory and majesty. All the rest is peripheral.

He is able

 

Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling,

And to present you faultless

Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,

To God our Saviour,

Who alone is wise,

Be glory and majesty,

Dominion and power,

Both now and forever.

Amen. – Jude 24-25

 

To Him who is able to:

 

To keep you from stumbling

To present you faultless

 

Both now and forever

 

The whole question of whether our eternity is secure or not is wrapped up in those two few little lines. I really don’t know how much clearer it could be.

 

He is able – not me – Him. This whole matter is not based on what I can do or my ability to do right or do anything to slip out of God’s hands.

 

He – not me – is the one who can keep me falling. The problem is that if I could lose my salvation I already would have.

 

He – not me – is how I am going to be presented faultless. I don’t think I can make it through half a day without fault, must less a lifetime. But it doesn’t matter because He is able to present me as faultless before the Father.

 

He is able to do this today, right now, no matter what my circumstances and He is able to do it forever.

 

So the doxology following is in praise of Him because He is the only One who is worthy.

Making a difference

 

But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. And on some have compassion, making a distinction; but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh. – Jude 20-23

 

We don’t get to share our faith with everyone the same way because everyone has different needs. We have to be wise in how we deal with people.

 

There are two examples here of how to deal with those who need the gospel.

 

On some show a distinction by having compassion

On some we need to hate their sin and snatch them from the fires of destruction

 

We can love some to Jesus, others need to be clearly shown the fate of not being saved.

 

Our job is to make a difference no matter who we witness to. We must rely on the Holy Spirit to work on hearts and to do His work.

Build yourself up

 

But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. And on some have compassion, making a distinction; but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh. – Jude 20-23

 

Praying in the Holy Spirit

Keep yourselves in the love of God

Looking for His mercy

 

These are three major factors as we seek to build ourselves up in the love of God. We don’t get built up by the simple process of osmosis. We have to do something ourselves.

 

So we are told how to do it.

 

We must be consistent in our prayers. If we are going to build up our faith we must be in prayer constantly. We must rely on the Holy Spirit. There is no way I can build myself up in the faith without a solid prayer life.

 

We must keep ourselves in the love of God. Here again there is something we must do. We must remember that God is love and that He loves and His love can carry us through because if we remember that He loves us we can trust that no matter what happens at least He loves us.

 

We must look for His mercy in every situation we face. Man can only show us so much, but the blessings of God’s mercy are new every morning.

 

Sure, we must build ourselves us in the faith, but all that building up is reliance on Him.

In the last time

 

But you, beloved, remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ: how they told you that there would be mockers in the last time who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts. These are sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the Spirit. – Jude 17-19

 

There will be mockers in the last time

They will walk according to their own lusts

They will be sensual

They will cause divisions

They will not have Spirit

 

Welcome to 2021.

 

I realise that the ‘last times’ are a long time, but every year I live seems more like the days prophesied here. Evil men and seducers have waxed worse and worse as we see the day approaching.

 

There are things going on today that I could never have imagined when I was in my twenties. It’s a good thing because I would have been shocked and terrified. Who would have believed the kinds of news stories we see today? You could not have sold in a novel.

 

But here it is – right in front of us. There are mockers of the faith aplenty. People do what is right in their eyes. Sensuality is rampant. We are more divided than we ever have been. The world is falling apart.

And, of course, they don’t have the Holy Spirit. That’s why this world is so blind to the impact of that they are doing.

 

We can’t fix them, only the Holy Spirit can but in order to have Him they must forsake all that is so important to them for eternal things.

Our lives must reflect that hope to draw them to Him.

Behold He comes

 

Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints, to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.” Jude 14-15

 

Jesus coming in power has been a theme since the very beginning. Although the words are not written in inspired scripture Enoch, the one who we read ‘walked with God’ wrote of it just a few generations after Adam.

 

The promise of the victorious coming of Jesus is one of the earliest recorded, even though it is only recorded in scripture as a quote. Enoch, just a few generations from Adam, announced it. The prophets told of it. The Jews expected Him to come to deliver them from Rome. John wrote ‘even so come Lord Jesus.’

 

It didn’t happen during Jesus’ first coming. It’s a good thing it didn’t because it had none of us would have been ready and there would not have been a multitude of saints to come with Him

 

He came the first time to give man a chance to escape the judgement. When He comes the next time He will come in judgement. When that comes all this mess will be sorted out and we will have the final victory that we are promised.

 

Praise God He is coming, but we have a task to do in getting people ready for that coming.

Filthy dreamers

 

Likewise also these dreamers defile the flesh, reject authority, and speak evil of dignitaries. – Jude 8

 

John does not mince his words when he speaks of these false teachers. These are the same kind of people that Jesus railed against while He was on earth. They are the ones who on the receiving end of the harshest judgement.

 

These filthy dreamers are guilty because the

 

Defile the flesh

Reject authority

Speak evil of dignities

 

I know I say this a lot, but that certainly sounds like today, doesn’t it? Doesn’t that describe the world we live in?

 

We live in a world full of rebellion and total rejection of authority. We live in a day when all the desires of the flesh, no matter how perverse, are being fulfilled and glorified. A lot of the nonsense has even crept into the church.

