Let's turn together to the book
of 3 John. This is a letter written by the
Apostle John to his beloved son in the faith, Gaius. Gaius was
not a pastor or a preacher. He was a man like any of you
men here, a man whom the Lord God had saved, a member of a
local church, a faithful believer And the church which he was a
member of had been visited by some missionaries, traveling
about preaching the gospel, men who had been sent there by the
Apostle John. They had gone about preaching
the gospel of God's grace to the Gentiles. In their journey,
they stopped in town here where Gaius resided, where this gospel
church was established, to visit the brethren there, and when
they did, Gaius took them in. He apparently took the men at
least for a few days, maybe much, much longer. He fed them, took
care of them, and when they left, he gave them a little traveling
money to help them get to the next place where they were going.
When they got back to the church where John was pastor, probably
at the church at Ephesus, these traveling evangelists, these
missionaries, couldn't stop talking about Gaius. have had that privilege more
times than I can tell you as pastor here. I'll pick out one, I could pick
out several of you. No matter where I go, anybody
who has ever been here, I mean if they just came for a little
while, visited once. If they forget my name, they
ask me about Bob and Sally Poncho. Always do. I mean wherever I
go, because of hospitality and kindness. That's what these fellows
did when they came and spoke to John about his friend, a man
converted under his ministry by the name of Gaius. They told
their friends about it. They told the whole church about
it. And when John heard what these men had to say about his
spiritual son, this friend of his, one who was converted by
his influence, by the grace of God, using him as the messenger
to his soul. John's heart just bubbled up
with joy. And he takes down his pen, not
just because of his personal delights in the report, but because
God the Holy Spirit would instruct us by his word through the Apostle
John. And he writes this brief epistle
to this man, Gaius, and commends him for those things which he
had heard. Second John, you will remember,
was written to the elect lady. It doesn't matter whether you
think this elect lady was a specific woman chosen of God and redeemed
by the blood of Christ, or whether you look at this woman, this
elect lady, as being one of the local churches, which I think
was the case. This epistle is addressed to
this man, Gaius, whom John says, I love in the truth. Truth and
love are companions. They are twin graces. They not
only ought not be separated, they can't be separated. They
can't be separated. Truth and love walk hand in hand. This epistle commends the truth
and love displayed in this man Gaius by his deeds. As it is
written in Galatians, faith worketh by love. It always does. In this
epistle, we are given a great and very clear contrast in the
lives and characters of three men. Gaius, a faithful man, beloved
of God, one to whom the epistle is addressed. And Deopthes, a
prominent leader, but a proud deceiver. And Demetrius, another
man in the congregation who was of good report. Let's see what
God would teach us here. First we look at Gaius, the elder
unto the well-beloved Gaius, whom I love in the truth. Whenever
you read names in the scriptures, don't always try to associate
them with the same name somewhere else. There are at least four
men in the New Testament named Gaius, all different men in different
places, mentioned for different reasons. That shouldn't surprise
us. If you happen to walk in here
in a couple of weeks and we happen to have four John Smiths in the
place, that shouldn't be too astonishing. It's a pretty common
name. In our own assembly we've got several Bobs right here,
just right here tonight. We've got several of them. That's
a very common name. Well, this name Gaius was just
as common in the Roman world as John Smith or Bob Smith is
in our day. This man Gaius to whom this epistle
is addressed is a beloved brother converted under John's ministry,
one of his children in the faith. And John says in verse 4, he
is dearly beloved. Not only did John love him, he
was a man well beloved. Beloved of God, chosen to eternal
salvation in Christ, and beloved of his brethren. He was beloved
of those saints who knew him, because he was a man of great
faith, great integrity and great generosity. He had experienced
the grace of God. And the grace of God, when it
is experienced in the soul, I didn't say when it's professed with
the lips. I didn't say when it's known in the mind. The grace
of God, when it is experienced in the soul, makes those who
experience that grace gracious. He was sound in doctrine and
sound in heart. He was a loving man and a lovable
man. Look at verse 2. John says concerning
this man Gaius, Beloved, I wish above all things. Now that word
above is not very well translated, and you know that from the context.
It really would be better translated in. I wish that in all things
thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. Now, the reason why I say the
word would be better translated in is because John certainly
is not suggesting here that he desired Gaius' physical health
and prosperity above his spiritual, eternal health and prosperity.
