Go with me again to 3 John. 3 John. I've told you before about Brother
Henry saying, Every time that we set forth
a message, every single time that we set forth a message,
it must contain the meat and potatoes of the gospel. Every single time, it must. But he said a little ice cream
every now and then is nice too. And that's what I have for us
tonight. That's what I desire to serve, a little ice cream. There's something in this that
I want us to enjoy and rest around. I'll tell you what it is when
we get to it. Let's start at the beginning. Verse one says,
the elder, that's John speaking of himself, a man called to lead
and work in spiritual matters, an elder, that's what an elder
is. The elder unto the well-beloved
Gaius, whom I love in the truth. It's not known exactly who that
man is. We were just talking about some
brethren who have now gone on to be with the Lord. This man
here has gone on to be with the Lord. One day, we will know exactly
who Gaius is. We'll enjoy his company. Right now, we don't know exactly
who he is, but it's known that he was well-beloved by John,
and from the wording of this, he was well-beloved by our Lord
Jesus Christ. The elder unto the well-beloved
Gaius, whom I love in the truth. Beloved, I wish above all things
that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul
prospereth. The most important prosperity
in life is the prosperity of the soul. That's a big statement. It's so true. That is so true. I wish that we could really get
a hold of that. The most important and you young
people listen to this. The most important prosperity
in life is the prosperity of the soul. We can have no money
and still have prosperity of the soul. We can have no physical health
in body, none, and still have health in the soul. The soul
can be so healthy and alive. If we do not have soul prosperity,
every other prosperity in life is actually not a prosperity
at all. Let's all get a hold of that. Starting with me. We don't have sole prosperity. Every other prosperity in life
is is not a prosperity at all. It's not a gain. It's a loss.
People do so well. They do so well. They make so
much money. They climb the ladder and they say, we're so blessed.
God's really blessed us. No time to worship him. And is it the blessing of the
Lord? Is it really? The man who gains everything
this world has to offer but loses his soul hasn't prospered in
anything because he doesn't have anything. But even if a man loses
everything physically and prospers in the soul spiritually, that
man or woman has gained it all. He has gained it all. Every soul
that has prospered in the Lord Jesus Christ gets the exact same
thing in the end. Same portion, the same reward. With that being said, the prayer
of John was, he said, as God has prospered you spiritually
and eternally, I pray he will prosper you physically and temporally. Verse two, beloved, I wish above
all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health even as thy
soul prospereth. For I rejoiced greatly when the
brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee, even
as thou walkest in the truth. What is it to walk in the truth? Would you like to walk in truth? What is that? How do we do that?
We'll go to 1 John, back a few pages to 1 John 1. Verse John 1 verse 8 says, if
we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth
is not in us. What is it to walk in truth?
It's to say, I'm a sinner before God. God be merciful to me. That's what it is to walk in
truth. Verse 8, if we say that we have
no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If
we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins
and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. That's the walk of a child of
God. God be merciful to me. I'm a sinner. You're my only
hope. Jesus Christ is my only hope.
What is it to walk in truth? It's to walk in Him. If I'm not
walking in Him, I'm a dead man. I'm not walking. Verse 10, if we say that we have
not sinned, we make him a liar and his word is not in us. His
truth is not in us. Verse seven, he said, if we walk
in the light as he is in the light, if we walk in Christ,
Christ is the light. We have fellowship one with another
and the blood of Jesus Christ, his son, cleanses us from all
sin. If we walk in truth, we'll be
truthful about it. I'm only a sinner saved by grace. That's what it is to walk in
truth. Go back to third John. Verse three, he said, for I rejoiced
greatly when the brethren came and testified of the truth that
is in thee, Even as thou walkest in truth, I have no greater joy
than to hear that my children walk in truth. That tells us
that this man Gaius was converted under John's ministry. The apostle Paul said the same
thing concerning those that were converted under his ministry.
