Letters From John

(Sermon series)

 by Rev. Richard Jones

THE GOOD, THE BAD,

AND THE UGLY

2 John & 3 John

TRUTH AND LIFE
2 John 1:1-3 (ESV)
1  The elder to the elect lady and her children, whom I love in truth, and not only I, but also all who know the truth,
2  because of the truth that abides in us and will be with us forever:
3  Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ the Father’s Son, in truth and love.

Jude 1:3 (ESV)
3  Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.

1 John 5:20 (ESV)
20  And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.

TRUTH AND LOVE
2 John 1:4-6 (ESV)
4  I rejoiced greatly to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as we were commanded by the Father. 5  And now I ask you, dear lady—not as though I were writing you a new commandment, but the one we have had from the beginning—that we love one another. 6  And this is love, that we walk according to his commandments; this is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, so that you should walk in it.

1 John 4:11-12 (ESV)
11  Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
12  No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.

TRUTH  AND LIES
 2 John 1:7-13 (ESV)
7  For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. Such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist. 8  Watch yourselves, so that you may not lose what we have worked for, but may win a full reward. 9  Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. 10  If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, 11  for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works. 12  Though I have much to write to you, I would rather not use paper and ink. Instead I hope to come to you and talk face to face, so that our joy may be complete. 13  The children of your elect sister greet you.

Matthew 23:33 (ESV)
33  You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell?

THE ENCOURAGER
3 John 1:1-8 (ESV)
1  The elder to the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth. 2  Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul. 3  For I rejoiced greatly when the brothers came and testified to your truth, as indeed you are walking in the truth. 4  I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth. 5  Beloved, it is a faithful thing you do in all your efforts for these brothers, strangers as they are, 6  who testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their journey in a manner worthy of God. 7  For they have gone out for the sake of the name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles. 8  Therefore we ought to support people like these, that we may be fellow workers for the truth.

Matthew 10:40-41 (ESV)
40  “Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me.
41  The one who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and the one who receives a righteous person because he is a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward.

THE EGOTIST
3 John 1:9-11 (ESV)
9  I have written something to the church, but Diotrephes, who likes to put himself first, does not acknowledge our authority. 10  So if I come, I will bring up what he is doing, talking wicked nonsense against us. And not content with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers, and also stops those who want to and puts them out of the church. 11  Beloved, do not imitate evil but imitate good. Whoever does good is from God; whoever does evil has not seen God.

THE EXEMPLAR
3 John 1:12-15 (ESV)
12  Demetrius has received a good testimony from everyone, and from the truth itself. We also add our testimony, and you know that our testimony is true. 13  I had much to write to you, but I would rather not write with pen and ink.
14  I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face. 15  Peace be to you. The friends greet you. Greet the friends, each by name.