Being Fellow Workers
3 John 1:1-15
January 18, 2015
As you know we are now in the middle of Missions Month and so we are taking the month of January to refocus on the purpose of the church.
Without a doubt we are left here to shine the light of Jesus Christ
To a lost and dying world.
That is our purpose for remaining.
Last week we talked about the concept of PRAYING FOR MISSIONS.
We read how Jesus lamented that the fields were ripe for harvest
But the workers were few.
We heard Jesus tell us to “beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.”
And we talked about why the workers weren’t being sent,
And thus how we should be praying.
But prayer is not the only way that you can be involved in missions.
Another way we have mentioned is in the area of GIVING
And you should know that these areas can in fact overlap.
Last week we talked about why workers weren’t being sent into the harvest,
One of the reasons is because THE WORKERS ARE DISTRACTED
We turned to John 4 and we saw how Jesus had sent the disciples into the Samaritan village. When they came back with bread He said to them, “I sent you to reap”
Jesus wanted them to focus on the lost
Jesus wanted them to work for the harvest
Instead they focused on their stomach and worked for food
While a missionary must be focused regardless of their situation,
We can in fact help them there.
HOW?
• If a missionary doesn’t have the money for rent, do you think he/she will be
more focused on the mission or the rent?
• If a missionary doesn’t have food, do you think he/she will be more focused on
the mission or food?
Every missionary is commanded to be focused on the mission,
But the reality is that it is much easier for them to do that
When their needs are met.
Consider Paul.
• He had been run out of Thessalonica, he fled to Berea.
• Jews from Thessalonica followed him and forced him to flee to Berea (alone)
• Paul came to Athens where he preached and none responded
• From there he went to Corinth
Let me show you the scene:
Acts 18:1-5 “After these things he left Athens and went to Corinth. And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, having recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. He came to them, and because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them and they were working, for by trade they were tent-makers. And he was reasoning in the synagogue every Sabbath and trying to persuade Jews and Greeks. But when Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul began devoting himself completely to the word, solemnly testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ.”
Paul was working in Corinth; he was making tents.
There is nothing wrong with hard work, but you and I can agree
Tent making is not where Paul would be most useful for the kingdom.
But “when Silas and Timothy came down…Paul began devoting himself completely to the word”
Silas and Timothy brought support
When Paul’s needs were met, he was able to devote himself
To full time preaching in Corinth.
And look at the response:
Acts 18:8 “Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, believed in the Lord with all his household, and many of the Corinthians when they heard were believing and being baptized.”
There is certainly nothing wrong with making tents, but obviously it was better that Paul’s needs be met so he could be free to preach.
The giving of the Macedonians allowed Paul to serve UNDISTRACTED.
And this is one of the great ways that you can be involved in missions.
No one would ever say that the American church had fully arrived
Or was perfect in every way. Indeed we have a long way to go.
But one thing everyone could say is that
If the American church has one strength over and above every other part of the world – it is in her resources.
I can confidently say that the church in America has more resources
Than the church in any other part of the world.
And the question is:
Can you think of something better to invest our resources in?
Recently at the Strange Fire conference, John MacArthur was being interviewed and the interviewer told him he was going to give one word statements that he wanted John MacArthur to respond to. (sort of a lightning rod type of situation)
The interviewer said, “Church Planting”
MacArthur said, “I’m for it…what else would you plant?”
What else would you plant?
What else would you invest in?
What else would you support?
Jesus told us that we should be very shrewd with our resources:
Matthew 6:19-21 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Don’t invest in temporal things, invest in eternal things.
Well can anyone honestly say there is a better investment than to invest in the growth of God’s kingdom?
Investing in missions is an absolute “no-brainer”
What else would you plant?
And so this morning I want to focus in on this aspect of mission involvement, I want to focus on GIVING TO MISSIONS.
And to do that we are going to study the entire book of 3 John
(rest easy, it’s only 15 verses)
2 John and 3 John are books that really work well together.
• In 2 John, the apostle John is writing to the chosen lady
• And is lightly rebuking her for being a little too gullible
• And adamantly asks her not to support the wrong kind of people.
2 John 8-11 “Watch yourselves, that you do not lose what we have accomplished, but that you may receive a full reward. Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting; for the one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil deeds.”
• 3 John is the counter side to that same argument,
• In which the apostle John writes to Gaius
• And asks him to make sure and support the right kind of people.
3 John 5-6 “Beloved, you are acting faithfully in whatever you accomplish for the brethren, and especially when they are strangers; and they have testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God.”
And while there is certainly a time to talk about
Not participating in the evil deeds of others,
This morning we want to talk about
Making sure you participate in the work of truth.