What he is saying to him essentially is this. I wish that you may
have a prosperous journey through this world, and be in good health
even as your soul prospers, as I pray the Lord will grant you
his continued and manifest blessings." The Amplified Bible gives this
a paraphrase, and remember the Amplified is not a translation,
it is a paraphrase, but it's a good paraphrase. Beloved, I
pray that you may prosper in every way and that your body
may keep well even as I know your soul keeps well and prospers. Physical health is a great blessing
from God to his people. To the unbelieving it can be
a terrible curse. To his people it is a great blessing,
an act of his providential goodness. Among the many, many things God
promises to those who are obedient to him. And remember, those promises
of conditional, conditional promises to those who are obedient given
in the law, certainly are never promises that we can claim because
we are obedient. We are not perfectly obedient.
Oh, but they are. They are. Because in Christ.
We have perfectly obeyed our God. And you read the first 14
verses of Deuteronomy 28, and you will see those promises.
God has promised to bless us in the field, and bless us in
our home, bless us in the morning, and bless us in the evening,
so that all the blessings that we enjoy in life are blessings
of God's goodness in poverty. The scriptures teach us with
regard to all that are called, all who are to be called by the
effectual, irresistible, omnipotent grace and power of God the Holy
Spirit, God Almighty promises everything for time and eternity
prospers our souls. Everything. God help us to learn
this. Everything in the universe, everything
experienced in our lives, is brought to pass deliberately
by the purpose of our God, and it is that which is absolutely
best for our souls. It is best for us now, and best
for us tomorrow, and best for us forever, whether it be prosperity
or adversity. God's saints in this world are
given liberty to use all things for their pleasure as they live
in this world for the glory of God. Now notice I say it. We are given all things in this
world to use for our pleasure as we live in this world to serve
and honor our God. Not to use to gratify our lust. They are not ours to use to gratify
our own desires, to please ourselves, but rather to please us as we
walk in this world to serve and honor our God. If the Lord causes
us to abound in earthly goods or in physical health, he accompanies
those blessings with grace sufficient to make them prosper. He says,
all things are yours, and you are Christ. These things, whatever
they are, are yours for the prosperity of your soul. When that's the
case, like Gaius, God's people are given grace to use the blessings
of providence faithfully in whatsoever, both in connection with our brethren
and in connection with the kingdom of God at large, those we know
personally and those extended beyond us, and to use for the
good of others outside the kingdom of God. If the Lord sends adversity,
he takes the bitterness out of the adversity. by promising that
he will make the adversity work together for our good as well.
Not just that they turn out that way. We don't worship at the
altar of luck or chance. We worship at the altar of God
Almighty who rules the universe absolutely for the good of his
people. And we confess gladly we know
that all things work together for good. To them that love God,
to them who are the called according to his purpose. Certainly, with
regard to spiritual things, they are all ours. As temporal things,
so too spiritual things are always blessed of God and prosper our
souls. Turn to Ephesians 1 one more
time. I say one more time, one more
time tonight. Ephesians 1, verse 3. I know you can recite it,
read it. Blessed be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ. Who hath blessed us, he has prospered
us. He has blessed us with all spiritual
blessings, no exceptions. Whatever is included in those
terms spiritual and blessing, they are ours, and they have
been ours from eternity in Jesus Christ the Lord, in heavenly
places in Christ. And this is how he did it. According
as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world,
that we should be holy and without blame before him, in love having
predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to
himself. And he did it according to the
good pleasure of his will. Our worth, our goodness, our
works, our choice, our decision, our imaginary free will has nothing
to do with it. And he did it to the praise of
the glory of his grace. wherein he hath made us accepted."
All this from eternity, accepted in the beloved. We are blessed
in time, and blessed to eternity with all the Father's love, with
all the Savior's redemption, and with all the Holy Spirit's
grace. All the blessings of grace, so boundlessly bestowed upon
us from eternity in Christ, are gifts from God our Father, which
shall not be taken away from us, not in this world, nor in
the world to come. Because the gifts and callings
of God are without repentance. He gave us righteousness. He
gave us redemption. He gave us grace. He gave us
acceptance in Christ from eternity. He gave us Christ himself, and
these things shall not be taken away from you, no matter what. No matter what. Folks say, well,
you can't say that. If you say that, that'll give
people license to ungodliness. No, folks who want license to
ungodliness have got it already. They'll do what they want to.
