Word of Salvation – Vol. 47 No. 39 – October 2002   The 'First' Friend   Sermon by Rev. S. Bajema on 3John 9-10 Scripture Readings: 2John; 3John 1-10   Congregation in our Lord Jesus Christ. John's letter suddenly becomes quite different.  From what was a very positive reflection and encouragement for a friend in the Lord, with his words to Gaius, the apostle then couldn't have become more negative about Diotrephes.  And yet, it's these two verses of our text now that is the heart of why John is writing his letter. Let's face it, if you were writing a...

Word of Salvation – Vol.47 No.35 – September 2002   The Faithful Friend   Sermon by Rev S Bajema on 3 John 1-8 Scripture Reading: 3 John 1-13   Congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ. This letter is one of only a few in the Bible addressed to someone in a particularly personal way.  Reading through it, we couldn't help but see that intimate note.  And didn't that word "friend" keep popping up?  As the Concise Oxford defines it, a friend is “one joined to another in intimacy and mutual benevolence independently of sexual or family love."  So there's a special...

Word of Salvation – Vol.47 No.43 – November 2002   The 'Fairest’ Friend   Sermon by Rev S Bajema on 3 John 11-14 Scripture Readings: 1John 2:28 - 3:10; 3John   Congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ. All is not what it seems in your relationship with another Christian.  You've had a severe falling out.  Someone you had looked up to a lot, in the Lord, has put you in such a state that you wonder whether you are the Lord's at all!   It seems also that whoever else had been a help to you before has been quite clearly removed...