2nd John 7-13
Protect your home – part 2
“Would you open your Bibles with me to...”
1Tim 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory.
Pray
Intro
√ Written to Christians
The purpose of John's note is encourage and warn believers to continue following Jesus in Truth & Love.
In John's day the false teachers (antichrists) were not only invading the churches, they also tried to infiltrate Christian homes! (II Tim. 3:6)
The reason of course is that a local church is only as strong and effective for Jesus as the homes, which make up the church body.
Therefore, Satan targeted Christian homes!
The instruction then in 2nd John is that Christians are called upon to protect their homes (and church) from false teachers and their false doctrine.
Ap. Protect our homes today!
John’s warnings are needed today more than ever! False teachers and their false doctrine are more prevalent today than at any other time in the history of the Church.
John's letter gives us a model for protecting our home…
Know the Truth (vs. 1-3)
Practice the Truth (vs. 4-6)
Protect the Truth (vs. 7-11)
Enjoy the Truth (vs. 12-13)
Parents, its our job! Attending church and Sunday school will help to equip us for this important duty…
…but we’ve got to implement these Truths 24/7 in your home!
Let’s pick up our study where we left off last week…
Protect the Truth (vs. 7-11)
2John 7 For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.
√ Protect the Truth
In the first half of our study John encouraged us to…
Know the Truth
Practice the Truth
In this section John warns us of the consequences if we do not protect the truth!
Note that John begins by defining the Truth that we are to protect…
2John 7 For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.
We understand that the Truth which John wants us to protect is that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came to this earth in a human body.
However, some folks would challenge that reading of vs. 7. So, for the sake of defining the Truth let's look at a couple other translations.
The New Living Translations reads…
2John 7 Many deceivers have gone out into the world. They do not believe that Jesus Christ came to earth in a real body. Such a person is a deceiver and an antichrist.
J.B. Phillips says it this way…
2John 7 For the world is becoming full of impostors--men who will not admit that Jesus the Christ really became man. Now this is the very spirit of deceit and is anti-Christ.
My point in reading these different translations is to make very clear John’s definition of the Truth…
…that is, Jesus Christ is God, He left His glory in Heaven and came to live on this earth as a real Man!
No twisting of scripture, no forcing a doctrine that only holds up in one particular translation, rather, every translation of the scripture from the original tongue reveals the same awesome truth!
In fact, it is the foundational Truth of the Gospel message! Look with me at John’s Gospel…
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
And…
John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
If a person understands no other doctrine of the Christian faith but this one – he/she can be saved!
Thus, it is the one doctrine which Satan has targeted from the founding of the Church at Pentecost.
Thus, it is the defining mark of every cult and false religion to deny this truth!
Thus, it was the question which Jesus asked of His disciples…
“Who do men say that I am?”
That is, it is the one question for which God demands the correct answer of every person.
Ex. What were these “antichrists” teaching?
Some taught that Jesus only “appeared” to be human, but was in fact just a spirit (Gnostics). Others taught that Jesus was a perfect man, but that He was not God (later called the Arian heresy).
Both extremes are still with us in one form or another which we’ve looked at in some depth in previous studies.
The important point we want to take home is that we are called by God to test any doctrine, or church, or religion on this question…
“Who do you say that Jesus is?”
The answer to that question will tell us whether they speak the truth or a lie.
Ex. See handout for help with dealing with cults
Having then defined the Truth which we must protect, John tells us what’s at stake if we don’t! He says…
…"watch out!"
√ Watch out!
2John 8 Look to yourselves, that we do not lose those things we worked for, but that we may receive a full reward.
Because these false teachers were working their way from city to city, and house to house, seeking to invade both the church and home John calls Christians to…
“Look to yourselves” or literally – “Watch out!”
That is, be on guard lest we suffer the consequences of not protecting the Truth!
1) Watch out that you don't lose ground
2John 8 Look to yourselves, that we do not lose those things we worked for, but that we may receive a full reward.
The first thing that a church, or an individual Christian, is in danger of losing to the false teacher is…
…all that they've accomplished for the Lord!
The esteemed Greek scholar Kenneth Wuest translates vs. 8 this way…
"Do not lose the things which we accomplished!"
John and the other apostles had given up everything the world had to offer that they might faithfully bring the Gospel message to the world.
They had traveled from Jerusalem throughout the entire Roman Empire - Europe to Asia - proclaiming the message of Jesus and establishing churches in every city they went.
Yet, right behind them came the false teachers - sent by the devil himself - to rob, cheat, & destroy the work of God done through Jesus' disciples.
How bad was it?
Ex. Read Galatians & Corinthians, Paul had to defend his own credentials to many of those he brought to faith in Christ! In his final days on earth he could only count a handful of Christians who even believed he was an apostle of Jesus!
It is a difficult task to establish a local church. It takes years of faithful service, plowing the hard soil of men's hearts, sowing the Word of God, and then waiting patiently to see the fruit which God will bring forth.
