Seeing Clearly
READ: Mark 9:38f
CHALLENGE: Make Good Decisions
Vv38-41 – “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.
Seeing things clearly
- FOCUS ON THE RIGHT THINGS
Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we told them to stop, because he was not one of us. What about that word, “saw”. WE collectively saw. WE told him to stop. He was not one of us! Where’s the focus? It’s in somebody else’s business.
The word “saw” means ….
When you’re looking at something, this is more than a passing glance. They are noticing, interested, watching, observing. I’ll see Zeke run. I watched him throw rocks into Lake Erie. I’m observing it because it interests me. I’m observing the sky and taking it all in. We at times watch people. We see many things, make observations, draw conclusions.
Sometimes we may observe things and become alarmed. We see smoke arising in the sky. A child is running toward the road. My grandson is carrying the axe I handed him and his grandmother saw it. There’s a sense of alarm at that point.
People are a part of our lives but do we need to respond to everything that we see? Here are some questions to ask.
- Should We Be Looking at All?
Should they be making this their business? I’ve often thought, from a general sense, if you have time to pay attention to what I’m doing, you don’t have enough to do. I would hope that I’m too busy in life to pay attention to what you’re doing every second of the day.
Illustration:
I need to focus on what I’m doing. On a Sunday morning, I’m the one guy who never sees the slides. I hope they’re great! LOL. I have to focus on what I’m doing.
We see stuff on facebook – sometimes it’s best to keep on scrolling. As one person used to say to me, “Not my circus, not my monkeys”.
2 Thessalonians 3:11-12 – We hear that some among you are idle and disruptive. They are not busy; they are busybodies. 12 Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the food they eat. 13 And as for you, brothers and sisters, never tire of doing what is good.
I love the admonition to never tire of doing what is good. That’s much better than worrying about what other people do – just do the right thing. You’ll clear a lot of things up by doing what’s right.
Should I be looking at this? And especially with a judgmental eye. We are told not to judge others lest we be judged. Part of judging is condemning people for what they’re doing. Part of judging is being nitpicky. We can be hard on people at times because they do things differently. Should I be looking?
I have found in life that if you look for problems, you can always find them.
I remember years ago, I would go home to see my brothers and I would remind myself. I’m not here to question their decisions and how they handle their families. I need to handle my own life and concern myself with my own children. It was fun because I didn’t need to think any farther than, great to see you and having fun. We brothers are very close because we’re not critical of each other.
Should you be looking at that. Now if the answer is yes, “I should be looking at that”.
- How Are You Interpreting What You’re Seeing?
They were driving out demons and not only that they were doing it in the name of Jesus. They interpreted this as “wrong” because the exorcist was not one of their group. Question, was it wrong? Jesus didn’t think so. In effect, they were putting a bad spin on something good.
That’s a thought right? Is anything happening that’s actually wrong? We have to get to the truth rather than opinion or perception. The truth is that it’s a miracle. It’s in the name of Jesus. The demon left. That’s a win!
They obviously had a problem with what had happened because the person was not sanctioned. Yes, but God sanctioned it because it was a miracle and only by Christ’s power could it be done. Doesn’t the deed then stand alone? Right is right and wrong is wrong. Good is good and bad is bad.
Isn’t this a starting point of understanding? Some things are right while other things are wrong. And it doesn’t matter how many reasons you make, deeds stand or fall based on merit. Reputations stand or fall based in right or wrong.
What are our values? Is the man being from them as important as the soul being saved? Right? Could we ever see a right thing and find something wrong with it? I remember years ago, a missionary quit our church because someone played a guitar that day. Yet in her missionary presentation photos there were many people playing guitars. I had a tough time wrapping my head around that.
In our book on communication that some guys worked through this summer, it said that people express their insecurity when they rip on things they themselves cannot do. The author used this story to illustrate that point. The disciples had been unable to drive the demon out and yet this person could. Perhaps jealousy led them to see it as a bad thing. How am I interpreting what I’m seeing?
I’ve had wives come to me and say, “My husband doesn’t love me”. He doesn’t because he didn’t do such and such. He’s working for you. He’s providing. And sure, it’s annoying that he fixed his mommy’s sink immediately and he ignored your request for months. Sure, that’s not wise but it doesn’t equal that he doesn’t love you.
We fill in the blanks all the time of what people do and say.
Philippians 4:8 – Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
It’s good to see it right. Am I interpret
- Do I Have the Right Reaction?
“We told him to stop”. Is the right way to move forward with this? They told him to stop. Is that the right decision? According to Jesus it was not the right reaction to what was happening.
Illustration:
Sometimes it’s good to not react and to ponder all the information. Perhaps they should have spoken with Jesus before they said anything.
You think about Jonah and his reaction to God’s compassion on Nineveh. God asked him, do you have a right to be angry? It’s one of the best questions ever asked. Yes, this is your reaction but is it the right reaction?
