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Clarence O. Clough, Jr.

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Desires of a Godly Parent

3 John 1:1-4

By Robert D. Pace

I want you to open your Bibles to 3 John. When the Apostle wrote I, II, and III John he was elderly.  In fact, John is known to be the last original apostle to die. Chronologically speaking III John is likely the last book of Scripture written. We know this because John had been released from his exile on the Isle of Patmos where he wrote Revelation. With these thoughts in mind let's look at our text.

 

Read Text: 3 John 1-4

 

As an aged fatherly figure the Apostle John addresses his readers as if they were his children when he says he wants them to ‘prosper and be in health, even as their soul prospers.' And what John desires for his spiritual children is what a godly parent desires for theirs.  Godly parents want what is best for their children.

 

There's nothing in life that grieves Christian parents more than seeing their children ignore God or live contrary to His plan. On the other hand, there's nothing that brings more joy to parents than seeing their children faithfully serve God! Godly parents want their children to follow God and make life count.  Like John said, it brings great joy when this happens.

 

I want to discuss some things that are sure to bring joy to Christian parents.  And since the Apostle John was uniquely chosen to write Scripture, I want him to express the desires that godly parents have for their children.

 

(Transition)  The first thing John mentions is in verse two when he says: "I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you."  The NAS and the KJV say: "prosper and be in health."

 

 

I.       Godly Parents Want their Children Prospering at Every Point

 

I understand this Scripture has been twisted to imply God wants everybody wealthy.  But that's an inaccurate interpretation of this Scripture.  In fact, it creates more condemnation than edification to suggest God wants everybody wealthy.

 

When people hear this construed in such a manner and yet they do not attain wealth . . .

 

They assume they don't have enough faith to achieve what God wants for their life.

 

Or they assume there is some un-confessed sin in their life.

 

Or they assume they just aren't measuring up to God.

 

Don't misunderstand me, because God wants us blessed, but He doesn't gauge our prosperity on whether we are rich!  The Bible says we're comprised of spirit, soul, and body and John was emphasizing prosperity that would impact every facet of life.

 

He wanted people spiritually complete, mentally sound, and physically strong!  And that's what godly parents want.  They want their children blessed at every point.

 

(Illustration)  I heard the story of the boy that wondered where babies came from so he asked his mother. "Mom, how did I get here?"  She wasn't quite prepared so she told him a tall tale about a stork delivering him.  Without further questions he scampered upstairs to see his grandmother. "Grandma, where did my mom come from?" Her story deviated slightly but she painted a tale of a beautiful white bird that delivered her from a far away island. Later that afternoon his mother overheard Johnny's conversation with a friend.  He said, "You know Billy, I asked my mom and grandma about my family history today and I'm worried. There hasn't been a normal birth in our family for three generations."

 

(Illustration)  Awhile back the New Yorker ran a cartoon about a father scowling at his son's deficient Report Card.  In defense of himself the boy was pictured standing by and asking: "What do you think the problem is Dad?  Heredity or environment?"

 

Anyway, John says he desires his children to prosper in every way—spirit, soul, and body.  And the Good News is God gives us the spiritual heredity and environment to do that.  The Bible says you are "heirs of God [and] . . . joint heirs with Jesus" and that's a spiritual stock that enriches every child of God.

 

When we accept Christ as our Savior, we are adopted into the family of God and we're connected to God in such a way that we become His divine offspring.  In some mysterious and supernatural manner He imparts His divine nature within us. I don't exactly know how that happens, but I believe it because that's what the Bible says.

 

Listen to Acts 17:28, "in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we also are His children' [some versions say "offspring."].

 

Now what does it mean to be God's child/offspring? When you are infused with the divine nature that means you have the ability to manifest the character of God. I'm not talking about the incommunicable attributes of God—such as omnipotence or omnipresence.  I'm talking about the attributes listed in Galatians 5:22 & 23 that Paul calls the "fruit of the Spirit."

 

When God imputes His divine nature He gives us the ability to manifest love, joy, peace, patience, meekness, kindness, temperance, faithfulness, and self control."

 

This is the character that our Heavenly Father desires for His children to manifest.  And this is what a godly father and mother desire for their children. I encourage you to pray for the character and spiritual welfare of your children.

