SERMON OUTLINE:
(1). Christ’s love for a lost world (vs 30-32).
(2). Loving one another (vs 33-37).
(3). Loving those outside the fellowship (vs 38-41).
(4). Loving the lost (vs 42-50).
SERMON BODY:
Quote: A.W. Tozer (American Christian pastor, preacher & author)
• “A real Christian is an odd number anyway.
• He feel supreme love for One whom he has never seen.
• Talks familiarly every day to Someone he cannot see.
• He expects to go to heaven on the virtue of Another,
• Empties himself in order that he might be full,
• Admits he is wrong to he can be declared right,
• And goes down in order to get up.
• He is strongest when he is weakest,
• Richest when he is poorest,
• And is happiest when he feels worst.
• He dies to he can live,
• Forsakes in order to have,
• And gives away so he can keep.
• He sees the invisible,
• Hears the inaudible,
• And knows that which passes knowledge.”
• This quotation came to my mind because I thought of that line:
• And goes down in order to get up.
• In other words the way of Jesus Christ;
• Is not the way of the world in which we live.
• The way to go up the ladder of success and greatness as a Christian;
• Is always: ‘you go up by going down’,
• That is we become great only when we are found serving others!
Question: What does it mean to be great?
Answer:
FIRST: The world in which we live:
• Power:
• A person’s greatness is measured by the things that they have the ability to control
• Prestige:
• A person’s greatness is measured by the accolades that they receive
• Position:
• A person’s greatness is measured by where they are in life
• Possessions:
• A person’s greatness is measured by the things that they own
• So according to the world in which we live:
• Greatness & success are most often defined as: ‘Power, prestige, position and possessions’.
In his teaching & example Jesus gave a new and different explanation of greatness:
• Greatness is not measured by what you have;
• Or what you can do.
• It is not measured by who you are;
• Or by where you are in life.
• Greatness for the Christian is more about;
• Why you do and who you do it for.
• In fact Jesus taught greatness flows out of giving not getting.
In the eyes of Jesus, greatness flows from three things
• Sacrifice:
• We are called to give up who we are right now so we can become who God wants us to be
• Service:
• We are called to give ourselves to others and invest our lives in those around us.
• Selflessness:
• We are called to give ourselves to Christ and His Kingdom
• Quote:
• “When God measures a man, he puts the tape around the heart instead of the head.”
• So God is looking in his people for sacrifice, service and selflessness!
• God is looking for people with big hearts!
• Question: How are you doing?
• Answer: In all of us I guess there is plenty of room for improvement!
Let’s turn to Mark chapter 9 verses 30-50 to find some help and encouragement:
• The key word for me that summaries the passage is ‘love’.
• I think you can write it again and again over each of the sections.
(1). Christ’s love for a lost world (vs 30-32).
“They left that place and passed through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone to know where they were, 31 because he was teaching his disciples. He said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise.” 32 But they did not understand what he meant and were afraid to ask him about it.”
• This is the second time that Jesus has spoke openly to his disciples;
• Concerning his death and resurrection,
• (The first time was Mark chapter 8 verse 31).
• But just like the first time the disciples are still not able to grasp,
• To understand what he meant.
• You will remember from previous studies they were looking for a Messiah;
• Who would kick out the Roman oppressors and set up his kingdom on earth;
• Not a Messiah who was going to die!
• Be raised from the dead and in a future time set up his earthly kingdom.
Ill:
• I have told you before about the humours birthday card that I saw;
• I was going to send to my wife Penny,
• But decided maybe that was not a wise thing to do!
• The front of the card read: “Darling you are the answer to my prayers!”
• Then inside it said:
• “You are not exactly what I prayed for but apparently you are the answer!”
Jesus was the answer to the disciples and every Jews prayers:
• But they failed to realise it!
• They had yet to figure out that before the crown of kingship;
• He would go to the cross of sacrifice.
• Notice the verb used in verse 31: “Delivered”,
• This clearly indicates that his death was not an accident, or martyrdom.
• He would give, he would deliver, he would hand over his life to his enemies;
• And of course we know he would do this for a reason.
Ill:
• A church recently received personal greetings from the Kejave Medical Centre staff;
• Which is a mission hospital in Kenya.
• It contained the following story.