God Almighty has blessed you, Baba Estes, with all these things,
and he won't take them from you. Not if you're Christ. Not if
you're Christ. They're given us not because
of our obedience, but because of Christ's obedience as our
substitute. Christ's obedience and our obedience
to God in him. He gives us continual manifestations
of his boundless love. He comes to us Again and again
to bless and comfort and encourage us. To make himself known to
us as he will not to the world. Remember what it said in John
14? Turn over there, look at it again. Rex and Larry read those passages
of scripture, such little comment. And I so much needed to hear
them. And the Lord came to me one more
time. Other folks may hear them and hear nothing. He came to
me one more time. Now here's the reason. While
you sit and hear the gospel and the Lord comes and visits you,
the fellow sits right beside you and all he can do is look
at the lights and wonder which one's straight and which one's
crooked. That's all he can do. Here's the difference. John 14,
verse 18. The Lord Jesus says to his disciples, I will not
leave you comfortless. I will come to you. I will come
to you, and come to you, and come to you, and come to you,
and come to you. I will not quit coming to you.
Yet a little while, and the world seeeth me no more, but you see
me. Because I live, ye shall live also. Verse 20. At that
day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and
I in you. At what day? At the day I come
to visit you. He that hath my commandments,
and keepeth them. He that believeth on the Son,
that's the commandment of God. He that hath my commandments,
and keepeth them. He it is that loveth me. And
he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love
him, and will manifest myself to him. Judas saith unto him,"
not Iscariot, he didn't know anything about what he was talking
about, but Judas saith unto him, "'Lord, how is it that thou wilt
manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?' And Jesus
answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my
words, and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him,
and make our abode with him." who can describe the gracious
revelation and outpouring of God's great love, his manifest
grace to our souls, day after day after day, wherewith he blesses
us spiritually. With regard to eternal blessings,
our God not only has given us the promise of life eternal,
he tells us that this life is ours now. He that hath the Son
hath life. And we have this life and the
enjoyment of it by faith in Christ, believing on the Son of God.
And that faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence
of things not seen. Faith in Christ is the earnest,
it's the pledge, it's the down payment that's given us by God
the Holy Spirit of glory to come. Look back here in 3 John 3. Now here John speaks of Gaius'
testimony. I rejoiced greatly when the brethren
came and testified of the truth that is in thee, even as thou
walkest in the truth. These brethren, these traveling
preachers had come back to John and told him that Gaius was a
man who believed the truth of the gospel, and that he was a
man of truly gracious character, a man with a gracious, magnanimous
spirit. He walked before God and men
in such a way that he was known by God's saints as one who lived
for the glory of God. What a commendation. What a commendation. They didn't say a word. Now listen
carefully. Listen carefully. They didn't
say a word to John, as far as we know, about how much time
they spent in Because the only way they could know that is if
Gaius bragged about it. They didn't say a word about
how many chapters Gaius read every day in the Bible. Because
if they had known that, the only way they could know is if Gaius
bragged about it. They didn't say a word about how often Gaius
fasted. Because if they knew that, the
only way they could know is if Gaius bragged about it. What they did
say is, this is a man who loves God's people. And we know he
does because he opened his heart and his home and his wallet to
us. He's a man of gracious, magnanimous
character, a man in whom Christ Jesus lives, a man who adorns
the doctrine of God his Savior. Verse 4, John says to Gaius,
and he's writing to this man Gaius, I have no greater joy
than to hear that my children walk in the truth. Nothing makes
a faithful gospel preacher happier than to hear that those to whom
he has preached, for whom he has labored, for whom he has
been the means by which God conveyed the knowledge of Christ to their
souls. Nothing can make him happier than to hear that his children
walk in the truth. We can bestow no greater gift
on our friends and no greater inheritance upon our families
than the gospel of Christ. And they can bring no greater
joy and no greater satisfaction to our hearts than to receive
it and walk in it. Peter said to that lame man in
Acts chapter 3, he said, I don't have what you're looking for,
but I've got something better. Silver and gold have I none.
