The Church’s Path

STUDY: # 1076 CHURCH IN THE HOUSES FROM: MARCH 24@ 30, 2020

TOPIC: "The Church’s Path" 2 John 1:1-13 I know who you are according to how you obey the Lord! If you obey Him, it is because you fear Him. And if you fear Him, well, you know who He is! THE CHURCH IS A PATH; a direct journey that doesn’t lose its way. It is a path during good times, difficult times, days of tolerating; in days of loving, enduring anguish, etc. Even when it seems impossible to continue. That is the Church! The church where we meet in the temple; that place where we gather to love each other, pray and hear the word. Where we gather to worship, love and adore the Father, and hug each other! That place THAT TODAY WE CANNOT VISIT! Perhaps during the days of worship, you have often arrived feeling tired. Maybe you get there at your own pace. I don’t know, whatever the church is for you, what it means to you. Most likely, when you met there you didn’t worry about greetings, but today we do not have it! Some are hurting, crying, feeling sad; it depends on the personality. I know that today, there is no worshipping in the temple! But I will teach you ABOUT THE CHURCH IN THE HOMES!

I. The Church’s journey leads us to learn about THE CHURCH IN THE HOUSES.

A. Today you will see the Church’s path through the Word, the Scriptures.

1. I will give you verses so you see the Church’s journey throughout the centuries. Today you will read for your own good.

2. Look at verses: Acts 11:26; 1 Corinthians 16:19; Revelations 1:11; Colossians 4:15; 1 Peter 5:13; Acts 18:22; Romans 16:1; 1 Corinthians 1:2; Acts 20:17; Galatians 1:2; Acts 8:1; Galatians 1:22; 2 Corinthians 8:1; Revelations 2:12; Revelations 3: 7; Philippians 1:1; Romans 1:7; Revelations 3:1; Revelations 2:8; Revelations 2:18; Acts 5:42

3. When you get this study, read it to yourself; read it so you can see what are THE CHURCHES IN THE HOMES OF THE BROTHERS!

4. Now we are going to learn what 2nd John says.

a. (Vs.1) John refers to himself as THE ELDER; it can be because of his age or because of his position in the church.

b. He writes to the local church from the city of Ephesus.

c. He reveals at the beginning of the epistle that there was a solid FRIENDSHIP between him and “the lady,” to whom he addresses the letter. It is so good to have such a solid friendship! When there is a friend = love. Best friends are united by a close bond. They share life’s good and bad moments. There is loyalty, affection, respect and a sense of commitment. That is the church! In fact, in friendship there is always love and in love there is friendship.

5. John is that authority. He was the one who raised and loved the church to which he wrote, so “the lady” and the brothers who met there, also took care of the Church!

6. THE CHOSEN LADY was the one to whom John sent the letter.

a. John is writing to a Christian lady, THAT TOGETHER WITH ALL BELIEVERS IS GOD’S CHOSEN; chosen in Christ before the

foundation of the world.

b. It is especially significant that this warning against anti-Christian teachings is found in a letter addressed to a woman.

c. John's love shows that the chosen lady was a woman worth loving! The reason for this is that she was chosen by God, because God was in her. Her acts of love, giving; her passion and dedication; her efforts without getting tired. And, for this reason, she did not complain about the church. She loved the church and God loved her in return!

d. Her children, believers of testimony, who loved the Lord just like her, and gave their love in a service for those that she took in her house.

7. Many had come to know the truth because of her, and she took care of them; giving that service to the Lord.

8. (Vs.2) THE TRUTH that remains in us and will be with us forever.

9. Jesus is the truth (2 John 14:16). The Holy Spirit is the truth (1 John 5:6) (John 14:16,17). Your word is truth (John 17:17).

10. (Vs.3) What a beautiful greeting, GRACE, MERCY AND PEACE be with you!

11. GRACE is the favor that we do not deserve. MERCY is compassion for the guilty and miserable. And PEACE is the relationship of harmony that results from God’s grace and mercy. The lady watched that the brothers were taught and cared for what they learned from John, just as John learned it from Christ.

12. She kept all this in truth and in love. The Father is the Source and the Son is the channel!

13. (Vs.4) The believers in that church were walking in the truth!

14. In their daily lives, they kept to the truth. THAT CHURCH IN THE HOUSES WAS EFFECTIVE.

15. (Vs.5) They loved each other, with the love of Christ, love that suffers, etc. (1 Corinthians 13:4-7)

16. (Vs.6) To love is to give selflessly, for the benefit of others! What about you?

17. It is not about what can you get from that person, but what can I do for this person?

18. That’s what we receive from the Father. You can do it by walking in obedience to the Lord, and to God’s truth.

II. (Vs.7) Beware of DECEIVERS who can infiltrate.

A. Those who come in with gestures, opinions, and asking why?

1. We must stand firm in the truth; “take care of ourselves” in what refers to Jesus in our lives.

2. Beware of anyone who rebels, goes astray (Vs.9), and does not want to persevere in the doctrine of the Lord.

3. Transgressors have "new light" and teach doctrines that God has not revealed in His word.

4. (Vs.10) Do not invite them into your home. Do not greet them. They are not companions in the Word to accommodate them in holy conversations or in the communion of saints. We cannot give our love

to those who do not love the truth!

5. Because of the love that we have for each other; let us beware of the fallacies that want to come and grow amongst us.

6. Now I am not present in the temple, BUT YOU ARE IN THE CHURCH IN YOUR HOME, to PROTECT THE TRUTH that we have known! Amen.