• Eight-year-old Monica fell into a pit,
• The fall broke her leg and she laid helplessly at the bottom of the pit unable to get out.
• An older woman, Mama Njeri,
• Happened to go along the same path;
• She saw the girl in distress and climbed into the pit to help get Monica out.
• In the process of helping Monica;
• A dangerous black Mamba snake bit both Mama Njeri and Monica.
• Monica was taken to Kejave Medical Centre and admitted.
• Mama Njeri went home, but never awoke from her sleep.
• The next day a nurse explained Mama Njeri's death to Monica,
• Telling her that the snake had bitten both of them,
• But all of the snake's poison was expended on Mama Njeri;
• She was alive because there was no poison left to infect Monica.
• Transition: On the cross Jesus had taken the poison of sin;
• He died willingly, so that we could live!
Ill:
Jesus said (John chapter 10 verse 17):
“No-one takes my life from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again."
• Notice verse 32: “…and after three days he will rise”
• Jesus never spoke of his death without linking it to the resurrection!
• They are Siamese twins that are bound together.
• You can’t have one without the other!
(2). Loving one another (vs 33-37).
33 They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the road?” 34 But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest.
35 Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.”
36 He took a little child whom he placed among them. Taking the child in his arms, he said to them, 37 “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.”
• As Jesus speaks about suffering and death, about sacrifice and selflessness;
• The disciples are busy arguing over who was the greatest.
• They lived in a society that taught position and power were important;
• They assumed that Christian fellowship also functioned this way.
• Quote:
• “The only job you can get where you start at the top is digging holes”
• The only way to get great and successful as a Christian;
• “Is to go down in order to get up!”
Notice:
• The link between ‘servant’ and ‘child’;
• In the Aramaic language that Jesus spoke ‘servant’ and ‘child’ are the same word.
• So in picking up a child there is a play on words, a natural link.
• Jesus is teaching that true greatness is not in rank or possessions,
• But in character and service.
Ill:
• Being a servant doesn’t necessarily mean having a lowly position;
• It means having a lowly heart.
• Ever been out to a restaurant;
• And find you have a miserable waitress “serving” you?
• We have experienced a waitress with the attitude that implies,
• “My name is Grumpy, and I will be your waitress today.
• If you need something, you are just going to have to wait your turn. So don’t hassle me!”
• She was in a servant’s position,
• But she sure didn’t have a servant’s heart.
• Quote: “Of course everyone one agrees with the idea of serving and servant-hood;
• Until they are the ones required to do the serving!”
• Jesus teaches and shows by example;
• That the only way to get great and be successful as a Christian;
• “Is to go down in order to get up!”
(3). Loving those outside the fellowship (vs 38-41)
‘“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.’
• John assumed Jesus would be impressed with his zeal and enthusiasm;
• “We saw”, “We told him”, “He was not one of us”
• But instead of a pat on the back;
• Jesus rebukes him for his lack of love and discernment.
Ill:
• It is said that when the British and French were fighting in Canada in the 1750s,
• Admiral Phipps, commander of the British fleet, was told to anchor outside Quebec.
• He was given orders to wait for the British land forces to arrive,
• Then support them when they attacked the city.
• Phipps’ navy arrived early.
• As the admiral waited, he became annoyed by the statues of the saints;
• That adorned the towers of a nearby cathedral,
• So he commanded his men to shoot at them with the ships’ cannons.
• No one knows how many rounds were fired or how many statues were knocked out,
• But when the land forces arrived and the signal was given to attack,
• The admiral was of no help.
• He had used up all his ammunition shooting at the “saints.”
• Unfortunately, the same could be said for many Christians today.
• When God calls on them to do something great for Him;
• They have nothing left to give,
• For they have used up their ammunition shooting at the saints.
Questions:
• Did these disciples really think they were the only ones serving Jesus?
• Or were they jealous that others could cast out demons;
• And when they tried in chapter 9 verses 18&28 they failed?
Answer:
• Jesus reminds the disciples that it is a dangerous mentality to think;
• That our ‘fellowship’ is the only one with the truth;
• And other followers (Churches) have got it wrong!
• Jesus reminds the disciples that it is a dangerous mentality to;
• Get jealous of other Churches were God seems to be blessing more than us!
• With conversions and baptisms and growth and blessing!
