If You Play with Fire

Introduction:

You cannot argue that we live in a sinful world, full of terrible evil and iniquity. No one can walk out into the world without facing temptation after temptation and to be tossed to and fro: to be pulled to look, touch, taste—to experience the good life that hedonism can offer. To experience earthly comfort and personal fulfillment.

Family we are tempted, seduced, and influenced at every turn. There is no escape

[South Sudan:eyes]

Romans 3:9–18 NKJV

9 What then? Are we better than they? Not at all. For we have previously charged both Jews and Greeks that they are all under sin. 10 As it is written: “There is none righteous, no, not one; 11 There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God. 12 They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one.” 13 “Their throat is an open tomb; With their tongues they have practiced deceit”; “The poison of asps is under their lips”; 14 “Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.” 15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood; 16 Destruction and misery are in their ways; 17 And the way of peace they have not known.” 18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

1 John 5:19 NKJV

19 We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.

Romans 3:23 NKJV

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

In this short passage Jesus Christ is going to stress just how terrible sin is, and He is warning the sinner. Every person is personally responsible for their sin. the fact of a sinful world does not lessen a person’s responsibility. They cannot blame the world, society, or there, because they have been given free will.

Woe to you sinner—you are personally responsible. To make matters worse, every sin can become stumbling block to others! Woe to you who sins and places the stumbling block for others to fall over.

v. 42) Your sin affects other’s stability:

This directly correlates with what Kurt taught through last week. This verse concludes the thought in verses 35–41 and sets the stage for the rest of our passage.

To better understand this verse lets look at the previous verse.

Mark 9:41 NKJV

41 For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.

If a small act of kindness toward others done in Jesus’ name will be eternally remembered, so will any cause for stumbling.

The punishment for such an offense was so severe that it would be better for him to be drowned in the sea before he could cause one of these little ones who believe in Jesus.

Who are the “little ones?”

The context on the passage it is most likely that Jesus is speaking to actually children. But this could also apply to the lowly disciples and the immature Christian.

What Christ seems to be saying, “the most terrible sin is leading another person to sin.”

Let’s define sin:

Sin literally means missing the mark. We would define sin as:

the voluntary departure from a the command prescribed by God; voluntary transgression of the divine law, or the violation of a divine command; a wicked act; iniquity.

“What is sin? It is the glory of God not honored. The holiness of God not reverenced. The greatness of God not admired. The power of God not praised. The truth of God not sought. The wisdom of God not esteemed. The beauty of God not treasured. The goodness of God not savored. The faithfulness of God not trusted. The commandments of God not obeyed. The justice of God not respected. The wrath of God not feared. The grace of God not cherished. The presence of God not prized. The person of God not loved. That is sin.”–John Piper

There are several ways we cause others to sin:

By leading them into sin and teaching them to sin. “Oh, come on, no one will know. It’s not going to hurt you. Everyone does this.”

[Example: Rehoboam]

By example, things we do. those who observe us and think to themselves: “If it’s all right for him, then it must be okay for me.”

Overlooking or passing over wickedness or wrong doing. Usually this happens because we consider the sin to be merely a minor sin. “Oh that’s alright. It’s not going to hurt anyone.”

Ephesians 5:11 NKJV

11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.

By ridiculing or poking fun at, or by sneering at a person’s attempt to do right.

Jesus doesn’t hold His punches here, this is serious, it’s severe: “it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were throne into the sea.”

During the time of christ there were two sizes of millstones. The small ones used by women to grind small amount of grain. The larger was turned by an animal to grind a large amount of grain.

Jesus is referring to the larger kind of millstone here.

To many Christians think nothing of drawing young, weak Christians into sin. While they emerge without much problem, the little ones often end up shipwrecked.

We all have someone who looks up to us and some sin that could bring them down.

A personal leaning toward a particular sin could cause a complete collapse in another.

It would be better for me to lose my physical life than for my example to cause another to endanger their spiritual life.

vv. 43–48) Your sin endangers your eternity:

Right off the bat we have to understand that some tragically, have taken these words of Jesus in a sense He did not intend and have cut off their hands or have mutilated themselves in some other way in their mistaken battle against sin.

The problem with taking Jesus’ words literally here is that bodily mutilation does not go far enough in controlling sin. Sin is more a matter of the heart than of any particular limb or organ, and if I cut off my right hand, my left is still ready to sin.

Rather than self-mutilation, Jesus is using the strongest analogy speaking of costly sacrifice.

