The Seriousness of Hell Part 2
The Book of Mark
Mark 9:42-50
I. Introduction:
A. When I was in the Navy while on a cruse overseas we visited Portugal.
1. On a tour we visited the city of Fatima where there is a very large Roman Catholic church and a shrine.
2. In the court yard of the shrine was a small building with steps all around its base.
3. There were several people moving around this building and its steps on their knees.
4. The hope of these people was that if they humbled themselves enough by the physical pain and suffering of crawling around on the stone steps they would somehow please God.
B. You might ask me how this relates to the topic of Hell that we started last week.
1. Jesus discussion with the Disciples revolves around their pride and desire to be top dog in the administration of the Kingdom.
a) They were arguing about their positions in His Kingdom and they also desired to keep others out of their exclusive little group.
b) Jesus counters that by explaining to them that greatness in the Kingdom of God is diametrically opposite to the world’s concept of greatness.
c) He goes on to make clear to them the seriousness of their actions by describing the horrific suffering of Hell and the incentive that horror gives for avoiding it.
2. We know from the study of God’s word that a person can’t enter into the kingdom of God by any human means.
a) We are saved by Grace through Faith not works
b) We can do nothing to earn our salvation.
c) Either by righteous acts or self mutilation.
3. If that is so then what is Jesus talking about here?
4. Is He advocating self mutilation?
5. The people I witnessed in Fatima believed this.
a) They were trying to make themselves righteous through their pain and self inflicted suffering.
b) It is the same thing with the people who allow them selves to be crucified in other parts of the world at Easter time.
C. Metaphor
1. Jesus often used descriptive language to make a point.
2. Here He uses metaphoric descriptions of what lengths people should go to in order to avoid hell.
a) Cutting off your hand
b) Cutting off your foot.
c) Gouging out your eye.
D. So what is the point of all of this?
1. What is Jesus trying to tell His disciples and us?
2. He is trying to teach the disciple about the importance of being a humble servant to their fellow believers.
3. What He says in vs.42 through 50 is still spoken in the context of who is greatest in the kingdom.
E. Last week we defined what hell is and the suffering that is attached to it.
1. It is a serious place.
2. It is a place that no one wants to spend eternity in if they really understand how bad it is.
3. This week I want to look at Jesus’ teaching on hell in the larger context of the dispute among the disciples.
4. Context is very important when studying a passage of scripture.
a) If you take a verse or a passage out of context you can lose the whole point or worse come away with a false understanding.
b) Remember the context of this whole passage starts in Vs.33.
II. The seriousness of Hell in the context of the Kingdom.
A. Concerning others: offending a believer vs.42.
1. Little ones who believe in Me.
a) The word is used to describe some one of small stature or one who is insignificant.
b) Jesus uses the term to describe believers.
(1) Vs.36-37
(2) Matthew 18:10 “Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven.,
(3) Matt.18:14 Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish..
c) Anyone who causes even the most insignificant believer to stumble faces dire consequences.
2. Stumble.
a) The word means to trip up someone.
b) To do something that causes them to sin.
c) We are not an island, our words and actions affect others.
d) Ro.14:1-12
e) 1Cor.8:9-13.
3. Millstone.
a) Used for grinding grains at a mill.
b) This is the 1st century equivalent to cement boots.
B. Personal responsibility vs.43-48.
1. We are responsible for our own actions.
2. We can’t blame it on others.
3. Three areas.
a) Hand
(1) The things you do.
(2) This has to do with actions on your part.
b) Foot.
(1) This is where you go.
(2) Do the places you frequent have the prospect of causing you or another believer to stumble?
c) Eye: What you see and desire.
4. These three things don’t operate independently from our minds do they?
a) Jesus is saying that sometimes it is necessary to amputate in order to preserve the whole.
b) It is better to stop doing something that may cause us to sin or to cause someone else to sin than it is to burn.
c) We may suffer a sense of loss but is it really a loss when compared to the alternative?
5. This is where we often have difficulty isn’t it?
a) We like doing the things we do.
b) We are used to doing them.
c) We find a certain temporal satisfaction in doing them even when we know they are contrary to what God would have us do.
6. Sometimes our personal sins or even our liberties spill over into other people’s lives and we cause them to stumble.
a) Ro.14:14-18.
b) 1Cor.8:20
C. The Principle explained vs.49-50.
1. Every one is going to be tested.
a) Those who reject the Lord will be judged and cast into the Lake of Fire for ever.
b) Those who are the Lords will be tested by the fiery trials of this life.
(1) 2 Timothy 3:12 Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution..
(2) 1 Peter 4:12–13 Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; 13 but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.
(3) Matthew 5:10–12 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you..
(4) Acts 5:40–41 And they agreed with him, and when they had called for the apostles and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. 41 So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name..
(5) Acts 14:22 strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, “We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.”.
(6) 1 Thessalonians 3:3 that no one should be shaken by these afflictions; for you yourselves know that we are appointed to this.
2. Admonishment to be salty vs.50
a) Welcome the purifying work of God in your life.
b) Get your priorities right before God.
c) Understand your ultimate purpose here on this earth in this day.
d) If discipline loses its impact it becomes worthless.
e) We need to practice self discipline.
f) Matt.5:13
3. Be at peace with one another –
a) goes back to vs.34.
b) If these men didn’t deal with their sin then the church would never amount to anything.
III. Conclusion.
A. This is what discipleship is all about.
B. It is vastly different than what the disciples had envisioned.
C. It is vastly different from the kind of discipleship I saw at that shrine in Portugal.
D. It is a far cry from the Joel Olsteen kind of discipleship that is being taught in some churches today.
E. God wants us to be His servants serving those around us.
1. We aren’t to be focused on our position as much as His position.
2. We need to remember that when we treat our brothers and sisters poorly or we attempt to exalt ourselves over them we are in gross sin.
