COMBINE SUNDAY WORSHIP SERVICE
DATE: MARCH 1, 2020
LOCATION: DEEPER LIFE BIBLE CHURCH HEADQUARTERS, GBAGADA
THEME: GOD’S REWARD FOR EVERY LABOUR
PREACHER: OUR FATHER IN THE LORD, PASTOR W. F. KUMUYI
TOPIC: THE BELIEVERS’ PURSUIT OF REWARDABLE PROGRESS
TEXT: III JOHN 1-14
* 1 The elder unto the wellbeloved Gaius, whom I love in the truth.
* 2 Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.
* 3 For I rejoiced greatly, when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee, even as thou walkest in the truth.
* 4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.
* 5 Beloved, thou doest faithfully whatsoever thou doest to the brethren, and to strangers;
* 6 Which have borne witness of thy charity before the church: whom if thou bring forward on their journey after a godly sort, thou shalt do well:
* 7 Because that for his name's sake they went forth, taking nothing of the Gentiles.
* 8 We therefore ought to receive such, that we might be fellowhelpers to the truth.
* 9 I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not.
* 10 Wherefore, if I come, I will remember his deeds which he doeth, prating against us with malicious words: and not content therewith, neither doth he himself receive the brethren, and forbiddeth them that would, and casteth them out of the church.
* 11 Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God.
* 12 Demetrius hath good report of all men, and of the truth itself: yea, and we also bear record; and ye know that our record is true.
* 13 I had many things to write, but I will not with ink and pen write unto thee:
* 14 But I trust I shall shortly see thee, and we shall speak face to face. Peace be to thee. Our friends salute thee. Greet the friends by name.
The apostle had become old by now, 90 years and above according to Bible Theologians when he wrote this epistle to a man, a brother, a leader and well-beloved named Gaius. It was a personal letter written to him but all the content of the letter are available for the public. Some people, what they do privately they cannot tell in public, what they text, or email to others they cannot show in the open because it will embarrass them. In the case of John, nothing is hidden and his letter became a part of the cannon of scriptures.
Apostle John used the word ‘Beloved’ because the person he was writing to loved God and he was also a beloved of God (vs 11). The apostle never had any connection with anyone who does not love God. Who are you friends? Who are your companions or the intimate people you interact with? Are they beloved of God? The apostle distinguished himself that he will not have any contact, friendship or anyone who is not beloved of God. He was with the truth, he believed, wrote, delighted in, embraced and walked in the truth, and the people he wrote to also loved and walked in the truth (vs 1).
vs 3. The apostle rejoiced greatly when he heard that Gaius walked in the truth without changing or modifying it vs (4). Some elderly people only rejoice when bottles of wine are sent to them. This is not John. His greatest joy is that his children walked in the truth. Thus we should be, not delighting in anyone who walks not in the truth, who despises, disobeys and disregards the truth but one whose heart, mind, will, and progress is based and centered on the truth. We will be fellow helpers of those who are walking in the truth (vs 12). We do not deal with deception, our records are true. Truth is not truth until there is supporting testimonies. We do not deal with anything that is false.
There are some kinds of progress that heaven will frown at, that God can neither support nor bless, but what we as believers are after is rewardable prosperity.
A. TRUE PROSPERITY WHILE YOU FELLOWSHIP IN THE TRUTH. III John 1-4
1. Proper Prosperity
When your prosperity is all round and not one sided but balanced (vs 2). Spiritually, materially, domestically, family wise and professionally, you are prospering. When every area of your life has a touch of heavenly prosperity. Not that you only have money and you do not have good manners, maturity, and your life is in shambles, your wife and children cannot see the effect of your prosperity, and your friends are those who are headed for hell fire. Not only money but your work and life from the spiritual angle is profitable (Job 36:11) You will not pursue money at the expense of service to God and evangelism, or being profitable as a worker, minister and preacher in the church. May God help you to have proper balancing in your prosperity in Jesus name.
Psalm 35:27. May God delight in your prosperity and prosper the work of your hands, He will grant all your heart’s desires (Jeremiah 33:9 - And it shall be to me a name of joy, a praise and an honour before all the nations of the earth, which shall hear all the good that I do unto them: and they shall fear and tremble for all the goodness and for all the prosperity that I procure unto it).
2. Perilous Prosperity
This is the kind of prosperity that destroys a man, damns the soul, makes you throw away your salvation, heart, church, Bible, common sense. May God take this away from you (Proverbs 1:30). Some people have prosperity but they do not have a church, religion, Bible, any principle, good family, heaven. Heaven is your goal, whatever will take heaven from you, God forbid it in Jesus name.
Jeremiah 22:13. Woe to Him that build his house, business, factory, company in unrighteousness or that refuses to pay the wages of his workers (vs 17,21). Any prosperity that will take God away from you, may you not have it in Jesus name.
Luke 12:15-21
* 15 And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
* 16 And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully:
* 17 And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?
* 18 And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.
* 19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.
* 20 But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?
* 21 So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.
With this man, no thinking of God, heaven or righteousness. No thoughts about the wife or the children, only ‘I, I, I’ I will do this, I will do that. One can have prosperity and be foolish, thoughtless, unrighteous, and unsaved.
3. Proportional Prosperity. III John 2
This is the kind of prosperity that is proportional to your spiritual life and every other aspect of your life. Some people have money but do not have good health, peace of mind, they do not eat or sleep well. They do not recuperate well after jumping here or there. But in this case, the health, spiritual life are properly aligned. You do not go up in prosperity and go down in your health and spiritual life (I Corinthians 11:1). It is imperative to balance everything properly.
