HOSPITALITY MUST BE DISCRIMINATING

2 JOHN 7-13

COMMAND

ROMANS 12:9-13“LET LOVE BE GENUINE. ABHOR WHAT IS EVIL; HOLD FAST TO WHAT IS GOOD. LOVE ONE ANOTHER WITH BROTHERLY AFFECTION. OUTDO ONE ANOTHER IN SHOWING HONOR. DO NOT BE SLOTHFUL IN ZEAL, BE FERVANT IN SPIRIT. SERVE THE LORD. REJOICE IN HOPE, BE PATIENT IN TRIBULATION, BE CONSTANT IN PRAYER. CONTRIBUTE TO THE NEEDS OF THE SAINTS AND SEEK TO SHOW HOSPITALITY.”

LAST TWO WEEKS

SAM CALAROSO SUMMARIZED THE LETTER TITLED 1 JOHN

HOWARD BUCK SUMMARIZED 2 JOHN 1-6 BY EMPHISIZING ‘vs 5-6’ “that we love one another. 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.”

John is talking about “love for the brethern” CLEAR?

I WAS SECOND CHOICE TO PRESENT THIS LESSON

SAM ERDMAN WAS FIRST…. SAM, WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY?

LAST TWO WEEKS

SAM CALAROSO SUMMARIZED THE LETTER TITLED 1 JOHN

HOWARD BUCK SUMMARIZED 2 JOHN 1-6 BY EMPHISIZING ‘vs 5-6’ “that we love one another. 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.”

CLEAR?

TO UNDERSTAND WHAT JOHN IS NOW GOING TO SAY

I WAS GOING TO USE THIS ILLUSTRATION

LETS GO BACK TO ROOK

HIGHEST BIDDER NAMES ___________________

AND THAT COLOR BEATS (TRUMPS) ANY OTHER COLOR…

SAME IN SCRIPTURE

REMEMBER RAHAB… THE PROSTITUTE WHO HID THE SPIES SENT BY JOSHUA INTO JERICHO

SHE HID THE SPIES, THEN WHEN ASKED BY HER COUNTRYMEN WHERE THEY WERE… SHE LIED AND TOLD THEM THEY HAD ALREADY LEFT FOR THE RIVER… AND IF HER COUNTRYMEN GO QUICK… THEY WILL OVERTAKE THEM

SHE IS LISTED IN HEBREWS AS ONE WHO HAS GREAT FAITH IN GOD.

SO WHAT DO WE LEARN

SCRIPTURE HAS A HEIRARCHY OF VALUES SAVING A LIFE “TRUMPS” TELLING THE TRUTH

REMEMBER CORRIE TEN BOOM … AND MANY OTHERS THAT TOLD LIES TO THE GERMANS TO SAVE THE LIVES OF JEWS

1 Cor. 13:13 …”now abideth faith, hope, and love, these three, but the greatest (of these three) is _______”.

NOW REMEMBER WHAT SAM ERDMAN SAID

JOHN HAS BEEN STATING THAT THE EVIDENCE OF BEING A CHRISTIAN IS: 1. THEIR RIGHTEOUS LIFE, 2. THEIR LOVE FOR THE BRETHERN

HOLD ON, THIS IS GOING TO MAKE SENSE SHORTLY

VS. 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. WATCH YOURSELVES”

YOU MEAN WE ARE NOT TO LOVE EVERYBODY? THAT’S RIGHT.

YOU ARE TO BE DISCERNING … by TRUTH

IN THE FIRST 4 VERSES, JOHN MENTIONS:

TRUTH …. 5 TIMES…. WHY? BECAUSE TRUTH “TRUMPS” LOVE YOU SEE, IN 1 JOHN AND ROMANS ….

SCRIPTURE INSTRUCTS US TO BE HOSPITALABLE/TO BE LOVING ….

2 JOHN INSTRUCTS US THAT TRUTH OVER-RIDES (“TRUMPS”) THESE COMMANDS.

CRITERIA

IF SOMEONE CLAIMS TO BE A BELIEVER… IS THAT ENOUGH?… (REMEMBER THE MOTELS AND HOTELS OF 1ST CENTURY CULTURE).

DISCERNMENT: Do they believe the Bible is the Word of God, in the virgin birth, that Christ is God, that HE came in the flesh, that he lived a sinless life, that HE died a substitutionary death, that HE rose again. These are the FUNDAMENTALS … THAT’S THE

TRUTH THAT IS TO BE DEFENDED

What’s the big deal?

Vs 8: “WATCH YOURSELVES, SO THAT YOU MAY NOT LOSE WHAT WE HAVE WORKED FOR, BUT MAY WIN A FULL REWARD.”

J. MacARTHUR “This is a potent warning. All the eternal reward one earns by seeing Christ purely, eagerly and effectively in the Spirit can be diminished by any aiding or abetting of false teaching.” wow.

