B (2:21)

And he uses other people's names.

A (2:23)

And the name Gaius, who he's writing.

B (2:25)

To, he doesn't expose him completely.

A (2:28)

Gaius would have been a very popular name in that day and age. And so kind of undercover letter so.

B (2:34)

That lives would not be at stake.

A (2:36)

And Gaius, he was a good church leader. Another character or person in this Is Diotrephes. That's how I'm gonna say it. Diotrephes.

B (2:48)

He was a bad church leader.

A (2:52)

And Demetrius, he was an itinerant minister. Somebody that was traveling for the sake of the gospel.

B (2:59)

Town to town, place to place, to.

A (3:01)

Minister and to advance the gospel message of Jesus. A good guy. So that's the context of what we're gonna read. We're gonna read the whole chapter, which.

B (3:08)

Is the whole book.

A (3:09)

3 John, everybody. Okay, here we go. Verse one. The elder. To the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth. Beloved, I pray that all may go.

B (3:22)

Well with you and that you may.

A (3:24)

Be in good health as it goes.

B (3:26)

Well with your soul. For I rejoiced greatly when the brothers.

A (3:30)

Came and testified to your truth.

B (3:33)

As indeed, you are walking in the truth.

A (3:36)

And I've got no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth. We'll talk about that, Beloved. By the way, he says he calls Gaius beloved four times.

B (3:47)

He loves this guy. He has discipled this guy.

A (3:50)

He has raised this guy up as a leader in the church.

B (3:54)

It is a faithful thing you do in all of your efforts for these.

A (3:59)

Brothers, these church members, these Christians, even though you don't even know them, strangers as they are. Verse 6. Who testified to your love before the church.

B (4:09)

You will do well to send them.

A (4:12)

On their journey in a manner worthy of God. For they have gone out for the sake of the name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles.

B (4:21)

Therefore, we ought to support people like.

A (4:23)

These, that we may be fellow workers for the truth.

B (4:27)

I've written something to the church. Here comes the correction. But Diotrephes. Here we go. He likes to put himself first. He doesn't acknowledge our authority.

A (4:38)

So if I come, I'm gonna bring.

B (4:40)

Up what he's 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. Beloved, do not imitate evil, but imitate good. Whoever does good is from God. Whoever does evil has not seen God.

A (5:02)

We see that same language in First John and Second John. Demetrius, this fourth character, the itinerant minister, has received a good testimony from everyone. And from the truth itself, we also add our testimony. And you know that our testimony is true.

B (5:17)

I had much to write to you.

A (5:19)

But I would rather not write with pen and ink.

B (5:21)

I hope to see you soon, and we'll talk face to face. Peace be to you.

A (5:25)

The friends greet you. Greet the friends, each by name. That's the whole Book of Third John, the whole chapter, every verse. The title of this message is Clear the runways, let's pray together. Lord, I thank you that your presence is here. I thank you that you are here right now. And I just believe we've got the privilege of a lifetime to help steward the advancement of the gospel. It's taking off and it's landing. It's taking off and it's landing all around the world. And Lord, I just pray that you would help us in our own life talking about the title of this message, Clear the runways. Lord, I just pray that we would do a good job managing the Runway of our life where the advancement of the gospel can land and take off. If there's anything that is a roadblock in the way of the advancement of the gospel in our life, Lord, would you remove it? Even this service? Lord, I pray that you'd speak to each and every heart. I'm just asking that you do something great in this service, that you would do something great in somebody's life right.

C (6:41)

Now.

A (6:44)

That the Runway of their life would be clear and they would be used by you in a supernatural way so more people can be added to the kingdom of God. And I pray this in Jesus name. Everybody said, amen. I'll give more context to the title later.

B (7:01)

I love the language of being this spiritual father or spiritual mother. John's using this like, nothing gives me more joy than to see my children walk in the truth. We've got two boys.

A (7:17)

I just give this example, happened the other day, and it literally, like, it brought me joy. I like got giddy excited about what happened in little Roger's life, one of our twin boys, just the other day.

