Serious Self Sacrifice

Aron Lee Ralston (born October 27, 1975) is an American mountaineer, mechanical engineer, and motivational speaker, known for surviving a canyoneering accident by cutting off part of his right arm.

On April 26, 2003, during a solo descent of Bluejohn Canyon in southeastern Utah, he dislodged a boulder, pinning his right wrist to the side of the canyon wall. After five days, he had to break his forearm, amputate it with a dull pocket knife to break free, make his way through the rest of the canyon, rappel down a 65-foot (20 m) drop, and hike 7 miles (11 km) to safety.[2][3]

The incident is documented in Ralston's autobiography Between a Rock and a Hard Place and is the subject of the 2010 film 127 Hours where he is portrayed by James Franco.

Serious self sacrifice will give you peace with God and with others.

1. 🔎 A Serious Self Examination will determine what you need to sacrifice in this life.

2. ✝ Serious self sacrifice will make evident your trust in the sacrifice of Christ.

🔎 1. A Serious Self Examination will determine what you need to sacrifice in this life.

Jesus is showing us the seriousness of dealing with sin in our lives.

🫱🏼 Hand V.43

power or possession of controlling influence conceived as in terms of the hand; can be used to highlight immanent activity.

Gen 5:29 “And he named him Noah, saying, “This one will bring us relief from the agonizing labor of our hands, caused by the ground the Lord has cursed.””

Ps 60:5 “Save with your right hand, and answer me, so that those you love may be rescued.”

Do you need to cut is off?

What are you working for?

What are you trying to reach?

What are you trying to obtain?

What are you holding on to?

What relationships are you worried to let go?

What are you

🦶🏼Foot V.45

The part of the body associated with moving and with foundation, direction and chosen path. Feet may symbolise the response to God’s direction. The feet of God and of Jesus Christ are mentioned symbolically to describe some divine characteristics.

Both in Heb. and Gk. the foot frequently indicates the position, destination or inclination of the person (Pr. 6:18; 7:11; Acts 5:9)

Ps 1: 1 “How happy is the one who does not walk in the advice of the wicked or stand in the pathway with sinners or sit in the company of mockers!

Ps 36:11 “Do not let the foot of the arrogant come near me or the hand of the wicked drive me away.”

Prov 25:17 “Seldom set foot in your neighbor’s house; otherwise, he’ll get sick of you and hate you.”

Where are you going?

👁️ Eye V.47

Jesus is showing us the seriousness of dealing with sin in our lives.

We are not to take it lightly. He did not. He wants you to deal with your sin to prevent a falling away.

The Gospel according to Mark Discipleship: Counting the Cost (9:42–50)

The instruction to hack off body parts that cause one to stumble is an example of metaphoric hyperbole characteristic of Jesus and is not meant to be taken literally.

Hands, Eyes, and Feet are all inclusive of what we do, where we go and what we view.

The Gospel according to Mark Discipleship: Counting the Cost (9:42–50)

God is more important than even those things most indispensable to us.

🔪 Origen Taking this verse literally- As a result, around 230 Origen was driven out of Alexandria and moved to Caesarea.

2.✝ Serious self sacrifice will make evident your trust in the sacrifice of Christ.

You are not to clean yourself up before you come to Jesus. He accepts you how you are today. Right now!

While we were sinners Christ Died for us.

He became the sacrifice to pay the penalty of our sin. To keep us for being subjected to an eternity in Hell.

🔥 Fire V. 44,46,48

Christian Standard Bible Chapter 9

48 where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched

The Greek word for “hell” in vv. 43, 45, and 47 is Gehenna, from which the Hinnom Valley, the steep ravine to the southwest of Jerusalem

The Gospel according to Mark Discipleship: Counting the Cost (9:42–50)

where human sacrifice had been practiced under Ahaz and Manasseh (2 Kgs 16:3; 21:6), derives its name. The detestable practice of human sacrifice was later excoriated by Jeremiah (Jer 7:31; 32:35) and abolished by King Josiah (2 Kgs 23:10), who desecrated the Hinnom Valley by making it a garbage dump.

