Saying Goodbye To A Good Friend

Introduction

How do you say goodbye to a good friend? It's always hard because you have so much more to say than you thought you did. It's a lot like a preacher when he stands up to preach, we always wind up saying things like "I can't believe how late it's gotten. Got to run!" or "Well my day is slipping away so I must close for now." Let's take a look at how John said goodbye to Gaius.

I. A Promise In His Conclusion, Vs. 14

A. Petition of Prayer, Vs. 14

"I trust..." vs. 14.

What a wonderful conclusion! It's more than just a conclusion, it's a covenant to pray. So often Carol or I will get a card from someone and in it they'll say, "I'm praying for you." What a comfort it is to know that there is more than just a conclusion to this letter. When John said "I trust...," it meant that he had a prayer list and Gaius' name was on it.

Do you know that each day the staff of this church meet to pray for you, by name! No joke. It's not just a formality; it's to address specific needs in your life.

Not only do we see there was a petition of prayer but also there was a petition of peace.

B. A Petition of Peace, Vs. 14

"...Peace be to thee..." vs. 14.

What a prayer for God to answer! John didn't petition for wealth, health, knowledge, and acceptance, physical or psychological needs. He prayed that God would bless Gaius with the greatest of all of God's blessings...Peace. When we've got peace about our health, our wealth, our degree, whether people like us or not, there's no greater gift. Jesus' first word to His disciples was often peace. Peace is what we need before we need anything else! We not only see there was a promise in his conclusion but there was also a person in his conclusion.

II. A Person In His Conclusion, Vs. 14

A. Person was Sent a Greeting, Vs. 14

"...Our friends salute thee..." vs. 14.

Many people wanted to say hi to Gaius. He wasn't a closet Christian. People knew Gaius loved and served Jesus with all of his heart. More importantly though, this verse implies that their hello was genuine; Gaius was someone they really wanted to like and be liked by. Not only do we see a person was sent a greeting but also a person was sent with a greeting.

B. A Person was Sent with A Greeting, Vs. 14

"...Greet the friends by name," vs. 14.

Do you take that as a special trust? Well, it is! How many times have people asked you "Did so-and-so tell you I said hi?" and you've had to say no. Gaius could be trusted to pass the greeting along. He was trustworthy. He was a man of integrity. If someone writes or calls and says "Give so-and-so a hug for me" do it! They've entrusted you with a message for another person, don't let them down! Gaius was a trusted friend!