The Cause of Christ – Mark 9:38-42
Pastor Lee Hemen
July 18, 2010 AM
There are many “causes” in the world today, everything from saving whales to wearing natural clothing. Someone once said, “When folks do not have a life, they find someone else’s life or something else to make their life have meaning.” I believe there are so many causes in our world because people have lost what should be their true focus in life – the Lord. I have to laugh when I see the parade of Hollywood elites heading out on publicity vacations in order to discover some new cause they can wrap around their lives. Simply because you play a farmer in a movie, does not make you an expert on the plight of farmers. And while there are many good causes in the world, as Paul would say, “‘Everything is permissible’--but not everything is beneficial. ‘Everything is permissible’--but not everything is constructive. Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others.” (1 Corinthians 10:23-24) However, is doing good, for goodness sake, good enough?
We find the disciples and Jesus in a discussion concerning this very issue. Immediately after Jesus shows them how they are to conduct their lives by using the example of a child, they whine to Jesus. Others were performing the very same ministry Jesus had asked them to do! It sounds as if they were offended. Jesus begins to instruct them concerning how they are to respond. From his words, we can discover how we are to be about the cause of Christ today. Let’s find out…
READ: Mark 9:38-42
There is an old joke that states, “A Baptist only needs himself in order to disagree.” Think about that for a moment and understand what the implication means. While we do not need to let our theological brains fall out in order to get along with fellow believers, we should be able to work with one another for the cause of Christ. In fact, we discover that…
I. The cause of Christ calls us to a unity of purpose! (Vv. 38-40)
1. Unity, means giving up the “me” and exemplifying the “we”! Notice that the disciples were offended because the man was “not one of us.” They felt that he needed to be chosen by Jesus personally, as they were, in order to do the things Jesus had given them to do! After all, weren’t they his “chosen” disciples? While we can question a ministry’s methods or their true outcome, we want to be careful that we do not hinder the cause of Christ by being offended because others are doing a god job. Jesus tells them, “Do not stop him” and goes on to explain why, “No one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, for whoever is not against us is for us.” Notice that Jesus is not saying that anyone who simply uses the moniker of his name is okay, but rather it is the intent behind using his name. If a true miracle is performed because of the faith of the person involved using his name, then how could they be concerned? That individual is standing for the cause of Christ! Dear child of the Lord, do not be misled here. Jesus is not excusing the claims of anyone who uses his name. Charlatans and mystics who claim Christ and seem to display his power need to be judged by their true effectiveness and intentions. We see this in the Book of Acts (Acts 8:9-20). Worldly gain or personal enhancement should never be part of ministry. In fact, what Jesus is emphasizing here is that there can be no neutrality concerning him! Either you are for him or you are against him. If someone is working for Jesus, in His name, he cannot work against Him at the same time. This also brings up the issue of church unity as well. Christians need to be unified when doing the work of the Lord. Paul wrote, “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” (Ephesians 4:3) The cause of Christ calls us to a unity of purpose!
EXAMPLE: How tragic is it when churches cannot get their collective act together to minister, yet they want Jesus to “bless” them! The same is true for our personal lives in Christ. You cannot serve two masters. You cannot say you love Jesus and yet do things in your personal life you know would offend him. Your faith does not take a vacation. Unity between Christian churches begins with unity in the local church which begins with unity in the lives of its people. Unity of purpose starts when we give our lives to Christ daily. When we say “no” to our selfish selves and live in united faith with him and for him! The Christian church is only as dysfunctional as each of its members is. Jesus earnestly desired that his followers would be unified in him beginning with their relationship to him and then with one another. He would pray, “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 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. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” (John 17:20-23)The cause of Christ calls us to a unity of purpose!
