Finding Allies

What do you look for in an allies.Who is your ally? Who can you trust? Who will be there for you?

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What do you look for in an allies.Who is your ally? Who can you trust? Who will be there for you?

A British publication once offered a prize for the best definition of a friend. Among the thousands of answers received were the following:

“One who multiplies joys, divides grief, and whose honesty is inviolable.”

“One who understands our silence.”

“A volume of sympathy bound in cloth.”

“A watch that beats true for all time and never runs down.”

The winning definition read:

“A friend is the one who comes in when the whole world has gone out.”

Who is that for you?

What do you look for in an allies.

Let me suggest from the first part of the text that was just read three gifts your get from an ally.

Look for Agreement

Mark 9:39

Mark 9:39 NIV

“Do not stop him,” Jesus said. “For no one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me,

JOHN PROUDLY ANNOUNCES to Jesus that they saw someone casting out demons in his name and they obstructed him. Their reason for intervening? “Because he was not one of us.” The complaint drips with irony.

Look back in your Bibles to . Here we find a story of the disciples failure at casting out a demon. Jesus had to step in and take over.

The disciples only recently bungled that exorcism, yet they do not hesitate to obstruct someone who is successful because he is not a member of their team. Jesus catches them by surprise when he does not commend them for their vigilance but instead reproves them: “Do not stop him”

When Jesus said this, it no doubt shocked the disciples. They felt that they were a part of private club.

The NIV Application Commentary: Mark The Unfamiliar Exorcist (9:38–41)

Jesus then opens the doors wide to include on his side all those who are not against him. He knows that both he and his disciples are locked in a life-and-death struggle against evil, and he is prepared to accept any ally willing to join the fight. Jesus concedes the possibility that good can come from circles outside of his own.

.When Jesus said this, it no doubt shocked the disciples. They felt that they were a part of private club.

Instead of a private club, and exclusive group, Jesus throws open the door to include on his side all those who are not against his. Jesus understands he and his disciples are engaged in a life for death struggle against evil, and we see him prepared to accept help from any ally who is willing to the join the fight. Cutthroat competition weaken us all.

To often we begin to see other people as the enemy, and not Satan.

Remember what Paul said in

Ephesians 5:31 AMP

For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother and shall be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.

Ephesians 6:12 NIV

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Eph

In this battle we need all the help, all the allies, we can get.

eph 6:12

Remember what Paul said in

THE MORE WE HAVE THE STRONGER WE ARE.

Notice how the writer of Ecclesiastes, the wisest man to ever live, put it...

Ecclesiastes 4:12 NIV

Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge Chapter 4

This is well illustrated by the fable of the dying father, who, to show his sons the advantage of union, gave them a bundle of twigs, which could not be broken when bound together, but were easily snapped asunder one by one

Ecc

In the New York Times best seller, “Captivate” the author, Vanessa Edwards quoted, “An African Proverb “If you want to go fast go alone; if you want to go far go together”

Be on the lookout for people who agree with your vision and mission. They may not agree with you on how to get there, but they do agree with the direction you are going.

You want to make sure you have people on board who will row boat with you. Because if they are busy rowing the boat they will not have time to rock it.

The danger is that if anyone offers to help he or she might try to send the boat in a different direction. You will have to use up a lot of energy and time, to correct the course. How do you protect your self from this type of costly course correction, get agreement on the front end.

Look for Sacrifice

Mark 9:

Mark 9:41 NIV

Truly I tell you, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to the Messiah will certainly not lose their reward.

Mark 4. True Greatness Isn’t Cliquish; It Has an Inclusive Instinct (38–42)

Nothing could seem more petty than giving a mere cup of water. But God remembers the heart, not only the gift itself.

So what can we learn from this idea of sacrifice, even if it is only a cup of water. Well, we learn that allies are willing to sacrifice what they have to the see the project go forward. They may sacrifice money, if they have it. If they do not have money, they may sacrifice time, and energy. An ally is willing to sacrifice.

If someone claim they want to help, but are unwilling to sacrifice, you have to question how much of an ally they are.

300 Illustrations for Preachers College President Takes a $90,000 Pay Cut

With a salary of $350,000, Raymond Burse is paid well for the challenges he faces as the president of Kentucky State University. In August 2014 Burse took a voluntary pay cut to $260,000. Burse directed that the $90,000 the university didn’t pay him should be used to provide $3 per hour raises to all the university’s minimum-wage workers. When asked why he was willing to do this, he replied, “You don’t give up $90,000 for publicity. I did this for the people. This is something I’ve been thinking about from the very beginning.”

Caring for others is a character matter. It is one thing to advocate with your mouth that people ought to be paid more. It is another to put your paycheck on the line.

Look for Support

Mark 9:40 NIV

for whoever is not against us is for us.

300 Illustrations for Preachers Stickin’ with a Friend

James Carville ran Bill Clinton’s campaign for president. Over the years, he has been the president’s very supportive spokesman. In his book Stickin’, Carville explains why even during the dark days of the impeachment, when the easy and popular thing would have been to turn on the Clintons, he stuck with them. He said, “I did what I knew I had to do. I had to stick with my friend. It was never really that close a call for me.”

It is good to have a friend like that. It is even better to be a friend like that.

Which brings me to the greatest ally you will ever meet. Jesus Christ. Jesus will come along side you and always remain with you.

Listen to God’s promises:

Genesis 25:18 NIV

His descendants settled in the area from Havilah to Shur, near the eastern border of Egypt, as you go toward Ashur. And they lived in hostility toward all the tribes related to them.

Genesis 28:15 NIV

I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”

Gen 25

Deuteronomy 31:6 NIV

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Gen 28:

Joshua 1:5 NIV

No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.

Jos

Hebrews 5:13 NIV

Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness.

Hebrews 13:5 NIV

Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”

Hebrews 5:11 NIV

We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand.

Jesus wants to be you ally today.

He 13

Sadly not all people have accepted Jesus as their ally. In fact not all the people in the church has accepted Jesus as they ally.

The NIV Application Commentary: Mark Bridging Contexts

Augustine said: “Many whom God has, the Church does not have; and many whom the Church has, God does not have.”

If you wish to invite Jesus into you life today pray this prayer with me.

Jesus I really want you as my ally,

I want you to have control over me life.

I know I have made poor decisions in the past.

I know I have made poor decisions in the past.

I have made bad decision about the people I have agreed with in the past.

About the sacrifices I have made in the past.

About the things I have supported in the past.

(I am going to pause for you to silently confess your sins, your mistakes, your bad decisions to Jesus.)

Forgive me. Give me a new start. Amen.

If you prayed that prayer, please let me know by marking it on the back of your connect up card.

As our ushers come, please drop you filled out connect up card in the offering plate.

Let us give as we would give to the Lord.