I’m sure there are times when I’ve not had the right reaction because I didn’t have all of the information.
- Are We Open to God Doing a Bigger Work?
“He Wasn’t One of Us”
Are we willing to let God out of the box. Perhaps there is a bigger work of God going on. Something more than meets the eyes. What if the work of God looks different. Just because it’s different doesn’t make it wrong. Ministry and service and what impacts people is not always going to look like we think.
One of the great verses in the Bible is the verse that says that wisdom is vindicated by her children. Look at the fruit and the evidence and that’s proof.
One time someone asked me about buying the land. Do you think it was wise to spend $8500 and acre for land. I said, I don’t know, ask me in 20 years. Wisdom is vindicated by the fruit.
If lives are changing and if the process is producing a good result, why we ripping it?
B. THINK IT THROUGH
V39 – “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”.
Don’t stop him. Why? No one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me. Such an interesting way to put that. If you do a miracle in my name, you won’t say bad things about Jesus. It’s fascinating that not only were they stopping a work. They were stopping a miracle. The miracle was done in the name of Jesus. It was done for Jesus. In the power of Jesus. What could be wrong?
If God is moving in someone’s life, I like to get out of the way. There have been so many awesome ministry ideas in the church that had nothing to do with me. We are told in the Bible not to squelch the Holy Spirit. Don’t stop the work of God.
1 Thessalonians 5:19 – Do not quench the Spirit.
Don’t throw water on what the Holy Spirit is doing. Why in the world would you interfere with the good things that are being done? It’s kind of ridiculous, right?
I have a good pastor friend. One thing I learned from him was that you get out of the way of good ideas. You don’t interfere. You don’t pump the brakes. So many of the great things that have been done in this church have been ideas from other people. Food4Kidz and The Vine and lots of things. You don’t block them.
I also believe that for baptism and communion. I’m not supposed to get in the way or prevent people from following God and doing what God has called them to do.
One time my daughter wanted to give money to a hurting family. And it was a lot for her. She gave $23 and it was everything she had. I almost told her, “No just give half”. But I didn’t. If she feels she should give it all, then give it all.
She sold a McCoy pottery smiley face mug and got most of her money back. So I started buy mugs but we never got that number ever again. I’m glad that I didn’t block her desire to obey God.
In our ministry. You don’t have to be perfect to serve the Lord. Be growing. Be seeking. We love to team up with you and serve together.
I’ve been a big fan of getting out of the way of obedience. There is something where we just let people grow. I have plenty of trees planted and some are doing better than others. But it takes time to grow.
Was Jesus concerned with what people said? You’re not going to attack the work of God. The work of God. The people of God. They are regularly attacked. It’s crazy.
For no one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me
Illustration:
People need to be with you and part of it and they’ll complain far less. If you’re running a ministry, get people involved.
C. KEEP LEARNING
40 for whoever is not against us is for us.
If you’re not against us, you’re for us. And the more people for us, the better that we are. Why would we pick on people who aren’t against us? Here’s the thing, the disciples needed to correct his disciples thinking. He did.
And this reminds us that we aways have more to learn.
- Don’t Fight Unecessary Battles.
You’re ON the same team. This is fundamentally important! You’re ON the same team. If those people weren’t casting out those demons, it wouldn’t be happening. Let’s be happy wherever ministry is happening.
We can’t lose sight of the mission. What is important? Who’s not against you? They’re for you. They’re not blocking your way. My mom used to teach me that I shouldn’t be fighting where I didn’t need to be. Draw your swords wisely.
- * God can work where he wants
God choose where God wants to work. It’s a humbling thing. People can learn or pick up and important less anywhere.
I read a verse this week that said that we only see the outer fringes of his works. Job 26:14 – And these are but the outer fringe of his works; how faint the whisper we hear of him! Who then can understand the thunder of his power?
We never see it all. But he gets to work through the people that he chooses. So here’s a man who is doing miracles. Leave that guy alone. You’re never the only work or the only way or the only word. It would be a huge mistake to believe that we were.
People are doing good for God and God is blessing, leave them alone. The team is bigger than we think it is. I’m happy to hear the things that God is doing.
D. REMEMBER THE LITTLE THINGS COUNT
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.
Anyone who gives you a cup of water in the name of Jesus will not lose their reward. They are on your team. They are giving you water because of your work for the Lord.
This person seems to be in a support role but it’s rewarded. Really? The water boy? It’s not that – it’s just showing kindness. Life is made up of little things and even giving a cup of water counts. Are we willing to give water for the sake of Jesus.
You don’t have to be on a stage to make a difference. You can be in a quiet behind the scenes role and make a profound difference.
What little things. Even the little things at home matter. The small things count.
I guess that they should have been handing the guy water, not complaining or interfering with him. That would have been so much more productive. Hey instead of stopping him, give him water.