There is no more noble purpose than for one to live his life for the Lord Jesus Christ. In fact, it is the ultimate Medal of Honor a person could earn in this existence. What greater honor could there be than to be known for a life that is forged by the handiwork of living purposefully serving others for the sake of Jesus? Have we become so blindly enamored with ourselves that even as believers we have forgotten what “to live is Christ and to die is gain” means? Jesus teaches us that…
II. The cause of Christ calls us to service! (v. 41)
1. Many demand it but few are willing to do little of it themselves! Time and time again Jesus returns to the issue of service. The reason I believe is because we as individuals have real a problem with serving others in Jesus’ name. Jesus had just taken a child into his arms to display for the disciples what he meant by, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all.” (v. 35) And rather than focusing on the miracle the man performed or the issue of his disciple’s offended pride, Jesus tells them, “I tell you the truth, ANYONE who gives YOU a cup of water in MY name because YOU BELONG TO CHRIST will certainly not lose his reward.” (Mark 9:41) In other words, if anyone gave them something out of the mercy and faith they had in Christ, they also were part of him! The beautiful truth is that no matter where you go in the world, when you meet fellow believers in the Lord, you are immediately part of the same family. Certainly, there are those who claim Christ, but never display the bond of Christian fellowship with others. There are also those who claim Christ and do things simply to be recognized. Both groups have lost what they never had obtained. The disciples, like some of us this morning, needed to seriously look at their walk in Jesus. A time was shortly coming when they would have to depend on those who claimed Jesus who had never actually met him. They would have to get over their racial and religious bias. They would have to understand that anyone who gave them a cup of water in the name of Jesus was one of them! The cause of Christ calls us to service, especially service to fellow believers, and that service is for his benefit and never our own. What Christian Brother or Sister in the Lord have you served without being asked to do so this week? When asked are you willing and ready? The cause of Christ calls us to service!
EXAMPLE: I recently met a woman who displayed the epitome of what it means to be a spiritual leech sucking all she could from churches in the area, but giving nothing in return. What a difference between this person and one of our own whom we lost this past week, Jan Sander. She was one of those rare people who walked under the radar, so-to-speak. While she lived in poverty, she was wealthy in her love and devotion to the Lord. Her church was her family. Paul would say, “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. … Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.” (Romans 12:10, 16) Jan knew what that meant. GBC asks that all of its Sunday School Teachers tithe as an example to their classes. Jan took this very seriously even as an example to her preschoolers. She came to me and confessed that she would have to give up teaching. She could not tithe because the tiny bit of money she made from rent on her little house she owned, was now going to have to go to help take care of her ailing mother’s needs. However, she was going to continue to give her $5 to help Kyla, our missionary in Canada. Now, what you have to understand is what Jan gave was a pittance compared to many of us, but to her it was all she had. I wrapped my arms around her and told her, “Jan, you do not have to worry about that. You have already out given us all.” She served as Church Clerk, Treasurer, Preschool Director and Teacher. She went on weekly visitation, encouraged us and prodded us along, and she was a friend. Jan lived a life of service. The cause of Christ calls us to service!
Truth does not change with the season, with the century, nor with age. Truth remains the same. We live in a day and age whereby folks want you to believe that truth should be measured by the circumstances you find yourself in at the moment. Communists, Nazis, and now abortionists have slaughtered millions by doing that very thing. For the believer the truth is not relative but a constant found only in Jesus. He is the beginning and end of all truth, and because of this, we learn that…
III. The cause of Christ calls us to live the truth! (v. 42)
1. Millstones get heavy when they are water-soaked! A lot of folks think that Jesus is referring to someone who causes a person to not come to know Jesus Christ in this verse, but this is not the case. Look at what Jesus says to his disciples, “And if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around his neck.” (Mark 9:42) Jesus refers to “one of these little ones who believe in me.” He is telling his disciples that if there are those who are crass enough in life to cause one of those whom he has already saved to sin, not lose their salvation, but actually commit a sin, they are in danger. And the judgment carries with it a harsh penalty that is worse than dying by having a millstone hung around your neck and being drowned! There are those in our day and age who have wantonly caused believers to sin. We see it on television, in movies, in video games and in the music; we watch and listen to or play on a daily basis. Paul would say that, “Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.” (Romans 1:32) This is why Christians must be very careful in what they do in life because if they willingly participate in ungodly actions, they could be encouraging other Christians to sin. What a tragedy! Rather than being salt or light in a sinful world many have become like MSG instead. They enhance ungodliness instead of seasoning the world with Jesus. Jesus stridently warned his disciples, “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.” (Matthew 5:13) Far too many believers are allowing themselves to be trampled by the world. The cause of Christ calls us to live the truth!