Is 66:24 ““As they leave, they will see the dead bodies of those who have rebelled against me; for their worm will never die, their fire will never go out, and they will be a horror to all humanity.””

🧂Salt V.49-50

Christian Standard Bible Chapter 9

49 For everyone will be salted with fire.,, 50 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 one of the most common substances on the earth and cannot be destroyed by fire or time. Also known as “white gold,” it is one of the most significant substances in history, along with iron, gold, and wheat. In ancient societies it was a valuable social and economic commodity. For example, 1 Maccabees records that, at times, taxes were imposed on salt (1 Maccabees 10:29; 11:35).

In ancient Egypt it was a symbol of luxury, and Egyptians used it in the mummification of their dead and to preserve olives and fish.

At one point in the history of the early Roman Empire, salt from the sea was brought inland and sold for slaves.

Salt has also served as a significant figurative symbol. Sharing salt was a symbol of friendship and hospitality, and ancient conflicts concluded with a meal consisting of bread and salt as a symbol of friendship (Aristotle, Eudemian Ethics 7.2.46; Cicero, Treatise of Friendship 19.67).

Salt was also viewed as a divine gift (Plutarch, Symposium 5.10.2; Homer, Iliad 9.214).

Judgment- Gen 19:26 “But Lot’s wife looked back and became a pillar of salt.”

Preparation of Sacrifice - Lev 2:13 “You are to season each of your grain offerings with salt; you must not omit from your grain offering the salt of the covenant with your God. You are to present salt with each of your offerings.”

Preserving Covenant - Num 18:19 ““I give to you and to your sons and daughters all the holy contributions that the Israelites present to the Lord as a permanent statute. It is a permanent covenant of salt before the Lord for you as well as your offspring.””

Purification -2 Kings 2:21 “Elisha went out to the spring, threw salt in it, and said, “This is what the Lord says: ‘I have healed this water. No longer will death or unfruitfulness result from it.’ ””

Cleansing- Ezek 43:24 “You are to present them before the Lord; the priests will throw salt on them and sacrifice them as a burnt offering to the Lord.”

Mat 5:13 ““You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt should lose its taste, how can it be made salty? It’s no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.”

Col 4:6 “Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you should answer each person.”

The Gospel according to Mark Discipleship: Counting the Cost (9:42–50)

In the present context fire and salt appear to be symbols of the trials and costs of discipleship. Discipleship to Jesus lays a total claim on one’s life; in the language of sacrifice, it must be totally consuming or it is worthless. Rather than consuming believers in frustration and failure, however, trials make their walk holy and acceptable to God. The disciple who takes up the cross of Jesus and follows on the way to Jerusalem (8:34), who nurtures the faith of another believer (v. 42), who willingly forsakes things precious but injurious to the life of faith is himself a holy sacrifice, a “living sacrifice” according to Paul (Rom 12:1).

Christian Standard Bible Chapter 1

6 You rejoice in this, even though now for a short time, if necessary, you suffer grief in various trials 7 so that the proven character of your faith—more valuable than gold which, though perishable, is refined by fire—may result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

✌🏼Peace V.42-50

Jesus was salted as our sacrifice Jesus was put thought the trials of Fire. So that he can preserve you and I - and present you and I as pure in the sight of God.

The lIttle ones Jesus is referring to are all those who are believers in Him.

As followers we all have to sacrifice something to keep ouselves and others from falling awya or stumbling

1 Peter 1:6-7 “You rejoice in this, even though now for a short time, if necessary, you suffer grief in various trials so that the proven character of your faith—more valuable than gold which, though perishable, is refined by fire—may result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”  

The Gospel according to Mark Discipleship: Counting the Cost (9:42–50)

whatever is done to a follower of Jesus, whether for good (v. 41) or bad (v. 42), is done to Jesus himself.

Serious self sacrifice will give you peace with God and with others.

Jesus is showing the seriousness of following Him and the importance of true commitment sanctification.

Submission to Christ requires Sacrifices in Life

What will you remove to prevent you and others form stumbling? What will you sacrifice to live at peace with your brother and sisters in Christ and be a peace with God?