So we’re going to look at this book of 3 John and learn about giving to missions.
4 main divisions this morning.
#1 A SAINT EXTOLLED
3 John 1:1-4
As already mentioned “The elder” here is John the apostle.
He is the last living apostle of Jesus.
And he is writing to “the beloved Gaius”
We don’t know who he was (Gaius was a common Roman name)
But it’s what John wrote that captivates us.
You will see that John has fond feelings toward Gaius
And that with good reason.
(2-4) “Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers. For I was very glad when brethren came and testified to your truth, that is, how you are walking in truth. I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth.”
We have a simple prayer for the prosperity and well-being of Gaius.
Why does John wish such good fortune on him?
Because John heard that Gaius was “walking in truth”
And nothing gave John more joy than “to hear of my children walking in the truth.”
Now we don’t know any specifics yet as to exactly what Gaius was doing,
But we can easily see that whatever Gaius was doing,
It was bringing extreme joy and satisfaction to John.
From John’s perspective and at this point in his life,
There was nothing bigger to him than to hear that
His children were walking in the truth.
So John commends Gaius
And he prays that God would prosper him.
There is certainly more we could talk about there, but mainly I just want you to see that John is pleased with whatever it is that Gaius is doing.
A Saint Extolled
#2 A SERVICE ENCOURAGED
3 John 1:5-8
When we read verses 5 and 6 we finally see specifically
What it was that had been reported about Gaius.
“Beloved, you are acting faithfully in whatever you accomplish for the brethren, and especially when they are strangers; and they have testified to your love before the church.”
• Apparently there were some “brethren” who had come to Gaius’ church.
• They were “strangers” to Gaius when they came, and yet Gaius showed his love to them.
• This love left such and impression on these brethren that when they returned to their home church they testified of how great Gaius had been.
Who were these men?
(7) “They went out for the sake of the Name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles.”
They were traveling missionaries.
They had gone out to preach Jesus to the Gentiles
And Gaius had loved them despite the fact that he didn’t know them.
Gaius demonstration of love and hospitality
Was exactly what the apostle John was hoping for.
But even more than a commendation
John has an added encouragement for Gaius.
And in these 4 verses you’ll see that John encourages Gaius to do three things for missionaries like the ones he helped.
1) SERVE THEM (5-6a)
“Beloved, you are acting faithfully in whatever you accomplish for the brethren, and especially when they are strangers; and they have testified to your love before the church.”
In Gaius’ case it had been hospitality to strangers.
• No doubt he had welcomed them in
• No doubt he had housed them
• No doubt he had fed them
• No doubt he had offered them encouragement
Very simply he just served them and met their needs.
This is one of the ways that you can be involved in missions.
When you serve those who are serving on mission,
You are walking in truth and “acting faithfully”
Remember this story?
2 Kings 4:8-10 “Now there came a day when Elisha passed over to Shunem, where there was a prominent woman, and she persuaded him to eat food. And so it was, as often as he passed by, he turned in there to eat food. She said to her husband, “Behold now, I perceive that this is a holy man of God passing by us continually. “Please, let us make a little walled upper chamber and let us set a bed for him there, and a table and a chair and a lampstand; and it shall be, when he comes to us, that he can turn in there.”
What a great woman, and what a great idea.
She was simply serving the servant of the Lord and God was certainly pleased.
She may have never preached a sermon,
But she was a vital part of Elisha’s mission.
For those who have participated in Mission Sanyati – think about Alice
Serving those on mission involves you in the work of service.
With this in mind, listen again to what Jesus said:
Matthew 25:34-40 “Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. ‘For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’ “Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? ‘And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? ‘When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ “The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’”
Now let me ask you, what if Jesus wasn’t just talking about the poor,
But about those who had left everything to serve Him?
• Don’t we recall that those who followed Him left their houses and farms?
• Don’t we recall that those who followed Him were told not to take all their provisions, but to trust that it would be provided?
• Don’t we recall that those who followed Him were be in trouble with the rulers of the world, and even thrown in prison?
What a blessing to serve those who are serving on mission.
That is certainly one way to be a part.
John encourages Gaius to serve these missionaries
2) SEND THEM (6b-7)
“You will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God. For they went out for the sake of the Name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles.”
Once you have welcomed them in and met their needs and served them,
Then help them continue on with their mission.
Now SEND THEM on to their next destination
Granted these were in fact faithful and selfless people.
They were not like those in 2 John who were preaching a false gospel.
(We certainly don’t aid them)
But send these who are faithfully preaching Christ
And are offering the gospel at no charge.
