There are many subjects in Scripture that are spoken about throughout Scripture that describe how we are to live that t just the ways that we are to live in the ways we aren’t toe live.

But there’s a word in that is used throughout Scripture that I believe is probably one of the most recognizable terms.

Four. Obedience to God. It is the term righteous. The term righteous has as its very root the word right.

It is the lifestyle of one who lives in a way that is right, that is in accordance with God’s word,

but in anything that we do in.

It is good to be home and it is good to see each and every one of you. We’re glad for your presence, especially for our visitors. We are glad that you are with us today and we hope you will come back and be with us every opportunity you have. It’s father’s day. So to all of the fathers in the audience this morning,

happy father’s day, being a father, something I’ve been doing for about nine years now, Okay. And most days I feel as inadequate now as I felt nine years ago Because being a father is something that comes with a great and awesome responsibility. Individual once said, No, The least close to the quotation, a King realizing his incompetence can delegate or abdicate,

but a father can not. We are to be those fathers. Alright? Who as the passage was just read, train our children, bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. And it’s not an easy task. It’s not a task for the faint of heart. It’s a task for those who are willing to endure through difficulties, heartache,

struggles, good times and bad. It’s not a task to be taken lightly, but it is a task that is worth doing.<inaudible> And the individual once said, it’s much easier to become a father than to be one and such is certainly true. So I want to notice a number of examples in scripture this morning concerning fathers that we read about in scripture and Allen want to notice their example.

I want to notice their lives and then ask ourselves as fathers, but of course this applies in many areas to mothers, to Christians, to grandparents, What defines us as we view these fathers and to the fathers in the audience. What defines your fatherhood? We’re going to begin in Genesis chapter three Genesis chapter three we read concerning a man and his wife,

the very first man and the very first wife, the very first father of the very first family. We read concerning Adam and Eve that they were told in Genesis chapter two in Genesis chapter one to be obedient to the commandments of they were given a single Command of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, do not eat. They were given a responsibility to 10 and to keep the garden.

By all indications, they fulfilled that responsibility. And yet we find in Genesis chapter three and the occasion where the serpent, the tempter comes to Eve and temps her to eat. He shows her the fruit, he shows her the value of the fruit, he shows her the benefit of the fruit and she is deceived. We’re told, Well, we don’t want to focus on even,

we don’t want to focus on the serpent. We want to focus on Adam. Genesis chapter three in verse six we read. So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes and then a tree to be desirable to make one wise she took of its fruit and ate. And notice this last phrase she also gave to her husband with her and he ate.

If you take the entirety of what scripture says about this event and you bring it all together and you examine it, I believe, at least it’s my judgment that if you examine it closely, you will find that while the serpent, Tim’s Eve, and while all of these events that we read in the first five verses transpire, Adam is present For all of it.

Believe the scriptures indicate that Adam is there when all of this is happening And we see in this example and also in another passage we’ll get to in a minute in a minute in Genesis chapter three that the defining feature of Adam’s fatherhood, Okay Of Adam’s life is a failure to lead, A failure To place God before family. Turn to Genesis chapter three verse nine you’ll notice,

and then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, where are you? So he said, I heard your voice in the garden and I was afraid because I was naked and I hid myself. And he said, who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat? Then the man said,

the woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree and I ate. One of the very first things you recognize about fathers is this. They have an awesome responsibility. They have a great and a significant responsibility in raising their children and in leading their family because God has placed the husband at the head of the household. He has placed the husband in the role of being that leader and in spite of what our society says,

in spite of what our culture wants to do to the home, the reality is God made it that way. And in Genesis chapter three, we find the very first father for the very first time turning over the responsibility of leading the home to the wife. He says, the woman that you gave me, she gave it to me and I ate. It’s her fault,

not mine. But the reality is it was his responsibility. It was his responsibility to lead his home, his family, his wife in righteous behavior, and he failed to do so. We read over in first Timothy chapter two first Timothy chapter two and in verse 14 as Paul discusses certain things concerning husbands and wives, men and women, he says, uh,

notice if I can get in first Timothy chapter two instead of second Timothy. First Timothy chapter two and in verse 14 we read verse 13 for Adam was formed first, then Eve and Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived fell into transgression. Notice here that when the serpent came and beguiled Eve deceived Eve and showed her these things, that Adam wasn’t deceived.

Adam was fully cognizant of the consequences and the rightness and the wrongness of the decision. And he made it anyway. And the indication seems to be he made it because she made it. Yeah, He chose to do what she did because she did it. And we are to be those as fathers who are willing to stand up, who are willing to say within our own homes,

within our own families and within our own lives, we will do what’s right. So many times families and individuals and children have been led astray by influences around them. Because the father won’t stand up. He won’t stand up and be a father. He won’t stand up and say, no, this is what God has said for us to do and this is what we will do.

