Mark 9:42-40
42 “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin,[g] it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea. 43 And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to hell,[h] to the unquenchable fire.[i] 45 And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into hell. 47 And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell, 48 ‘where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’ 49 For everyone will be salted with fire.[j] 50 Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, how will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”

• Jesus Don’t play when it comes to His kids

42 Better

• As dark and heavy as being intentionally drowned is, it better than the consequence for causing a child or new believer to sin, stumble, or misplace their faith 

whoever

• • Who would cause a child, a teenager to sin or stumble?
  • The first person I am looking at is the parent…
    • Talk about our jobs as parents
      • Proverbs 22:6 train up a child…

• Deuteronomy 6:4-9

• • • Talk about how we could cause them to stumble to lose their faith
      • Not loving God ourselves
      • Only loving God ourselves and not training them up
      • Claiming to love God and giving Him a bad name
      • Teaching them by our actions or words that God doesn’t matter and His way doesn’t matter
      • What we expose them to
  • This whoever could be a christian leader or pastor
    • Topbalm story
      • Mook
  • This can be any adult that has influence over a child that causes them to sin or stumble or misplace their faith in God
  • This same principle applies to a new believer or one that is new to the faith

• Romans 14 and 1 Corinthians 8

• For parents this warning should cause us to be careful and take serious our charge from the Lord 
  • Saints, this warning also should cause us to be careful how we treat one another, specifically those new to Christ

• The Consequence of sin is hell

43-48 

• • Sin & hell
    • Define sin

• 1 john 3:4-10

• • • Hell is the consequence for sin
      • Hell described as 48-worm does not die and the fire is not quenched
  • Enter or be thrown
    • Enter life or the kingdom of God
  • hyperbole-Jesus doesn’t want you to cut the limbs and eye out literally, but to cut it out of the heart
  • To serve God is a sacrifice: 
    • We must give up things that we want to keep and be without them
    • Its better to sacrice this than to keep those things, people, experiences, thoughts, habits, delicacies, pleasures, lifestyles and suffer the consequences of disobeying and offending a holy God
    • Romans 12:1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
      • Talk about “living sacrifice”
        • Carefully prepared, and burnt and sweet smelling savored
    • Handlebars:
      • If alcohol causes you to sin, give it up, it is better to not take a drink and enter into life than to drink and be cast in to hell
      • If your smart phone causes you to sin
      • If that relationship causes you to sin
      • If that tv show causes you to sin
      • If those friends cause you to sin
      • If weed causes you to sin
      • If drugs cause you to sin
      • If your tongue causes you to sin
      • If anything in your life is sinful or is a gateway to sin for you, sacrifice it, let it burn on the altar of holiness 
      • Yes it is a sacrifice, but it is more than worth it, even if you don’t realize it yet!

• Psalms 37:1-4

• • • • • Seems like the evil doers are having a good time and we are not.  But delight in Me and that good time you thought the evil doers were having, you will get that and more, but in God!
      • Psalm 116:11 You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
      • Philippians 3:8-9  8Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—

• Everyone will be salted with fire (49-50)

• • What is this salt
    • Jewish listeners
    • Every sacrifice required salt first
      • So it was tied with the altar, ie salt then fire
    • Salt was also a very important product then 
      • Preserved and it purified

• Everyone will be salted with fire

• • • Talk about the dichonomy of the previous set of verses
  • Enter life or cast into hell
  • This salting with fire is the same two way street
    • Either salted for preservation for the penal fire of hell
    • Or salted by the purifying holy fire of God that sanctifies and purifies our souls
    • Either the hebrews 12:29 “consuming fire of God” that devours His adversaries
    • Or the Luke 3:16 baptism  of the  Holy Spirit and with fire.

50 salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, how will you make it salty again?  Have salt in yourselves and be at peace with one another

• How will you make it salty again?
  • Repent!  
  • Go over gospel
    • Go over it for those who are no longer salty
    • Go over it for those who were never salty
    • Go over it again for those who need to get saltier!
    • Emphasize the free gift of this salt

Sermon Transcripts on Mark 9:42-50