 

That’s why we have to be aware and always on guard against. We must be diligent on opposing the filthy dreamers before they destroy our churches.

Abusing God's grace

 

Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. 4 For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ. – 3 Jude 3-4

 

We can’t say enough about God’s amazing grace. God’s grace is all that can deliver us for the trap of sin. It is grace because there is no work we can to achieve and it is grace  that delivers us from the captivity of the law and it is grace, not works, that can save us.

 

Some folks can take that and think that the best was to prove God’s grace is to keep sinning. Of that Paul writes the strong invective God FORBID!

 

But most don t go that far. Some just figure that God will forgive me I can just do whatever I want and God will just show me grace so I can.

 

Paul writes specifically to this issue when he writes how we are not to use our liberty in Christ to serve our flesh, but only to serve others. It’s really sad that we would think we can take advantage of grace because ‘it’s grand. God is going to forgive me so I am okay.’

 

Think of the price Jesus paid to give us this grace. He went to the cross for us and we think we can just take it for granted and go blithely on our way without a second thought! That’s disgusting! As Pail said about this we need to consider ourselves dead to sin and reject the call of the flesh. Believers can’t juts go on sinning!

 

The false teachers say that this is okay. No wonder such harsh words are used of them.  

Creeps

 

Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. 4 For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ. – Jude 3-4

 

As Jude starts his letter, he mentions the threat that false teachers pose to the church. In the earliest days, these false teachers had already begun to sneak in to try and destroy God’s work.

 

John says that they have ‘crept in unawares’ so I like the term ‘creeps’ to describe them.

 

False teachers rarely attack the church in a full-frontal assault. They come in like real believers and making friends. They get involved and get active and earn the trust of the people. Only when they have made their way in do they try to begin leading people astray with half truths and near truths.  They try to divide the church and turn people away from the truth.

 

We must be always on guard, always aware, and always vigilant against these false teachers who are out to destroy God’s work.

 

Don’t let the creeps in

Contend

 

Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ. – Jude 3-4

 

When Jude wrote his letter he had every intention of writing about the ‘common salvation.’ He was diligent in his desire.

 

But something happened. He found it necessary to write something different. God’s spirit moved him instead to write about earnestly contending for the faith. Though not as dramatic as Jude most preachers have had the same thing happen when they were ready to preach a message and God changed it at the last moment.

 

Anyway, back to Jude. His heart was changed so that he was compelled to write about the need to earnestly and diligently contend for the faith in response to the onslaught of false teachers that were around then. The thing is it a letter for all times because we still are called on to contend for the faith today.

 

Contending implies that there is an effort being put forth. It means sometimes that we have to take a stand and fight for the faith like good soldiers. It implies that we have to be active contenders for the cause of Christ. We can’t afford to sit back and hope for the best.

 

It is easy to let others contend while we sit back and ‘support’ but we are all given areas where we must truly contend.

 

Contend – contend earnestly. There is no greater cause.

Demetrius

 

I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to have the preeminence among them, does not receive us. Therefore, if I come, I will call to mind his deeds which he does, prating against us with malicious words. And not content with that, he himself does not receive the brethren, and forbids those who wish to, putting them out of the church. Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. He who does good is of God, but he who does evil has not seen God. Demetrius has a good testimony from all, and from the truth itself. And we also bear witness, and you know that our testimony is true. - 3 John 9-12

On the other end of the spectrum we see Demetrius. We don’t read a whole lot about him, because we don’t really need to hear much.

 

Demetrius has a good report from every one and from the word of God itself. We simply hear that we he had a good testimony before everyone, that he lived a life that was faithful to the word of God, and that Paul bore witness to his testimony. We don’t get the details because we don’t need them.

 

Can you imagine if that were said of us? Can you imagine if people always spoke of our testimony, that our lives were lived according to the word of God, and that we were well spoken of by godly people?

 

What a blessing it would be to be a Demetrius. For all time and eternity Diotrephes is on the record and a scoundrel and Demetrius is praised as a man of God.

 

May my life reflect more of the life of good and less of the life of evil. 

Diotrephes

 I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to have the preeminence among them, does not receive us. Therefore, if I come, I will call to mind his deeds which he does, prating against us with malicious words. And not content with that, he himself does not receive the brethren, and forbids those who wish to, putting them out of the church. Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. He who does good is of God, but he who does evil has not seen God. Demetrius has a good testimony from all, and from the truth itself. And we also bear witness, and you know that our testimony is true. - 3 John 9-12

 

John writes of two men in the church who could not be more different.

 

Let’s deal with Diotrephes first. He was bit of a scoundrel. Read what John says about him

 

He loved pre-eminence

He would not receive Paul

He railed against Paul with vicious words.

He did not receive the brethren who passed by serving God.

He threw people out of the church

 

Diotrephese even refused to receive John.

 

Sadly too many churches have their versions of these people and too often they rise got the preeminence in the church. They gather their followers and wreck havoc in the body of Christ.

 

We are warned here.  Don’t follow that kind of evil. Instead, follow the good. This is real threat and we need to be aware.