There are some places where all they preach about is prosperity and yet, there are some people there that do not have even the spoke of a bicycle. It is not the talking but what God sees that you balance up. You love Him above money, business and prosperity, then as your soul is prospering, He will lift you up (I Thessalonians 2:7) Whatever we are pursuing, we must not forget our quiet time, the Bible, doing good, the fellowship with God and His children. You must never be too busy to have time for God because when you also pray to Him, He will be too busy to answer you. May you not have such response from God. Amen.
B. THE TENACIOUS PURSUIT OF FELLOW HELPERS OF THE TRUTH. III John vs 5-8
Is it not a good thing that someone will say whatever I cannot do faithfully, I will not do it, whatever errand I cannot run faithfully, whatever relationship I cannot be faithful to, I will not go into it, or whatever work I cannot do as I ought to, I will not venture into it?
If everyone here will be a fellow helper of the truth committed into our hands in his private and public lives with all the skill, intelligence and insight you have, the truth will move forward faster.
1. Blessing Others Faithfully. III John 5
He does not have vacation to go and do evil, or something that will hurt others
I Corinthians 13:4-6
* 4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
* 5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
* 6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
Some people are provoked when other people are happy or make progress, or otherwise. Everything provokes them. You do not have to be angry to good work. Anger destroys good work.
2. Bringing Others Forward
We are all on a journey, and some are closer to the finishing line than others. Brethren, bring as many as have one need or the other up. Someone is doing good, bring them up so that they can do more. In your counseling, admonition, teaching, in your community, house fellowship, bring others up (Exodus 14:15) Do not allow anyone who come across you to go back to Egypt. It is not enough to tell them to go forward, take away every obstacles away from their way. Open the door you have closed, remove the stumbling blocks you have put on their way. Clear the way (vs 16). Bing others forward in godliness, grace and goodness.
3. Becoming Others Fellow Helpers. III John vs8
The Lord is asking everyone of us to examine our lives. Are we fellow helpers of the truth? Are you helping your local, group and senior pastor in the headquarters here to further the cause of the truth? Are you trying to help or pull us down? Are you disdaining what we are preaching here? Are you encouraging the believers to do their restitutions and helping them to be their best for the Lord? (Acts 18:26) This is how to be a fellow helper. Aquila and Priscilla heard the preaching of Apollos and knew he could do better. They were not envious of him but took and taught him the way of God more perfectly (vs 27-28) Hence, He became more profitable in the work of the Lord.
C. THE TERRIBLE PERSONALITY OF FIERCE HINDERER OF THE TRUTH. III John 9-10
Diotrephes Was:
1. Domineering
2. Depraved
3. Devilish
4. Defiant
5. A dragon
6. Disagreeable and Discordant
7. Degenerate
8. Divisive (divide and rule) He sent out those who would accept the truth out of the church
9. Delinquent, following the way of degradation
10. Destructive, destroying the church, not allowing the truth to come in
11. Damned, damnable and doomed Deotrephes
Everyone who come to the church must have access to sound doctrine. Apostle John sent the word of life to the people, but Deotrephes would not allow the people to listen, and accept the word. Every evil you do, speak, act are already in record.
~ He is the reason for others backsliding as he would not allow sound doctrine. He was blind to the consequences of his action.
~ He was the reason for preeminent blindness
~ Rejection of the appointed builders of faith
~ The desire to reproduce bigots who will perish
~ He had devilish boldness
~ He was sending people out of the church. There was no one who could stand up to him and challenge him
Take note of this
1. Everything you do has a record in the book of God
2. Your actions may be the reason for others backsliding (Jeremiah 50:6 My people hath been lost sheep: their shepherds have caused them to go astray, they have turned them away on the mountains: they have gone from mountain to hill, they have forgotten their resting place).
3. He was the reason for preeminent blindness. Blind in pride and preeminence, not mindful of his eternity (Matthew 15:13-14)
4. Rejection of the appointed builders (Luke 10:16)
5. He ruled to produce bigots (Matthew 23:15 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves. (vs 33) Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?
6. Resisting the truth with devilish boldness. There is desirable boldness which is the ability to uphold the truth and help others walk in it. But there is undesirable boldness which has to do with resisting the truth (Acts 7:51; II Timothy 3:5,8)
7. He sent people who wanted to receive and stand by the truth out of the church (John 9:34 They answered and said unto him, Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us? And they cast him out). The Pharisees were offended by the simple testimony the previously blind man shared and cast him out of the temple. Such people are already cast out of heaven (Matthew 8:11-12 Matthew 8:11 And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.
* 12 But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth (ch 25:30 And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth). Deotrephes happened to be unprofitable whereas, he was supposed to open the door of the kingdom of God for all who desire to hear the word of God (vs 41,46).
III John vs 11. Deotrephes was doing evil and thus has not seen or known God, whereas, Demetrius loved, believed, embraced, was consecrated and committed to the truth, therefore, he had a good report.
How Do We Know The One Walking In The Truth?
1. Saved and honest
2. Sanctified and holy
3. Spiritual and helpful
4. Sincere and hospitable, you take care of the brethren
5. Selfless and harmless. People will feel comfortable around you because you will not hurt anyone
6. Submissive and humble
7. Steadfast and heavenly minded
Above all, the Lord will proper you, keep you in health as your soul prospers. Anything that will diminish your health, the Lord will take away from you. Amen.
III John vs 2 Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.
Beloved, rise up and tell the Lord, “I am that beloved, cherished and endearing one”.
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