B (7:34)

I mean, explosive joy. I just, I'm identifying with what John is saying because he's developing at 4 years old. I should say the Lord is developing in him the conviction of the Holy Spirit.

A (7:49)

We just started letting our boys play this game on an iPad, supervised. It's a creative game where they can use building blocks and they can build like structures and build buildings and build little cities and build.

B (8:05)

And it's amazing to watch even a four year old what comes out of.

A (8:09)

Their brain and comes out of their mind. They're building, building, building. I remember I came over just the other day, came over to Roger and.

B (8:16)

Said, whoa, that's cool. And he was so excited to show me. I said, roger, did you build that? He's like, yes, Dad, I built that. It's amazing.

A (8:29)

And I celebrated him.

B (8:30)

I was like, you're so creative. You're so smart, so amazing.

A (8:34)

And later that night at bedtime, getting ready to put him down, it was getting dark out. I don't know what he's thinking or how he's feeling, but he goes, dead serious. He just goes, dad, if you lie, do you go to jail? And I was like, yes, yes. That's what happens when you lie.

B (9:00)

I'm just kidding. I said, no, no, you don't go.

A (9:03)

To jail when you lie. I guess it depends on the lie, now that I'm talking it out.

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But.

A (9:10)

No, you don't go to jail when you lie. But lying is a sin, and it hurts God's heart. And as Christ followers, we're following Jesus, we want to be like Jesus. Jesus loves when we tell the truth. And right there in that moment, he just goes, I didn't build all of.

B (9:29)

The building, but I did put the.

A (9:34)

Fire around the building.

C (9:38)

And I was like, dude, you told the truth. That's amazing.

B (9:45)

I got so much joy because I was connecting the dots. I was like, why are you asking.

A (9:50)

If you go to jail?

B (9:51)

I'm connecting the dots that at a young age there's this conviction of the Holy Spirit going, he knows I didn't fully tell the truth. And he's responding in this conviction moment going, I gotta make this right. I gotta get right. I'm gonna walk in the truth. And I can tell you, just like John wrote, there is no greater joy when your children walk in the truth.

C (10:14)

Any parents or grandparents believe that can agree with that.

B (10:17)

When your children walk it out, live it out. Sometimes that phrase walking in the trut is like a doctrinal phrase, like, they walk in the truth, they believe all the right things. But John, what he's writing goes beyond just good doctrine, good belief. It's more about what Eugene Peterson calls congruence. Walking in the truth is not just believing the right thing. It is believing the right thing in congruence with how you live. And I just love to say there's three things as a Christ follower that need to be congruent, that need to line up. They need to be aligned. It is the word of God with what you believe, with how you live. That is what walking in truth means for the Christ follower. I'm gonna walk in truth. And honestly, there's this call to not just be a disciple of Jesus Christ, but just like this letter is exposing the disciple of Jesus Christ, John was discipling Gaius. And Gaius was very hospitable to the itinerant ministers. And he had this new opportunity for another one that was coming. That's why John wrote the letter that disciples follow Jesus, but disciples make disciples.

C (11:40)

And are you gonna follow Jesus not.

B (11:42)

Just as a disciple, like a follower, but I'm gonna follow Jesus as a disciple that leads some people following Jesus. That's the call of God that is on your life. I don't care if you're called in the ministry or called into the marketplace. Your call into the family. Your call is to be a follower of Jesus, leading followers of Jesus. Will you answer the call to disciple? Will you answer the call to raise spiritual children? You ever see children, you know, like.

A (12:16)

Maybe you're out and about in a public setting.

B (12:18)

Maybe you went to the state fair.

A (12:20)

And you witnessed this.

B (12:21)

You ever see a kid that is out of their mind, out of control, lost it? And you can have these thoughts. I'll say, the less godly thought. And I'll say a more godly thought. The less godly thought when you see a child out of their mind is, who's raising this kid? Where are their parents? The more godly thought would be empathetic.

A (12:56)

In that that child needs some parenting. That child needs a mom or a dad, that child.