Why is it that that immodesty and and and pervasive, uh, sexual behavior is the way that it is in our country and in our culture. There is no greater responsibility laid at anyone’s feet for that problem than fathers, fathers who will not lead their families in the right path. Fathers who will not be obedient to scripture and fathers who will not say to their family,

to their wives and to their children, no, we’re going to serve the Lord. When the children of Israel came To the edge of the promised land, Okay, Many people disobeyed God, but the group of people that are held directly responsible for that disobedience is the men. Why? Because God told them to lead this in no way devalues a woman or devalues her role.

Instead, it is a responsibility and it is a role that God has given in the home, in the life, in the family to the male. It is so sad and it is so unfortunate that there are so many homes where the man has walked away from his responsibility. Too many times that walking away is while he is still in the household, he’s walking away.

He’s turned his back on his responsibility, and yet he’s still in the home. He’s still reaping all of the benefits of being married. He’s still reaping all the benefits of being the head of the household, and yet he’s not serving his family. It is also sad when husbands and fathers truly physically walk away from their responsibility. They fall into a failure to lead,

but let’s notice Genesis chapter six to the flip side to the contrast of of a father who fails to lead. We find in Genesis chapter six a father who is faithful in Genesis chapter six beginning in verse eight we read concerning Noah, but Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Noah is one who stands out among his generation, who stands out among the people of his day as one who said,

I won’t live like the world. I won’t live like all those who are around me who are living in sin, who only think of evil continually, I will live faithful to God. We are told that he found grace in the eyes of the Lord, but you’ve noticed verse nine this is the genealogy of Noah. Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations.

Noah walked with God. There are only a few people in all of scripture of which it is said that they walked with God. It is a statement which declares the sheer effort of their righteousness and faithfulness to God. Say, I won’t depart from you. I won’t turn away from you. I will walk with you and Oh that we would have more fathers.

Okay. Of whom it might be said, they walk with God, Can two walk together unless they be agreed. Here’s the thing that we can know. God’s not changing. God’s not moving. Hebrews chapter 13 verses six through eight declares to us clearly that God is not moving and departing or changing from his course. It is only mankind that we’ll choose to depart.

We are to be those fathers who decide that we will be faithful. If you turn to Hebrews chapter 11 Hebrews chapter 11 we read a little bit more about Noah here in this hall of faith as it’s been described. Hebrews chapter 11 verse seven says, by faith, Noah being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear. Notice first and foremost,

Noah’s relationship to the Lord know his relationship to the Lord was one of reverence of godly fear, not one who was afraid of God and terrified of God to immobility and the inability to be able to serve him instead, one who feared God am there for Oh babe God, He was moved with godly fear and notice it says prepared in art for the saving of his household by which he condemn the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.

Turn over to second Peter chapter two second Peter chapter two and in verse five we read this<inaudible> Before God. Verse four did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell, delivered them into the chains of darkness to be reserved for judgment and did not spare the ancient world, but save Noah one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness,

bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly. Here we read concerning Noah, that he was one who was righteous, that he was one who, who brought about the salvation of his house. But if you notice as you bring these two commandments or these two passages together, you find a number of things. Number one, Noah received a command.

Noah was addressed by God and was warn of the destruction to come and he received a command. But notice secondly, not only did Noah receive a command, he obeyed the command and he obeyed it faithfully for the long term. There are those who will say, there are fathers who have said, I will obey God, and they’ll do so for a time.

They’ll do so for a few weeks or a few months or a few years, but then they get interested in something else. Then they want to go their own way. They want to do their own thing. Noah was told by God, you build an arc and for a hundred years, Noah was faithful in that service.<inaudible> So many fathers walk away from their homes and they will claim.

They will say, I just got tired of it. I was bored, So I left to go do something else. Noah was one who feared God. He received a command. He’ll bade the command and he preached righteousness. Now it would be one thing if Noah was like the Pharisees and Noah was one who preached righteousness but lived something else. Number one,

he wouldn’t have found grace in the eyes of the Lord. He wouldn’t have saved his family, but his preaching would have been ineffective. You say, well, Aaron, I, I’ve, I’ve read the passage and he only saved his family. How can you imagine he was an effective preacher if he only saved his family? We have unfortunately many preachers who haven’t saved their own family.

