Sermon Tone Analysis
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“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.‟”
I am reading this passage with new insight in recent days.
Jesus, approaching the cross, discovers His disciples arguing over which of them was the greatest.
It is not so very different with disciples today.
We take pride in the gifted men God gives us, pride in the facilities God has provided us, pride in the warmth of fellowship we enjoy, pride in all except that which is eternal.
Though He displayed exceptional gentleness, the Master nevertheless rebuked His own through instructing them.
Perhaps you will remember the words of VERSE 37.
In that verse we hear Jesus saying, “Whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me, and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me.”
We have perhaps heard those very words whenever we witness a godly family commit themselves to raising their children in the Faith.
Jesus‟ words elicited a striking response from John, perhaps the most astute member of the disciple band and perhaps the clearest thinker among them.
His words in VERSE 38 constitute not a boast, but a shamefaced admission of failure.
If that is not clear, contrast them again with the preceding words Jesus spoke.
John realised that he had failed.
In a similar way, we also fail in our drive to build our own little kingdoms.
Join me in reviewing these verses so that we may discover something of how to honour Christ, building His Kingdom, refreshing the saints and acting with righteousness.
THE PETTINESS OF THE SAVED [V.
38] — “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name.”
Take special note of the precision of John‟s words.
He speaks of THE METHOD observed in another.
It would seem that not all Jesus' followers in that day were closely allied with Him.
Neither were all intimately known to the other disciples.
At least this one man appears not to have been known to the Twelve, or at least he was not readily recognised by them.
However, the man John saw clearly did grasp one essential truth: the Name of Jesus was associated with power to set men free.
This was what the Master had said in His first sermon [LUKE 4:16-21].
“[Jesus] came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up.
And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read.
And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him.
He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written,
"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives
and recovering of sight to the blind,
to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
to proclaim the year of the Lord‟s favour.‟
“And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down.
And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him.
And he began to say to them, „Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.‟”
There is not some magical quality to the Name of the Lord as some perhaps suppose, or as many wish to preach.
Rather, it is the One behind the Name lending that Name power.
Faith in the Son of God appropriates that divine power for the child of God.
Do not suppose you may witness the power of Christ without faith in Him?
Perhaps you remember the promise of the Saviour given just before His passion.
“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.
Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it” [JOHN 14:12-14].
These words spoken by the Master should cause us to tremble, not because of the potential for His power to be revealed, but because we so often fail to employ that very power revealed through His Name.
Knowing that the Name of Jesus was associated with power to set men free, this unnamed man whom John had witnessed was seemingly moved with compassion to set demonised people at liberty.
This nameless believer in the power of the Son of God dared to rebuke the powers of the wicked one so that those held in bondage might be freed.
John spoke of the method which was obviously disagreeable to the disciples.
Certainly, by their silence, even those who did not rebuke the man lent approval to silencing him.
However, John also spoke of THE MESSAGE.
This becomes obvious when we not that he observed that this unnamed man was conducting his ministry in Jesus‟ Name.
There is a false message that sounds right, and that message is tantamount to death.
Others in the Word attempted to appropriate the power by appropriating the message.
Perhaps you recall the incident recorded in ACTS 19:13-16 when seven sons of a man named Sceva, reputed to be Jewish exorcists, attempted to appropriate the Name of Jesus.
The incident is so humorous that it practically begs reading again.
“Some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists undertook to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, „I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims.‟
Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this.
But the evil spirit answered them, „Jesus I know, and Paul I recognise, but who are you?‟
And the man in whom was the evil spirit leaped on them, mastered all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded” [ACTS 19:13-16].
There seems to have been a decided difference between these two cases.
The exorcists were not seeking to honour Jesus and they thus declared a false message.
Their message sounded orthodox, but it lacked power because it failed to honour the Lord.
The man of whom John spoke, and whom the disciples had rebuked, had faith in Jesus.
His message was dependent upon the power of Jesus.
The message was orthodox, though his methods were less than orthodox.
Because the source of his message was the Son of God that message was powerful.
Let me remind you of an essential truth: GOD BLESSES FAITH, NOT ORTHODOXY.
Dear people, you may be a straight as a gun barrel theologically, and just as empty.
You should not construe this as a plea to become lax in adherence to or pursuit of the truth; rather, this is meant to serve as a caution urging each of us to remember that God is pleased with men and women of faith.
Determine to walk in faith and in orthodoxy, knowing that utter dependence upon God is of primary importance.
Then, John shamefacedly admitted THE MOTIVE that had prompted the disciples to attempt to hinder the man with a ministry that differed from theirs.
They rebuked him because he was not one of them—he didn‟t wear their label, he wasn‟t part of their group, he was suspect because he was different.
Isn't that so very much like us? Convinced that we alone are correct we are suspicious of anyone who fails either to unite with us or to submit to our wise leadership.
They fail to meet our tests of orthodoxy and so we refuse to acknowledge them.
I admit I am Baptist.
On hospital admission forms I list my blood type as Baptist positive.
Someone spoke for me when they said, “I'm Baptist born, and I'm Baptist bred; and when I die, I'll be Baptist dead.”
However, I was not saved because I am a Baptist, nor am I the recipient of God's grace because I am Baptist.
There will be no Baptists in Heaven—only redeemed believers in the Living Son of God.
I am saved in the same way every believer is saved—by God's grace through faith in the Risen Son of God.
I neither merited God's grace nor have I done anything that would cause God to favour me.
Brothers and sisters, check your motives when you inspect the methods and the message of others who are not part of our party.
Ensure that you are submitted to the True and Living God, Jesus Christ.
THE POSITION OF THE SAVIOUR [VV.
39, 40] — “Do not stop him,” said the Master.
He then gives two reasons for this pointed rebuke.
First, no one who does a miracle in [the Name of Christ] can in the next moment say anything bad about [Him].
The one relying upon and openly acknowledging the power of the Saviour for whatever act he performs, must acknowledge Christ.
To minister in the Name of Christ an individual must acknowledge Him as the source of his ministry.
So long as the servant ascribes to the Master glory and clearly honours the Living God, let us give thanks and accept that God is at work.
The True and Living God transcends our imagination, working in the hearts and lives of men and women throughout the world.
We are not the only servants He has.
The second reason our Lord gave for His rebuke to those disciples is found in VERSE 40: “The one who is not against us is for us.”
The teaching can be found in a different form in MATTHEW 12:30.
“Whoever is not with me is against me.”
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