But I say unto you, in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth,
rise up and walk and he did. And I guarantee you he wasn't
the least bit sorry he went home just as poor in pocket as he
was when he came there to start with. He was rich in his soul
forever. Paul wrote to Philemon and he
said I'm confident I'm confident of your obedience, confident
that you're going to obey God and his word. Now look at verse
5. Beloved, thou doest faithfully
whatsoever thou doest to the brethren and to strangers. John writes by divine inspiration
an epistle bragging about a man. Did you get that? He writes by
divine inspiration an epistle for all to read, bragging about
a man. You see, the Holy Spirit teaches
us to give honor to whom honor is due. We are not to flatter
men. We are not to flatter men. Churches everywhere are built
on flattering the flesh. But it is altogether proper to
honor and commend one another. It is altogether proper to speak
words of appreciation and encouragement. Sometime after Doug and Faith
got married, just a few months, he was talking to me about one
of the messages Brother Nyberg had preached and what a blessing
it was to him. And he had expressed a little
reservation in saying anything to them about it. And I said
to him, Doug, don't ever hesitate. In fact, make it a point. Don't lie. Don't lie. But if
God speaks to you by his word through your pastor or any other
man, make it a point. Let him know what a blessing
it is to you. Folks say, well, I don't want
to do that. Make his head swell. your head and mine both is already
swollen. You're not going to contribute too much to that.
It is proper to speak respectfully and honorably and appreciatively
whenever God Almighty uses anyone to be of benefit to your soul,
to your body, or to your soul. John writes to Gaius and commends
him for his hospitality, his charity, his goodness, to these
saints whom he knew, and to strangers that were totally unknown to
him. All he knew is they came to him in the name of the Lord.
He did just what Abraham did. You remember back in Genesis
18? These three strangers came to Abraham, and Abraham entertained
them. He said to Sarah, he said, Honey,
let's sit at the table and bake some bread. We've got some guests
here for dinner, folks he had never seen. And Paul uses that
and says, Don't be forgetful to entertain strangers. For thereby
many have entertained angels unawares." I can't tell you how
many times over the course of our lives together Shelby and
I have had the privilege of entertaining in our home angels of God. Angels of God. I'm talking about
people through whom God sent his blessing to our hearts and
lives. That's what Gaius did. He entertained
these men as angels of God. He did this faithfully, not to
be seen and appalled at all by other men, not to behave in some
hypocritical, pretentious way to show what a great, magnanimous
spirit he is or he was, but rather he did it because he loved Christ
and loved his people. Our Lord warns us again and again,
when you do something for him, Do something for Him. And that's
what it is, do something for His people. When you do something
for Him, don't toot your horn. Don't let folks know what you're
doing. If you pray, go in your closet. Go in your closet. Over
the years, I read so many things, such a blessing, then suddenly
run across something so disappointing. Somebody talked about how much
time they spend in prayer, how much they read and all this stuff,
things I mentioned earlier. And it just wipes the whole thing
out. When you pray, pray to God, and
don't tell anybody about it. When you fast, you get up and
wash your face and go back to your business just like you always
did. These days, you know, folks talk about fasting. Whatever
it is they talk about and mean by it, oh, I can't do that, I'm
fasting. Sometimes we'll have folks visiting
here, and we'll have a conference at one of our meals, and they'll
say, oh, I can't eat, I'm fasting. No, you're not, you're showing
off. That's all. That's all. I don't care how
pretentious you think you are. You're just being pretentious.
Or how spiritual you think you are. You're just being pretentious.
Gaius didn't give his alms to be seen to men. Here's some fellows
who came. Needed a place to sleep, some
food to eat. Needed a little pocket change to go to the next
place. And he took care of it. Because he wanted to. Verse 6.
John goes on and says, which have borne witness, these folks
that you entertain, these strangers, 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. Now this 6th verse makes
it clear that what I've been saying about these men is exactly
true. They were traveling preachers, evangelists, what we call missionaries,
who were strangers to guests before they came to town. They
testified before the church at Ephesus of this man's love, friendship,
and care for them. And they were greatly moved by
his spirit of grace and love, and gave thanks to God for the
grace of God that was demonstrated in him." Now notice what John
tells us here about the support of those who preach the gospel.
Particularly he's talking about gospel preaching missionaries.
whom if thou bring forward on their journey, after a godly
sort, thou shalt do well." You remember in 2 John he warns us
He tells us plainly that if any man comes preaching another gospel,
any deceiver comes denying the gospel of Christ, don't receive
him into your house, and don't bid him Godspeed. If you do,
you're as guilty as he is. Here he's talking about faithful
men. And he says, Gaius, if you bring them on in their journey,
you've done right. You've done that which is well
and good. It's done, after all, for the
glory of Christ. It's done faithfully. In verse
7 and 8, He tells us why we do well in supporting those brethren
who go forth in the name of Christ preaching the gospel. Because
that for his namesake they went forth. For his namesake. Not to serve themselves, not
to be known of men, but for his namesake they went forth. I can't
spend time now doing it. I will put some things on paper
for you to read later concerning this. But gospel preachers, gospel
preachers. I'm not talking about preachers.
