September 26, 2021 ~ Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost ~ Sermon & Zoom Worship Video Link

Video Link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/G0rXatApsTfU5p3Tr3bMlNNjQfRCLGqL1CEZE2Ryfz8JumSE2sTvXAFAXMIfg-HO.i0JAsBOKYA9TJGaf

Baptism                                                                                   09/26/21—Highland—Meute

“These Little Ones”

Psalm 19: 7-14; James 5: 13-20; Mark 9: 38-50

Pearl: Give every opportunity to “these little ones” so that they may fully bloom (including self and all others).

Function: To motivate worshippers to commend/bless our youngest disciples, as well as self and all others (carefully avoiding setting up stumbling blocks).

When I stand to speak before our group of young disciples I am sometimes in awe of the opportunity that is afforded to me. I am aware that they are trained to give attention to me and to listen to what I share with them.

1. As you know often their comments seem to come from none other than our Lord God himself.
2. I am careful in what I say because I would not want to put any “stumbling blocks” in their way of embracing God and the life with God.
   1. I dread leading any of them astray. So I am careful and thoughtful in choosing ideas and words.

And then add to my anxiety these words of Jesus about putting a stumbling block in the path of the youngest disciples. He said it would be better for a great millstone (such millstones were turned by mules to grind grain and weighed up to 3,300 pounds) to be tied to around such a person’s neck and they be thrown into the sea.

1. For a guy of my weight tied to a great millstone I would fly to the bottom of the ocean in an instant.
   1. In this short passage of scripture Jesus made three references to a hellish life existence for those who put stumbling blocks in the way of “these little ones.” By the way, “these little ones” do not only refer to children but also to recent converts and those who are new to the faith.
2. Unlike some sermons you may have heard about these warnings which probably listed things that might be stumbling blocks for others, I will focus on one which Jesus was likely talking about in the first place. Jesus commented on the tendency of his disciples, a common human tendency, to be small and to be jealous of others.
   1. It started with Jesus’ disciples pointing out that someone who wasn’t one of the twelve was casting out demons in Jesus’ name. They were jealous of someone else’s successes.
   1. Jesus pointed out that when you begrudge the successes and advancements of another you wilt and fail to thrive.

So as not to put this sermon into a negative context of what not to do, I would like to put in a positive context and say that we should all commend and bless “these little ones,” ourselves, and all others. Then we all bloom and we all thrive.

Commend and bless rather than smother flickering flames and so extinguish sincere spirits.

God created us to benefit from each other in the beloved community.

1. So as the community helps each individual, especially the “little ones,” we all become the better for it.
   1. It is the calculus of the kingdom of God that all benefit as any benefit.
2. So this is an encouragement to commend and bless everyone that you can, and to do all that you can to encourage our young disciples, and to encourage even yourself, as well as to do the same for all others!
   1. Don’t begrudge another’s successes.
   1. Rather, bless and commend everyone that you can.
      1. I heard a story last week about a particular Sergeant at one of our military bases who was widely loved and treasured by those soldiers who were trained under him.
      1. He addressed every new recruit, every time he saw them, as “Ranger.”
         1. What do you need, Ranger? What’s up, Ranger? How is it going, Ranger?
         1. It was astonishing. They were not even common soldiers yet but this leader was calling each and every one of them “Ranger.” Very few would actually achieve the status of Ranger. But he addressed everyone with that distinguished rank.
         1. He did it so that they had something to work toward. He was setting an expectation for them to achieve.
         1. He was giving them wings so that they could fly. He was commending them and blessing them before they did anything to earn it or prove they deserved it.
         1. He believes that everyone will thrive with commendation and with blessing!
3. It is the calculus of the kingdom of God to give “these little ones” wings with which to fly!

Commend and bless rather than smother and extinguish!

Think back over your life and remember how you excelled when anyone took an interest in you and sought to help you.

1. I can think of several in my childhood and youth.
   1. There were teachers, coaches, even friends who encouraged and fanned my flames into a fire.
2. A professional example from ministry was when a newly retired pastor formed Preaching Guilds for those of us who were near the beginning of our careers. He shared the hospitality of his home feeding us a delicious lunch every month. He assigned books for us to read on preaching, he led conversations on preaching, and he helped us and challenged us all to polish our craft.
   1. We all took turns listening to each other preach.
   1. A group like that could easily become a competitive environment but we were all encouraged. We were all commended and blessed.
   1. There was not much jealousy of each other. We realized that when one of us was helped we were all helped.
3. There is no need to begrudge another’s successes, advancements, talents, or abilities. There is no need for jealousy. Such jealousy comes from some kind of distorted belief that there is not enough good to go around. The fact is that there is a never-ending supply of good to go around. No one needs to hoard commendations and blessings for themselves. The more you bless and commend the more the blessings and commendations multiply.
   1. It is the wonderful calculus of the kingdom!
   1. One of my favorite tragic stories is that of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Antonio Salieri.
      1. I saw the play on Broadway as a college student. I eagerly watched when it was made into a movie.
      1. “Amadeus” is the story of how Salieri was consumed by jealousy of Mozart’s colossal talents so much so that he was not able to rise to the personal heights that were his destiny.
         1. It was all because he was so jealous of the talent of Mozart. He became driven to depression. In one classic scene he wailed, “Mediocrity; all is mediocrity.” He put a stumbling block before himself as he believed he was so unable to be anything significant in the shadow of Mozart.
         1. He needed to bless and commend himself, to believe in his own unique and significant talents. God did not mean for him to be another Mozart. God meant for him to be Antonio Salieri, a son of God and a very capable musician.
            1. No, he was not Mozart. He didn’t need to be Mozart to thrive. He only needed to be Salieri.
4. We put stumbling blocks before ourselves as readily as we do it to others.
   1. Jesus said in so many words, “Mind your own spiritual business” to the disciples when they were jealous of someone doing the things that they did but who was not in their group.
      1. They wanted to smother the spirit and extinguish the flame in this other believer.
      1. They forgot that there was plenty of the kingdom to go around.
      1. There was plenty enough good to go around.
         1. The good will not run out.
         1. You cannot give too many blessings.
         1. You cannot give too many commendations.
      1. The more that you scatter your commendations around the better off the whole community will be!
   1. As one person in the community is blessed all in the community are blessed as well and in turn.

When it comes to following a leader where do you keep your eyes focused?

1. Think of it like following another driver in a caravan of cars. You keep your eyes on the car in front of you like a hawk. You cannot miss a turn signal. You cannot miss the brake lights coming on.
2. When following a leader you keep your eyes focused on your leader. Followers of Jesus keep their eyes focused on Jesus, his words, and his blessed life.
   1. We cannot look to our right and our left at each other. If we are looking at each other we are not watching our leader.
   1. Don’t compare yourselves with other disciples.
      1. If you are looking at other disciples you will not be able to see what Jesus is telling you to do and who he is asking you to be as the unique wonder that God created.

Bless and commend these little ones, yourselves, and all others because as any single person rises, everyone rises.

You who really want to follow Jesus, keep your eyes trained on him at all times so that you do not lose your way, which is the most important Way; it is the Way of Jesus and God’s kingdom.