Avoid Tribalism: Unity with other Christians
Eric Durso
The Gospel of Mark • Sermon • Submitted
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We seem to know inherently that unity is a good thing, and that togetherness is preferred over segregation. A united marriage is preferable to a divided one; a united family is preferred to a divided one, a united church to a splitting one, a united country to a divided one. Jesus himself said, and later Abraham Lincoln repeated, a house divided against itself cannot stand.
And yet we also know that there are times to divide; it’s sometimes right to separate. We tell our kids not to get involved with the wrong crowd, we ourselves don’t want to get caught up into immoral business partnerships, we know an unequally yoked relationship can bring misery.
And there are Christians here who value unity and feel deeply a need to fight for, create, and preserve unity. This is a good inclination. They value Jesus’ high priestly prayer in John 17 where Jesus that we may be one, just as he is one. They take seriously Paul’s appeal to the Corinthians, when he prays that, “all of you agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you would be united in the same mind and the same judgment.” They understand that there is “one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all, through all, and in all” (Eph. 4:5-6). And so they value the unity of the church, the unity with other Christians.
And there are Christians who value being distinct from the world, separate from godless ideologies, separate from error, pure and holy before God. This is a good inclination as well. They listen carefully to Jesus’ warning to his followers about the “leaven of the Pharisees.” They read Paul’s exhortations to not be conformed by the pattern of the world in Romans 12 and to watch out for human philosophy and human tradition according to human wisdom. They take seriously the command in 1 John 4 to “test the spirits and see if they are from God.” Or 2 Thessalonians 3:6 “Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from any brother who is walking in idleness, and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us.” They want purity of doctrine, purity of life, purity of the church, and they are right to want these things. According to Jude 3, they contend for the faith once for all delivered to the saints, protecting the church from the introduction of false doctrine.
Each of these are right ways to think about unity and separation. And there are times for both: times to unite, times to separate; times to affirm, times to oppose.
In our text this morning, we see the disciples exhibiting an unhealthy eagerness to separate and disassociate with a man who is casting out demons in Jesus’ name. And we are going to learn some lessons about how to think about who we partner with and who we separate from.
Read text. Let’s get a little context first. John speaks - it’s the only time in Mark, Matthew, or Luke, that John’s individual words are recorded. This is interesting because John becomes known as a kind of elder statesman in the early church and wrote prominently about the idea of unity and love and fellowship. He says, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.”
A quick note: demonic activity was at an all-time high during the life of Christ. Demonic activity is still prevalent today, but during Christ’s life they were running rampant in Israel, wreaking havoc, as if an alarm went off in hell and they started storming out to counter Christ’s incarnation.
Now in this case the disciples are concerned with a certain “someone.” Who is he? The disciples don’t know much. It’s pretty clear, considering what he’s doing and Jesus’ affirmation of him, that he’s a follower of Jesus, but not one of the twelve.
Vs. 38 the disciples say he’s doing it “in your name.” In verse 39 Jesus recognizes that this man is doing this mighty work “in my name.” To do a work in Jesus name means to do it trusting his power, his authority, and his ability. It is an act of faith and trust.
So this man represents a follower of Jesus who is not among the 12. And the disciples think they need to stop him, and Jesus corrects them. They should not try to stop this guy.
So I’m going to give you a little bit of a herky-jerky outline, but hopefully it will help us not only think through this text, but also some of its implications for our lives. 1) Three Bad Reasons to Separate from another Ministry; 2) 3 Marks of a Ministry we Should Affirm, and 3) 2 Reasons We Should Affirm those kinds of Ministries.
First bad reason to separate from another ministry: We don’t know them. The disciples did not know this man, and their assumption was that he was in the wrong. It seems as though the disciples were quick to make a judgment call. If I don’t know you, I don’t trust you.
Here is a poor way to live as a Christian: to be suspicious of every Christian you don’t know. Doubt the faithfulness of every church you’ve never visited. To assume that other Christians you’re unfamiliar with are misguided, misled, and potentially dangerous. We should not oppose the work of other Christians simply because we do not know them.
This is what the disciples did, and Jesus corrected them, because they were wrong.
Second bad reason to separate: We failed and you succeeded. Most commentators point out that this event takes place shortly after the disciples had dramatically failed to cast out a demon. If you remember a couple weeks ago, the disciples encountered this man with a son who was demon-possessed. And the disciples tried to cast it out, but couldn’t. They tried until they embarrassed themselves, and then Jesus finally appeared and did it.
Now, it seems like there may be some jealousy going on. The disciples were likely trying to shut this guy down because his success highlighted and sharpened their own failures.
Imagine you try to start a bible study. It starts with a puff and ends with a fizzle. And then your fellow church member plans to start one, and it explodes. Wouldn’t it be easy to oppose their Bible study in pride. Or to assume that they must be cheating, or to make up some grandiose excuse for your failure, or explain it away.
There are other Christians who will succeed where you have failed, will you be able to praise the Lord for their fruitfulness and success? Or were you actually doing the ministry not for God’s glory, but for your own?