He was an effective preacher of righteousness for he held his own family, remained faithful in spite of the onslaught of the world around them. Noah was a faithful father. Adam was a failure to lead. But another example comes from the book of Genesis in Genesis chapter 14 Genesis chapter 14 we read concerning lot, lot is the nephew of Abraham. He is one who would depart from the land of Abraham,

Peyton room with Abraham. He will travel with him. He will journey with him. He will go with him in this pilgrimage and he will be faithful with Abraham by all indications. He was a righteous man, But he was a fading father. He was one who began strong and as long as he was with Abraham in all the time that he spent with Abraham,

he remained strong by all indications of scripture. But there comes a time when Abraham and lot are too prosperous. Their wealth is too much. Their flocks in their herds are too many in their herdsmen are fighting over the land. And so as a result of this lot and Abraham, we’ll part ways, they will go opposite directions. They will remain at peace with one another,

but they will depart one another and it seems as though in that departure lot will lose much of the influence on the direction of his life because he will choose to camp toward Sodom in the well water planes of Sodom. He will make his home, he will make his abode and he will remain there for a time. But as we read through Genesis 13 in Genesis 14 in Genesis 18 and 19 we find that over a period of time,

lot goes from being outside Saddam being having his tent pitch towards Saddam to slowly but surely being in Saddam, A city that was wicked, a city that was known for its tremendous wickedness. Genesis chapter 13 verses 10 through 13 we find in this decision making about which direction they will go. That lot chose a path of prosperity. He chose a direction that appeared to bring blessing and wealth and by all indications it did.

How many fathers have sacrificed their homes and their families For prosperity, for wealth, for comfort, And a lot would do exactly that. He may not have done it intentionally and most fathers don’t. But slowly and surely his family will end up in Sodom. Genesis chapter 14 verse 12 and in second Peter chapter two verses seven through nine we read concerning lot that the lifestyle of those in Sodom and the sin of Sodom,

vexed lot’s soul, Just not enough to leave, Just not enough to depart and to take his family with him. And in Genesis chapter 19 we read the sad conclusion about lots life as a father. And Genesis chapter 19 when the two angels had appeared and had come to Sodom and the destruction was guaranteed and was assured and was promised. We read in verse 12 then the men said the lot,

have you, anyone else here, son-in-law, your sons, your daughters, and whomever you have in this city, take them out of this place for what we will destroy this place because of the outcry against them has grown great before the face of the Lord. And the Lord has sent us to destroy it so lot went out and spoke to his sons in law who hadn’t married his daughters and said,

get up. Get out of this place for the Lord will destroy this city, but to his sons in law, he seemed to Be joking. Yeah, And here we see the fading of his influence as a father. There probably would have been a time where lat could have said to his children, it’s time to go. We’ve got to get out.

The Lord’s going to destroy the city and his influence would have been such that they would have listened, but by this point sin had crept in so greatly that they thought he was joking And they ignored him. They ignored his warning. They ignore the consequences. They ignored the judgment And they died. Fathers, be careful that your influence through your choices and through those you’re surrounding yourself with isn’t fading in the lives of your children.

That when you speak, when you teach them, when you speak of God’s word to them, they listen. Genesis chapter 19 verse 30 we read Len lot went up out of Xolair and dwelt in the mountains and his two daughters were with him for he was afraid to dwell, Enzo R and he was, and he and his two daughters weld in a cave and we will read the remainder of that passage and find out that not only had lot’s influence faded,

so had his righteous judgment and his decision making for his daughters will get him drunk and we’ll get him to produce seed through them and his morality will fade as well. Lot was one Who was a fading father. Adam was one who was a failing, a failure as a father when it came to leadership. Noah was a faithful father, but I want to notice one last example.

Turn to Joshua chapter 24 Joshua chapter 24 we find a fixed father, a father who would not be moved In Joshua chapter one we read in verse nine where the Lord says to Joshua, be strong and of good courage. He encourages Joshua. You obey the commandments of the Lord. You don’t depart from them to the right hand or to the left. You remain faithful to the law.

You remain faithful to the commandments and I will give you prosperity and good and good wherever you go. Just simply obey, just simply be faithful. And in Joshua chapter 24 as Joshua stands before the people as his life and leadership is coming to a close, he says, verse 14 now, therefore fear the Lord. Serve him in sincerity and in truth,

and put away the gods which your father served on the other side of the river. And then Egypt serve the Lord. Notice first and foremost, he calls upon them. He calls upon that generation, those Israelites to change from their father’s behavior. He says, don’t live the way your fathers did. Don’t worship the idols, your father’s worship. Do not pursue the path that they chose.