EXAMPLE: There are actually those now who are deliberately involved in not only degrading Christians, but Jesus as well. Urine soaked crosses and homosexual depictions of Jesus are mild compared to the MTV videos, Hollywood movies, or TV shows being produced that depict believers and Christ in ungodly ways. We now have so-called Christian writers, pastors, and churches actually teaching that it is okay for believers to do what would have been unthinkable or unmentionable a few years ago. Drinking, premarital sex, smoking, or any kind of crass behavior is okay as long as it is done in “moderation,” they declare. Holiness is now in the eye of the beholder instead of being measured by a life lived for the Lord. They say that the Bible was written for us to reinterpret for our day and time. What they suggest is simply a new means for excusing their sin. Many dismiss Paul’s admonishment, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.” (Romans 12:1-2) Jesus is already measuring them for a stone cold collar and a length of rope. We must remember that the cause of Christ calls us to live the truth!
Conclusion:
The cause of Christ calls us to a unity of purpose, to service, and to live the truth!
---
Pastor Lee Hemen has been the outspoken pastor of the same church for 25 years in Vancouver, WA. He writes regularly on spirituality and conservative causes and maintains several web blogs. This article is copyrighted © 2010 by Lee Hemen and is the sole property of Lee Hemen, and may not be used unless you quote the entire article and have my permission. You now have my permission…
Pastor Lee Hemen
July 18, 2010 AM
There are many “causes” in the world today, everything from saving whales to wearing natural clothing. Someone once said, “When folks do not have a life, they find someone else’s life or something else to make their life have meaning.” I believe there are so many causes in our world because people have lost what should be their true focus in life – the Lord. I have to laugh when I see the parade of Hollywood elites heading out on publicity vacations in order to discover some new cause they can wrap around their lives. Simply because you play a farmer in a movie, does not make you an expert on the plight of farmers. And while there are many good causes in the world, as Paul would say, “‘Everything is permissible’--but not everything is beneficial. ‘Everything is permissible’--but not everything is constructive. Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others.” (1 Corinthians 10:23-24) However, is doing good, for goodness sake, good enough?
We find the disciples and Jesus in a discussion concerning this very issue. Immediately after Jesus shows them how they are to conduct their lives by using the example of a child, they whine to Jesus. Others were performing the very same ministry Jesus had asked them to do! It sounds as if they were offended. Jesus begins to instruct them concerning how they are to respond. From his words, we can discover how we are to be about the cause of Christ today. Let’s find out…
READ: Mark 9:38-42
There is an old joke that states, “A Baptist only needs himself in order to disagree.” Think about that for a moment and understand what the implication means. While we do not need to let our theological brains fall out in order to get along with fellow believers, we should be able to work with one another for the cause of Christ. In fact, we discover that…
I. The cause of Christ calls us to a unity of purpose! (Vv. 38-40)
1. Unity, means giving up the “me” and exemplifying the “we”! Notice that the disciples were offended because the man was “not one of us.” They felt that he needed to be chosen by Jesus personally, as they were, in order to do the things Jesus had given them to do! After all, weren’t they his “chosen” disciples? While we can question a ministry’s methods or their true outcome, we want to be careful that we do not hinder the cause of Christ by being offended because others are doing a god job. Jesus tells them, “Do not stop him” and goes on to explain why, “No one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, for whoever is not against us is for us.” Notice that Jesus is not saying that anyone who simply uses the moniker of his name is okay, but rather it is the intent behind using his name. If a true miracle is performed because of the faith of the person involved using his name, then how could they be concerned? That individual is standing for the cause of Christ! Dear child of the Lord, do not be misled here. Jesus is not excusing the claims of anyone who uses his name. Charlatans and mystics who claim Christ and seem to display his power need to be judged by their true effectiveness and intentions. We see this in the Book of Acts (Acts 8:9-20). Worldly gain or personal enhancement should never be part of ministry. In fact, what Jesus is emphasizing here is that there can be no neutrality concerning him! Either you are for him or you are against him. If someone is working for Jesus, in His name, he cannot work against Him at the same time. This also brings up the issue of church unity as well. Christians need to be unified when doing the work of the Lord. Paul wrote, “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” (Ephesians 4:3) The cause of Christ calls us to a unity of purpose!