IGNORE THIS TO YOUR PERIL

VS. 9: “EVERYONE WHO GOES ON AHEAD AND DOES NOT ABIDE IN THE TEACHING OF CHRIST DOES NOT HAVE GOD. WHOEVER ABIDES IN THE TEACHING (i.e. the fundamentals of our faith) HAS BOTH THE FATHER AND THE SON:

MAKE IT CLEAR JOHN

VS 10: “IF ANYONE COMES TO YOU AND DOES NOT BRING THIS TEACHING, DO NOT RECEIVE HIM (HER) INTO YOUR HOUSE OR GIVE HIM (HER) ANY GREETING, FOR WHOEVER GREETS HIM TAKES PART IN HIS WICKED WORKS.”

IS JOHN CLEAR?

Some examples

How about Mormons coming to your door? YOU HAVE ONLY ONE INSTRUCTION IN

SCRIPTURE … GIVE THEM THE GOSPEL…. ASK THEM: WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH

YOUR SINS? TELL THEM ABOUT THE JESUS THE BIBLE

PROCLAIMS TELL THEM THEY ARE BEING DECEIVED DO NOT LET THEM IN YOUR HOUSE…. BENCH

IN BACK YARD/FRONT PORCH/ET AL ….. OK.

HOW ABOUT OTHERS?

DO THEY DENY THE GOSPEL? DO THEY DENY SALVATION BY “FAITH

ALONE”? DO THEY DENY THE TRINITY? DO THEY DENY THAT JESUS IS GOD? DO THEY INCORPORATE A SALVATION BY

WORKS?

HOW ABOUT PENTACOSTALS?

HOW DO YOU IDENTIFY ONE? GENERALLY:

THEY SAY “GOD SPEAKS TO ME” (Dale at URM) THEY BELIEVE THE SIGN GIFTS DID NOT CEASE AT THE

END OF THE FIRST CENTURY .. SO “TONGUES (FOREIGN LANGUAGES), HEALINGS”, ARE STILL IN VOGUE.

MOST WOMEN PREACHERS IGNORE PAULS INSTRUCTION THAT “OLDER WOMEN ARE TO TEACH YOUNGER WOMEN (SOLELY)”.. BUT THEY ALSO TEACH MEN AMIEE SEMPLE McPHERSON (….Fran’s father, a new

Christian) MOST ALLEGORIZE SCRIPTURE… INSTEAD OF PROCLAIMING

THE LITERAL, PLAIN MEANING OF THE TEXT.

Question: ARE WE TO DISASSOCIATE WITH PENTACOSTALS?

ISSUE: MOST BELIEVE THE FUNDAMENTALS… SO THEY ARE OUR BROTHER/SISTER IN CHRIST

WHAT IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY? PRAY FOR THEM WHERE POSSIBLE, INSTRUCT THEM IN WHAT

THE SCRIPTURE ACTUALLY SAYS AND MEANS. (BY THE WAY.. IT MEANS WHAT IT SAYS)… LIKE WHAT OUR RISEN LORD DID ON THE ROAD TO EMMAUS (Luke 24:27)

“ECHOES OF EDEN” .. HOLY ROLLERS ..

DON’T WISH HIM “GOD’S SPEED”

VS 11: “For whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works”

“Hospitality to such leaders aids the spread of their heresy and inevitably leaves the impression of sanctioning the teaching of these antichrists. Supreme loyalty to God and His word alone must characterize the actions of every true believer.”

j.MacArthur

VS 12: “Mouth to mouth”

Mistranslation…. “face to face”…. GOD spoke to Moses (Numbers 12:8) …

“mouth to mouth”… (Biblical term)… I believe its an emphasis on the very WORDS

I.E. not just the thought, or paragraphs, or concepts …

Vs 12: “So that our joy may be complete” Love demonstrated within the boundaries

of TRUTH… brings joy to all (to God, to the one receiving the love, and to the one delivering the love)

Vs. 13

“the children of thy elect sister greet thee. Amen”

I believe it is the woman (who the letter is addressed to), her nephews and nieces that John is very close to in Ephesus.. And wanted him to express their greetings…

(I could be wrong here, see Howard Buck)…

Is John’s Message Relevant Today?

I believe Jesus in parable of the “Mustard Seed” exactly warns of this issue.

MATT 13:31-32; MARK 4:30-32; LUKE 13: 18-19

Small beginning… grows inordinately (organized church) .. Birds are able to come and make their next…. (And propogate)

Birds .. According to Jesus interpretation of the Sower… represent Satan and his Demons

Has Satan done this in the organized church?

Word directly from God

I trust you realize fully that we have been in the presence of God.. And His Spirit spoke through His Word to our hearts…

Lets pray …. gratefully