Father, at times in our lives we recognize that our soul clings to the dust. And so we would ask that you would give us life according to your word, Lord. When you told. In your word, Lord. When we.
When rather our ways were told to you, you answered them. And so we ask that you would teach us your statutes. That you would make us understand the way of your precepts. That we would meditate on your wondrous works. Father, there are times in which our soul melts away for sorrow.
And we ask that you would strengthen us according to your word, Lord. Further, that you would put false ways far away from us and graciously teach us your law. That we would choose the way of faithfulness. That we would set your rules before us. That we would cling to your testimonies, O Lord, that you might not put us to shame, Lord.
That we would even run in the ways of your commandments. And that you would enlarge our hearts. Lord, do this work in our lives as we submit to your word. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
This morning as we continue on in the discipleship series, we’ll just take a look at a few verses in mark. Chapter Chapter 9, verses 38 to 41. This is God’s holy and inerrant word. John said to him, teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name. And we tried to stop them because he was not following us.
But Jesus said, do not stop him. For no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. For the one who is not against us is for us. For truly I say to you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ, will by no means lose his reward. The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God. You may be seated.
Let me pray for the preaching of God’s word. Father, as my words are true to your word, may they be taken to heart. But if my words should stray from yours, may they be quickly forgotten. I pray this in the name and in the power of Jesus Christ. Amen.
He’s riding for the brand. That’s the description of the Cowboys of Louis L’Amour’s famous collection of short stories by the same name. Judd Ashbury, Alan Ring. They’re just a few of the fictional cowboys who would stay loyal no matter the cost. Riding for the brand was one of the highest compliments a foreman could give to a cowhand.
Loyalty, long suffering conviction, a determined stick to itiveness. They’re truly beautiful character traits. As long as you are Loyal to the right thing. But what if the brand is wrong? Or what if your misunderstanding of the true holdings of your owner is off?
Then your zeal may be misdirected or perhaps even harmful. Our text this morning introduces us with an exchange that John has with Jesus. And our Lord’s response to John gives us a better picture of what it means to ride for the brand. And in doing so reveals that the kingdom of God is larger than our kingdom. And we are challenged to enlarge our vision of his work and of our family.
In our text this morning, we are first shown the apostle John. You may know that he and his brother were known as the sons of Father Thunder in Mark, chapter three, verse 17. And it’s not hard to imagine how he got that nickname as we see him approaching Jesus. Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name and we tried to stop him. John gives his reason next.
But let’s take this first part first. John is clearly showing his loyalty to Jesus, his real zeal for Jesus name. He appears to be speaking for all the apostles or at least a portion of those disciples. You can see that in the use of we saw, we tried. And John is also asserting some leadership here among the disciples.
His zeal is on display. And at one level this is a truly beautiful thing. For in it, in the words of, for instance, New Testament scholar William Lane, he shows, quote, the assurance of having a special and intimate relationship with Christ. John could come up and just declare he knew Christ that well. So that’s beautiful.
But John’s zeal and, and this case is not so beautiful. Several scholars note the real irony of the encounter that John is describing here. You may remember, and we heard this in a sermon a couple weeks ago, that Jesus had recently empowered his disciples. He had given them authority and then he had sent them out by twos to preach, to heal, and even to cast out demons. This likely would have felt like a huge honor, a great responsibility to be sent by the Lord on that short term mission.
They were the chosen representatives of Jesus. Then a little later, in chapter nine, verses 14 to 29, the crowds bring to Jesus a boy that had been tormented by by a demon from his earliest days. And Jesus with a word, rebukes the evil spirit. The boy is healed. And verse 28 records that the disciples asked Jesus privately, why could we not cast it out?
And now, just a few verses later, John, coming off that recent failure, notices another man casting out demons. This likely rankled John and the disciples who authorized this man to use Jesus name. And so John rebukes this man, he tries to stop him. And the Greek here shows both that John and his disciples were not successful in stopping him. And also that the man was successful in in casting out demons.
I want you to think about the fact that someone, or perhaps several someones were freed from the demons that this man had cast out in Jesus name. Lives were changed. People were released from the bondage to the evil one because of the work of this man in Jesus name. And this John tried to stop. Why?
