He that is not against us is for us
William MacDonald teaches that while salvation demands clear allegiance to Christ, in service to Him believers should embrace cooperation and rejoice in all who work for the Gospel, even if methods differ.
In this sermon, William MacDonald explores the balance between firm allegiance to Christ for salvation and gracious cooperation among believers in service. He explains how Jesus taught the disciples to accept others who work in His name, even if they differ in methods or emphasis. MacDonald encourages Christians to rejoice in all who preach the Gospel and to unite in the spiritual battle against darkness.
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“He that is not against us is for us.” (Luke 9:49, 50)
At first this seems to flatly contradict our previous verse, but there is no contradiction. There the Savior was speaking to the unbelieving Pharisees and saying, “If you aren’t for Me, you’re against Me.” But here it is a different matter. The disciples had just restrained a man who was casting out demons in Jesus’ Name. They had no better reason than that he didn’t associate with them. Jesus said, “Forbid him not: for he that is not against us is for us.”
When it comes to salvation, those who are not for Christ are against Him. But when it comes to service, those who are not against Him are for Him.
We are not called to oppose others who are serving the Lord. It is a big, wide world, and there is plenty of room for all of us to get on with our work without stepping on one another’s toes. We should take to heart the Saviors words, “Forbid him not.”
At the same time we should notice that Jesus did not tell John and the others to go and join this man. Some use methods that are unacceptable to others. Some have different emphases in the message they preach. Some have greater light than others. And some have liberty to do things about which others have a bad conscience. We cannot expect to pour every believer into the exact same mold as ourselves. But we can rejoice in every triumph of the Gospel, as Paul did. He said, “Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will: The one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds: But the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defence of the gospel. What then? notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretence, or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice” (Phil. 1:15-18).
Sam Shoemaker asked the preceptive question, “When shall we learn that in the great warfare of light against darkness in our time, we are going to need the support of allies who may not be to our personal taste, and learn that it is going to take all Christians working and pulling together to make headway against the storm of anti-Christ?”
Sermon Outline
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I
- Clarifying the meaning of 'He that is not against us is for us'
- Distinguishing between salvation and service
- Jesus' response to the disciples about the man casting out demons
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II
- The importance of not opposing fellow believers serving the Lord
- Recognizing diversity in ministry methods and emphases
- Rejoicing in all who preach Christ regardless of differences
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III
- Paul's example of rejoicing in all preaching of Christ
- The need for cooperation among Christians in spiritual warfare
- Sam Shoemaker's insight on Christian unity against darkness
Key Quotes
“When it comes to salvation, those who are not for Christ are against Him. But when it comes to service, those who are not against Him are for Him.” — William MacDonald
“We are not called to oppose others who are serving the Lord. It is a big, wide world, and there is plenty of room for all of us to get on with our work without stepping on one another’s toes.” — William MacDonald
“Some use methods that are unacceptable to others. Some have different emphases in the message they preach. Some have greater light than others.” — William MacDonald
Application Points
- Avoid opposing fellow believers who are sincerely serving the Lord, even if their methods differ from yours.
- Rejoice in every effort to preach Christ and advance the Gospel, regardless of personal preferences.
- Work cooperatively with other Christians to strengthen the church and combat spiritual darkness.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 'He that is not against us is for us' mean?
It means that while salvation requires clear allegiance to Christ, in service we should accept and support those who work for the Gospel even if they differ from us.
Why did Jesus tell the disciples not to stop the man casting out demons?
Because the man was working in Jesus' name and not opposing them, showing that God's work can be done through different people.
Does this mean all methods of ministry are acceptable?
No, Jesus did not tell the disciples to join the man, acknowledging that some methods may differ or be unacceptable to others.
How should Christians handle differences in ministry approaches?
Christians should rejoice in every triumph of the Gospel and work together despite differences to advance God's kingdom.
What is the significance of Paul’s example in Philippians?
Paul rejoiced that Christ was preached regardless of the motives, showing the priority of the Gospel over personal differences.