They were like Paul in Thessalonica:
2 Thessalonians 3:7-9 “For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example, because we did not act in an undisciplined manner among you, nor did we eat anyone’s bread without paying for it, but with labor and hardship we kept working night and day so that we would not be a burden to any of you; not because we do not have the right to this, but in order to offer ourselves as a model for you, so that you would follow our example.”
Paul wasn’t about to ask the people he was reaching
To meet his physical needs.
These men that were coming to Gaius had the same mindset.
BY ALL MEANS SERVE THEM AND SEND THEM TO OTHERS.
And I love how John says to send them.
“You will do well to send them on their way IN A MANNER WORTHY OF GOD.”
This is where Lance Harris would interject and say,
“Yeah, if you send us back to Africa we’d like first class seats.”
I’m not sure I’d go that far with this, but hopefully you get the point.
• You are not just sending men and women out, you are sending the gospel.
• You are sending the Holy Spirit, who dwells in them.
• You are sending Jesus Christ, whose name they are proclaiming
• You are sending God, whose kingdom they represent
Send them the right way.
Provide for them, take care of them.
If Jesus were here and needing help to go on in His mission,
What would you offer Him to go?
This is the calling.
Take your funds and send these missionaries.
Paul certainly expected it.
Romans 15:22-25 “For this reason I have often been prevented from coming to you; but now, with no further place for me in these regions, and since I have had for many years a longing to come to you whenever I go to Spain — for I hope to see you in passing, and to be helped on my way there by you, when I have first enjoyed your company for a while — but now, I am going to Jerusalem serving the saints.”
Paul didn’t have enough resources to make it all the way to Spain, but he had enough to make it to Rome. Rome would have to take care of the rest.
Our church has been involved in missions enough over the past decade
That by now you are well aware that missions is not cheap.
You are also well aware that not everyone who God calls to go
Just has the money sitting in their bank account to do it.
If you want to be a part of missions,
Then serve those missionaries and send those missionaries.
3) SUPPORT THEM (8)
“Therefore we ought to support such men, so that we may be fellow workers with the truth.”
That means take care of their needs while they serve.
I already read to you about how the Macedonians sent aid to Paul in Corinth
To allow him to quit making tents and start preaching full time.
CONSIDER
Philippians 4:15-16 “You yourselves also know, Philippians, that at the first preaching of the gospel, after I left Macedonia, no church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving but you alone; for even in Thessalonica you sent a gift more than once for my needs.”
The Philippians had it figured out.
• Serve Paul while he was there
• Send Paul on his way
• Support Paul after he was gone
MISSIONARIES ARE RIGHT TO EXPECT THIS
Luke 10:4-7 “Carry no money belt, no bag, no shoes; and greet no one on the way. “Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house.’ “If a man of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you. “Stay in that house, eating and drinking what they give you; for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Do not keep moving from house to house.”
Jesus told the disciples they were right to expect support.
When Paul wrote to the Corinthians he said:
1 Corinthians 9:1-7, 14 “Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord? If to others I am not an apostle, at least I am to you; for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord. My defense to those who examine me is this: Do we not have a right to eat and drink? Do we not have a right to take along a believing wife, even as the rest of the apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas? Or do only Barnabas and I not have a right to refrain from working? Who at any time serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat the fruit of it? Or who tends a flock and does not use the milk of the flock…So also the Lord directed those who proclaim the gospel to get their living from the gospel.”
Missionaries are right to expect support.
And we are right to support them.
John even says we should do this “so that we may be fellow workers with the truth.”
You may never set foot outside of Dickens county,
But you can literally be a fellow worker in China or Africa or India
Or wherever else in the world.
(The last two Africa trips, Rita Harris has been our liaison to the church. She worked with us, met with us, prayed with us, and was very beneficial in sending us. Several times I heard her say, “I feel like I’m going with you”)
THAT’S HOW IT IS SUPPOSED TO WORK!
When you support those who take the gospel,
You are a fellow worker with them,
And let me remind you that YOU WILL SHARE IN THEIR REWARD.
Matthew 10:40-42 “He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me. “He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward; and he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward. “And whoever in the name of a disciple gives to one of these little ones even a cup of cold water to drink, truly I say to you, he shall not lose his reward.”
Do you remember Jim Elliot?
• The missionary speared to death in Ecuador…
• Would you suppose he received a pretty good reward for his sacrifice?
Do you know who else received that same reward?
• Those who sent and supported him.
Giving is an excellent way to be involved in missions.
And that is what John encourages Gaius with here.
A Saint Extolled, A Service Encouraged
#3 A SINNER EXPOSED
3 John 1:9-10
Now here is a strong and yet important warning.
See, even though supporting missions is right,
There will always be those who OPPOSE it.
There will always be those naysayers who voice their displeasure
And wish they could stop the mission.
