Mark 9:30-50 - Unquenchable Fire and Drowning Youth Workers

Good morning. Or whatever time you choose to listen to Tabernacle Talk, we are continuing our study in the Gospel of Mark, and we are in Mark 9 and beginning in verse number 30 today.

We've been walking through with Jesus, we've seen the miracles that He's done, the wonders that He has worked, the people that He's healed.

We've seen Him casting out demons, and we have seen the opposition that has come with that, both from religious leaders, from political leaders, from even His family members, and the confusion that people have had in interacting with Jesus.

They had these expectations of Him, even those that thought that He truly was the promised Messiah, the Savior, the coming servant, the prophet that Moses had spoken about. There was just some confusion on who is Jesus.

He calls Himself the Son of Man, referencing that title from Daniel 7. But what does it mean for Him to be the Christ or the Messiah? And today, we jump back into some of Jesus' discussions with His disciples on what that means and what it entails.

Mark 9 and verse 30 says, Then they left that place where the Mount of Transfiguration had happened. Jesus is shown in all of His glory.

He comes down the mountain with Peter, James and John, and they find the other disciples unable to cast a demon out of a boy. And Jesus does that. He exercises the demon.

The disciples ask, hey, why weren't we able to do that? And he tells them that this kind can come out by nothing but prayer. And here he's telling them, you have to actually like have a relationship with God.

Talk to God if you want to do things on God's behalf. So he says, then they left that place and made their way through Galilee. But he did not want anyone to know it.

For he was teaching his disciples and telling them, the Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men. They will kill him. And after he is killed, he will rise three days later.

So here he's telling them the gospel that he's going to be betrayed. He's going to die for sins. He will be killed and then he will rise.

So this is, you know, it's not perhaps how one would hope the mission would go. But it doesn't just tell them, I'm going to die. He tells them, I'm going to rise again three days later.

But this would have been completely outside of anything that the disciples would have expected. They were thinking that there was going to be a great ruler, a conqueror of Rome that would free Israel from Roman oppression.

And we see in verse number 32, but they did not understand this statement and they were afraid to ask him. Jesus now has communicated this truth a couple of different times and they have not gotten it yet.

They don't understand and they're afraid to ask. But they were not afraid of something else. We can see in verse number 33, they came to Capernaum when he was in the house.

He asked them, what were you arguing about on the way? But they were silent because on the way, they had been arguing with one another about who was the greatest.

So Jesus here is telling them like, hey, I'm going to be a sacrifice for sin, for all mankind. And they don't understand that, but instead of asking Jesus, hey, what do you mean by that? What does that entail?

Why would that be the case? Instead, they're busy arguing with one another about who is the greatest. Verse number 35, sitting down, he called the twelve and said to them, if anyone wants to be first, great, okay, I want to be first.

What do I do? He says he must be last and servant of all. Jesus' leadership style is not who can you dominate, who can you assert authority over.

Jesus' way of leadership, Jesus' way of being first is by submission. It's by being a servant, being a slave to others.

And this is how Jesus lived his life, that he did not come to be served, but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.

As an illustration of what he's talking about in verse 36, it says, he took a child, had him stand among them and taking him in his arms, he said to them, whoever welcomes one little child such as this in my name welcomes me.

And whoever welcomes me does not welcome me, but him who sent me.

He says, if you care for those that cannot do anything for you, don't just care about who's the most prestigious, don't worry about who's the most religious, like love and care for the regular, everyday people, that it doesn't matter if it's someone

just coming in off the street, that you would love them and care for them, if it's someone coming in that maybe they're famous and they've got a lot of money and they've got a lot of accolades, that you would treat them well as well, that you

wouldn't look down on people because they're rich, you wouldn't look down on people because they're poor, but you would welcome everyone in without pretense. Here, a child can't do anything for an adult, but Jesus says, welcoming in people because of

relationship and not because of what they can do for you, this is what is important. Relationship is what's important in God's kingdom, not status, not prestige, not what you can get people to volunteer for. That relationship makes all the

difference. Verse number 38. John said to him, teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him because he wasn't following us. Here, John, one of the sons of thunder, he thinks that he did something good.

He says, Jesus, there's a person out there, and he is speaking on your behalf, but he's not like traveling with us.

He's not following you, and he was driving out demons, something that the disciples themselves couldn't do, just a few verses before, that he is able to accomplish what the disciples couldn't, because the disciples weren't doing it for God.

They were doing it for themselves. How would we know that? They didn't even pray.

They didn't consult the Lord about their inability, and this man is driving out demons in the name of Jesus, which even as we read in the Book of Acts, that when people tried to do that and they didn't know Jesus, they didn't believe in Jesus, the

demons had no respect for that. The demons actually attacked those that would try and use the name of Jesus as kind of a stepping stone. And so here's Jesus' response in verse 39.

Don't stop him, said Jesus, because there was no one who will perform a miracle in my name who can soon afterward speak evil of me. For whoever is not against us is for us.

And whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in my name, because you belong to Christ, truly I tell you, he will never lose his reward.

So Jesus here gives a ministry mindset that frankly, not particularly the churches that I grew up in, but kind of the denominational movement that I grew up in, we did not have this particular mindset to our shame.

One of the things, verse number 40 was instrumental for me and kind of reshaping how I thought about other believers. Whoever is not against us is for us.

And those that are preaching the gospel, maybe they might not do it in the same way that I do it. They might not dress the same. They might not use the same music.

They might not have the same philosophical mindset as I might, but those that are genuinely preaching the gospel, those that are not against us, they are for us.

And here, God's family, God's ministers, if you will, it's a larger group than just those even here that are following Jesus, the 12 and the other disciples that were with Jesus.

And Christ here says, if someone's not against you, if they're not against the gospel, if they're not against that ministry, then you can have grace for them. Don't stop them from doing what God has for you.

I'm thankful for many of the faithful gospel preaching churches in our area. Not all of them are Baptist.

There are ones that I would have disagreements with on perhaps spiritual gifts or baptism or different things like that, maybe church membership. But for every single one of them that's preaching the gospel, they're not against us.

We're on the same team, Team Jesus, and I'm thankful for that. It might not mean that I join up with those particular people and everything for perhaps ministry work.

If one person is encouraging people, hey, you need to make sure that you are trying to speak in tongues once you've accepted Jesus. Well, we'd have a different mindset with that person.

That wouldn't be someone maybe that we could link up with in that way. But it doesn't mean that I can't pray for that other person, that I can't pray for that church and say, hey, Lord, would you please bless this ministry as they preach the gospel?

And because we know that when we get to heaven, God doesn't have sequestered areas for, okay, all the Baptists are over in this area, and all the Presbyterians are here, and the non-denomers are over in this area.

We can know, hey, when we get with the Lord, all those things that, you know, now we have sincere beliefs on, but when we get to that day, all of those differences will be gone.

And what will matter in the end is what did we do with the gospel of Christ? It doesn't mean that our beliefs about how the church should operate, it doesn't mean that that's unimportant, but it's not as important as the gospel.

In 1 Corinthians 15, the Apostle Paul says, I delivered to you, first of all, as most important what I received, that Christ died, was buried, and rose again the third day according to the scriptures.

When Paul thinks about what is most important to the Christian life, it's Jesus. It's the gospel of Christ. It doesn't mean other things aren't important, but there is one thing that is most important.

And here, as Jesus interacts with his disciples, he says, you guys have been arguing about who's the greatest, who's the most important. And he says, it's not who's in your particular faction.

He says, those that are doing the work in my name, preaching me, accomplishing my work in this world, hey, I'm for them. That is a great person, and that's not someone that you should be spending your time fighting against.

There are enough genuine spiritual enemies of the believers of God that we don't have to waste time railing against other genuine believers in Christ who we might disagree with on second or third tier issues, things that are not the gospel.

There are enough groups that specifically deny the gospel that we ought to spend our time waging that spiritual warfare.

So verse number 42, he says, But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to fall away, it would be better for him if a heavy millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea.

Okay, there's a huge pivot that Jesus is doing here.

So he's talking to them about the importance of being a servant, being lowly, being unassuming and how you treat people, about caring for those that can't do anything for you, about having an emphasis on relationship.

John tries to make it about, Hey, but Jesus, we disavowed this person that was casting out demons in your name but isn't traveling with us. And Jesus goes, you know, don't do that.

Those that are serving in my name, those that care for you as ministers of Christ. He says, there's great reward for them.

But then he brings it back to the kids and he says, if you cause one of these little ones who believe in me to fall away, to stumble, to no longer follow Christ because of your actions, he says, it would be better for you to be drowned in the sea.

There is heavy condemnation for those that would cause faith in Christ to be discarded because of our actions, our tone, our unbelief, our words, our abuse. All of those things are so vitally important.

It's why kids ministry and especially teen ministry today is so vital. It is not something that can be taken lightly.

If we do not get that right for those that are teaching in those classes, what they teach, how they teach it, how they interact with the kids, how they treat them, how they answer Bible questions is hugely important. You can look at our world today.

Social media has made it evident that there are countless churches, teen leaders, youth pastors, and kids workers that there is a strong condemnation from the Lord that says, there were people that had belief in me.

And maybe it might not have been a salvific belief, a belief that resulted in a choice to follow the Lord. James 2, even the demons believe and they tremble.

It might not have been a salvific belief, but those that weren't opposed to God, but because of the words and actions, and in some instances, crimes of those purporting to be gospel teachers or Bible teachers in youth groups and different things like

that, that people have now disavowed Christ. Let's let that not be us. You go, how do we do that? Ephesians 6 and verse number 4 says this, fathers do not provoke your children to wrath.

Don't exasperate your children. He says, but raise them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Let them see Jesus is real in you, that how you treat them is how Jesus would treat them.