Third bad reason to separate: We’re the only faithful ones. Look at the end of v 38: it gives us their rationale for trying to shut him down. “Because he was not following us.” For whatever reason, they had begun to believe that they were the only ones that God was working through.
Back in Mark 6, Jesus had sent the disciples out with authority over unclean spirits and they could cast out demons. Now perhaps they thought that they would be the only ones who would be able to do these things. But clearly that’s not the case. God would also choose to work through this unnamed man.
It’s interesting how common it is that this kind of thinking takes place in Scripture. In Numbers 11 we get an account of two men, one named Eldad and the other Medad and they begin to prophesy. Verse 27: “And a young man ran and told Moses, ‘Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.’ And Joshua the son of Nun, the assistant of Moses from his youth, said, ‘My lord Moses, stop them.’ But Moses said to him, ‘Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the Lord’s people were prophets, that the Lord would put his Spirit on them!’” These two guys prophesying isn’t a problem, it’s a blessing! But the young man and Joshua wanted to shut them down. Why? Because they had begun to think that God would only work through Moses.
Elijah complained that he was the only faithful one left in Israel, and God had to rebuke him for that. There are always temptations to think we’re the only ones doing it right, the only ones faithful, the only ones God is working through, the only ones God is blessing.
It’s fine to think Grace Rancho is a healthy church. I happen to think that, and I am thankful. But Grace Rancho is not the only healthy church. And it certainly is not the only church God is blessing, it’s not the only church God is using, it’s not the only church where God’s power is present. It is a gross kind of tribalism that believes it’s the only faithful ministry around.
The rationale given for shutting down this guy’s ministry was: “He’s not following us.”
Verse 39: “But Jesus said, ‘Do not stop him.” That’s the imperative, the command. Jesus says it would be wrongly divisive to stop this man’s ministry.
And his following comment describes why they should not stop him. So our second point is Three Marks of a Ministry We Should Affirm. It’s actually one mark, with 3 submarks.
Take a look at Verse 39, “for no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me.”
Look again at that phrase: “in my name.” This man isn’t doing it in his own strength and will, he’s doing it the same way the disciples did it in Mark 6. He’s not an imposter, he’s not a poser. He’s a follower of Jesus, he probably saw or heard of the disciples casting out demons in the name of Christ, and he, by faith, tried it and succeeded. And he began a ministry rescuing people from the clutches of these demons.
And Jesus says if he’s truly doing this, he’s not going to speak evil of me. In other words, if he trusts my name, my power, my authority, and is witnessing its saving effect on people, he’s not an enemy. He’s on our team.
So rather that his work detracting from the person and work of Jesus, it promotes it. This man’s ministry is exalting the name of Christ. And the disciples should have celebrated that.
Now that’s the fundamental mark of a ministry we can affirm: it honors Jesus Christ.
Now, we all know that there are ministries that claim to honor Jesus Christ that we could not affirm. So we have three subpoints. 3 Marks of a Ministry that Honors Jesus Christ.
How do you know a group is honoring Jesus Christ? 1) They understand who he really is, 2) They understand what he actually did, and 3) They embraces his supremacy.
First, a ministry honors Jesus if it believes the truth about who he actually is. There are groups of people, some call themselves Christians, who get the identity of Jesus wrong. The Bible teaches that Jesus is the Son of God, the second person of the trinity, and has two natures, a divine nature and a human nature. Groups that deny these realities dishonor Jesus.
Some groups deny that he was truly man - some people in the early church, called docetists, believed that Jesus was God, but denied his humanity. He only appeared to be a man.
But more common is the denial of his divinity. There are several groups that deny the divinity of Jesus Christ, and thus dishonor him. Mormons deny that Jesus is the unique Son of God, co-equal and co-eternal with the Father. Jehovah’s Witnesses deny that Jesus is divine, just like the ancient Arians in the early church, who believe Jesus was a created being. Muslims believe that Jesus was a prophet, but not the son of God. So these are groups that get the identity of Jesus wrong, and because they do, their ministries dishonor Christ, and we cannot affirm them.
Second, a ministry honors Jesus if it believes the truth about what he actually did. There are groups that misunderstand his work. In other words, they believe he’s divine, they believe he’s human, but they misunderstand the meaning of his death and resurrection. The Bible teaches that Jesus died a substitutionary death on the cross in the place of everyone who trusts in him, making full payment for their sins, and that he rose from the dead vindicating his claims, satisfying the wrath of God, and forgiving the sins of everyone who repents and believes, and that our salvation - justification - is by faith alone apart from works of the law.
Some groups twist and distort that. And this is why historically protestants have separated from Roman Catholics. Roman Catholics believe in the divinity and humanity of Jesus, but they deny or misunderstand the finished work of Christ. They believe our justification will be based not upon the imputed righteousness of Christ but upon the accumulated righteousness they attain in this life. For example, Council of Trent, Canons on Justification, Canon 9: “If anyone says, that by faith alone the impious [sinner] is justified…let him be anathema."
