Christ Wesleyan Church
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3 John 1:11 NLT
A. This letter revolves around three personalities...
1 Peter 5:3 NLT
1. Gaius
“I am writing to Gaius, my dear friend…” Vs 1b
2.Diotrephes
“I wrote to the church about this, but Diotrephes…” Vs 9a
3. Demetrius
“Everyone speaks highly of Demetrius…” Vs 12a
4. Choose your examples well...starting with Jesus!
John 13:15 NLT
Philippians 3:17 NLT
Titus 2:7 NLT
Hebrews 13:7 NLT
B. John speaks strongly to guide us in finding examples...
3 John 1:11 NLT
3 John 1:1 NLT
a. Strong in the Spirit.
3 John 1:2 NLT
b. Consistent in his actions.
3 John 1:3 NLT
c. Generous in his giving.
3 John 1:5-6 NLT
2. Diotrephes
a. Slanders others and refuses the authority of John.
3 John 1:9 NLT
b. Refuses to welcome the traveling ministers.
3 John 1:10 NLT
c. Puts people out of the church.
3 John 1:10 NLT
d. Puts himself first.
3 John 1:9 NLT
3. Demetrius
a. His reputation among all is excellent.
3 John 1:12 NLT
b. His walk matches his talk.
3 John 1:12 NLT
c. His reputation and character are confirmed by his overseeing leaders.
3 John 1:12 NLT
C. So, how do we make wise choices for examples or influencers?
“Associate yourself with people of good quality, for it is better to be alone then in bad company.” Booker T. Washington
“You become like the 5 people you spend the most time with. Choose carefully.”
“You don’t need a certain number of friends, just a number of friends you can be certain of.”
“Surround yourself with only people who are going to lift you higher.”
1. Friends will influence your behavior.
Proverbs 12:26 NLT
2. Friends will give good counsel.
Proverbs 11:14 NLT
3. Friends will be honest with you.
Proverbs 27:6 NLT
4. Friends will affect your character.
1 Corinthians 15:33 NLT
5. Jesus is our best friend and role model!
John 15:14-16 NLT
D. Looking internally...
2 Corinthians 13:5 NLT
2 Corinthians 13:5-8 MSG
1. Are you growing in your walk with Jesus by the examples and influencers in your life?
2. After you have been with a friend or primary influencer, do you feel closer to Jesus or distanced from Him?
3. Are you making better choices because of the examples or influencers in your life?
4. Who or what has influenced you most to draw closer to Jesus?
5. Who is watching your example? Are they seeing what they need to see in your life?
“And you should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ.” 1 Corinthians 11:1