EXAMPLE: How tragic is it when churches cannot get their collective act together to minister, yet they want Jesus to “bless” them! The same is true for our personal lives in Christ. You cannot serve two masters. You cannot say you love Jesus and yet do things in your personal life you know would offend him. Your faith does not take a vacation. Unity between Christian churches begins with unity in the local church which begins with unity in the lives of its people. Unity of purpose starts when we give our lives to Christ daily. When we say “no” to our selfish selves and live in united faith with him and for him! The Christian church is only as dysfunctional as each of its members is. Jesus earnestly desired that his followers would be unified in him beginning with their relationship to him and then with one another. He would pray, “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 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. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” (John 17:20-23)The cause of Christ calls us to a unity of purpose!
There is no more noble purpose than for one to live his life for the Lord Jesus Christ. In fact, it is the ultimate Medal of Honor a person could earn in this existence. What greater honor could there be than to be known for a life that is forged by the handiwork of living purposefully serving others for the sake of Jesus? Have we become so blindly enamored with ourselves that even as believers we have forgotten what “to live is Christ and to die is gain” means? Jesus teaches us that…
II. The cause of Christ calls us to service! (v. 41)
1. Many demand it but few are willing to do little of it themselves! Time and time again Jesus returns to the issue of service. The reason I believe is because we as individuals have real a problem with serving others in Jesus’ name. Jesus had just taken a child into his arms to display for the disciples what he meant by, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all.” (v. 35) And rather than focusing on the miracle the man performed or the issue of his disciple’s offended pride, Jesus tells them, “I tell you the truth, ANYONE who gives YOU a cup of water in MY name because YOU BELONG TO CHRIST will certainly not lose his reward.” (Mark 9:41) In other words, if anyone gave them something out of the mercy and faith they had in Christ, they also were part of him! The beautiful truth is that no matter where you go in the world, when you meet fellow believers in the Lord, you are immediately part of the same family. Certainly, there are those who claim Christ, but never display the bond of Christian fellowship with others. There are also those who claim Christ and do things simply to be recognized. Both groups have lost what they never had obtained. The disciples, like some of us this morning, needed to seriously look at their walk in Jesus. A time was shortly coming when they would have to depend on those who claimed Jesus who had never actually met him. They would have to get over their racial and religious bias. They would have to understand that anyone who gave them a cup of water in the name of Jesus was one of them! The cause of Christ calls us to service, especially service to fellow believers, and that service is for his benefit and never our own. What Christian Brother or Sister in the Lord have you served without being asked to do so this week? When asked are you willing and ready? The cause of Christ calls us to service!
