SERMON PREACHED AT THE MONTROSE BIBLE CONFERENCE, SUNDAY, JULY 28, igi8; TEXT, MARK 9:49 Bj) Re’?. JOHN M ac INNIS of Syracuse, N . Y.
it is from th is context th a t the text gets its significance and meaning. In th is p articu lar crisis in th e life of th e disciples th e first th ing th a t Jesus tried to teach them w ith a new emphasis and meaning is th a t the final te st of life and greatness is service. Mark tells us in th e 30-32 vv. of the chapter th a t as they went fo rth and passed through Galilee Jesus ta u g h t his disciples th a t th e Son of Man was to he delivered up into th e hands of men and th a t they should kill Him and after th ree days He would rise again. But, they understood not the saying and were afraifi to ask him. Immediately before th a t we are told th a t these same disciples had been appealed to by a fath e r in th e behalf of his poor demented boy whose life was being destroyed by unclean spirits, and they were helpless in the presence of the challenge to bring relief. Jesus noticed th a t things were no t rig h t and th a t they were not capable of understanding the things th a t He was try ing to teach them so when He got them alone in the house a t Capernaum He asked them w hat was wrong. He knew th a t there was something wrong and now He desired them to sta te in His presence th e ir trouble, and we are told th a t “ they held th e ir peace for they had disputed one w ith ano ther on th e way who was th e g reatest.” No wonder they were silent in th e presence of Jesus Christ. There are a g reat many things th a t we can say to one ano ther and about one ano th er th a t we would not dare to say in the presence of Jesus Christ. Ju s t grasp th e incongruousness
This is one of God’s g reat salting days. There are certain g reat crises in hum an life and history in which God recovers th e soul of things th rough a new salting of fire. This is for the purpose of saving th e world from to tal corruption. Such for example, was the crisis of the Babylonian captivity. Such in a very supreme way was th e crisis in which the church had its origin. The Inquisition and th e Reform ation were one of God’s salting days. England was saved from corruption through the sa lt ing of the Wesley’s and those associated w ith them , and Scotland was saved th rough th e salting of the Covenantry days th rough which men got back into a new touch w ith God and were bap tized w ith fire by a new experience. Our own country has had some of these times of regeneration in which it found its life and was driven out along th e lines of th e Divine purpose and program . T h at is w hat God is doing in the world today. In th e fire of th is awful world crisis God is bu rn ing away th e dross, th e things th a t do no t m a tte r and hinder, and discover ing the g reat realities and bringing men ; to a hew realization of service and re sponsibility. The church is involved in th is baptism of fire and God is trying to teach it certain tru th s, th a t it had forgotten, in order th a t it may he able to fulfill th e mission w ith which it has been en tru sted . These things are the things th a t Jesus tried to teach the disciples before he en tru sted them with th is sacred mission, and they are sug gested in th e context of th e words th a t we have chosen for our text. Indeed
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