You decide to live different. And here’s the message to every father who is here. It doesn’t matter what your father was. It doesn’t matter what your father was when he was alive or when he was present or when he was in your home, or when you were growing up. You don’t have to follow his path if it wasn’t a path of righteousness.

No parent sets an unchangeable course for their children. When it comes to the obedience of God, They might set them on the wrong path, but it is up to every individual to correct that path, to serve the Lord. But he says, now serve him in sincerity and truth. Then he says, serve the Lord. Verse 14 and if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord,

choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served was you’re on the other side of the river or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you’d well, but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. So the people answered and said far be it from us that we should forsake the Lord to serve other gods for the Lord.

Our God is he who brought us and our fathers out up out of the land of Egypt from the house of bondage, who did those great signs in our sight and preserved us in all the way that we win. And among all the people through whom we passed, and the Lord drove out from before us, all the people, including the Amorites who dwelled in the land,

we will serve the Lord for he is our God. But Joshua said to the people, you cannot serve the Lord, for he is a Holy God. He is a jealous God. He will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins. If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, then he will turn and do you harm and consume you after he has done you good.

And the people said to Joshua, no, but we will serve the Lord. Joshua puts before the my choice. He says, choose you this day. Make a determination. Determine the path that you will Lead your lives and your children and your families on choose. Will you serve the Lord or not? And when they say yes, we will serve the Lord.

And yes, we fear the Lord. He will tell them, you better understand what you’re saying Because if you claim to serve the Lord but then turn back to these other gods, he will bring you judgment. He will destroy you from this land as quickly as he destroyed those who were in it before you. So we see Joshua a fixed father, one who said,

I will serve the Lord and so will my family. We need more fathers like that. We need more fathers that not only know enough to make that statement but believe it and we’ll do it for the long term. We’ll remain faithful throughout their lives. Proverbs chapter 22 verse six says, train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old,

he will not depart from it. Here’s something I know about fathers. Sons will always remember what their fathers did and what their fathers said. They will know if their father lived something other than what he said. They will know if a father lives one way but tells him to do something else. It is so sad when you hear individuals, and I’ve heard it many times in my life where fathers or or grown men or old men will look to youngsters and say,

don’t live your life the way I did. Now, that may be good advice based upon how they had lived their lives, but it’s the wrong advice. The advice isn’t don’t live the way I live. The advice is live the way God commands you. Why is it so important to have the fathers that God says we ought to have? I do believe a little bit of it comes down to this.

When God decided how he would describe himself, He described himself as a father. When Jesus taught his disciples how to pray, he began with our father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy may. We need fathers who we can look to, who are pictures of God, whose example we see through and see the Lord whose works we can follow after and serve the Lord and whose deeds match their lives and their words and their teaching.

We need more fathers like Noah and Joshua and many others in scripture. Sometimes we’re not that fathers. And when we’re not that we need to be the kind of fathers who repent. We need to be the kind of fathers who say, I’ve done wrong and corrected. One last example of a father in scripture is Cornelius. Cornelius was one who was striving to do what was right.

He was striving to be obedient to God to the best of his knowledge and the best of his understanding. He was one who was doing good and one who was praying, but it wasn’t enough. And God told Cornelius to send to Joppa to one Peter who would come and tell him what he needed to do. And you know, when Peter arrived and Peter saw what was happening there in Cornelius’s house,

and when Peter declared to them the gospel, that would save them the gospel of Jesus Christ. Cornelius didn’t say, you know what? But that’s not what my father did. That’s not how my father lived. That’s not what my father did. And if it was good enough for him, it’s good enough for me. No. Cornelius was the head of his household,

and we read that Cornelius and all of his house were converted. They heard the word of God. They heard concerning Jesus the Christ, and they were baptized for the remission of their sins that same hour. Why? Because Cornelius was a father who could admit when he was doing it wrong and was willing to hear the word of God to correct his life.

Are you that kind of father today? Are you that kind of husband? Are you that kind of man for the women in the audience? Are you that kind of wife, that kind of spouse, that kind of mother, that kind of woman, one who will hear the word of God and obey it? If you have need of the invitation, the invitation is open,

why not come forward as we stand and as we sing.

and so in the garden of guests emanate three times, According to Matthew, 26 Jesus in Extreme Sorrow in Agony, prayed under the father. He prayed because that’s what the father wanted him to do. He often done prayed. The frequency of it, of course, needs to be like we do. We don’t need to be like that cowboy who had his prayer, that he’d pray the same prayer every night. And finally he got tired of saying it.

He just wrote it down, and he would read it to the Lord every night. And then after a while,

he got tired of reading it, so just acted upon the wall behind his bed, said Lord. Read it for yourself.

