Serving God in Ministry
Mark 9:38-50
38 “Teacher,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us.”
39 “Do not stop him,” Jesus said. “For no one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, 40 for whoever is not against us is for us. 41 Truly I tell you, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to the Messiah will certainly not lose their reward.
Causing to Stumble
42 “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them if a large millstone were hung around their neck and they were thrown into the sea. 43 If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out. [44] [b] 45 And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. [46] [c] 47 And if your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, 48 where
“‘the worms that eat them do not die,
and the fire is not quenched.’[d]
49 Everyone will be salted with fire.
50 “Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt among yourselves, and be at peace with each other.”
I see these two events as a continuation of the struggle that the Disciples have in patterning their expectations and ministry after what Jesus would have for them. They do not understand the Kingdom of God!
Their apprehension about the inability to control what is happening, for things to have to go through them, this is like the attitude of the Jewish leaders! Apparently, Jesus intends to work through people in a more free and open way! How can we embrace this today?
- Celebrate the Work of God in Others
- Humility and gratitude for others
Are we the only ones serving God?
Is God at work in the lives of other people?
How good of a judge are we of these issues?
Can we find examples in history of people full of faith doing terrible things?
Can we find examples in our own lives of ways that we judged others poorly?
We are called upon to make judgements. We have to.
How can we make decisions with humility?
Ecclesiastes 3: 1 There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:
I really don’t think this is all that hard as long as you are celebrating what God is doing.
- Why do others need to submit to us?
We know that God is at work in us. We don’t know you. There is a sort of a vetting process.
Humility: Are we right all of the time? How can we find our blind spots? Perhaps others can help us? Do the Disciples have blind spots here? Try and learn things from other people!
See submission as a virtue.
Believe that the Holy Spirit is at work in others the way that He is at work in you.
Don’t be offended when others seek to judge you. Jesus put up with this too!
James 3 and Romans 14
Jealousy and selfish ambition are the source of much disorder and evil behavior!
- Acting in Jesus’ name
These folks are casting out demons in Jesus’ name and it is working. Think about this in the light of the Disciples not being about to cast the demon out in the previous story. Are they be supplanted by others? What does it mean to invoke Jesus’ name?
Do we have a monopoly on acting in Jesus’ name?
Are we going to say that we are the only ones who are right?
John 17: 20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— 23 I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.
Do we take this prayer of Jesus seriously? Whether or not we go to the same church, we need to see folks who claim the name of Jesus as united with us. We do not need to fear this unity!!
Casting out demons: This seems a big deal
Jesus cast out many demons. It is glorious.
Jesus gave this authority to the Disciples. Then He gives it to the seventy. Jesus shares His authority and ministry.
Giving a drink of water: This seems a small thing
Jesus promises living water. This is a glorious thing!
John 4: “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”
“Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
John 7: 37 On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” 39 By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive.
Jesus promises the Holy Spirit as a spring of water that would result in lots of enduring life.
- Protect the Faith of Others
- Causing a little one to stumble
Perhaps accusing someone of not having God work in their lives because they are not with you is a great example of causing folks to stumble!
Back to Romans 14 again.
6 Whoever regards one day as special does so to the Lord. Whoever eats meat does so to the Lord, for they give thanks to God; and whoever abstains does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7 For none of us lives for ourselves alone, and none of us dies for ourselves alone. 8 If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.
To stumble is to stop moving forward toward Jesus.
- We can give people things to do that are religious that aren’t related to following Jesus.
- We can also misunderstand what people are doing that are related to following Jesus and attack their faith.
If others can cause little ones to stumble, should we not judge those people?
- Don’t put an obstacle in someone’s way
Connect people to Jesus and Jesus’ teaching. What are obstacles? Ideas and practices that are not directed toward Jesus and His teaching.
Teach with humility. Ask people to discover things themselves. Be careful!!!
One can do the right thing in the wrong way and end up doing more harm than good. Matthew 6 examples.
Prayer that increases people’s spiritual pride.
Fasting that increases one’s religious fakery.
Giving that draws praise to oneself instead of to the love of God.
- Make following Jesus the issue
What is the goal of discipleship? Matthew 28:
19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Today, I want you to hear from God. I will speak, but I don’t want you to follow me! You can do so much better!! And you don’t want to have faith in me!
III. The Goal is to Move Toward Jesus
- Hands, Feet and Eyes
We have two of each of these. We can do with one less. Perhaps that’s why He doesn’t say tongue.
If you have only one hand, foot or eye, you will have a more difficult path. I believe this is an issue of recognizing that we are voluntarily receiving discipline.
- God can manage judgement
We must consider actions without condemning people!
Deal with any insecurity that you have. It is common for people to tear others down in order to feel better about themselves. I do this. It is not good.
If you showed up in Circuit Court and started talking about the issues at hand and saying what the judgements should be, you would be quickly removed. It is inappropriate. And the judge is going to be offended!
- Do not destroy others
By putting obstacles in their way.
By attacking their faith because you don’t know them.
By making yourself their judge.
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