Countryside Vineyard Church
Mark - Questions of Tolerance Pt. 53
  • Let It Come
  • Let it Rise
  • No Sweeter Name
  • Make Room

      • Mark 9:33-35ESV

      • Mark 9:36-37ESV

  • The Questions of Tolerance

    Good morning, and welcome to Countryside Vineyard. I’m Joe Fager, one of the pastors here.
    This morning, we’re continuing in Mark 9, beginning in verse 38. Our title is “The Questions of Tolerance.”
    Last week, Bill walked us through the disciples arguing about who was greatest. Jesus answered by calling them to serve. Then He took a child in His arms and taught them that receiving someone like that in His name meant receiving Him.
    And that’s where we pick up today in verse in verse 38.
    Jesus says in verse 37 Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me.
    This statement seems to remind John of something they had recently encountered and he seems to have wanted to clarify Jesus’ last statement.
    Mark 9:38–41 ESV
    John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, 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.
    Jesus’ statement from verse 37, John’s question, Jesus’ response, and my own Christian experience bring to mind all kinds of questions here.
    We’re going to tackle some of those questions as we work through this passage this morning.
    But before I begin to teach let’s pray.

    Q1: Who Should We Tolerate?

    Jesus has just said that whoever receives a child like this in His name receives Him.
    And John speaks up.
    Maybe Jesus’ words have made him question something they did. Maybe he wants clarification. Mark doesn’t tell us exactly what he was thinking, but we can almost hear him asking:
    “Jesus, what about this? We saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we tried to stop him. He wasn’t following us. Surely we were right to do that?”
    Now, notice the reason John gives.
    He doesn’t report that the man was teaching lies about Jesus or hurting people. His stated concern is this:
    “He was not following us.”
    The man was doing something in Jesus’ name, but he wasn’t part of their group. And for John, that was reason enough to try to stop him.
    But Jesus says, “Do not stop him.”
    That brings us to our first question: Who should we tolerate? *****Tap Slide 1*****
    Here, tolerance means allowing someone to continue without trying to shut him down. Jesus isn’t telling the disciples to approve of everything this man might ever say or do. He is correcting the reason they gave for stopping him.
    Being outside their circle was not enough.
    And we need to hear that, because we can slowly begin to think that everyone who follows Jesus should also do things our way.
    They should worship like us. Pray like us. Approach ministry like us.
    Then someone does things differently, and we become suspicious.
    We see this all the time online. You open YouTube or scroll through social media, and there’s a video tearing down another pastor or church.
    Sometimes there is a serious concern that needs to be addressed. We’ll talk about that.
    But sometimes the whole complaint comes down to this:
    “We don’t do things that way.”
    Their worship is more expressive than ours—or less expressive. Their service looks different. They use words we wouldn’t use. Something feels unfamiliar.
    And before we know much about them, we’re listening to someone mock their church, question their motives, or dismiss their ministry.
    Then we share it. We repeat it. We join in.
    But what exactly is wrong? Can we show it from Scripture? Have we heard enough to understand what they actually believe? Or are we treating our preferences as though they were God’s commands?
    A short clip may give us a reason to ask a question. It may not give us enough to pass judgment on an entire ministry.
    We can disagree with people and still represent them fairly. We can decide that a particular ministry isn’t one we would join or recommend without making it our mission to tear it down.
    I remember hearing Chuck Missler describe Christians as forming their firing squads in a circle.
    That picture stays with me. We can spend so much time taking shots at one another that we hinder the very work we claim to care about.
    This whole question reminds me of 1 Corinthians 12 and Paul’s picture of the body.
    Think about the food pantry. Some people gather food. Some carry boxes. Some organize. Some welcome families and listen to their needs. Their work looks different because their roles are different.
    The question is whether those parts are helping the body carry out its work.
    And beyond our own church, can we rejoice when another congregation serves Jesus faithfully?
    Can we be glad that people are being helped, hearing the gospel, and growing in Christ—even when our church gets no credit?
    R.C. Sproul / Billy Graham story.
    John said, “He was not following us.”
    Jesus said, “Do not stop him.”
    We must be careful that our concern for faithfulness to Jesus does not become a demand that everyone follow us.
    But that raises another question.
    If being outside our group isn’t a reason to stop someone, what would be? How do we know when a difference should be tolerated—and when something needs to be challenged?

    Q2. Whom Should We Trust?