B (13:06)

And I just say that to say.

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Like, in the church sometimes it's like.

B (13:10)

Who'S this guy out of control? Like, calm him down. Like, what's he doing? He's living wild. Like, they let loud people in the church. Like, I can't believe they, you know, like, who's parenting this guy? Or a disciple who follows Jesus who also answers the call to raise. Disciples can go, that person needs a parent. And the Lord might call me to be that spiritual father or spiritual mother. I'm gonna take this moment to plug this fall. All of our small groups, all of our midweek ministries, everything that we do, we pray as a staff that every person a part of our church would attend every single weekend.

A (13:54)

If you're in town, you're in church.

B (13:55)

And that's great. This is the main meal. This is amazing. But we just pray in these seasons of going through the fall and seasons going through the winter, seasons of community building in the summer, that every person a part of our church would just say yes to one other thing outside of the weekend. And we've got amazing small groups for everybody. Men's groups, women's groups, marriage groups, parenting groups, single groups, young adult, youth. Outside of Wednesday, there's youth plus, there's fine arts, kids midweek ministry, Kids U and kids Christmas musical. The whole family can be a part of this. One other thing to help you Live in the truth, walk in the truth. And, and, and also to lead. An opportunity to lead. When you look at people in the church and just go and, and, and honestly, they might not yet be in the church.

A (14:48)

They might be your neighbors, they might.

B (14:49)

Be lost, they might be your co workers. To think like a disciple who makes disciples is to say maybe God's calling me me to lead. Maybe he's asking me to open up my home. Maybe he's asking me to wake up early and do a men's group because men's for some reason has to meet at 6 o'. Clock. It's just like, what are we doing? Shake it off. I did not mean to do a.

A (15:19)

Taylor Swift reference the week she got engaged. Sorry. Somebody said who? That's amazing.

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Call to be a disciple who makes disciples.

A (15:31)

John 15:8. By this my fathers glorify that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. Second Timothy 2:1 2. Then you, then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And what you've heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust to faithful men. Entrust it to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. It's like this multiplication. It's like I'm going to raise up somebody who's going to raise up somebody who's going to be raised up. It's Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Our God is a generational God and this is what it looks like to follow Jesus. Billy Graham said this. The greatest legacy one can pass on to one's children and grandchildren is not.

B (16:13)

Money or material things accumulated in one's.

A (16:15)

Life, but rather a legacy of character and faith.

B (16:20)

Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, discipleship is not an.

A (16:23)

Option for the Christian, it's the mission.

B (16:27)

So who are you investing into spiritually? This is all just the intro to this letter. It's the shortest book in the Bible. Longest intro.

A (16:34)

Okay, it's cool. So who are you investing into? There's no greater joy to see your children walk in the truth. Now I'm gonna set up the metaphor of clear the runways. This letter is proof that the gospel is advancing. And in this context, there's itinerant ministers that are taking off and landing. Again, just using that kind of airplane analogy, taking off and landing.

B (16:57)

By the way, when you speak prophetically.

A (17:00)

It takes off and it will land. When you pray, it takes off and it lands. When we send missionaries, they take off and they land. We've got missionaries all the time buying.

B (17:09)

One way plane tickets.

A (17:10)

They take off and land.

B (17:12)

The advancement of the gospel is taking.

A (17:14)

Off and landing and taking off and landing.

B (17:17)

There's things that you're praying and believing for that are still up in the air yet to land. But if it's God's word, God's word is true. It is faithful. He doesn't do a half measure thing. God's word will land in your life. I believe it.

A (17:32)

And praying that it lands.

B (17:33)

Praying there's people like you're like, I'm waiting for the miracle. I believe it will land. And if it doesn't land on this side, it'll land on that side for all of eternity in heaven forever and ever and ever. Some of you are believing for healing. And that prayer took off and you sent another one and sent another one. And I promise you in Christ, the prayer for healing lands. It will land.

A (18:02)

Hospitality is really the.

B (18:04)

And Pastor Rob said it last week, he said, he's like, let's not look.