 

Pray that they will be more attracted to the Lord Jesus Christ than to any Hollywood star or pop artist.

 

Pray that they will make the Bible their guide for living and use it as the final authority of life.

 

Pray for your children to be "strong in the Lord" so they can recognize and reject harmful influences.

 

Pray that they will prosper at every point!

 

(Transition)  These are spiritual traits that godly parents desire for their children.  But secondly, godly parents want their children to walk in truth.

 

II.      Godly Parents Want their Children to Walk In Truth

 

Look at verse three again: "It gave me great joy to have some brothers come and tell about your faithfulness to the truth and how you continue to walk in the truth.  (4) I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth."

 

(Illustration)  Some years back I heard about the little boy that loved baseball.  Not having anyone to play with he gathered his gear and went out back for some practice.  His mom heard him talking to himself: "I'm the greatest hitter in the world." Tossing the ball into the air he swung and missed.  "Strike one!" He retrieved the ball and said again, "I'm the greatest hitter in the world."  Throwing it into the air he swung again and missed. "Strike two!"  He paused, straightened his cap, checked his bat and threw the ball up once again but like before missed.  His mom, watching it all, heard him say, "Incredible! Strike three!  What a pitcher!  I'm the greatest pitcher in the world!"

 

That's a cute story but, truthfully, this kid is not the greatest hitter or pitcher in the world.  And eventually he'll be forced to face the truth! And we must always be willing to face the truth.

 

This is what John meant when he rejoiced that his children "walked in truth"—not that they merely knew the truth, but that they "walked" in it! And there is a difference between knowing the truth and walking it in!

 

Knowing the truth is only the starting point, but walking out the truth is what's necessary.  For example, notice some things that we know are factual but we don't always practice:

 

Health experts have uncovered the danger of poor nutrition and lack of exercise but . . . that doesn't matter to many people.

 

We know alcohol and narcotics destroy health and rip apart families.

 

We understand the social consequences of pornography and how it deviant behavior.

 

We know that lurid lyrics in songs and violence in movies provoke people to assault others.

 

We know that sexual deviance can incur the scourge of sexually transmitted diseases.

 

But despite what truth we know, we don't always practice what is right. A terrible trait of our generation is that people can stare at sheer, unadulterated truth and dismiss it.  Like Paul said in Romans 6, man succumbs to doing what he shouldn't do and fails to do what should be done.

 

There's a reason people have such difficulty obeying the truth of God.  It's because Satan fights truth!  As the "father of lies," his job is to deny and subvert truth.  And unfortunately he's doing a great job.

 

As a matter of fact, the Bible says that in the "Last Days" he will mastermind a plan of deception that will engulf the vast majority of unsuspecting souls.  Most of the world will be cast under the spell of deception and totally rebellious.

 

Listen to what 2 Thessalonians 2:3 says concerning the End Times: "that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed."

Paul characterizes the Last Days as a time rebellion, anarchy, and insurrection.  Do you realize we are experiencing this right now?  Just consider what terrorism has done to our lives.

 

We can't go through airports without emptying our pockets, opening our luggage, passing through metal detectors, and perhaps being physically searched.

 

When you enter Federal Buildings and government agencies you'll be greeted by security guards, video devices, and more metal detectors.

 

Protecting Americans has become such an important issue that we have developed a Department of Homeland Security, which now has budget of around $50 billion!

 

Are Christians getting the message?  Do you know why these safety measures are imposed? It's because a sprit of rebellion girdles our globe.  Jesus said the End Times would be marked with the same chaotic climate of Noah's day—violence, bloodshed, and terrorism.

 

If we accurately discern this lawless and rebellious attack that plagues our planet, we will understand that everything is unfolding exactly as Scripture foretold it.

 

God has given us specific signs to mark the time that Jesus would return to earth. And don't ever forget that Jesus is coming back to earth!

 

(Transition)  Now let me address the issue of human rebellion.  We as Christians need to guard against the temptation to ignore or reject God's commands. It is easy to stray from what we know God desires for us.

 

God's Children Struggle with Rebellion

 

In the OT when God spoke of Israel, His divinely chosen inheritance, do you know how He characterized them?  He used the word "rebellious"!