Well, that’s about as much respect to some half for God and their father, who is in heaven.

But, you know, if we had the proper attitude toward God, we’ll find time to pray, even if it was at a stop light.

While we’re waiting for it to change the colors, pray without ceasing first. That’s one in 5 17 We always be ready to commune with our God.

Jesus had time to be about the father’s business, he had time to be baptized. He had time to worship.

You got time to pray. Are we crash like or to be likely? Then we just sing that or to be like the yes we did.

You had time to teach others. Also, how many have we taught this year? How many friends and neighbors and perhaps family members?

If we had enough interest to say, look less studied the Bible together, you know, it’s important for us to teach others also,

Christ was the greatest teacher in the world, and he used every opportunity. He was just like what he said.

Good morning. It is good to see each one of you here this morning. Our topic this afternoon or this morning, not this afternoon. Get my time’s right. This morning is going to be the character of a Christian. When we think about the word character, we think about a person’s personality, nature, disposition or makeup. When we think about character,

it’s like thinking about when we see something happen, somebody does and we’re in disbelief. We may say that is not in their character to do that, meaning it’s not in something normally that we would think that they would do. It’s not normal for them to do that. When a person, we ha we know that person’s character. We expect some characteristics from that person.

I have some those characteristics. When we think about a Christian, there are things that are within the character of a person that they will do and they will not do. When I was preaching at Stanton, Tennessee is not very far from here. Several months ago when we were in the foyer of the building. There is a sheets on the wall that were painted by sister Elkins and one of them caught my eye.

One of them was titled how to spot a Christian. The picture identified eight things that would help you spot a Christian. The first one was looking out for others, a friendly smile, helping hands, concerned and caring, willing to go the extra mile shares, good news, ready to listen. And the last one was full of good thoughts. Now I like that picture because it that those are characteristics that we would think of a Christian.

They are someone that is, has good thoughts, they’re caring, they’re loving, they share the good news that those characteristics, most people would say that person’s a Christian. When we think about a Christian, it is one that has a person, has moral qualities that are distinctive to a Christian. In our text this morning. In first Timothy chapter four in verse 16 Paul told Timothy,

let no man despise I use but be down. An example of the believers in word and conversation and charity and spirit and faith and impurity. Paul was charging Timothy to be an example. Every time I read this passage I think of a billboard. We as Christians are billboards for the church. We show what a Christian is. We show what it’s like to be in the church.

Paul is telling Timothy and your day to day life you need to be an example in all of these things. What is that? What is that characteristic of a Christian that we should follow? Go with me to first. First Peter, first Peter chapter two and verse 21 first Peter two 21 four even here on to where you called because Christ also suffered for us.

Leaving us an example that you should follow in his steps. Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth. Who when he was reviled, reviled, not again. When he suffered, he threatened not but committed himself to him that judges righteously, who is the perfect example of the character that we should have. The characteristics is Jesus. He is that example.

He left us an example that we should follow being Christ like that’s what it means to be a Christian. We are Christ like when you think about the character of a Christian, the example of character is Christ. This morning we’re going to spend some time in third John and we’re going to look at three examples of characteristics that we can learn from. Two of them emulate Christ character.

One of them does not. The first one is Gaius. Go with me to third John one. Don’t ask me what chapter it’s emoji always says, don’t ask me what chapter, verse one chapter one verse one third. John. It says, the elder into the wall, beloved Gaius, whom I love in the truth, beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health even as thy soul prospereth for I rejoice greatly when the brother and came and testified of the truth that is in thee.

Even as thou walk us in the truth, I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth be loved Val dust faithfully whatsoever that dust to the brethren and to strangers which have borne witness of vie charity before the church whom if they’ll bring forward on their journey after a godly soar, thou shall do well because that for his name’s sake,

they went forth taking nothing of the Gentiles. We therefore ought to receive such that we might be fellow helpers to the truth. John writes this letter to Gaius. He writes to him, and we don’t know who this guy is, is there several mentions of the same name in the in the new Testament, but it doesn’t matter who he is. What matters is John wrote to him and calls him his beloved.

Well, beloved, this indicates he was someone that John respected and admired very much. Why? Because of his Example. It was mentioned in verse two beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health even as thy soul. Prospereth Gaius was one that had spiritual, great spiritual prosperity. When we think about prosperity, sometimes we think of of money.