John declared his reason because he was not following us. John appears to be expecting a thanks or some commendation from Jesus as he reports with zeal. But in Jesus instead rebukes him, do not stop him. Jesus corrects or rebukes John. Here we see somebody making a positive use of Jesus name.
Somebody was taking the fight, if you will, against Satan’s kingdom. Somebody who has realized, at least at some level, the life giving power of Jesus. Names. We don’t know much about this man, but we know that much that he understood there was power in Jesus name and he was taking the fight against Satan’s kingdom. And those who were released had their lives changed.
There is something about the name of Jesus. Paul tells us in 2nd Corinthians 2:16. It is to some a fragrance of death. To death. And it is to others a fragrance of life.
To life. The name of Jesus changes lives. Notice Jesus response as he continues telling John that no one who performs a mighty work in Jesus name will be able soon afterwards to speak evil of him. Paul understands this truth. First Corinthians, chapter 12, verse 3, where we’re reminded that, quote, no one speaking in the spirit of God ever says Jesus is accursed.
And similarly, no one can say Jesus is Lord except in the Holy Spirit. Again, somehow, in some maybe mysterious fashion, God works at times literally and actually through the name of Jesus. I think you actually know this to be true when you think of this. It’s relatively easy in our day and age and in our culture to have a conversation with someone about spirituality. It’s even pretty easy to have a conversation with someone about God.
But to have a conversation about Jesus, that’s a different matter altogether. When you speak about Jesus to someone, you will very quickly see joy up in their life or you will begin to see some resistance, some concern, some nervous energy working itself out. Jesus, the only name under heaven by which man will be saved. And it’s exactly the name that at times we are all too ashamed to speak of or to bear witness to, or even in this case, we find ourselves actually working against Calvin on this passage. He wonders for quote, how is.
How comes it that the disciples all at once forbid a man who is unknown to them to work miracles, but because they wish to be sole possessors of this right, for they assign the reason that he followeth not Christ as much as to say he is not one of thy associates as we are. Why then should they possess equal honor? End quote. Calvin sees jealousy as the motivating factor for the disciples. They wanted to remain special instead of being servants.
This is extraordinary when you think about the argument they just had with one another. In chapter 9, verses 33 to 37. They were arguing with each other about who was would be the greatest in the kingdom. And when Jesus said, what are you discussing? They were silent in their shame.
And Jesus spoke into their shame and said, if anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all. And then to further reinforce this, Jesus brought a child into their midst and says, whoever receives this child in my name receives me. Jealousy is poison to joy. Jealousy is poison to contentment in Christ. And the antidote is service.
John or Edwards rather remarks that John regarded his call as a disciple, not as a call to service, but as an entitlement to privilege and exclusion. How often are we similarly guilty of such sentiment? Where might that self centered attitude take root in your lives? Oh, that we would repent of our jealousy and instead rejoice in the work that the Lord is doing, pitching in with our own efforts if we can. Or at least encouragement and prayers when we can’t notice.
Also that John said in his declaration that that man had no right, for he is not following us, he’s not wearing our brand. There was a similar encounter in numbers, chapter 11. It was just after the Spirit of the Lord had come upon Moses in a powerful way. And Moses gave a portion of his spirit spirit on the 70 elders, such that they all prophesied around the tent. And then in verses 26 and 20 to 30 of chapter 11 of Numbers, we read of a young man running up to Moses and reporting that there were two men who had not gone out with Moses to the tent, who were prophesying within the camp.
And Joshua hears of this report and he pleads with Moses. He says, my Lord Moses, stop them. And Moses replies, are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the Lord’s people were prophets, that the Lord would put his spirit on all of them. How ready we are to judge one another, to cast our criticisms and opinions of others, other ministries, other people, other organizations, even though all we may really know about them is what we heard in a passing podcast or from a friend of a friend here.
