In Jesus' Name

Sermon: Mark 9:38-50. In Jesus’ Name

38 "Teacher," said John, "we saw a man 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. "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 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.

42 "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. 43 If your hand causes you to sin, 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. 45 And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. 47 And if your eye causes you to sin, 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

"’their worm does not die,

and the fire is not quenched.’

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 in yourselves, and be at peace with each other."

Believing in God vs. Believing God

information vs. intimacy,

mere recognition vs. real relationship-

Romans 4:3 “Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness.” Do you just know things about your spouse or do you trust them? The intimacy makes the relationship

even the demons vs. a life lived into God-

“you don’t accidentally trip and fall into God”- merely recognizing that God is there for you is not faith- faith is intentionally falling into God

NOT- who is in our "church clique"- NOT us and them, About- God with us

This is both warning and encouragement

But- there is something here about cults- there are groups who use the name of Jesus to attract followers but then they deny all sorts of stuff or add all kinds of things

check it out:

Matt 12:30-32

"He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters. 31 And so I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 32 Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.”

Professional Christian or Amateur? V. 39-40 Christianity is not a profession, it is a way of life- it is available to all who just to enter into Christ Jesus

In his book Fuzzy Memories, Jack Handey writes:

“There used to be this bully who would demand my lunch money every day. Since I was smaller, I would give it to him. Then I decided to fight back. I started taking karate lessons. But then the karate lesson guy said I had to start paying him five dollars a lesson. So I just went back to paying the bully.”

We often choose the problems we know over the potential we haven’t experienced- rather than changing anything that might result in new problems and challenges. Disciples didn’t Know these other people who were healing people in Jesus’ name, they told they people to stop because they didn’t know them. Churches do this all the time- they say, “why don’t they come to us?” Rather than look out into the world and see how God is at work.

Families do this- you look out and say “I wish we had a marriage like them” or “we’ll never be a happy family”- I have even heard of people make fun of healthy families- Just like the disciples sometimes we judge those we envy- rather than asking them to join us or come along side us.

We do this at work and school- envying others success

It’s a terrible leadership strategy.

Think of the disciples options that they could have done, besides shutting down these other disciples who were healing in Jesus name:

1. Come along side us

2. Learn with us

3. Teach us

One does something for the professing of as a career- and one does it for the love of it. There should be no professional Christians. There may be, like a pastor, who is paid for certain responsibilities and duties- but faith is not limited to the trained or the paid