The work of John, Paul and the other disciples was sown with their own tears and even their own blood!
So, you can imagine how painful it would be to see all your precious work destroyed by a false teacher - an antichrist!
No wonder Paul got a little heated up when he thought about them.
Gal. 1:6 I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel,
Gal. 1:7 which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ.
Gal. 1:8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed.
"accursed" = anathema, set aside for complete destruction by God!
So, John warns us that we must be vigilant to "watch out" for false teachers who come to our home or the church that we…
…don't lose ground.
Ex. The last wolf that came through Calvary - leadership watched him like a hawk! The result, no casualties.
2) Watch out that you don't lose your way
2John 9 Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son.
John's 2nd warning is that we don't "go ahead" of God's Word and thereby lose our way.
The word “transgresses" literally means…
“to run ahead too far"
"to get off track"
"to go beyond the assigned limits"
Another characteristic of the false teachers in John's day, as well as ours, is that they claim to have some "new" truth to add to the revelation of Christ.
They want Christians to believe that the Church is stuck in a "rut", while they are "progressive", and have God's fresh revelation!
This kind of approach is very attractive to our flesh because it promotes the idea that we can somehow become "super-spiritual" and rise above the rest of Mankind who aren't smart enough to understand the really "deep things of God".
The danger of course is that any teaching that goes beyond the Word of God, and especially, the Truth about Jesus, is not progressive - but regressive!
Note John's warning in vs. 9 to those who lose their way…
"do(es) not have God"
That is, the warning to anyone would leaves the Truth concerning Jesus Christ, is that they not only abandon Jesus…
…they also abandon God - the Father!
Friends, the truth is that no one can have a relationship with God without having a relationship with His Son Jesus.
Jesus said…
John 5:22 “For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son,
John 5:23 “that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.
God has chosen to open the door of fellowship with people through the Person of His Son Jesus.
So, the person who
loses their way and denies the Truth about Jesus, will also have no
relationship with God the Father.
3) Watch out that you don't lose your witness
John's final warning regarding the consequences of not protecting the Truth is to watch out…
…that we don't lose our witness.
2John 10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him;
2John 11 for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds.
In the 1st Century, traveling pastors, teachers, and other ministers couldn't just check in at a local Motel 6!
Inns were few in number, and often were dens of iniquity. Not a place that a Christian would chose to stay in!
So, believers counted on the hospitality of local Christians to open their homes that they might have a safe place to stay.
The problem for the church and Christian homes was that the false teachers took advantage of this hospitality to spread their wicked doctrine!
They would come into town under the guise of being a Christian minister, play on the good nature of a local Christian family, and once in the home begin to seduce them with their lies.
So, John warns believers against allowing these false teachers into their homes and even from greeting them!
Why?
Because John wanted to protect the witness of the Christian home!
Ap. While I will certainly speak to a Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormon, or other false teacher on my door step…
…I don't allow them into my house.
Why? Because false teachers don't mind telling half-truths if it helps them spread their poison.
Ex. At my neighbors house
"Hey, there's no reason that you shouldn't let me in. After all, I just spent a hour in pastor Paul's house and you know what a solid Christian he is!"
My disobedience could very well open my neighbor's door to believing the lie of a false teacher!
Understand that I'm not saying we shouldn't share the Truth with those who bring false doctrine to our door.
However, I would encourage you to not allow them into your house - especially on a repeated basis.
If they want to talk, and more importantly, listen to what you have to share…
…do so on your porch so that you don't lose your witness!
Enjoy the Truth (vs. 12-13)
2John 12 Having many things to write to you, I did not wish to do so with paper and ink; but I hope to come to you and speak face to face, that our joy may be full.
2John 13 The children of your elect sister greet you. Amen.
√ Enjoy the Truth
John's closing thoughts reveal his shepherd heart. He was concerned enough to write to this group of believers…
…yet, what he really wanted to do was share the Truth with them face to face!
I think that John knew his words would be even more powerful if the people could see and hear him. That way they could discern his authority as an apostle of Jesus, and his love and sincerity for their souls.
John enjoyed talking about the Truth. He was an eyewitness of Jesus' glory.
He heard Jesus speak
Saw Jesus do awesome miracles
Was there when Jesus died for our sins
Saw Him after He was raised from the dead
Watched Him go back to Heaven
There was nothing more exciting to him than to tell others about Jesus.
Ap. Enjoy the Truth!
I can always tell when I'm with a real Christian. They want to talk about Jesus! Having discovered the Truth of the Gospel message they simply can't get enough of His Word of Truth.
They want to tell you all about what Jesus has done in their life!
Close
√ Protect your home!
Each of us has been called by God to…
Know the Truth (vs. 1-3)
Practice the Truth (vs. 4-6)
Protect the Truth (vs. 7-11)
Enjoy the Truth (vs. 12-13)
That we and our family would not…
Lose ground to the devil
Lose our way
Lose our witness
May the Lord strengthen us to do so!