A (18:06)

At it so narrow. That second John is about hospitality.

B (18:11)

In this case, you could say the same thing.

A (18:13)

This letter, it's about hospitality. But I would love to elevate the.

B (18:18)

Thought of what it means to be hospitable. It's not just the willingness to have.

A (18:26)

A dinner or have a meal with somebody.

B (18:29)

You know, sometimes we make it trivial. Hospitality may be trivial, but to us, but it's not trivial to God. It is the practical outworking of this huge command which is to love one another. Hospitality is the. It's outward concern for other people. It takes energy, it takes time, it takes resource, it takes intentionality, it takes strategy. It takes the framework of your entire life. To love people is to be hospitable. And these planes taking off and landing, taking off and landing. The gospel advancing. We've all got this Runway. Anybody seen. You know, at one point in my life, my favorite shows were Alaska shows. Has anybody seen Life Below Zero?

A (19:23)

Okay, just Pastor Davey. That's good.

B (19:27)

I'm gonna take an extra long time.

A (19:28)

Just to explain this.

B (19:29)

No Life below Zero.

A (19:32)

There's this lady who manages a Runway in a very remote area.

B (19:37)

Some of you are shaking your head. Her name's Sue Aiken. She is out there in more ways than one.

A (19:44)

She is.

B (19:46)

She's wild and she's living this isolated life, but she counts it. Her life's honor, her life's privilege, the greatest thing she could do, and she does it to epic proportions to manage this. This remote Runway. Because there are planes that are coming, flying over Alaska that need to refuel that. That have a breakdown or an emergency, and it doesn't matter what the weather is. It doesn't matter what the temperature, doesn't matter if there are dangerous animals out there.

C (20:18)

Doesn't matter if the.

B (20:20)

If the Runway has been washed out or if it's ice. She gets out there on this show and she's clearing the Runway to make it hospitable for the plane to land. I just would love to think about hospitality at a higher level, that it makes a difference when you. No matter what the weather, no matter what's going on in your life, no matter how much resource you have, if it takes extreme sacrifice, by the way, what's more dangerous? Sue Aiken. A polar bear might get her, or the plane crashes. The plane doesn't meet its destination. She's out there on a great mission. And as Christ followers, it is our mission, and I love it. This letter could be written to River Valley Church because we do a good job, I believe, corporately clearing the Runway to send missionaries and missions dollars all around the world. And this is what we do. But more than being a corporate church that does it well collectively, how well am I doing it personally with my life? During worship, I was praying, and I just sensed the Holy Spirit saying, there is the power to change family trees in the room tonight. And I believe connected to this message, it is because the listener. There are things in your Runway. And we'll talk about diotrophies in a second. There are things in the Runway that need to be removed. And I'm just believing that the Holy Spirit is gonna speak to your heart, something that may be in your Runway that is inhospitable to the advancement of the gospel. And the Lord's gonna give you the energy and the boldness and the courage. Lord, I want that, that roadblock removed from the Runway of my life. And as you reprioritize and strategize and are intentional about a clear Runway. So the gospel, the takeoff and the landing of the gospel message through everything that you do. I believe that those that watch, like your children and your grandchildren, it will change your family tree forever. I just believe that. So I'm speaking in faith. What I sense from the Holy Spirit during worship and the preparation all week, that God can change your family as a result of. Of elevating hospitality in our life. Am I willing not just to go, but am I willing to open up.

A (22:57)

My home, open up my life, open up my resources?

B (23:01)

Am I willing to send the plane that's coming in, the person that needs a small group leader, the person that needs prayer in the Workplace, the single moms group that needs to be ministered to. Whatever your sphere of influence is, there are people that need a clear Runway, and it might take you reprioritizing your whole life so that you can live this out. Gaius was clearing the Runway. That's how he was living. Beloved Gaius.

A (23:32)

That's what we call him. That's what John called him.

B (23:37)

You know, sometimes we elevate missionaries. They're the heroes, God gets the glory, but they get a little bit, you know, it's like, it's like, you know, it's like it's kind of like sometimes.

