ABIDE - "How to Strengthen the Church" - 3 John - Mike Maglish

How to Strengthen the Church

3 John
Mike Maglish

Part of ABIDE1, 2, 3 John

March 9, 2025

“11 Beloved, do not imitate evil but imitate good. Whoever does good is from God; whoever does evil has not seen God.” —3 John 11 

We are commanded to imitate good. 

“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. 
Support and Opposition 
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.” —3 John 1-8 

We strengthen the church when we are: 
1) For Truth (Vs 1, 3, 4, 8) 
2) Faithful to the GOSPEL (Vs 5) 
3) Generous & Hospitable (Vs 5, 8) 

“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.” —3 John 9-10 

φιλοπρωτεύω - Desire to be first, loves to have highest rank/position 
Found 1 time in Scripture 
πρωτεύω - Have First Place. Be Supreme. (Colossians 1:18) 
Found 1 time in Scripture 

“18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.” —Colossians 1:18 

All sin is a result of pride. 

Diotrephes 
- suppressed the truth 
- did not acknowledge authority 
- talked wicked nonsense (Gossip/Slander) 
- refused to be hospitable 
- tried to kick out faithful Christians 

“9 He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: 10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ 13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” —Luke 18:9-14 

PRIDEFUL LEADERS 
- Are False Teachers (1 John 4:1-6) 
- Display Selfish Ambition (1 Peter 5:1-4) 
- Do not respect authority (1 Tim 3, Titus 1) 
- State Unjust Accusations (Mt 18:15-20) 
- Create Division (Ephesians 4:3) 

Takeaway: A humble, submissive, servant builds the church.