He called them children. begotten under his preaching. It's a very close, special relationship. Verse four, he said, I have no
greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth, that
they continue in it, they stay in it. There is no greater joy
for any believer than to see Christ keep us. There's no greater joy than to
see Christ keep us, to see him keep me, to see him keep my brethren. There's no greater heartache
than to watch those who you consider to be brethren fall away, drift
away. Lord, keep us. If you don't keep
us, we're not gonna be kept. Keep us, have mercy on us, but
for the grace of God, that would be all of us. Verse four, he said, I have no
greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth. Beloved,
thou doest faithfully whatsoever thou doest to the brethren and
to strangers, 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. because that for his name's sake
they went forth taking nothing of the Gentiles. We therefore
ought to receive such that we might be fellow helpers to the
truth. He commended him in the work of the ministry and he exhorted
him to continue on in the work of the ministry. The ministry
of God, the ministry of Christ, the ministry of the gospel is
people. It's people. That's important
to know. It's people. God's people are the ministry. Our Lord said, as much as you
do it to one of the least of these, my brethren, you do it
to me. I want to encourage every person
here in the ministry of God's people. Let's all be in the ministry
for his name's sake. For who he is. because of everything
he's done for us, because of his graciousness and his kindness
and his favor and his love, because of his generosity and his hospitality,
because of his sacrifice, because of his forgiveness, because
of his mercy, for his name's sake, let's do for each other
what he's done for us. Let's open our homes to each
other as he's opened his home to us. Let's feed each other as he has
fed us. Let's care for each other. Let's
provide for each other. Let's help each other along the
way of our journey here as our Lord so faithfully does for us. And he does it through each other. Verse five, beloved thou doest
faithfully whatsoever thou doest to the brethren and to strangers
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. Because that for his name's sake
they went forth taking nothing of the Gentiles, we therefore
ought to receive such that we might be fellow helpers to the
truth. Now he said in verse nine, I
wrote unto the church, but diatrophies, who loveth to have the preeminence
among them, receiveth us not. The opposite of this godly sort
or godly way that John is talking about is selfishness. Wanting
to put me first. He loved to have the preeminence.
He wanted to put himself first instead of others. That's not
the way of our God. That's the exact opposite of
the way of the cross of our Lord. You think about how he put his
people above himself. Verse 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. Beloved, follow not that which
is evil, but that which is good. Follow not that which is evil,
but that which is good. What's evil? Man. What's good? God. Don't follow the natural way
of man. Don't follow the natural way
of your own self, our own selves. May God give us the ability to
follow the way of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Follow the
way of his word. Verse 11 goes on to say, he that
doeth good is of God, but he that doeth evil hath not seen
God. The only way any sinner can do
good is in Christ. There is none good but God. Our only hope is to be found
in him. Verse 12, Demetrius hath good report of all men and of
the truth itself. Yea, and we also bear record,
and you know that our record is true. I had many things to
write, but I will not with ink and pen write unto thee. 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. I've preached to you on this
before. You know how much I love that last verse, and that's our
ice cream tonight. Verse 14 says, Our friends salute
thee. Greet the friends by name. That is so sweet. That sounds
so tender and so sweet. There is nothing more desirable
and nothing more comforting than the thought of having a true
friend. Honestly, somebody in your heart that you believe is
a true friend. You know what makes a marriage
wonderful? You know what makes a marriage
wonderful? It's when the husband and wife see themselves as being
best friends. Best friends. My dad is my father. We have
that relationship, father to son. He is also my friend. It's so warm, it's so comforting
to see someone and know in your heart, that's my friend. That
is my friend. That's what all of God's people
get to share in the Lord Jesus Christ. We had about 15 minutes
before the service started where everybody was just talking and
enjoying each other's company and that was nice, wasn't it? That's what we have in Christ.
Friendship. True, actual friendship. That is what God has given to
His people in the Lord Jesus Christ. Friendship. It doesn't
matter how old you are. You know, normally people congregate
by age. They congregate by class. But in Christ, it doesn't matter
how old you are. It doesn't matter how educated
you are. It doesn't matter how wealthy
you are. Friends don't care about any
of those things. True friends, they don't care about any of
that. True friends just say, behold how good and how pleasant
it is to dwell together in unity, in one, in Christ. And that's the very
reason for our friendship. He is the very reason. He is the grounds of our friendship. Christ is what all of God's people
have in common. And it's so amazing and it's
so true. Christ is what all of God's people have in common.