We say, well, he’s a, he has a abundant amount of money, but here it’s related to the spiritual things. He was spiritually prospering. He had wisdom, he had knowledge, he had many things. I mean, you could go to the Christian graces and second Peter chapter one these things were characteristics of Gaius. Some think that he was pouring health and financially was struggling,

which would you know would not be surprising during this time with all the persecution that was going on, but yet he did not let those things get him down. He did not let those things affect his soul because he had great spiritual prosperity. How do we know that? Well. Verse three it says, for our rejoice greatly when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee,

even as our walk us in the truth, he walked in the truth. What does that mean? Well, first John chapter one in verse seven four if we walk in the light as he is in light, we have fellowship with one another in the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin by walking in the truth, by walking in truth, he was walking with Christ.

He was in the light, but not only was he in the light, the word there is mean walking presently active, but he had the truth in him. Psalm one 1911 I word have I hid in mine heart that I might not sin against thee. It’s hard to, it’s easier to get through temptations when the word of God is in our hearts And that is exactly what guys was like.

He had the word of truth in his heart and he walked it every day. He also had a character of hospitality. Look at verse five it says, beloved, thou does faithfully whatsoever without Dewesse. To the brethren and to strangers. He was one who had hospitality. He did it faithfully, which means to show or execute. Not only did he say,

if you need anything, I can, I’m there for you. But he did it. He was known to be a man that did what he said. That’s what it means to be faithful. You know, many times we tell people, if you ever need anything, I’m there for you. Just let me know, but are we really there for them?

Are we just saying that in James chapter two in verse 16 James chapter two and verse 16 it’s, here’s the picture of one when we’re talking about faith and works here, verse 16 it says in one of you saying to them, depart in peace, be warmed and fill. Not withstanding, you give them not those things which are needful to the body.

What does it prophet, he was a man that didn’t just say be warmed and filled and go on. He was a man that he said, be warmed to fill any, helped him. Verse 17 through 20 talks about faith with works. He was a man that had action. He executed what he said. He was hospitable to everyone that needed it.

First, he showed hostility to the brethren as Galatians chapter six and verse 10 tells us to do good unto men, especially those of the household of faith. He helped those on his in the congregation, his brethren, but also strangers that we talked about this morning. The idea of a stranger, someone that we don’t know, it’s someone that would stay possibly one night and go on.

He was hospitable to everyone. That’s kind of dangerous during that time to be housing people. He didn’t know. You know, during that time they did have letters of commendation that went along with them that would let people know that Paul talks about in first and second Corinthians to let them know who they were and where they were from. But during that time it was,

there was not very many places to stay and for a Christian to stay somewhere and an end, it was not a very good place to be because of the sin that was going on. And so he was one that accepted people into his home. And not only that, he was accepting those that John sent. We’re going to see later someone else did not do that,

but Gaius was, he was hospitable. He showed love and care for others. That’s exactly what we should be in our lives. Matthew chapter 25 Matthew chapter 25 and verse 34 says, then shall the King Sante them on his right hand come. He blessed them. My father inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was an hungered and you gave me meat.

I was thirsty and you gave me drink. I was a stranger and you took me in naked and you clothed me. I was sick and you visited me. I was in prison and you came into me then shall the righteous answer him saying, Lord, when saw wee and hungered and fed thee or thirsty and gave the drink and when so we the a stranger and took the in or naked and clothed or when saw we the sick or in prison and came onto the and the King shall answer.

And say unto them, verily I say unto you, in so much as you have done it unto one of the least of these, my brethren, you have done it unto me. This district’s highest a hundred percent he was one that took care of strangers, of his brethren, And that is exactly what we should do today. This character that when we were talking about the character of a Christian,

this is the characteristic that we should have being hospitable, but also he had love. Verse six of of third John, it says, which have borne witness of thy charity before the church whom if thou bring forward on their journey after a godly soar, thou shall do well. The word charity, there is a GAAP to love the word of God. It means benevolence,

kindness, affection, Goodwill. This is the love that we are to have for one another that we should have for our fellow men, a God, a love. This is the love talked about in first John chapter three first John chapter three in verse 16 it says, hereby perceive we the love of God because he had laid down his life for us.

And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren, but whoso half those world’s good and see if his brother have need and shut it up. His bowels of compassion from him. How dwelleth the love of God in him. We are to have a God, a love for one another, and for those that are strangers, and that’s exactly what Gaius did.

He had a love for one another, But not only that, he had a charity before the church, before the church that showed, he had an example. He was setting forth an example to those that were around him that they also emulated. We should learn from this example of Gaius and have in our lives spiritual prosperity, hospitality, and charity for brethren and strangers alike.

