We modern people like to think we’re “independent thinkers,” but in reality we’re very impressionable. If we’re not careful we can get easily swept away by cultural movements, trends, arguments and ideas, even if they’re not good for us.
Sociologist Robert Bellah says: “just where we [modern people] think we are most free, we are most coerced by the dominant beliefs of our own culture.” We need to ask, therefore, what and who is most influencing our lives?
The apostle John wanted to help some struggling Christians. He wrote to them, warning against believing and following the wrong things (and people); it could prove disastrous. This sermon on 3 John unpacks this short letter, takes seriously our impressionability as modern people, and encourages us to imitate good, not evil. After all, if we don’t proactively imitate good we will passively imitate evil.