EXAMPLE: I recently met a woman who displayed the epitome of what it means to be a spiritual leech sucking all she could from churches in the area, but giving nothing in return. What a difference between this person and one of our own whom we lost this past week, Jan Sander. She was one of those rare people who walked under the radar, so-to-speak. While she lived in poverty, she was wealthy in her love and devotion to the Lord. Her church was her family. Paul would say, “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. … Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.” (Romans 12:10, 16) Jan knew what that meant. GBC asks that all of its Sunday School Teachers tithe as an example to their classes. Jan took this very seriously even as an example to her preschoolers. She came to me and confessed that she would have to give up teaching. She could not tithe because the tiny bit of money she made from rent on her little house she owned, was now going to have to go to help take care of her ailing mother’s needs. However, she was going to continue to give her $5 to help Kyla, our missionary in Canada. Now, what you have to understand is what Jan gave was a pittance compared to many of us, but to her it was all she had. I wrapped my arms around her and told her, “Jan, you do not have to worry about that. You have already out given us all.” She served as Church Clerk, Treasurer, Preschool Director and Teacher. She went on weekly visitation, encouraged us and prodded us along, and she was a friend. Jan lived a life of service. The cause of Christ calls us to service!
Truth does not change with the season, with the century, nor with age. Truth remains the same. We live in a day and age whereby folks want you to believe that truth should be measured by the circumstances you find yourself in at the moment. Communists, Nazis, and now abortionists have slaughtered millions by doing that very thing. For the believer the truth is not relative but a constant found only in Jesus. He is the beginning and end of all truth, and because of this, we learn that…
III. The cause of Christ calls us to live the truth! (v. 42)
1. Millstones get heavy when they are water-soaked! A lot of folks think that Jesus is referring to someone who causes a person to not come to know Jesus Christ in this verse, but this is not the case. Look at what Jesus says to his disciples, “And if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around his neck.” (Mark 9:42) Jesus refers to “one of these little ones who believe in me.” He is telling his disciples that if there are those who are crass enough in life to cause one of those whom he has already saved to sin, not lose their salvation, but actually commit a sin, they are in danger. And the judgment carries with it a harsh penalty that is worse than dying by having a millstone hung around your neck and being drowned! There are those in our day and age who have wantonly caused believers to sin. We see it on television, in movies, in video games and in the music; we watch and listen to or play on a daily basis. Paul would say that, “Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.” (Romans 1:32) This is why Christians must be very careful in what they do in life because if they willingly participate in ungodly actions, they could be encouraging other Christians to sin. What a tragedy! Rather than being salt or light in a sinful world many have become like MSG instead. They enhance ungodliness instead of seasoning the world with Jesus. Jesus stridently warned his disciples, “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.” (Matthew 5:13) Far too many believers are allowing themselves to be trampled by the world. The cause of Christ calls us to live the truth!
EXAMPLE: There are actually those now who are deliberately involved in not only degrading Christians, but Jesus as well. Urine soaked crosses and homosexual depictions of Jesus are mild compared to the MTV videos, Hollywood movies, or TV shows being produced that depict believers and Christ in ungodly ways. We now have so-called Christian writers, pastors, and churches actually teaching that it is okay for believers to do what would have been unthinkable or unmentionable a few years ago. Drinking, premarital sex, smoking, or any kind of crass behavior is okay as long as it is done in “moderation,” they declare. Holiness is now in the eye of the beholder instead of being measured by a life lived for the Lord. They say that the Bible was written for us to reinterpret for our day and time. What they suggest is simply a new means for excusing their sin. Many dismiss Paul’s admonishment, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.” (Romans 12:1-2) Jesus is already measuring them for a stone cold collar and a length of rope. We must remember that the cause of Christ calls us to live the truth!
Conclusion:
The cause of Christ calls us to a unity of purpose, to service, and to live the truth!
---
Pastor Lee Hemen has been the outspoken pastor of the same church for 25 years in Vancouver, WA. He writes regularly on spirituality and conservative causes and maintains several web blogs. This article is copyrighted © 2010 by Lee Hemen and is the sole property of Lee Hemen, and may not be used unless you quote the entire article and have my permission. You now have my permission…
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