In addition to that, they deny that the work is complete, and say sins must be paid for. Handbook for Today’s Catholic, pg. 47: “If you die in the love of God but possess any stains of sin, such stains are cleansed away in a purifying process called Purgatory. These stains of sin are primarily the temporal punishment due to venial or mortal sins already forgiven but for which sufficient penance was not done during your lifetime."
There are other groups within Christendom that get the identity of Jesus right but his work wrong, and often they’re harder to spot.
Third, a ministry that honors Jesus embraces his supremacy. There is a kind of ministry that acknowledges Jesus’ identity - his divine and human natures, acknowledges his finished work on the cross, but seems to deny his supremacy. Fundamentally, they disregard his word as the supreme authority, as the infallible and inerrant rule. They deny his word is sufficient to accomplish salvation and sanctification.
There are churches and ministries that make much of the pastor, or the ministry, or the miracles, or even, these days, the brand, and the real identity of Jesus is obscured, and the message of his work is buried, and so Jesus becomes a sub-point, an addendum.
So Jesus wants his disciples to affirm ministries that exalt his person and his work and his supremacy. He does not want his disciples to affirm churches and groups that misidentity him, misunderstand his death and resurrection, or use him as a prop.
So what this means is that we should be discerning. We should be aware that not all churches and ministries exalt the biblical Jesus Christ. But when we see them, we ought to affirm them, encourage them, and be thankful to God for them.
Now, Two Reasons Why We Should Affirm Christ-Exalting Ministries
# 1 Because it benefits our cause. Verse 40: “For the one who is not against us is for us.” Jesus makes an important point here. The “one who is not against us” is the one who gets the person and work of Jesus right. Any person who does that is “for us.” With us. Their ministry has the same target as ours.
Jesus is saying to the disciples, you may not feel like it, you may not realize it, but that guy is on your team. He is for you. He is working for the same goal, ministry in the name of Jesus.
Here’s some application for us: there are other Christians and other churches that are teaching from the same Bible, they’re teaching the same Jesus, they’re teaching the same gospel, and they’re doing effective ministry. Did you realize those churches are “for us”?
Christ’s church should not be in competition. We are literally serving the same Lord for the same mission. Shame on any church that acts like it’s in competition with other churches.
To illustrate this point, consider how blessed we’ve been by other faithful churches. Grace Church of Simi Valley sent a team out here, investing thousands of dollars into this church. Grace Church of Orange did the same. The Way Bible Fellowship strengthened many believers who have since united with our body here.
And in our community, I’ve had the privilege of getting to know several pastors who are working hard to exalt the Lord Jesus Christ. Morgan Maitland of Summit Bible Church in Fontana, Micah Lugg at Foothill Bible in Upland, Travis Cunningham at Story Church, Dan Franklin at Life Bible Fellowship. I don’t agree with these men on every issue related to the Christian life, but I rejoice that they are expositors, they preach the gospel, and that our Lord is magnified through them. They are on our team!
But what about churches you disagree with? What about those Presbyterian churches? Or those churches that baptize babies? Or those churches that get a little charismatic?
We should be able to celebrate and affirm the gospel being preached - the true gospel, about the person and work of Jesus Christ - while disagreeing with second level issues.
I couldn’t have been a member in R.C. Sproul’s church. He’d want to baptize my baby and I wouldn’t let him. But when I get to heaven, I’m going to thank him for The Holiness of God!
Other Christ exalting churches, ministries, and Christians are on our team - even if we disagree on secondary issues. Not because those secondary issues aren’t important, but because they honor the Lord Jesus Christ.
This is why we pray publicly for different churches in our services. If our goal is to glory God and reach our community, we can celebrate their success just as if it were our own -- because it is!
I’ve heard it asked: “If you were praying for revival in your community for years, and it came - to the church down the street - could you rejoice?”
# 2 Because all ministry for Christ’s sake matters eternally. Look at verse 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.”
Notice that word: “whoever.” Whoever does this. Not just the apostles, the twelve. Whoever. Also, notice the smallness of the action. He’s not talking about preaching, not talking about casting out demons, he’s not talking about mighty works. He’s talking about simply serving one of Christ’s people in the most simple of ways: offering them a class of water. He says if someone does something like that, because you belong to Christ, God sees it, values it, and will reward it.
The disciples were discrediting this guy and his ministry. Jesus did not. And Jesus tells them, You may not value his ministry, but God sees it. God sees even the smallest of ministries. And he will reward those efforts.
Ministries other than your own matter to God. Do you recognize, encourage, support, affirm, value the ministries of those you are not participating in?
Do we value obscure ministry? Do we value other people’s ministries like God does?
We’ll finish with this: see the work of other Christians as valuable, because it is valuable to God. Encourage them. Say thank you to them. See the guys stacking chairs, and be thankful. See the woman in the nursery, and value that. See the guys at the soundboard, and encourage them.
God sees, God values, God rewards all true ministry done to exalt Christ. Let’s avoid Tribalism and celebrate the exaltation of Jesus Christ wherever we find it.