Those Seeks To Have First Place

STUDY: # 1098 CHURCH IN THE HOUSES DATE: JUNE 3, 2020

TOPIC: "Those Seeks To Have First Place" 3 John 1:9,10 Diotrephes liked to be the greatest among the brothers of the church. That happens when someone thinks highly of themselves! It happens when the person becomes a dictator; wanting to act with absolute powers. Because the person believes himself to be absolute; they abuse others. Diotrephes was virtually (does not take shape in a reality) a dictator in the assembly of brothers. This man's sin, though he hid or disguised it by pretending to be interested in doing everything right, was the pride of longing for a position. He had an inflated ego, and a violent jealousy for what he considered to be his own rights! The supposed rights, which he undoubtedly defended by assuming the autonomy of that local church. Making decisions on his own, totally independent from all the brothers.

I. Diotrephes' great problem was that he forgot that Christ is the Head of the church! If he had ever known this to be a fact!

A. He had forgotten that the Holy Spirit is the Vicar, one who exercises the functions of another; in this case of Christ. The Holy Spirit Represents Christ in the church!

1. Thus, no mere man has the right to assume command or make decisions!

2. Diotrephes was doing great harm to the truth by rejecting John the apostle, with the pretext of his fidelity to God.

3. He rejected John and everyone he pleased!

4. You can tell when you want to be in first place: When you reject everyone you cannot control! And that is because you lack love! This is how you know when you want to be the greatest among others!

5. When you do not love you want to lead, order everyone around!

B. Another example of wanting first place is the men who built the Tower of Babel. (Genesis 11:4 "Then they said, ‘Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.’")

1. “… let us make a name for ourselves…” What those in Babel did was a matter of pride and defiance!

2. The tower will reach the heavens! A clear challenge to God; to defy Him.

3. They wanted to make a name to show in posterity that such men had existed!

4. That is pride. Ambition. Typical of man’s recklessness (the lack of good judgment before acting).

5. History does not record where Babel was located. But the Bible does record the pride of such people and their ambition! They wanted a first place!

C. Another similar case is that of Absalom, son of David, who wanted to have fifty men running in front of him. (2 Samuel 15:1) "After this Absalom got himself a chariot and horses, and fifty men to run before him." He kept a secret, his desire to be king, to be the first!

1. Of course, just like Diotrephes, he secretly prepared to betray the saints!

2. (2 Samuel 15:2-6) Manipulating the people at the city gate, he posed as a good person, as if he were the only one to follow in all of Israel. But he didn't even love his father, whom he could have loved!

3. He let himself be seen as if he were interested in the welfare of the people. Liar!

4. He was plotting a great conspiracy behind David’s back; to be the king, to be the greatest! (2 Samuel 15:12 “… And the conspiracy grew strong, and the people with Absalom kept increasing.”)

D. Just as in the previous examples, here we have John and James’ mother, who wanted them to be in first place. (Matthew 20:21 "And he said to her, ‘What do you want?’ She said to him, ‘Say that these two sons of mine are to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.’”)

1. FEW PEOPLE WANT TO LOVE, BUT MANY WANT TO BE FIRST!

2. The mother of Zebedee’s sons asked the Lord Jesus: "Say (to give the order) that these "two sons of mine” are to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom."

3. Jesus answered: "You do not know what you are asking ..." For them there is the cup!

What was awaiting them was suffering and death!

4. James would be martyred, and John persecuted and exiled to the island of Patmos. John lived a martyr's life.

E. Jesus’ twelve disciples discussed who would be the greatest, that is, who would be the first. (Luke 22:24) "A dispute also rose among them, as to which of them was to be regarded as the greatest."

1. Jesus made them see that the greatest is the one who serves others, not the one who rules. Greatness can only be found there, in service!

2. They had a dispute (an argument, fight, confrontation). Disputes are battles or struggles to impose a position or to achieve a goal. The dispute was over which of them "would be the greatest."

3. It is a terrible complaint against the human heart that "immediately" after the "Lord's Supper" the disciples argued among themselves about which of them would be the greatest!

4. We see that just as Judas gave the Lord to be crucified, they did not have the feeling of Christ, but the desire to be the first.

5. The concept of greatness in the kingdom of Jesus is totally opposite to man’s idea of greatness!

6. (John 5:44) "How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?"

7. If you want to show that you are great in the church, you have become an enemy of the feeling of Christ. Did the desire to be the first come to you? Let it go. Escape, get away from it!

8. When a person is afraid of what others may say or do, he cannot be saved.

9. To believe in the Lord one must desire God's approval more than that of any other man!

10. Do not look for the glory that comes from men, look for the glory that comes from the only God! Amen.