Thoughts From 3John - Part 4

  I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will not welcome us. 10 So when I come, I will call attention to what he is doing, spreading malicious nonsense about us. Not satisfied with that, he even refuses to welcome other believers. He also stops those who want to do so and puts them out of the church.11 Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God. 12 Demetrius is well spoken of by everyone—and even by the truth itself. We also speak well of him, and you know that our testimony is true.13 I have much to write you, but I do not want to do so with pen and ink. 14 I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face.15 Peace to you. The friends here send their greetings. Greet the friends there by name. 3John 9-15

         Ring, ring

         Dude:" Hello"

          Diotrephes (D): "Dude, Come over now I gotta' show you something."

       Knock on door. D opens door

         Dude: "What's so important?"

         D: "Look, my name is in the Bible! I'm in there with David, Abraham, Moses, Daniel, etc"

        Dude: But look, it says you want to be first, It says you wouldn't welcome the disciple who Jesus loved and you are spreading malicious nonsense about him. It says that you are kicking people out of the church who are siding with John. D, I don't think this is as exciting as you think it is. I'm thinking Demetrius is looking better than you in this chapter."

        D: "Yah, I kicked that guy out. He was starting to get a big head and name-dropping people like John and others."

       Dude: "I think he is implying that you are evil and haven't seen God like you think you have. And it sounds like John is coming soon to set you right."

       D: "How can he say I'm evil when I'm in the Bible. Dude, 2000 years from now people will be seeing my name. I'm immortal."

      Dude: "I guess so, but i still think I'd rather be immortal like Demetrius."

   Have you been in a church with people like Diotrephes? I have and it's sad to say I've got some of him inside me. Francis Chan struggled with this love of being first so much that he quit his church and took his family to be missionaries to an obscure part of the world. He recently gave a message on the blessing of being unknown and just faithfully serving God in that capacity. That's what I want - at least that's what I want to want.

     I was once visiting my home church where I grew up in Brookfield Wisconsin, having moved away and coming back for a visit, and one of the elders confessed in the service that he was wrong when he opposed a pastor who was candidating for the job and God has set him straight and now he is in favor of the candidate coming. It all seemed very humble but as an outsider looking in I was thinking, how can one man have enough power to stop a candidate and now approve him? I remembered this guy from our premarital classes, and he had a "taking over" air about him. These are the dangers that churches have to deal with, and I've seen it in every church I've ever been in.

      Fight for anonymity. God knows who you are!