 

In Deuteronomy 31:27 He called them "rebellious and stiff-necked."

 

Psalm 78:8 calls them a "rebellious generation."

 

Jeremiah 5:23 identifies them with "stubborn and rebellious hearts."

 

Ezekiel 2:3 calls Israel a "rebellious nation" and two verses later they're called a "rebellious house."

 

Even God's "called out" and "chosen" people struggle with ignoring His Word and living as they please.  But there is an antidote.  The cure for straying from God is to humble yourself before God and asking for grace to walk in His truth.  Be humble enough to admit you need God's help to stay on track.

 

When you wake up each morning ask Him to make you aware of temptations and traps that would snare you. 

 

Ask Him to make you discerning of skillfully crafted arguments that distort or deny truth.

 

Pray the prayer Jesus taught His disciples to pray when He said, "Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one."

 

It is vitally important that we as Christians commit ourselves to walking in truth, because one sly lie from Satan is deadly! A wrong belief system can bring eternal dismay.

 

I want to tell you something saints of God. It is getting harder and harder to stand for truth in the marketplace. Truth is not always politically correct! At times, speaking the actual, unadulterated truth is one of the more dangerous tasks that our public educators and politicians could dare do.

 

(Example)  James Huckabee was a 2008 Presidential candidate. In one of his speeches Governor Huckabee said he did not believe in the concept of evolution—something that would have been a perfectly acceptable statement for any Presidential candidate not too long ago.  But because evolution is a politically protected belief, the governor couldn't escape the scorn of the Press.

 

Truth is under assault today.  Listen to what the prophet said in Isaiah 59:13, [men are] conceiving and uttering from the heart lying words.  14 Justice is turned back, and righteousness stands far away; for truth has stumbled in the street, and uprightness cannot enter. 15 Yes, truth is lacking."

 

The words of Isaiah perfectly describe this generation. But folks, don't ever forget.

 

This generation may have thrown truth into the gutters and trampled on it.

 

Honest people may be lampooned for practicing God's Word.

 

Certain truths may be banned from the classroom and barred from the courtroom.

 

Truth may be ridiculed by clever comedians who know just the right way to make it look ridiculous.

 

But don't ever forget: "The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the Word of the Lord abides forever"!

 

(Example)  Think about what is happening today.  There are deluded religious extremists who are willing to strap on bombs and kill others in the name of their god.  They are willing to murder others and commit suicide because somebody promises them a reward in the life to come.

 

We look at homicide bombers and wonder how they could be so deluded as to not understand the common sense truth about such horrific acts.  How could they be so gullible to "die for a lie"?  But I want to ask another question.

 

While suicide bombers and terrorists would "die for a lie" that is so odious to us, there are many Americans who have either been raised in church or they know the truth of God's Word, and yet they are buying in to a worldview that blatantly contradicts Scripture.

 

While many of us would never strap a bomb to our back, why would we jeopardize our souls by compromising our convictions or adopting a politically correct notion that could condemn our souls for eternity?

 

Keep God's Word before you.  Read it often!  Study it regularly.  Let it settle deeply into your heart.  Because if you ever buy in to the world's lies you will eventually crash!  You will be utterly dismayed. You say, "But so many others believe like me."  Then they'll crash too!

 

(Transition)  Children, parents, and church, let's embrace a deep commitment to truth!  It will never disappoint us!

 

Conclusion

 

It's wonderful to see children grow up to be healthy, educated, and successful.  But it's more important to know they're saved, walking in truth, and fully dedicated to God.  It's not designer fashions, $200 sneakers, or even making the Dean's List that is most important.  Godly parents want to see their children claim the crown of eternal life.

 

There is nobody in Hell bragging about what they have.  There is only remorse and pain and loneliness.  Parents, make certain you're more concerned with spiritual things than worldly things.  Your child has a soul!  Help them understand that.

 

So what if you do your best and your children fail to follow Christ?  The answer is, don't give up!  Keep praying, believing, and trusting God to change their heart.  The children of the godliest of parents can bring bitter disappointment.  But Pray for God's grace to intervene at any cost and bring your children toward Christ.