• We need to pray for other Christians & Churches;
• And it would do us good to even learn from the them!
• I do like verse 41: “Even a cup of water in my name”;
• Hardly a miracle but to God it is not without worth!
(4). Loving the lost (vs 42-50).
“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] 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.”
The ‘little ones’ mentioned maybe a reference to:
• The little children that Jesus took in his arms (verse 36);
• Because of the play on words it may well refer to ‘servants’ that is other Christians.
• It may well be a direct reference to the ‘other followers’ mentioned in verses 38-41;
• Who the disciples tried to deter from following Jesus.
• The point of these verses is simple;
• Do not hinder and stumble others!
Ill:
• Think of how animals get very angry if you attack their babies;
• Jesus is like that with his ‘little ones’.
• We might say; ‘Mess with them and one day you will mess with him”
In fact says Jesus (verses 43-47):
• Whatever in our lives makes us stumble;
• And therefore causes others to stumble;
• Must be removed as if by surgery.
• Cut off the offending hand, foot and eye,
• Jesus said they must be removed if they are causing us to sin.
• Note: now obviously Jesus is not talking literally;
• If he was everyone here would be physically maimed and blind!
• Jesus is not commanding physical surgery;
• Since he has already made it clear that sin comes from the heart;
• (Mark chapter 7 verses 20-23)
• And no-one can cut their heart out and live!
• The point Jesus is making is that sin to the human heart;
• Is like a cancerous tumour to the body.
• You don’t play around with it;
• It requires drastic surgery and the sooner the better!
• So he uses exaggerated language, the most severe language;
• To stress that sin is to be opposed at all costs.
In these verses we have a warning given by Jesus regarding future punishment.
• Elsewhere Jesus compares hell to a furnace (Matthew chapter 13 verse 42);
• And in these verses (verses 43 & 48) to an unquenchable fire.
Ill:
• Jesus is using the image of a well known rubbish dump;
• Just outside Jerusalem is the valley of Hinnon;
• Where the waste from the city was burned by fire;
• And the rotting garbage eaten by worms.
• Victims of crucifixion had their bodies cast on the rubbish heap;
• It was constantly on fire and the bodies were eventually burned up.
• The Greek word for ‘hell’ is ‘Gehenna’;
• It comes from a Hebrew phrase “the valley of Hinnon”.
According to Jesus who was the embodiment of love;
• Hell is a real place;
• As real as the rubbish tip that burnt the garbage waste of the city.
• And lost people will suffer there!
• The point Jesus is making is do everything to make sure you & other people avoid it!
Question: What can we do?
Answer: verse 42: “those who believe in me”
• God has provided an escape route in the person of Jesus Christ;
• ‘Believe on him and you can be saved’.
Ill:
• In 1992 Hurricane Andrew was a Category 5 hurricane that hit the USA.
• It caused $41.5 billion;
• Andrew was the costliest Atlantic hurricane in U.S. history.
• A TV camera crew was filming the widespread destruction of this Hurricane;
• Amid all the devastation and debris stood one house.
• The owner was cleaning up the yard when the reporter approached.
• “Sir, why is your house the only one standing?” asked the reporter.
• “How did you manage to escape the severe damage of the hurricane?”
• The man replied “I built the house myself,”
• “I also built it according to Florida State building code.
• When the code called for 2x6 trusses, I used 2x6 trusses.
• I was told that a house built according to this code could withstand a hurricane.
• I did, and it did.”
• In the midst of a devastating situation;
• The man found a way of escape!
• Question: Have you!
• God has provided an escape route in the person of Jesus Christ;
• ‘Believe on him and you can be saved’.
Punch line:
• Do we have a love for the lost;
• Or are we only concerned with being ‘the greatest’?
• The proof that we have a concern for the lost;
• Is seen in verses 49-50.
(a).
• 49 Everyone will be salted with fire.
• That is a reference to a different type of fire.
• It was an act of purification performed at the temple.
(b).
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.”
• Strictly speaking salt cannot lose its saltiness;
• But it can become contaminated and un-pure.
So in these final verses of chapter 9 Jesus is saying:
• Be pure;
• Don’t be contaminated by sin – don’t be a hypocrite (walk the talk!)
• And by your life and your words impact your community for the gospel.
