3 JOHN: TRUTH AND FAITHFULNESS AMONG FRIENDS - A Survey of the Bible
3 John: Truth and Faithfulness among Friends
A Survey of the Bible
For the bulletin in PDF form, click here.
3 John Chart - Wilson
Introduction to 3 John - John Hannah
The Occasion of 2 & 3 John - Danny Akin
Introduction to 2 & 3 John - Andrea Köstenberger
Themes in 2 & 3 John - Joel Williams
Context: Who, Where, When, and Why?
• Who composed 3 John?
• Who was John’s original audience?
• When was 3 John written?
• Where were the author and his readers?
• Why was 3 John written?
Content: How and What?
COMMENDATION - Gaius is Faithful (1-8) .
- Salutation (1-4)
- Hospitality for Traveling Brothers in Christ (5)
- A Worthy Reputation for Worthy Hospitality (6)
- A Partnership Worthy of the Truth (7-8).
CONDEMNATION - Diotrephes is Disruptive (9-10).
- Character: He is arrogant and unteachable (9).
- Spiteful Conduct: He is a malicious gossip (10a).
- Divisive Conduct: He does not welcome brothers (10b).
- Disruptive Conduct: He removes his opponents (10c).
COMMENDATION - Demetrius is worthy (11-15)
- Do what is right and prove you are from God (11).
- Demetrius is affirmed (12).
- Epilogue: Plans for a Visit and Greeting (13-15)
• What is the message of 3 John?
Conviction: So What?
• Where does 3 John fit?
- With only 219 words (in the original Greek) 3 John is the shortest New Testament book and the shortest book in the entire Bible.
- Unlike 1 and 2 John which are written to churches, this letter is written to an individual named Gaius. It also includes references to two others; a warning about Diotrephes and a commendation of Demetrius.
- This personal communication gives us some important insight into the life of the early church.
• What should we believe?
- Taking care of other believers, even if they are strangers, is an important aspect of church life.
- Divisive conduct in the church is a significant issue and should be addressed
directly.
- Christian community should be grounded in good conduct.
• How should we behave?
- Live a lifestyle shaped by the truth of God’s Word.
- Take care of believers, even if you do not know them well.
- Be discerning about divisive people in your church community.
Next Steps
• Be faithful to the truth and to other believers.
• Beware of divisive people.
• Embrace believers with a good reputation.
This Week's Growth Guide
God’s Word is both central and critical to your spiritual growth. We invite you to utilize the Growth Guide during the week to further your application of the Truth from the message.
•. Monday - 3 John 1-6
•. Tuesday - 3 John 7-8
•. Wednesday - 3 John 9-10
•. Thursday - 3 John 11-12
•. Friday - 3 John 13-14
Home Church Questions
• Read the text together. How did Ken’s message apply to you personally?
• Gaius showed loving hospitality to the Christians who were strangers (verse 5). Read Romans 12:13, Hebrews 13:2, and 1 Peter 4:9. Do you find opening your home to other believers, even strangers, difficult or easy for you? Why is that?
• What two types of assistance does John describe for Christian workers in verses 5 through 8? Would John suggest this assistance is prompted by duty or opportunity? Why (see verse 8)?
• How are you (or how can you be) involved in supporting the work of those who have extended the reach of the gospel?
• Look closely at verses 9 and 10 and find the various character faults of Diotrephes. When and in what ways do these self-love and self-promotion faults show up in your life?
• How will these affect your life if you continue to let them guide your attitudes and actions?
• In what ways do those same attitudes and actions of Diotrephes create divisions in the church? How can you help prevent this happening in our church?
MISSION HIGHLIGHT - Pray for the Unreached: The North Yemeni Arabs in Yemen
Yemen has a population of 13.3 million, with Islam as the dominant religion and Arabic as the spoken language. Christians make up less than 0.1%, and there is no reported movement of the gospel or written/oral scripture available in the country. Workers are needed to serve the population, with 266 required for a ratio of 1 worker per 50,000 people. Focus prayer on healing the trauma of Yemeni families affected by war, famine, and other hardships. Pray for spiritual hunger among leaders and the spread of God’s Word through accessible formats like phone apps and audio.
Finances
Weekly Budget 35,297
Giving For 10/06 47,517
Giving For 10/13 20,813
YTD Budget 529,457
Giving 462,583
OVER/(UNDER) (66,874)
Celebrating 25 years with Ken and Dawn
Join us tonight, 5-7:00 p.m., as we gather to continue to celebrate Ken and Dawn with a church-wide picnic - hamburgers, hotdogs, and pulled pork. Bring your lawn chairs and a note to Ken expressing how the Lord has used his time at Fellowship to impact your life.
New to Fellowship?
We are so glad that you chose to worship with our Fellowship Family this morning. If you are joining us for the first time or have been checking us out for a few weeks, we are excited you are here and would love to meet you. Please fill out the “Connect Card” and bring it to the Connection Center in the Atrium, we would love to say “hi” and give you a gift.
Operation Christmas Child
• Operation Christmas Child season is in full swing. The GO Store, located in Downtown Conway, is the perfect place for you to buy approved items to put in your box for a fraction of the cost of retail. That means, if you plan to pack 1 box, you might be able to pack 2 or 3 boxes for the same amount!
• Build a shoebox online: You can give boys and girls in need a tangible expression of God’s love through a gift-filled shoebox packed from your computer or handheld device. In just a few clicks, you can select toys and other fun items to include as well as a letter and photo to delight the heart of a child. Visit our website to learn more: fellowshipconway.org/occ.
• We need MANY volunteers for OCC Collection Week, November 18 - 25, so please visit the Fellowship app on your phone and click the OCC icon to sign up or fellowshipconway.org/occ
Fellowship Kids Family Hike
Fellowship families plan to join us on Saturday, November 9, at 10:00 a.m. Please bring a picnic lunch and meet us on the playground at Woolly Hollow. We will head out for a fun hike and come back to enjoy a picnic lunch together.
Fellowship 101
We invite you to join us on Sunday, November 10, at 9:00 a.m. to learn more about Fellowship. This is a great opportunity to hear about our mission, values, and our ministries. If you’re new to Fellowship, join us in the conference room (first floor) to hear what God is doing and where He is taking us. During this time, you will meet some of our ministry leaders and get to ask questions. Register at fellowshipconway.org/register.
Feed the Need - Sunday, November 3, 10-2:00 p.m.
Multiple ways to serve! First, we need 24 volunteers to serve the day of the event at the Walmart Neighborhood Market. Volunteers will sort, box, load, and help spread the word! Register at fellowshipconway.org/register. Second, you can go to one of the participating grocery stores, shop for items on the list, and drop them with the volunteers in the parking lot! Let’s help this year’s event be a great success!