Sometimes you should know that sometimes I’m preaching to you, and sometimes I’m preaching to myself. This is an area that, as I was preparing for this sermon, I was asking myself these same questions, and I’m regularly amazed when I hear it how often people criticize others by citing other critics instead of actually engaging with the original author or the affected actual individual. To this end, as we think about ourselves in our journey as a disciple, we may be wise to ask ourselves, I may be wise to ask myself, am I known? Are you known for your critical opinions? If people were to take a snapshot of a typical conversation of yours, what would they remember?
What would they hear? What would they see in your life? What do people remember of you? Do you look like Jesus to them? New Testament scholar David Garland notes, quote, the forces who call on Jesus name in the battle against evil can only be weakened by cutthroat competition among themselves.
End quote I will tell you the evil one does not need your aid. And in sowing discord among believers as the accuser of the brethren, he will welcome it, though let us not aid him in his wicked works. Calvin on this passage, notes, when by any occurrence God is glorified, we ought to bear with it and rejoice. Paul speaks to this In Philippians chapter 1, verse 18, when he hears of those who preach only for personal gain. And Paul says only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I will rejoice.
Yes, I will rejoice. So Jesus responds to John’s he is not following us by declaring in verse 40, the one who is not against us is for us. Robert Stein states that the effect quote of this pericope is to encourage a welcoming openness on the part of Jesus disciples, which is in stark contrast to the protective exclusiveness more often associated with religious groups. End quote if you regularly hear yourself using the term like minded, you might want to think about that a little more. Are you engaged in protective exclusivity?
It is true that Jesus is encouraging us here to open our aperture and to see his kingdom is bigger than our brand. I love the way that we are reminded week after week when if you take your bulletin on the very back, you will see local ministries to pray for. We pray for churches and ministries right here in the Valley and throughout the state of Montana, as well as to the other ends of the world. The Church, you ought to know, is bigger than faith covenant. And there will be many who enter into glory with bits and pieces of their theology frayed and torn, but their souls intact.
What is key, of course, are the key elements of the Gospel. And a good and brief summary of that is in the Apostles or the Nicene Creed. Those who can affirm that from their hearts they are your brothers and sisters in Christ rejoice and co labor with them for the glory of Christ. Now, differences matter. Differences matter, to be sure, and right doctrine is a blessing to your soul.
Right doctrine gives power, gives confidence, and gives peace to your life. And most importantly, right doctrine gives greater glory to God. So learn it. But a mature Christian, a true disciple of Christ, realizes that they can be aligned with many as at least co belligerence, to use the term from Francis Schaeffer on all sorts of social issues. You have friends and allies in the Church.
I need to pause here a moment also for a couple comments on this phrase, because Mark’s use here with the one who was not against us is for us is very different from Matthew. In chapter 12, verse 30 there Matthew says Jesus says whoever is not with me is is against me. And at some level that may be what John was concerned about, right? He’s not following us. So maybe John was right.
Well, we know he wasn’t for Jesus corrected him. But here’s a couple more thoughts. First, John’s focus is off. It’s not about following us, it’s about following Jesus. And notice how the we and the us of verse 38 are changed to my name and me in 39.
It is Jesus who we follow and we ought only imitate others as they imitate our Lord Jesus Christ. Secondly, the context of the Matthew quote and the context of this quote are very different. In Matthew, the Pharisees are openly and actively opposing Jesus. In other words, they were showing by their actions and their words to be against Jesus. Whereas here in Mark, that unnamed man by his actions of casting out demons in Jesus name is clearly showing himself not only not to be against Jesus, but actually to be for him.
To be sure, when you hear the Matthew quote pulled, it has an initial exclusive feel, whereas the Mark quote has an inclusive feel. But the context of each passage shows that the sayings are really one and the same. So while we learn from Jesus that the kingdom is bigger than our little brand, we also learn from Jesus that there is no neutrality. There is only for and against. And this may make some uncomfortable because I think many of us prefer to be neutral.
Nobody really likes conflict, and so some of us work really hard at avoiding it. Some of us would rather not choose sides in this war, that we would like to just go along unnoticed. We might even kid ourselves and think, maybe I can wear both blue and gray. But that is not a real option for us. And we may find that when we choose not to be so openly for Jesus, we’re actually now working against him.
