Ramsey Creek Baptist Church

Just as we learn from the good example of Gaius, we also learn from the bad example of Diotrephes. John reveals 5 things about Diotrephes in v.9-11: 1. He had selfish self-esteem. [v.9a] 2. He wouldn’t listen to truth. [v.9b] 3. He was a gossip and a slanderer. [v.10a] 4. He was unhospitable. [v.10b] 5. He became as evil as Lucifer. [v.10c] (Isaiah 14:14) What John describes here is a self-obsessed, arrogant man going rogue without the accountability of a healthy church to rebuke and correct him. Diotrephes was a well-positioned man on earth, but had no position in heaven. Demetrius, on the other hand, was respectable, trustworthy, and his example was worthy of following. What a gift it is to the church when men and women live their lives in such a way that the very truth of God’s Word is a testimony to their Christian walk! Three application points: 1. We usually become like the people we follow. 2. There is biblical wisdom in shared leadership. 3. The most important thing is to know Jesu