What is Hell? Mark 9:43-50

Text: “And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed against Me, for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched, and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh.”

Isaiah 60:24.

Good morning, God-fearing Christian!  Your fear of God is not the dread of the Spiritually dead, but the reverence, awe, and respectful love of one who, through Christ’s Cross at Calvary, has escaped the fearful wrath to come, and by His precious Blood has been made ready to go to Heaven.

But what is YOUR perception of Hell?  What does the word ‘Hell’ conjure up for you and for me?  Let us meditate for a while on this vital question.

Hacked Off Hands: (V.43) Would suddenly having our hands hacked off give us a glimpse of what being in Hell means?  Think about it, friend.  Engage your mind!

That itch halfway up ones back that cannot be scratched because we have no longer got hands to scratch it.  The inability to hold a child or a loved one ever again.  Utter and complete frustration at not being able to lift an object, or indeed to undo a button of one’s clothing for oneself.  Loss of ability to ever again reach out and tenderly touch another person.  Surely this would be an experience of sheer ‘Hell’ for you and for me?

Yet, our Bible reading this evening employs the metaphor of hacked off hands, and reveals that it would be better to be thus afflicted than to commit the deeds that consign Christ-rejecting sinners to Eternal Hell.  (Luke 16:22-28)

Filleted Feet: (V.45) How would we like it if someone were to suddenly fillet our foolish feet?  Would that seem like ‘Hell’ to our minds?

Feet are rather unsightly parts of our lower extremities - I don’t think I have ever seen what could be described as a beautiful pair of feet, have you?  Yet, just you try to walk, run, play games, stand up, or go anywhere without them!  The are, to the able-bodied, so much taken for granted, yet so utterly necessary for full physical participation in life.

Many of our disabled brethren/sisters know the ‘Hell’ of being unable to use their feet.  Yet, the Scriptures admonish us not to use our feet to walk into sin, or to wander far from the One who saved us from an infinitely more horrible Hell’s torments.  (Galatians 5:13-26)

Expelled Eyes: (V.47) Oh the loss of our ability to see!  Anyone who has lost an eye, or becomes partially or totally blind, could surely describe their experience of suddenly being cast into a ‘Hell’ of partial vision or, worse still, complete and utter darkness. 

Think of that poor afflicted Samson of the Old Testament, grinding, unloved and alone within the prison house, the consequences of his sin.  The terror of never seeing a loved one’s face ever again.  To cease to see the beauty of a sunrise each morning.  To have the gift of colours, and God’s Creation of natural beauty suddenly, and without remedy, taken from us.  Surely that would be a type of ‘Hell’ for us?

Undoubtedly so, but our Bible reading today sets forth even that tragic loss as preferential to lusting our way into the real Hell, through misuse of our God-given sight.  The Scriptures give us many such dire warnings against this type of sin.  The eyes are aptly called, ‘the windows of the soul’.  (1 John 2:15-17)

J.C. Ryle Comments:

“We see, in the last place, in these verses, the reality, awfulness, and eternity of future punishment. Three times the Lord Jesus speaks of “hell.” Three times He mentions the “worm that never dies.” Three times He says that “the fire is not quenched.”

“These are awful expressions. They call for reflection rather than exposition. They should be pondered, con­sidered, and remembered by all professing Christians. It matters little whether we regard them as figurative and emblematic. If they are so, one thing at least is very clear. The worm and the fire are emblems of real things. There is a real hell, and that hell is eternal.

There is no mercy in keeping back from men the sub­ject of hell.

“Fearful and tremendous as it is, it ought to be pressed on all, as one of the great truths of Chris­tianity. Our loving Saviour speaks frequently of it. The apostle John, in the book of Revelation, often de­scribes it. The servants of God in these days must not be ashamed of confessing their belief in it. Were there no boundless mercy in Christ for all that believe in Him, we might well shrink from the awful topic. Were there no precious blood of Christ able to cleanse away all sin, we might well keep silence about the wrath to come. But there is mercy for all who ask in Christ’s name. There is a fountain open for all sin. Let us then boldly and un­hesitatingly maintain that there is a hell, and beseech men to flee from it, before it be too late. “Knowing the terrors of the Lord,” the worm, and the fire, let us “per­suade men.” (1 Corinthians 5:11) It is not possible to say too much about Christ. But it is quite possible to say too little about hell.” (J.C. Ryle’s Expository Thoughts on the Gospels 1816-1900)

Therefore, God-fearing Christian, with the horrors of Hell renewed somewhat in our Christian minds, let us go forth afresh praising the Lord God Who, by His grace and His grace alone, has delivered us from such a truly horrible destination and has, by His Son, the Living Lord Jesus, pointed our souls toward Heaven.