A (23:49)

What it sounds like or what it feels like. Can I just tell you that.

B (23:54)

John calls Gaius not the itinerant minister, but the person that was hospitable. John calls him a fellow worker. A fellow worker.

A (24:04)

Pastor Rob taught this during the hold.

B (24:07)

The ropes message, where it's like missionaries are going down into a pit, a dark pit that needs the light of Jesus Christ. And you may not go, but you can hold the ropes. And I love that message. I think in the same way, you may not be this airplane that's going to take off to the other side of the world, but you have every opportunity to be a part of clearing the Runway so that they have a safe takeoff and landing. And when John says, you're a fellow worker, I just love this. There's an example in 1st Samuel chapter 30 where David is king and he's leading the people of God and they have this great victory and they've got plunder and spoil from the enemies. And David says, he's like, not just the warriors are going to get the spoil, but those that stayed back and supported all the warriors, they get an equal share. And I just want to encourage anybody who may not be a part of the 500, but is willing to clear the Runway and to be a part of Kingdom Builders, to be a part of global teams, to be a part of discipleship, to be a part of small group leadership, to be a part of women's ministry, to be a part of a prayer group at your workplace, to be a part of leading your family, that you get a share in the plunder of God's blessing in heaven. And by the way, that's not our motive. It's just a truth from God that there is blessing for you who are sending, who are resourcing, who are supporting, who are praying. That's what Gaius was doing, supporting the itinerant minister. Galatians 6:2 bear one another's burdens and so fulfill the Law of Christ, Hebrews 13:1 and 2. Let brotherly love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels, unaware. If we elevate hospitality in our life and saying, I'm going to reprioritize my life to serve others, to love others, isn't it amazing that you might entertain an angel? And not just that. When you serve people, when you serve the least of these, Jesus said, you're serving me. So we're going to do everything. We're going to live our whole life and make every decision around this framework of, I'm going to serve them as if I was serving Jesus Christ. That's how we live our life. Gaius, the good church leader, Diotrephes. Here we go. As we get ready to close. He was not clearing the Runway. He's setting up roadblocks. And he committed the sin of Satan, which is pride. It said Diotrephes. He likes to put himself first. He doesn't acknowledge authority. He's talking wicked nonsense against us. He refuses to welcome the brothers. He stops those who want to. There was people in the congregation that wanted to host these itinerant ministers. Diotrophies like, no, we're not gonna do that. And you're kicked out of the church. Can you believe that? It's like, that's crazy. And sometimes we think like, well, I'm not. Diotrephes. Like, I'm not Satan. But we're all born with a sin nature. And our human nature is lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh.

A (27:20)

It's.

B (27:21)

It's. It's to prioritize self. And we need to make sure that we're not living constantly in control. I need to be in control, and it's about me. Romans 16:17. I appeal to you brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught. Avoid them. Colossians 1:18. And he, Jesus Christ is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the father, firstborn from the dead. That in everything, he might be preeminent people. There are people even here now that have a tough time not being in control. But one of the greatest things you could do is remove that roadblock from the Runway of your life to saying, God, I don't need to be in control anymore. It's one of the things that was called out in this bad church leader that's saying, I don't want to be full of the pride of my own life, the pride of my own Name. I want to be like Gaius. That's clearing the Runway for the advancement of the gospel. If you remember Satan's downfall, Proverbs 16:18, Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before the fall. Before we fall is pride. And you might go, like, again, I'm not Satan. But here's the proof that humanity does it. Judges 21:25. In those days, there was no. No king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes. You talk about not living in the truth. Just li. Just live your truth. Just live how you want to live. That's the battle that we're facing in culture today. No, don't live your truth. Live the truth. Live in congruence with what is in the word of God, and believe it and live it. CS Lewis says, pride leads to every other vice. It is the complete anti God state of mind. And so right now I just am asking that every person listening to this message would examine their Runway. Examine your life, your calendar, your resources, your time, your energy, your thoughts, your prayer life. Is there anything that is in your Runway that the Lord's saying, it's time to remove that roadblock? And that roadblock is attached to pride saying, God, I'm ready to lay it down to be fully surrendered to you, to fully have you be in control of my life so that I can.