Preachers have a horrible reputation with regard to money because
they've earned it. Gospel preachers do not serve
themselves. They don't. They don't. Shelby
and I came here 24 years ago with exactly what we have now.
One thing except that I've got my old red pickup truck. Everything
else is exactly what we ever came here. Just change bottles,
that's all. How come? Because I have no interest
in enriching myself. And if I'm God's, if I'm here
another 50 years, the same thing will be true. No interest. No interest in making myself
rich. God's servants go forth for His
namesake. And as such, going forth to proclaim
the name of Christ to men and women who do not know Him, they
go forth freely. I have folks, I've told you this
before, sometimes they'll call me and ask me what it costs to
do this or do that. I get so mad. Oh, I get mad. I try my
best to understand where they're coming from, but what would it
cost us to have you come down here for a meeting? Nothing.
Matter of fact, I'm glad he didn't give anything. No, nothing, nothing. How come? Because that which
I have received freely, I give freely. And God somehow always
takes care of the need. Always. Through your generosity,
your pastor is maintained and taken care of. And when you can't
take care of it, you know what? He still takes care of it, one
way or the other. I don't look like I've missed too many meals,
do I? I've been doing this for 35 years, and God has constantly
provided everything we need. This congregation, wherever God
gives us opportunity to help men, whether pastors of churches
here, missionaries in other places who faithfully preach the gospel
of God's grace, we have never, not once, I mean not once, have
we had the means with which to do anything ahead of time." I
said, Secretary, is that true? Not one time, not one time. Well,
Brother Lance had us. Boy needs some help. Man, we
ain't got anybody to help him. Reach in your pocket and find
out. Just reach in your pocket and find out. I'll tell you what
I've discovered. I have often Thought to myself,
I just don't have the means with which to do this. I can't. I'm
reaching there and turning out an empty pocket. I've done it
more times than I can imagine. I have never seen a need and
reached in my pocket to take care of it and wasn't something
to take care of. Never. God supplies our needs. And he expects us to supply the
needs of his servants around the world. God's people do. They just do. This man, Gaius,
was a gracious man. Supporting these men and doing
that which John says is well, well-pleasing to God. Not only
that, being well-pleasing to God, doing this for his namesake,
John says, you are fellow helpers. fellow laborers with these men
in the work which they do. You see, God's church exists
only for the preaching of the gospel. This local assembly right
here exists only as a sounding board for the gospel, no other
function, no other function, just to proclaim the gospel of
God's free grace. And the Lord God Almighty gives
us the blessed privilege, the blessed privilege partaking in
lots of ministries, as men sacrificially give their lives for the sake
of Christ and the souls of men, to proclaim the gospel of his
free grace. And in doing so, our Lord says,
that which is done for them is done for me. They're my ambassadors. Whatever you say concerning them,
you say concerning me. Whatever you do for them, you've
done for me. Whatever you do or say against
them, you've done and said against me. Let's follow Gabe's example. An open heart and hand, home
and life to the needs of God's church in the day in which we
live. Using that which God Almighty
has put in our hands for the increase of his kingdom. the
furtherance of the gospel to the glory of his name. Now, look
at verse 9. John comes to deal with this
thought of deatrophies. And I could spend a long time
talking about deatrophies. There are lots like them. I wrote
unto the church that deatrophies, who loveth to have the preeminent
among them. Diotrephes, who loves the praise
of men. Diotrephes, who craves recognition. Diotrephes, who wants, like those
wolves in sheep's clothing, Paul warned the church at Ephesus
would arise from their midst to draw away disciples after
themselves. Diotrephes wants men to follow
him. And he wasn't about to receive
these missionaries, these preachers that John sent down to the church.
And instead of receiving them, he threatened to put those people
who did receive them, Gaius, out of the church. The Octophaes
loved to have the preeminence. Look at this, verse 10. Wherefore
if I come, I will remember his deeds which he doeth, prating
Prating, what a word. You hear folks talk about prating
fools, that's fools who gloat about nothing. Prating, speaking
empty things. 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. John was determined, when he
comes to visit them again, to expose theocraphies. This man
wasn't satisfied with just speaking against John and his ministry.