Thank you, Lord God, for delivering us from the torments of an Eternal Hell.

Thought:  A healthy thought of Hell should help keep us from Hellish thoughts.

Working for Jesus Mark 9:38-42

Text: “...Master, we saw one casting out devils in Thy Name, and he followeth not us; and we forbad him...Jesus said, ‘Forbid him not...for he that is not against us is on our part.’”

Mark 9:38-40.

Good morning, Christian worker!  The moment you sought to serve the Living Christ Jesus; oppositions flooded in from every direction.  The world; the flesh; and the Devil were all immediately up in arms against you.  Yet, this surprised you not.  For the Scriptures had already warned you of all these ungodly oppositions.  Praise God! 

“Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” (2 Timothy 3:12)

“Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the Devil.” (Ephesians 6:10-20)

The full armour of God is not supplied for a false battle.  Thus, you set forth aware of these dangers and were well prepared to cope with them.

“The Lord is my light and my Salvation; whom shall I fear?  The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?  When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell.  Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.”  (Psalm 27:1-3)

However, there were also oppositions set before you which surprised you in their intensity - and these oppositions nearly broke your faithful heart.  (Matthew 5:10-16)

The Bigots:  True bigots are beautiful people, doing all things to the best of their ability, BY GOD: that’s what the word ‘bigot’ is thought by many to have derived from, two German words which translate ‘by God’ (i.e., bi Gott).  The early Bavarian Christian believers sought to do all things by the Word of God, or by God’s Word.  That’s why unbelievers ridiculed them and labelled them ‘bi Gotts’, which became ‘bigots’.  (Psalm 119:105)

However, the ‘bigots’ which oppose God’s workers are the sectarian, parochially-minded, members of so-called Christian congregations who see their duties extending only to ‘members’ of their own denomination - deluded people whose activities work in opposition to all other regenerate Christians that do not adhere STRICTLY to their man-made creed; or their man-made confessions of faith. (Colossians 2:20-22) (Mark 7:7-9) (Isaiah 29:12-13)

These are dangerous enemies of the Cross of Christ Jesus, and of any genuine work for Christ being done by sincere, Bible-believing Christians.

In their attempt to adhere to the letter of their professed confession of faith, they stray subtly into a rigid form of LEGALISM and place their souls, and the souls of all who are deceived by them, in danger of Hell’s fire. (2 Timothy 3:5)

Love for all regenerate (born again) brethren is absolutely essential to a true Christian profession, as taught by Christ Jesus Himself.  (John 15:13) (1 John 3:10-18) (1 John 4:7-8)

So, let each of us ask ourselves the question:  Does my love for my sisters and brothers come up to this required standard?  Or am I relying on the letter of the law?  (Philippians 2:12)  (2 Corinthians 13:5)       

The Labellers:   Labellers place a label - usually a derogatory one - upon a Christian worker because he/she doesn’t hold rigidly to the same secondary doctrines or method of practice, as the labeller’s own parochially-minded little group.

Soon, a campaign of back-biting and slanderous gossip is waged against the targeted Christian worker - making his/her labours and ventures for Christ extremely difficult, if not almost humanly impossible to achieve.  (Romans 8:31) (Luke 6:26)

This should not be, beloved Christian!  Denominational envy, like Satanic oppositions, are anathema to the Lord Jesus.  Therefore, let all regenerate Christians, true children of the Most High God, work together in harmony.  Let not the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ be weakened by divisions.  “Two are better than one…”  (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12)

J.C. Ryle Comments:

“We see in these verses, the mind of Christ on the great subject of toleration in religion. The apostle John said to Him, “Master, we saw one casting out devils in Thy name, and he followeth not us: and we forbad him, because he followeth not us.” The man was doing a good work without doubt. He was warring on the same side as the apostles, beyond question. But this did not satisfy John. He did not work in the company of the apostles. He did not fight in line with them. And therefore, John had forbidden him. —But let us hear now what the great Head of the Church decides! “Jesus said, forbid him not; for there is no man which shall do a miracle in my name that can lightly speak evil of me. For he that is not against us, is on our part.”