When you fall short and you will, whether you're a parent, a grandparent, an aunt or uncle, or even a kid's worker, that when you mess up, you say sorry. You apologize.

You go, hey, Jesus tells me that's not right, and I did it, and I am begging for your forgiveness. So here, Jesus is continuing.

He says there's a huge importance on how you treat kids, and if you cause them to fall away, there is strong condemnation for you. Verse 43, if your hand causes you to fall away, cut it off. Here, he's not speaking literally.

He is speaking metaphorically. It's not okay if you did something wrong and you need to literally cut off your hand. That's not what he's saying.

He's saying your soul is so much more important, just as people are so much more important. He's not saying literally drown those that cause children who once believed to fall away from the faith. He doesn't say literally drown those.

He's speaking metaphorically. He's saying this is of greatest value. He says it's better for you to enter life maimed than to have two hands and go to hell, the unquenchable fire.

He says if there is something that is so drawing you away to this world or to pleasure or to Satan, he says do whatever you got to do to be rid of that because your soul is so much more important.

If you're maybe in a job that is causing you to consistently go against God's Word, that is causing you to consistently fall into sin, be rid of the job.

It's better for you to be poor than to endanger your soul here, than to have two hands and go to hell, the unquenchable fire. He says if your foot causes you to fall away, cut it off.

It's better for you to enter life lame than to have two feet and be thrown into hell.

If you need to cut off some friendships because they're always encouraging you to speak about things and think about things and do things that are in rebellion against God.

He says it's better for you to not have those friendships, to be lonely than to endanger your soul. He says if your eye causes you to fall away, gouge it out.

It's better for you to enter the Kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell. Where, and here he quotes from Ezekiel 40, no, no, he quotes from Isaiah 66 in verse 24.

He says where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched. He says there is an everlasting judgment. And because there's an everlasting judgment, don't risk your soul.

He says for everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is good, but if the salt should lose its flavor, how can you season it? Have salt among yourselves and be at peace with one another.

Salt is a preservative. And he says preserve your souls through loving, through having a right dependence on the Lord, one that just eschews anything in life that would keep you from a great relationship with God.

Man, it's a heavy warning that Jesus gives us. He says your soul is so much more important. It's more important than your possessions.

It's more important than your friendships. It's more important than anything else. What will you give in exchange for your soul?

I'd like to encourage you today.

Many people sometimes have an opinion that as long as I prayed for some fire insurance once upon a time, that I know no matter what else I do, no matter what else I believe, no matter what else I think, as long as I prayed for that fire insurance,

that I know that I'm saved, that I'm at peace with God. As opposed to, as we've looked at in 2 John, in 2 Peter chapter 1, as John would tell us in his letter of 1 John, one of the ways by which we know that we truly are saved is number 1, do we

believe in Jesus as our Lord and as our Savior and as God? If someone does not believe that, then they are not saved.

Secondly, if we live our lives in such a way that we are diametrically opposed to the Word of God, then it should give us pause and concern that we would say, okay, is my relationship with God real?

It's not something that when we fall, as we always will happen to in this world with our imperfections, it's not that whenever we fall, we go, okay, am I really saved?

But if we make a habitual lifestyle of sinning, of living in defiance of God's Word, it ought to give us concern to say, okay, I'm doing this, and I'm not like fighting against it. I'm just freely going along with it.

Should I be concerned about my soul? Here, as Jesus is talking to the disciples, he's not just saying this out to the crowds. He's saying this to his followers.

He's saying, hey, I want it to be real in you. It's not just a thing about what you do. It's not just about casting out demons.

It's not just about preaching in my name. It's not just about working miracles. It's about your actual relationship with God.

And so he says, hey, if your hand gets in the way of that, be rid of it. If your foot gets in the way of that, be rid of it. If your eyes get in the way of that, be rid of it.

He says, do whatever you need to do in order to have a right soul and relationship and life with God. There is nothing more valuable than your relationship with God. So make it real.

How do you make it real? Follow him wholeheartedly. Obey scripture.

Have a love for other people that's not. How can I get something from them? How can I have them give me accolades?

Have a love for them like you would have for a child. That you say, hey, this kid can't do anything for me, but I'm going to love him and I'm going to care for him regardless. And it's a love for others that that are following the Lord.

And maybe they're not just like you, but you would say, hey, I know they love Jesus. I know they follow him and they want to obey him. So I'm going to have a love for them.

Have a kind of in summary, have a love for those that can't do anything for you. Have a love for those in Christ that are not just like you.

And have a love for the Lord that says, whatever I got to cut out of my life in order to make sure that I am pursuing Jesus alone, that I'm not falling prey to sin and vices regularly, I'm going to do it because I love the Lord so much.

That's how we can obey the Gospel of Christ that says, we have a new Lord, we have a new King. Let's act like he is risen. Let's act like we are his subjects.

Thanks for tuning in today. Tomorrow, have a really, really important section of scripture from Mark 10 and look forward to diving into it with you. Thanks for tuning in.