In Gaius’ church it happened to be the pastor “Diotrephes”
Apparently John had first written this letter to the church,
But Diotrephes intercepted it and wouldn’t share it with the church.
“I wrote something to the church; but Diotrephes, who loves to be first among them, does not accept what we say.”
• Diotrephes was selfish
• Diotrephes liked to control things
• And apparently Diotrephes didn’t like all this missionary encouragement.
And Diotrephes even tried to stop it.
(10) “For this reason, if I come, I will call attention to his deeds which he does, unjustly accusing us with wicked words; and not satisfied with this, he himself does not receive the brethren, either, and he forbids those who desire to do so and puts them out of the church.”
Look at what he does.
1) HE DEFAMES MISSIONARIES
“unjustly accusing us with wicked words”
He would be one who started rumors about why the missionaries were sent.
• “They’re just going on vacation”
• “They shouldn’t go all the way out there”
• “They’re not doing any good”
2) HE DISREGARDS MISSIONS
“he himself does not receive the brethren”
When mission offering time comes around, he wants no part of it.
He’s not going to serve them or support them or send them.
(I actually know of a church that took a person’s Lottie Moon offering
And instead placed it in their building fund to build a new gym)
3) HE DISCOURAGES MISSIONS
“he forbids those who desire to do so and puts them out of the church”
And if you talk to him about missions,
He’s going to tell you why you shouldn’t support it either.
That is a guy who doesn’t like missions.
• He talks bad about people on mission
• He refuses to support people on mission
• And he tries to get other people not to support them either
In verse 11 you’ll see that John calls him “evil”
My point is that we are called to support missions.
Fighting against it is nothing but sin and absolute evil.
A Saint Extolled, A Service Encouraged, A Sinner Exposed
#4 A SERVANT ENDORSED
3 John 1:11-12
Now we actually get to the other point of the letter.
• Surely John wanted to commend Gaius
• Surely John wanted to encourage Gaius to continue
• Surely John wanted to warn Gaius about Diotrephes
But there is another reason for writing.
There was a missionary headed Gaius’ way.
“Demetrius”
And John wanted to make sure that he would be cared for.
(So he wrote Gaius because he knew Diotrephes wouldn’t)
(11-12) “Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. The one who does good is of God; the one who does evil has not seen God. Demetrius has received a good testimony from everyone, and from the truth itself; and we add our testimony, and you know that our testimony is true.”
Demetrius was a good missionary and he deserved to be supported.
(He had plenty of references)
He deserved to be served, sent, and supported.
So we see that in this letter
John was plugging a specific mission offering.
Now, we do this all the time.
Right now we are promoting the Lottie Moon offering.
It goes to support all of our Southern Baptist Missionaries.
People who have left their homes and committed to live in foreign countries just to share the gospel of Jesus Christ.
• Some are there right now – they should be supported
• Some are preparing to go – they should be sent
• Some are home resting on furlough – they should be served
Even if they are strangers to you,
You should be a fellow worker in their mission.
You should free them up to do what God sent them to do.
We’ve had other mission focuses as well – church mission trips
At times our church has gone on mission, and people from this very congregation agree to go – they should be sent.
Some are in personal contact with missionaries on the field
It is a specific calling to be a fellow worker with them
By giving your resources to free them up
To do what God has called them to do.
And you and I should be eager to do it.
WHY?
Because as I mentioned, they are doing your job.
The Great Commission was given to the church – we are all responsible for it.
If we fail to do it, we will all answer to God.
These people are taking their part to fulfill all of our responsibility
And can I also remind you that it is HARD.
• Fulfilling? Yes
• Rewarding? Yes
• Worth it? Yes
But make no mistake missions is HARD
Listen to Paul’s experiences:
2 Corinthians 11:24-29 “Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep. I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren; I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. Apart from such external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for all the churches. Who is weak without my being weak? Who is led into sin without my intense concern?”
Granted Paul’s experiences were extreme,
But that doesn’t make them any less real.
There are missionaries today in dangerous countries.
• They have left their homes
• They are raising children that don’t get to eat Sunday dinner with their grandparents
• They are committed to be the stranger and outcast their whole life
• They have sacrificed much to take the gospel to some pocket of the world so that when Jesus returns, we as a church can say we obeyed His mandate.
How could you not support such people?
In many ways they are working for you.
So, if you want to be involved in missions (and you should)
• Certainly you should PRAY – pray that God will send out workers
• But also you should GIVE – serving, sending, and supporting those God does send.
3 John 6b-8 “You will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God. For they went out for the sake of the Name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles. Therefore we ought to support such men, so that we may be fellow workers with the truth.”