“Here is a golden rule indeed, and one that human nature sorely needs, and has too often forgotten. Men of all branches of Christ’s Church are apt to think that no good can be done in the world, unless it is done by their own party and denomination. They are so narrow-minded, that they cannot conceive the possibility of work­ing on any other pattern but that which they follow. They make an idol of their own peculiar ecclesiastical machinery, and can see no merit in any other. They are like him who cried when Eldad and Medad prophesied in the camp, “My lord Moses forbid them.” (Numbers 11:28)” (J.C. Ryle’s Expository Thoughts on the Gospels 1816-1900)

Thought:  A house divided against itself shall not stand.  (Matthew 12:25)

 

Ambition! Mark 9:33-37

Text:  When pride cometh, then cometh shame; but with the lowly is wisdom.”

Proverbs 11:2.

Good morning, ambitious Christian!  You aim at success in your service for the Lord; your conscience is clear as to why, and for what reason, you desire the position, the goal, you seek.  Thus, as a consequence, the Lord God gives your ventures His blessing, and you achieve your desired goal.  Praise and thank the Lord for your success!  Amen. 

“I am the Vine, ye are the branches; he that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit; for without Me ye can do NOTHING.”  (John 15:5)

But not all ambition is worthy ambition - pride lurks at every corner in this fallen life we live.  Beware!  Even the anointed cherub, Lucifer, “...the son of the morning...”, was cast down from God’s Holy Mountain for harbouring proud ambitions in his magnificently created breast. 

Check out God’s Word on the matter: (Proverbs 16:18-19) (Daniel 4:30-33) (Ezekiel 28:11-19) (Isaiah 14:9-19)  

Let we who are called to be Christians beware that we fall not in some similar manner.  May the Lord God keep us from this sin of ambitious pride.

“Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me: lest I be full, and deny Thee, and say, Who is the Lord?  Or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the Name of my God in vain.”  (Proverbs 30:8-9)

Our Bible reading for this morning reveals how ashamed the disciples of Christ were after ambition to be greatest was disputed among them. (V.34) When the Lord Jesus inquired about their dispute, the disciples “...held their peace...”.  The Master’s enquiry was enough to bring them to their senses. 

The Lord knows our hearts and minds better than we will ever know ourselves.  He sees what we successfully conceal from each other, and what’s more, He sees what we quite successfully hide from our very selves!  (1 Samuel 16:7b) (Acts 1:24) (Jeremiah 17:9)

My humble dictionary defines ambition as: strong desire to achieve success; the object of such a desire.

Therefore, it is not a sin to be ambitious - not in the least!  But it becomes sin when the success sought is sought at any cost to others, or any detraction from our witness for the Lord Jesus.  If it is not of Christian faith, it is sin. (Romans 14:16-23)

Success, on the other hand, is defined as: the attainment of what is desired; that which succeeds; triumph. 

Right Motivation: Therefore, it follows that, Christian ambition is succeeding in the achievement of some purpose or venture entered into, according to right motives, in the service of the Lord God, and to the greater glory of Christ Jesus our Redeemer king.  As we are taught: Man’s chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.  Amen!

Such successful goals and achievements should, of course, be every Christian’s chief aim in life, and God blesses all such ventures. 

“And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the Name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him.” (Colossians 3:17-23)

In our reading today, Christ taught the disciples that, if a person desired to be first, or best; or most successful - for the wrong motives - then that person would indeed be last of all.  Pride comes before a fall.

J.C. Ryle Comments:

“Let us mark, in the second place, in these verses, the ambition and love of pre-eminence which the apostles exhibited. “By the way they disputed among themselves who should be greatest.”

“How strange this sounds! Who would have thought that a few fishermen and publicans could have been over­come by emulation, and the desire of supremacy? Who would have expected that poor men, who had given up all for Christ’s sake, would have been troubled by strife and dissension, as to the place and precedence which each one deserved? Yet so it is. The fact is recorded for our learning. The Holy Ghost has caused it to be written down for the perpetual use of Christ’s Church. Let us take care that it is not written in vain.

“It is an awful fact, whether we like to allow it or not, that pride is one of the commonest sins which beset human nature. We are all born Pharisees. We all naturally think far better of ourselves than we ought. We all naturally fancy that we deserve something better than we have.”  (J.C. Ryle’s Expository Thoughts on the Gospels 1816-1900)

If our motives for achieving success honour God, or provide the necessary resources for our families, our community; our fellowship group; the disadvantaged; or the Church at large, etc. - then we are assured of the success we seek according to God’s own will and Eternal Purpose.  Hallelujah!  What a gracious Lord God!  (Luke 6:38)

Let these ambitions be our primary objective and let our first ambition be to glorify God in obedience to His own revealed Word.  Amen and again, Amen!  Let it be unto us, oh Lord God, for Thy glory.

Thought:  If our ambitions are God-honouring - they shall be forever God-blessed.