A (29:53)

Be used to advance the gospel.

B (29:56)

John uses this phrase in this letter.

A (29:59)

For the sake of the name.

B (30:01)

For the sake of the name. And you've got Gaius, that he's living that way. I'm living for the sake of the name of Jesus Christ. You've got diotrephes who's putting up roadblock after roadblock. He's living for the sake of his own name. And we've got an opportunity, just reading this short letter and just before we close, to say, God, I'm not living for my name. I'm not living for my comfortability. I'm not living for my convenience. I'm not living for what's good for me. I'm living for Jesus Christ. I'm living for the advancement of the gospel. And by the way, that is what's good for you is to live for.

A (30:40)

The advancement of the gospel message of Jesus. For the sake of the name. Just want to remind you, as we close and the band's gonna come out, we're gonna pray. Can we all just stand to our feet as I read this last scripture in just a moment, if you've never given your life to Christ, we're gonna clear the Runway.

B (31:00)

One way that you can help is.

A (31:01)

Not pack up and start walking out.

B (31:04)

But we're gonna leave the Runway clear.

A (31:06)

For people to respond to the gospel message of Jesus. There's people here. You came and you're far from God. And in just a moment, you're gonna be a son, you're gonna be a daughter, you're gonna be forgiven, you're gonna be made new. You're gonna have the guarantee that eternity in heaven with Jesus is forever and ever and ever.

B (31:22)

And you're a part of that because of the decision, the congruence of what you believe in your heart.

A (31:27)

Right now, making a decision to follow.

B (31:29)

Jesus and being willing just in a.

A (31:31)

Moment, to pray it out loud. But I just want to remind you the name that is above every other name.

B (31:35)

Philippians 2, 9, 11. Therefore, God has highly exalted him, Jesus, and has bestowed on him the name that is above every name. So that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth and every tongue. Confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of the Father. And if you believe that his name is the name above every other name.

C (32:02)

Can you give God praise right now? Can you lift your hands towards heaven? Just saying God, I want to clear the Runway of my life. I want to elevate this word hospitality, that lives are on the line, souls are on the line. Lord, I pray over every person right now that we would be people hospitable to the advancement of the gospel, that as Christ followers, we're disciples and we're raising disciples. And we live and think in a different way than this world. We're living in a world that is full of confusion. We're living in a world full of chaos. We're living in a world full of death and of evil. But God, we've got the light of Jesus Christ, we've got that that gives life, and it's your name that is above every other name. And I just pray that you'd speak to hearts and minds right now. I believe it's so strong even during worship earlier, that you're going to change family trees, somebody's going to get a boat. Boldness like never before. To change their schedule, to change their priorities, to change their thought life, to initiate a prayer life. Somebody's gonna sign up to be a part of a godly community, whether it's sisterhood or alpha or freedom, to start a prayer group in their workplace, to start discipling their children like they've neglected to start raising up people in their neighborhood that follow Jesus Christ. Lord, I just pray that you'd give a vision. Give a vision for what could be a clear Runway for their life. And, Lord, I pray against any ounce.

B (33:36)

Of pride, any attack of the enemy.

C (33:40)

Any demonic influence, we rebuke it, not just in our church, but across the Twin Cities. No demonic influence has any grip hold, has any stronghold, has any foothold. I declare it in the name of Jesus God, let the Twin Cities be a place of life. Let it be a place of light. Lord, I pray that revival would come to the Twin Cities because we're walking in the truth. And the Twin Cities is a clear Runway for the advancement of the gospel. Lord, let prayers land. Let prophecy land. Let miracles land. Let your Holy Spirit land. God, I pray that you would move in our life like never before. We are desperate for the move of God. And I pray that we would count it a privilege to keep a clear Runway. That no stumbling block, no roadblock, no pride would have a grip on our Runway. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. And everybody said amen.