Christ is the reason we are friends. He made us to be that way. Those of you who have children,
you may, you know, this is probably not the case in your household,
but every now and then there can be a tiff. And what do you
want out of your children? What do you demand? You're going
to get along. You're going to be friends. Our Lord has made his people
to be that way. Our Lord has called his people
to be that way. He has conquered us. He has broken
us. He has redeemed us to be that
way with one another. He was the friend that started
it all. He was the friend that started
the whole thing. Roll with me through a few scriptures
like we do. Go to Psalm, I'm sorry, Proverbs
17. Proverbs 17, verse 17 says, a
friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. That's Christ toward his people. He said, I have loved you with
an everlasting love. A friend, a friend. You have a true friend. That
friend will love you at all times. Love you at all times. Won't
just love you when it's popular and won't just love you when,
you know, it's in that person's favor. That's not a true friend.
A true friend will love you at all times. That's Jesus Christ
toward his people. He loves at all times. Aren't
you so thankful for that? There are so many times that
I am unlovely. There's so often that I'm just
unlovable. He loves at all times. I've loved
you with an everlasting love. He was born into this world for
an adversity, an adversity he only could win for his friend. Look at Proverbs 18, verse 24.
A man that hath friends must show himself friendly. And there is a friend that sticketh
closer than a brother. That's what Christ did. If you
want anybody who would like to have a friend, here's how you
get one. Be a friend. You want a friend? Show yourself
friendly. Well, that's what Christ did.
That's exactly what the Lord Jesus Christ did. He showed himself
friendly to us. He stuck close to us, joined
himself to us. He said, for this cause came
I into the world. I came for you. Look at Isaiah 41. Isaiah 41 verse 8. But thou, Israel, art my servant,
Jacob, whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham, my friend. That's amazing. My friend. Chosen you, you're my friend.
That's why he said in verse 10, fear thou not, for I am with
thee. Be not dismayed, for I am thy
God. I will strengthen thee. Yea,
I will help thee. Yea, I will uphold thee with
the right hand of my righteousness. You're my friend. You're my friend. You're in need, I'll do that
for you. You're my friend. Verse 13, he said, for I, the
Lord thy God, will hold thy right hand. saying unto thee, fear
not, I will help thee. Isaiah 41 is one of my favorite
chapters in the Bible. It's so sweet, it's so loving.
You're my friend. Verse 14, fear not thou worm,
Jacob. You men of Israel, I will help
thee, saith the Lord, and thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.
You're my friend, I'm your friend. Turn over to Matthew 11. Matthew 11 verse 19, it says, The Son of Man came eating and
drinking And they say, behold, a man gluttonous and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. Aren't you so glad? Is this not
amazing to you? Like it's amazing to me. And
I say it's amazing every time I read that verse of scripture.
And I literally am amazed right now. It's amazing to me. Aren't
you so glad for the fact that he would be a friend in the first
place? He said, I'm your God. Aren't you so thankful for the
fact that he would be a friend in the first place? And that's
who he would be a friend to? Sinners. Sinners, the friend of sinners.
That's amazing. The friend of sinners against
him. Would we be a friend to a sinner against us? How quick
are we to be a friend to sinners against us? And this is God we're
talking about. The friend of sinners, that's
our hope. Turn to John 15. John 15 verse 11. These things have I spoken unto
you that my joy might remain in you and that your joy might
be full. This is my commandment that you
love one another as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man
than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Lord Jesus Christ died for his
friends. Who did Christ die for? Who did
Jesus Christ die for? He died on the cross of Calvary.
Who did he die for? Here's the answer. He died for
his friends. He died for his friends. He gave
his life, he shed his blood in order to redeem his friends. And he did it. He did it. We are redeemed in Him. And He
has given us faith to believe that. He gives faith to every
single one of His friends. Go to one more scripture, okay?
James 2. James chapter 2. Verse 23 says, And the scripture
was fulfilled, which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed
unto him for righteousness, and he was called the friend of God. He believed God by God-given
faith. God gave that faith to him. And
that faith that God gave to him was reckoned by God to be righteousness. And because of that, he was called
the friend of God. That means God did it all and
Abraham was rewarded. He was called the friend of God.
We are friends by the faith of Jesus Christ. We are friends
by the death of Jesus Christ. We are friends by union with
Christ. We are right now and we forever
will be. We are right now and we will
forever be. And that's why we can say to
each other, that's why we can say, congregation to congregation,
household to household, our friends salute thee. Greet the friends
by name. Greet all our friends by name.
That's what we're going to be forever. That's what we will
be for all of eternity, in the Lord Jesus Christ, with the Lord
Jesus Christ. Friends. Best friends. Now and
forever. Amen.