    Jesus tells the disciples not to stop this man. Being outside their group was not a reason to stand against him.
    But does that mean we should trust everyone who uses Jesus’ name?
    Does it mean that if someone preaches about Jesus, claims to heal in His name, or tells us that God has spoken through them, we should accept whatever they say?
    We need to hear what Jesus says here alongside what He teaches elsewhere.
    Matthew 7:15–23
    Matthew 7:15–23 ESV
    15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus you will recognize them by their fruits. 21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
    Jesus warns us about wolves in sheep’s clothing. read vs 15
    That means the danger may not be obvious. A false teacher can look like someone we should trust. They may know the language, quote the Bible, and speak with confidence.
    So Jesus tells us to look at their fruit. vs. 16
    And then He describes people who appeal to the very kinds of things we’re reading about in Mark: prophecy, casting out demons, and mighty works done in His name.
    Yet Jesus says, “I never knew you.”
    They claim His name. They point to their works. But those claims do not establish that they belong to Him.
    Now, we need to be careful. Jesus does not explain here whether every work they claim was real, false, or misunderstood. His point is that their appeal to those works does not answer the question of whether He knows them.
    An impressive ministry alone is not proof of a faithful life.
    In a Youtube culture we have to be aware of this truth. There are many impressive looking ministries but that does not make them good or faithful. It doesn’t mean they aren’t either. It’s just not how we should judge them.
    2 Timothy 4:3–4 “3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.”
    So what should we examine?
    First, what are they teaching?
    Paul warns in 2 Corinthians 11:4 that someone can proclaim a different Jesus and a different gospel.
    4 For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough.
    Galatians 1:8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.”
    Hearing the name Jesus is the beginning of the question. We still need to ask:
    What are they saying about Him?
    Is this the Jesus revealed in Scripture?
    The eternal Son who became human, died for our sins, and rose again?
    Are they calling people to turn from sin and trust Him?
    Or are they changing His identity, His message, or His saving work?
    We need to open our Bibles and examine what we hear.
    And remember, we are talking about the gospel here. Christians can disagree on some questions while still faithfully following the same Lord. A disagreement does not automatically make someone a false teacher.
    Second, what kind of life follows their teaching?
    Titus 1:16 describes people who claim to know God but deny Him by their conduct.
    16 They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work.
    How do they treat people? What do they do with money and authority? Can they receive correction? When they sin, do they take responsibility—or use their position to avoid it?
    We are looking for a pattern of faithfulness and repentance.
    You just can’t know that from behind a screen.
    But this is one reason why getting your primary teaching through the local church is so vitally important.
    Many of us hear sermons and Bible teaching online. Some of that teaching is faithful and helpful. But we need to remember how limited our view can be.
    Hearing someone preach does not mean we know how they live.
    We may see the message without seeing how they treat their family, their staff, or the person who disagrees with them. We may hear stories about spiritual power without knowing who can question those claims.
    That doesn’t mean we should assume the worst. It means we should be careful about giving someone our trust.
    Don’t let a message you hear online stand and feel good and sound good. Check it against Scripture and prayer.
    You usually don’t have the opportunity to ask those people questions so you have to do your homework.
    Here at the local church you can say hey you said xyz about this but when I read it it’s not what it seems to mean; what’s going on?
    READ — Hebrews 10:24–25 24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
    Notice what gathering is meant to produce: encouragement, love, and good works.
    That requires shared life.
    We need people who know us well enough to notice when we’re struggling. People who can pray with us, ask a hard question, help carry a burden, and receive that same care from us.
    We need a place to practice what we’re learning.
    It’s one thing to hear a message about patience. It’s another to learn patience with someone you see every week.
    It’s one thing to hear about forgiveness. It’s another to forgive someone who hurt you—and to ask forgiveness when you hurt them.
    That is part of life in the body.
    A local church gives us the chance to know and be known. It does not guarantee that every leader is trustworthy. Local leaders must also be examined by Scripture and held accountable for their conduct.
    But you can’t get that type of shared life through a screen.
    So we need both humility and wisdom.
    Humility keeps us from rejecting people simply because they are different.
    Wisdom keeps us from trusting people simply because they are impressive.
    John’s mistake was making his group the test. We must make faithfulness to Jesus the concern.
    What do they teach about Him? And does their life support what they teach?
    Then Jesus turns our attention from a mighty work to something much smaller: a cup of water.
    And that brings us to our next question:
    What does Jesus value?

    Q3. What Does Jesus Value?