What about our second example? Our second example is not so good of an example. This is Diane atrophies. Go back to chapter three or a third John and look at verse nine third John, verse nine I wrote unto the church, but Dodger fees who love to have the preeminence among them received us not. He was a man who had an he this,

this man was a Christian. We have to remember that he was a Christian and yet he was showing characteristics, not of a Christian. It says he had the pre love to have the preeminence among everyone. The word preeminence means to be fond of being first. That is ambitious of distinction. He loved to be first. He loved to be the one that was recognized for everything that was going on.

He was the, he loved to be the one that was in control. That was the atrophies. This description would be a person who is always looking to be noticed and everything. He does this description, but it would be the one that has the characteristics of selfishness, smooth, proud, and even having an intimidating attitude. The intimidating attitude of things should go my way.

You should listen to me. I know what’s going on, what we should do. That was characteristics of him. God hates this characteristic. God does not want us to have this preeminence among one another. Look at Matthew chapter 18 Matthew chapter 18 and verse four Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as a little child. The same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

James four 10 also tells us to be humble. God wants us to be humble, not proud, not arrogant, not wanting to be first all the time, not want to be recognized and everything but humble who is a perfect example of humbleness. Christ and Philippians chapter two he humbled himself to a servant. CDAI atrophies was not a servant and I can,

you can tell that in his actions, he was not a servant. He was out for people to serve him. Preeminence is not always a bad thing because, and go to code with me to cloth. In chapter one there is only one that is to have preeminence collage. In chapter one in verse 18 it says, and he is the head of the boy.

Who is it talking about Simon Christ. Go up to verse 13 it says, who had delivered us from the power of darkness? Now translate us into the kingdom of his dear son. That’s the nearest pronoun or nearest now, so that’s son is talking about Jesus. Go back to verse 18 and he the son is the head of the body, the church who is the beginning,

the firstborn form, the dead that in all things he might have the preeminence. There was only one and that’s Christ who has preeminence. Got your fees, love to be praised and loved to have control but he also did something else. Verse 10 go back to third verse 10 says, wherefore if I come, I will remember his deeds, which he does.

Think about that a second. We’ve talked about Paul in second Corinthians when he said, I’m coming and I’m going to deal with you. That’s a bad thing. John is an apostle. Paul is an apostle. Paul told the Corinthians, I’m going to come to the Judaizers. He’s telling them I’m coming with a rod of correction. That is a scary thing.

You do not want to mess with an apostle, and John here is saying the same thing. Wherefore, if I come be in John, I will remember his deeds, which he does pratting against us with malicious words and not content there. With neither death he received himself receive the brethren and for bidding them that would and cast them out of the church.

The atrophies was one who was speaking with malicious words. The word pratting here means to utter nonsense, to accuse one falsely indicating that he was speaking evil and false words against John. In the missionaries that John sent, the men that John sent to them, This was, this is the same word, similar to the same word that Paul talks about in first Timothy chapter five in verse 13 it’s the word tattlers.

It’s to gossip. It’s the talk behind talk evil of someone else. See, Dodge fees was working behind the scenes to destroy God. John’s character and the men that were there. He was talking malicious words, false things, very similar to what the Judaizers were doing and that’s what the atrophies was doing. Those that are predators. Praters are in contrast to those that have wisdom.

Go to Proverbs chapter 10 Proverbs chapter 10 in verse eight The wise and heart rule received commandments, but a prating fool shall fall. Verse 10 he that Winkle with the eye cause a sorrow but a parading fool shall fall. He may thought he had wisdom. He may thought he knew everything but he didn’t. He didn’t have wisdom. He was a fool.

We need to be careful ourselves to make sure that we do not try to have the premise to try not to, to think that we Can talk others down In James chapter one in verse 26 it’s interesting. It talks about if there are any be any, if there be any among you. Okay. That seemed to be religious and bridal with not his tongue but deceived his own heart.

His religion is vain. If a person is talking behind the scenes, gossiping, others, tearing others down, their religion is vain. That’s exactly what Diane atrophies was. It was fake. He didn’t have your religion because verse 27 says pure religion and undefiled before God and the father is this. To visit the fatherless and the widows in their affliction and to keep oneself on spotted from the world.

He did not keep himself unspotted from the world. We need to be careful the things that we say. How would it seem if we’re out into in the world, out in the community and we’re talking bad about others? Is that a characteristic that people would think of a Christian? Are they going to say, well that person’s a Christian or are they going to say,

I thought he was a Christian. I’ve heard that before about others. I thought he was a Christian. What do you say in that situation? That’s tough. The atrophies was not acting like a Christian should be. He didn’t not have the character of a Christian. Let us make sure not to have the characteristic shown by Dodger fees, not having hospitality,

wanting always to be first in can can in control and speaking evil of those doing good. Let’s not be like him. Well, let’s look at the last example. This is a good example. Demetrius, go back to third. John in verse 12 says, Demetrius have good rapport of all men and other truth itself. Yea and we also bear record and he know that our record is true.

