Hope Church, Cardiff

If you missed the sermon on Sunday 14th June, or just wanted a refresher, here are the preaching notes…

Teaching the Twelve: Mark 9.30-50

Introduction

Jesus’ ministry in Galilee is finished

Jesus now sets his face towards Jerusalem. It is a key time now of instructing the disciples, so they will be ready to continue with the ministry so they journey in secrecy to avoid the crowd that have been with them thus far.

+ the focus isn’t just on how to do the stuff, but also on character of the kingdom; and how their own character needs to be shaped by that.

Increased godliness results in being able to carry increased power, & therefore to a greater measure of effectiveness in bringing in the kingdom.

But first he starts by saying something to them about his own future.

1) Explanation re. the coming death of Jesus (9.31-32)

30  They went on from there and passed through Galilee. And he did not want anyone to know, 31 for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him. And when he is killed, after three days he will rise.” 32 But they did not understand the saying, and were afraid to ask him.

Jesus will be ‘betrayed’ / ‘handed over’ / ‘delivered’ (paradidomi) to men. This suggests both betrayal by Judas and that it is God who is giving him over to to the judgement of hostile courts.

The disciples don’t understand what Jesus means: arrest, trial and death implies failure, rather than being a prelude to breakthrough.

Furthermore, they don’t ask Jesus for clarification out of fear. This reflects the disciples’ lack understanding how the kingdom works, and therefore highlights the need for Jesus to gove them some further grounding so they do understand how it operates.

God’s kingdom is not like the kingdoms of the earth. The disciples don’t yet understand that the way down is the way up; and it always is; & this is what Jesus wants to teach them.

2) Reflections on discipleship in the kingdom of God (9.32-50)

Jesus’ subsequent teaching of the disciples three core counter-cultural principles:

- Servanthood

- Honour

- Purity

Establishing a kingdom in earthly terms means building a power base from which you can control others and become glorious in an earthly sense.

God’s kingdom is the opposite: it’s an upside-down kingdom, as exemplified in the book by Donald Kraybill: The Upside-Down Kingdom.

The central principle relates to key passage in Philippians 2.1-10:

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 rivalry 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. 5Have 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 made himself nothing, 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. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

This key principle is: God’s kingdom is other focussed rather than self-focussed; and glory is not grasped or earned, but received from God as a means of blessing others.

Being other focussed rather than self-focussed positions you to receive glory in great measure because it will benefit others as much as it benefits you.

Therefore relationship, how you relate to others, is a key issue in maintaining, if not in initially releasing, blessing from heaven toward earth.

+ the teaching on discipleship which follows in Mark 9 exemplifies this in specific ways.

The teaching is primarily about the way the disciples relate to each other and others.

The whole passage starts with the disciples arguing with each other, and ends (9.50) with Jesus’ words: be at peace with one another

a) Aim to serve (9.33-37)

33  And they came to Capernaum. And when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?” 34 But they kept silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. 35 And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” 36 And he took a child and put him in the midst of them, and taking him in his arms, he said to them, 37 “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me.”

To develop an earthly kingdom you need to establish yourself as top dog, whereas in the kingdom of God you need to become a servant of all.

Status was a strong part of the culture of Jesus’ day, and religious groups annually ranked the community in terms of the worth of each one.

The problem is that those who come out towards the top of the list risk struggle with pride; whereas those towards the bottom risk rubbishing themselves and disqualifying themselves.

God’s kingdom is counter-cultural, and presents a challenge to this. In it, all are equally valuable and necessary.

Thus: ‘the eye cannot say to the hand I have no need of you’ (1 Corinthians 12.21) + read the whole of 1 Corinthians 12.14-26.

Furthermore, church should not be a place for for self-aggrandisement, rather is a place which offers an opportunity for self-giving.

And, church is not mainly a place where we receive in order to gain something; rather, it’s a place where we receive in order to give ourselves.

Servanthood is more important than individual greatness, or the importance of personal ministry. Even the most insignificant follower of Jesus must be treated with the greatest respect, as demonstrated by Jesus when he received a child.

b) Honour others (9.38-41)

38  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.” 39 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. 40 For the one who is not against us is for us. 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.

To develop an earthly kingdom you need to discredit or disable your rivals and promote yourself; whereas in the Kingdom of God we seek to honour others.

John kicks this incident off! He acts as spokesman for the 12 because they look up to him as the top disciple (!)

Just because the disciples are with Jesus doesn’t mean he’ll only work through them. The same principle applies to churches or groups of churches today.

We need to guard against thinking we’ve got what it takes to plant churches and see the kingdom come to the extent of thinking others can’t do it as well.

Honour those who do the work of the kingdom whoever they are, and be prepared to be hospitable towards any who own the name of Jesus, not just those who are of your own theological persuasion or vision / value base.

Newfrontiers hasn’t got it all, nor has any other grouping to which you might be drawn in future.

c) Be an example of purity to others (9.42-50)

42  “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin,  it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea. 43 And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to hell,  to the unquenchable fire.45 And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into hell. 47 And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell, 48 ‘where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’ 49 For everyone will be salted with fire. 50 Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, how will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”

To develop an earthly kingdom, if you are top dog you can do whatever you like, whereas, in the Kingdom of God we need to show others how to live, so purity is important.

This passage contrasts two sorts of fire: hell’s unquenchable fire (punishment), and the Spirit’s fire (purification).

Christians have been rescued from the latter, but we are promised the former.

You can either embrace it now, or have much of your life’s work consumed by fire when you stand before the Lord who will burn up eveything built of wood, hay and stubble. This speaks of everything that won’t survive the transition into heaven.

i) Therefore be ruthless in the way you deal with sin in your own life s o that you don’t cause others to stumble.

‘one of these little ones who believe in me’ are any new believers who follow the disciples, rather than simply children.

A millstone weighs over a ton, and is huge.

This pictures the measure of shame you open yourself to if you cause another to stumble as a result of an ungodly or impure lifestyle or example.

The hand, eye, foot speak of what you do, what you look at, and where you go.

Basically, participation in the kingdom of God is worth any amount of personal sacrifice so that being a disciple of Christ will involve putting to death the deeds of the flesh; that is, anything that trips you up.

A genuine disciple will be prepared to make such sacrifices, and having that desire is the result of God coming to live in you by his Spirit.

ii) Make sure you are salty for the sake of others.

This is a picture of the distinctiveness of a godward life (holiness).

John Piper: ‘God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him’.

We need to make sure we are always satisfied in God, instead of trying to find satisfaction illegitimately elsewhere.

Anywhere you are looking for a ‘high’ apart from God is a substitute for Him; and your illegitimate highs can take you away from being satisfied in Him; but ultimately result in deep disatisfaction and unhappiness.

Illegitimate satisfaction through substitues for what we should be finding in and through God is not the same as living in the light of God having given us all things richly to enjoy.

God is the only thing we can be legitimately addicted to.

Purification is needed to carry anointing is the work of the Spirit, and it comes by fire.

This is one of the things that God is doing in these days.

He works in us through times of testing and trial to purify us, to bring us more and more to a place of knowing and enjoying Jesus and of being satisfied in Him rather than with what our worldly culture offers.

Thus we become a distinctive people bringing to earth the culture of heaven.

Bill Johnson spoke when he was in Cardiff about the Spirit like a dove descending and remaining on Jesus. How do we receive the Spirit upon us and contiune to live our lives in a way that enables the Spirit to remain on us? His answer was: by taking every step of our lives with the Holy Spirit in mind.

Therefore continually be in the Spirit no matter what.

All consuming fire, you’re my heart’s desire, living flame of God come baptise us.