So there’s a warning there for each of us. But there’s also an invitation. New Testament scholar William Lane notes, quote the the sharp recognition of only two sides against us and for us radicalizes the demand to welcome participations in the mission, even from unexpected sources. You see, admitting that there are only two sides both helps us to be more discerning and actually more open. Could this one be an ally in our fight?
But it also ought to heighten our sense of urgency for service for our Lord. There is a battle against evil. There is no neutrality. People’s lives are at stake. And Jesus uses ordinary people to accomplish his will.
He uses simple fishermen like James and John, like Peter and Andrew. He uses tax collectors like Matthew. He uses political rebels like Simon, and as well as the rest of the disciples to spread the gospel, first to Jerusalem during Christ’s life, and then eventually to the known world after his death. And this service, this sharing of the gospel, this life lived as a servant of Christ, can sometimes be as dramatic as casting out demons. Or it may be as simple as a cup of water.
In verse 31, Robert Stein notes that while the language of reward is very prominent in Matthew, this is the only explicit example in the whole Gospel of Mark. When you think about that and this as an example, what’s even more extraordinary is that this act of service, the simple giving a cup of water, is such a basic feature of hospitality in most places and most times, especially in this region and at this time, that it seems undeserving of reward. In most places, there’s no bonuses, there’s no special recognition for doing the basic requirement of the job. I love how Micah pointed to that in the Sunday school class as well. But I want to remind you that in Jesus economy, things work a little differently.
The least becomes the greatest. The servant becomes the master. If you give someone a cup of water because you belong to Christ, because your relationship with Christ motivates you to extend that as an act of service, you will be rewarded. That’s what the text tells us very clearly, one scholar notes. Even so small an act betokens a person’s response to Jesus in the person of his disciples and will not go unnoticed.
Matthew chapter 25 kind of expands this and shows the significance of all of our actions for one another. They’re either a gift of service, a gift of love, a gift showing the Lord that we how much we love Jesus himself when we act to the least of these. But there’s Also in Matthew 25, the painful reality and reminder that when we pass by opportunities to serve one another, the one that we have actually rejected serving and caring for is Jesus himself. Lane notes, in this passage, there is no distinction between trivial and important tasks. There’s only faith and obedience.
There’s only shown devotion to Jesus. And wherever these qualities exist, they are approved of God. So the passage begins with a dramatic casting out of demons and ends with a simple cup of water. Both are acts of service in Jesus name and both can truly change lives. Jesus changes lives.
Even John, the son of Thunder, is known through church in church history as the apostle of love. Truly, Jesus saves. And so we are called to a life of service. As we follow Jesus, our master in this life, this journey, we can sometimes forget the power of Christ himself, the power of the name of Jesus to change lives. We can let that rob us petty jealousy rob us of joy.
We can sometimes forget that the Lord’s kingdom is bigger than our own brand. And we can certainly forget that in our calling as disciples, service to the King can sometimes be as simple as a cup of cold water in his name. Let us pray.
Father, thank you for your word. Thank you for the gift of true life. Lord, you know us so well and you loved us and you saved us and we rejoice in that. Truly, it was your spirit that opened our eyes so that we could see our sin and our need. You softened our heart so that we might receive the Word implanted.
You opened our ears so that we would hear these words of life. And so, Lord, we ask that you would remind us again of the power of Jesus. That we would be reminded of our own salvation and the joy and liberty and freedom we experienced with a changed life there. Father, that we would not find ourselves bogged down by petty divisions, but rather recognize the beauty, the value and the glory of right theology because it gives you better glory. But Father, that your kingdom is bigger than our brand and that you would open our eyes, that we would see allies and co laborers all around us, that we would strive to serve you together.
And Father, we further pray that you would remind us again that every act of service, whether we would consider big or small, are the same in your eyes. But we can never merit your love. You have already placed that on us. We can never earn our salvation. Christ Jesus already did that.
But we can serve in gratitude. We can reflect back your love by loving another. And so we ask that you would do that in our lives. Through Jesus we pray. Amen.
I invite you to.
Discaimer: This sermon text was generated by an automated transcription service.