For or Against:

Context:

• Someone was casting demons out in Jesus name.

• This someone wasn’t following Jesus with the disciples.

• The disciples tried to stop the ‘outsider’.

Mark 9:39-41 “...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...”

Matthew 12:30 “...Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters...”

Why did Jesus not want the man stopped?

• Mighty works in Jesus name bring people closer to the truth of Jesus.

• Not working against Christ is working for Christ.

Taken together, what are these verses saying about a person’s standing with Christ?

• There is no middle ground. There is no gray area.

• Our actions are either for or against Christ.

• If we’re not against Him, we’re for Him.

• If we’re not with Him, we’re against Him.

• Our actions either put us in agreement or disagreement with His purposes.

• There is no neutral, secular ground.

How do these words of Jesus speak against denominational elitism and arrogance?

• Not following “our way” should not be confused with working against Christ.

How does the ‘...cup of water...’ relate to the premise of these verses?

• You don’t have to be an exorcist performing a mighty work to be FOR Jesus.

• The simplest supporting act, a cup of water to a Christian, identifies someone as FOR Jesus.

Skandalise:

Context:

• Now Jesus gets a bit more graphic in his For or Against teaching.

• “Cause to sin” refers to enticing or provoking a disciple to turn away from Jesus, resulting in serious spiritual damage.

Matthew 18:6 “...but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea...”

Mark 9:42 “...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...”

Luke 17:1-2 “...And he said to his disciples, “Temptations to sin are sure to come, but woe to the one through whom they come! It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the sea than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin...”

What are the consequences of damaging someone’s faith and responsiveness to Jesus?

Is being drowned in the sea a desirable consequence.

• It’s better than the consequence of mistreating those that the world would classify as inferior.

How can we be guilty of damaging someone’s faith and responsiveness to Jesus?

Matthew 18:7 “...Woe to the world for temptations to sin! For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes!...”

Luke 17:1 “...And he said to his disciples, “Temptations to sin are sure to come, but woe to the one through whom they come!...”

What are the chances that you will be tempted to sin?

• Temptations are sure to come.

Why are temptations necessary?

• Without options to sin, there can be no obedience.

How can a person tempt another person to sin?

• Anything that is not For Christ, is against Him.

• Anything that is inconsistent with God’s intentions for a person is sin.

• Anything that distracts a person from devotion to God’s truth is sin.

What does God think of Advertisers? Porn producers? Drug dealers? Secular Humanists? Etc.?

• It’s bad enough to make a choice for yourself. It’s horrendous to lead another person into sin.