It’s just a short verse. Most of the time we skip over Demetrius, we don’t really think about him, but he was a good example. He was a, he is an example of having a great rapport among other men. Now, interesting. It does not say among the brethren, what’s it say among all men. He was someone that was known not only in a church of having a,

having a good character, but he was known of those that around him in the community and he had a good report of that. What does it mean to have a good report? We’ll go with me to ask chapter 10 Acts chapter 10 and verse 22 the whole chapter of acts 10 is talking about Cornelius and the first in verse 22 of chapter 10 it States and they said,

Cornelius, the Centurion, a just man one that fear of God and of good report among all the nations of the Jews was warned from God by all by and Holy angel to sin for the into the on house and to hear words of thee. It is spoken about Cornelius. So he was a man of good report. Well, what were those things that showed he a good report or consistent of his good report?

Go back to verse one chapter 10 says, and there was a certain man in Cesarea called Cornelius, and since Tyrian of the band called the Italian band, a devout man and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people and prayed to God all the way. Here we have an example of a man that has a good rapport.

What did he have? He was one that fear God. People knew that they knew. He feared God. He was one, not only fear God, but showed leadership in his house. His family also feared God. He showed leadership. He was one that was benevolent by giving money to the people. Remember Cornelius, he is not a Jew. He is a part of the Roman Roman army.

He’s a Roman Centurion, but he’s giving much arms to the people. He’s benevolent, he’s caring, he’s loving. People. Know that about him. He prayed to God always, which showed people He had a love for them and that it showed and it showed though that he had a love for God. These are all characteristics of a Christian. Now,

Cornelius wasn’t a Christian at this point, was he? But by the end of the chapter was he? He was. He heard the truth and he became a Christian. Do you think these characteristics stopped after he became a Christian? I would think they would amplified. He would have continued to increase and this good report. See, these are all things that we need to have in our life as Christians,

be known of others of fearing God. Be benevolent, caring where people know that we love them and praying to God always and an ISS talked about is having a good report also in acts 22 and verse 12 but, but another thing about having a good report means we are working hard to be honest. Have an honest walk among all men. In first Timothy chapter three in verse seven it talks about how an elder is supposed to have good report of those that are out.

They’re the same thing. They have to have these characteristics. To have a good report means to work hard. Walk honestly fearing God being a leader in our home, leaving a God living a godly life and giving to others that need, that is what it means to have a good report. He was one that did not have to praise himself. It said back in verse 12 Demetrius had good half good report of all men and of the truth.

Yay. And we also bear record. We bear record and ye know that our record is true. His actions showed and people praised him for that. Did he act like Diotrephes and sit back and go, come on somebody, pray, please praise me for what I’ve done. He was looking, the atrophies was looking for praise, but Demetrius, he didn’t.

Proverbs chapter 27 Proverbs chapter 27 and verse two, let another man praise thee and not dine own mouth a stranger and not thine own lips save. When we, when we are doing good works, people will notice. But is that why we do things now? But that’s what happens and that’s what was going on with Demetrius. People praised him for his good works and I got all the way back to John.

Let us have the characteristics that Demetrius had by striving to live honestly with all men so that we also have a good report. Which characteristics do we have in our Christian walk? Are we like Gaius who is hospitable, had a great love for the brethren and strangers and one that had great spiritual prosperity? Are we like the Archer feasts and that we are selfish and proud and we want to have control over everything and recognition for everything.

Or maybe we refuse to be hospitable and maybe speak evil of others or are we like Demetrius who had a good report among all brethren? Hopefully we are like Gaius and Demetrius. When we were out doing our day to day business, can people spot us as a Christian by our characteristics? Can people look at us and go, that’s a Christian, I know he’s a Christian Or do they not know?

Unfortunately, a lot of times in the in the church, most people don’t know we need to have the characteristics of Christ As a Christian. We are a Christ like he left us the perfect example, perfect example that we should strive to emulate. We’re not perfect Romans three 23 but we can strive to be like Christ and our everyday walk. Where are you at today?

Have you not being living the life that Christ would want us to live? Today’s the day to make that change, to decide that I going to live like Christ from now on, today is the day to make that change Or maybe you might need the prayers of the congregation. Maybe you need help. We are here for you, Or maybe you haven’t even put Christ on in baptism yet to go to heaven.

We have to be in Christ. Where are you at? Today is the day of salvation. Today is the day to be in Christ. Don’t put it off. Do it now as we stand.