He refused to receive these preachers, and he spoke against them, and
threatens to excommunicate those who did receive them. How many
like theocraphies there are in every age. True servants of God,
true gospel preachers. are plated against, not only
by the men of the world, but often by those inside the church. And that which is spoken against
them is just plating. Silly, idle, empty slanders. Such slanders take up any slight
thing, any little matter, any little matter. I'll use an illustration of your
buddy J.O. The last time I saw him, you were there, he said,
saw you at Wal-Mart, blew the horn, waved at you, and you didn't
even acknowledge me. And he was just picking, just
picking. I didn't. Didn't hear him, and didn't see
him. I was going in Wal-Mart, getting right back here, getting
back to work as soon as I could, had something else on my mind. You cannot imagine
how often, through the years, I've had somebody go, oh, just
so bad. I spoke to Mother Donna, he didn't
speak to me. Well, isn't that something? Let's
burn down the world, praying, foolish, silly things, because
they will not receive truth, nor the love of the truth. Look
at verse 11, John says, now don't follow him. The Lord follow not
that which is evil, don't follow the atrophies, don't put up with
that nonsense, but that which is good. He that doeth good is
of God. He that doeth evil hath not seen
God. Diotrephes doesn't know God from
a minute ago. It doesn't matter how impressive
he appears to be. Look at the next fellow, verse
12. Demetrius. No introduction at all. He said,
I've been talking to you about Diotrephes, enough of that rat. Demetrius hath good report of
all men, and of the truth itself. Yea, we also bear record, and
you know that our record is true. Demetrius, he was a man of another
character altogether. He was exactly opposite of Diotrephes. His was an example to be followed. He was kind, considerate, and
gracious. He had a good reputation, a good
report. He was loved and respected by
everybody who knew him. terribly sad, but terribly common
that troublemakers, those who are critical, find many followers,
many followers. Folks start to find fault with
you, anybody else, find fault with this church and that, and
start yakking. Oh yeah, I've always thought that. Yeah, yeah.
Tell me a little more. Oh, I wouldn't engage in gossip
or anything, but I sure would like to hear what you've got to say.
What were you saying? They find lots of followers,
because it is according to our flesh, our filthy, ungodly flesh. Demetrius was kind and gracious,
Christ-like in his attitude, loving in his spirit. An example
to be followed. John said, I'm telling you the
truth and you're telling you the truth. I'm telling you the
truth and you know I'm telling you the truth. You know I'm telling
you the truth. Don't follow that which is evil,
follow that which is good. Diotrephes and Demetrius are
known to us only by their name. Listen to this. Robert Hawker
wrote, the more I read him the better I like it, how different
their characters were, how opposed while they lived, how differently
regarded when they died, how opposite in esteem to the Church
through all ages, and how everlastingly opposite if dying as they are
here said to have lived through all the eternal ages. How blessed
to have a good report of all men, yea, of the truth itself
which is Christ Jesus. Oh, for a whisper of Jesus in
a dying hour to confirm his grace in the soul, as manifested in
a living hour, that both in life and in death the soul may be
found in him." Then John concludes the epistle this way, I had many
things to write, I had a lot to say to you. But I will not
with ink and pen write unto thee, but 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. Now
let me give you one more thing. It's a little lengthy, but I
want to read this to you. If you haven't read much in your
commentary with Hawker yet, at the end of every chapter he gives
reflections. You can go home and read this,
but I'll read it to you now. What a great reflection. He says,
What a beautiful view is here afforded of the beloved apostle. in his pastoral office, addressing
the faithful Gaius, beloved in the Lord, to behold the venerable
saint of God amidst all the infirmities of declining years, thus blessing
God and blessing the servant of God in his wishes, both for
spiritual and temporal prosperity." He said, Oh, what a great picture
this is of what a pastor ought to be in his old age, this old
man. commending this younger man and
encouraging him in the grace of God. And then he writes this,
but while we look at John, who justly commands our veneration
and our love, let us look infinitely above John and behold John's
Lord still blessing his church and every deus of his redeemed
family below with blessings in himself. Precious, precious Jesus. We desire to praise thee for
all that is lovely in the disciple whom Jesus loved, for all that
is lovely in John was and is derived from thee. Lord, hasten
on thy blessed purposes, and bring on thy glorious day, when
thou wilt come to be glorified in thy saints, and to be admired
in all that believe. To thee, Lord, it belongs, to
keep thy church from falling. and to present it thoughtless
before the presence of thy glory, with exceeding joy, in the blessed
hope of thy appearing. May all thy church in thee, and
through thee, daily ascribe to the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,
Israel's God and covenant." Endless praises.