    We’ve been talking about someone casting out demons in Jesus’ name.
    That gets our attention. That is the kind of thing people tell stories about.
    But listen to where Jesus takes the conversation in verse 41:
    READ — Mark 9:41 41 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.
    A cup of water.
    From casting out demons to giving someone a drink.
    Jesus promises that even this small act of care will not go unrewarded.
    Now, notice the reason for giving it: “Because you belong to Christ.”
    Jesus is correcting His disciples for trying to stop someone from doing works in His name.
    He’s actually bringing the conversation back around to something we talked about last week. Greatness in the Kingdom is measured by how well you serve.
    Notice: “In the Kingdom” is the qualifier.
    He’s talking to and about those who are in the Kingdom of God - that is those who belong to Him already.
    What he’s really saying here is that anyone (in the Kingdom) who does even the smallest act of service to or for His or her brother or sister will be rewarded.
    That is huge and should be an encouragement to everyone hearing my voice right now.
    That means that any service offered for His sake matters to Him—even when it seems small to everyone else.
    He sees. He values. He remembers.
    Think about what that means in this conversation.
    The disciples have been arguing about who is greatest. John has been concerned about someone outside their circle doing a mighty work.
    And Jesus draws their attention to someone handing a disciple a drink of water.
    They have been thinking about their place. Jesus points to a person meeting a need.
    We need that change in how we see things too.
    We can begin to think the work that matters most is the work that gets the most attention.
    The person preaching. The person leading worship. The person everyone knows.
    But how much of the life of this church depends on people whose service most of us never see?
    Someone comes in here during the week and fills up those communion cups. That’s not an easy job.
    Someone else is at home at 4 in the morning praying for each and every one of you by name.
    Someone prepares a message.
    Someone tells us what we can buy for the pantry.
    Someone notices that a person is sitting alone and makes time to listen.
    Someone brings a meal, offers a ride, or stays after everyone else has left to clean up.
    Some of you do those things week after week. And you may wonder whether they make much difference.
    Your service does not need an audience to matter to Jesus.
    That brings us back to the body.
    Every member has a part. We cannot all do everything, but each of us can help the body carry out its work.
    Think again about the food pantry. There is food to gather, boxes to carry, work to organize, and people to welcome.
    Some tasks are visible. Others happen before anyone arrives or after everyone leaves. Each task helps us care for people.
    None of us should think we have nothing to offer—or that our part makes us more or less important than someone else.
    We belong to Christ. We serve His people. And together, we carry out the work He gives us.
    So perhaps we need to ask a different question.
    Instead of, “Where will I get noticed?” we can ask, “Where is someone who needs help?”
    Instead of, “Why wasn’t I asked to do that?” we can ask, “What has God placed within my reach?”
    Sometimes the answer will be a task that takes real effort. Sometimes it will be a conversation. Sometimes it may be as simple as a cup of water.
    Let’s circle back to last week: True greatness in the Kingdom of God is measured by our service - our cup of waters.
    And how do we become people who gladly serve in that way?
    We need the mind of Jesus.

    Conclusion

    And we’ll close with this...
    Paul speaks directly to this in Philippians 2. Before the passage we’re about to read, he calls believers to put aside selfish ambition, walk in humility, and look to the needs of others.
    Then he points them to Christ.
    READ — Philippians 2:5–8
    Philippians 2:1–8 ESV
    1 So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
    Look at our Lord.
    The eternal Son became truly human. He took the place of a servant. He humbled Himself and obeyed His Father all the way to death—even death on a cross.
    He did not stop being God. The Son of God came among us and gave Himself for us.
    And His cross is more than an example of humility.
    Jesus died for our sins.
    Our pride. Our selfishness. Our desire to put ourselves first. The ways we have dishonored God and hurt one another.
    He carried our sins to the cross, and He rose from the dead.
    We need more than a better attitude. We need forgiveness. We need new life. We need Him.
    If you have never turned from your sin and trusted Jesus, that is the call before you today. Come to Him. Trust the Savior who gave His life for you and rose again.
    And for those of us who belong to Him, look again at the Lord we follow.
    The One who humbled Himself to save us now calls us to humble ourselves and serve.
    We do not have to protect our importance. We belong to Him.
    We can rejoice when He works through someone else.
    We can receive correction when we need it.
    We can even take the quiet place and do the unnoticed work.
    The Lord who treasures a cup of water is the Lord who gave His life for us.
    In Jesus name let’s Pray.

      • Mark 9:38–41ESV

      • Matthew 7:15–23ESV

      • Philippians 2:1–8ESV

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