“it is better for you to enter life maimed” With this exhortation, Jesus tried to correct a big misunderstanding on the part of the disciples. They thought of the kingdom mainly in terms of reward, not in terms of sacrifice.

Jesus restates:

Mark 8:34–35 NKJV

34 When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 35 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.

That if we try to save our lives, we will lose them, and to follow Jesus means to pick up our cross and follow Him.

Being a disciple of jesus Christ comes with a cost, a sacrifice, are you willing to pay it?

This is a good point to make a side-note:

Here Jesus gives two eschatological outcomes.

Eschatology is simply the study of endings. Death, judgement, and the final destiny of mankind.

Life and the other is called here, not ‘death’ but hell or Gehenna, and explained as unquenchable fire.

Gehenna is a transliteration of two Hebrew words meaning valley of hinnom, a place south west of Jerusalem where children were once sacrificed to the pagan god Molech.

Jesus uses the word geenna 11 of the 12 times it occurs in the NT. The other time is in James.

Gehenna is not a smoldering garbage dump.

Matthew’s gospel translates never be quenched as “eternal.” They mean the same thing. The primary though of asbestos is not that of duration; but it does mean that because it does mean the absolute unquenchability of the fire.

“A child with a spoon may sooner empty the sea than the damned accomplish their misery. A river of brimstone is not consumed by burning.”–Trapp

[44] “Where their worm does not die”

Apparently there is a “worm” in hell that afflicts those there; therefore, it can be called “their worm.”

I believe this is a picture of something within hell that would prey those in hell, wounding them, and inflict a biting, gnawing, and consuming pain. Note, it “doesn’t die” meaning it never ends.

This is probably something created by their own hands. This could be the memory and conscience that never leaves the man or woman who finds themselves in hell. Constantly disturbing and reminding them of what he has missed and lost:

Luke 16:19–31 NKJV

19 “There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. 20 But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, 21 desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. 24 “Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.’ 25 But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented. 26 And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.’ 27 “Then he said, ‘I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house, 28 for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’ 29 Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’ 30 And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ 31 But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’ ”

Honestly it doesn’t matter if this is a physical or a metaphorical worm. The worm is internal torment and the unquenchable fire, external.

The message of Jesus is crystal clear: You better understand how terrible hell is going to be, it is worth any sacrifice to avoid.

Therefore, we cannot think of the kingdom of God just in the context of the reward; we must also think in terms of sacrifice.

Thought 1: The hand determines our destiny:

2 Corinthians 6:17–18 NKJV

17 Therefore “Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you.” 18 “I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”

Thought 2: We are called to walk even as Christ walked.

Ephesians 5:15 NKJV

15 See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise,

Colossians 2:6 NKJV

6 As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him,

1 John 2:6 NKJV

6 He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.

Thought 3: Scripture’s warns about what the eye is looking at:

1 John 2:16 NKJV

16 For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.

Is there something in your life that needs to be cut off?

[examples]

Each of these temptation whether the hand, foot, or eye are all temptations that come through various means. And whatever tempts a disciple to cling to this world’s life must be removed!

What we do is often related to where we go, and where we go is often related to what we have seen.

If someone shows no sign of a fight with sin, it indicates one of two things: you either don't have a relationship with Jesus; or your relationship is seriously strained. Either way get right with God.

Hell is the temporary place of suffering. The Lake of Fire is the place of of eternal suffering for those resolved to defiant disobedience.

Be willing to take drastic measures in order to combat habitual sin.

vv. 49–50) Your sin diminishes your credibility:

Jesus declared that His followers will be seasoned with fire and that every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt.

The salt must retain its flavor, and this will bring peace.

These two verses have a couple interpretations:

1: fire refers to to tribulations and suffering; that these things will accompany the “living sacrifices (Rom 12:1)” of a true disciple.

Since the OT sacrifices were instituted they always included slat:

Leviticus 2:13 NKJV

13 And every offering of your grain offering you shall season with salt; you shall not allow the salt of the covenant of your God to be lacking from your grain offering. With all your offerings you shall offer salt.

I believe what Jesus is saying, “Just as every sacrifice under the law required salt, so the living sacrifice My followers bring to Me mu st be seasoned with suffering and tribulations.”

2: The only other interpretation that fits, refers to the HS. As His presence in our lives “seasons” us, He purifies, preserves, and adds flavor to our lives, thus making our living sacrifice acceptable to God.

The harsh truth of reality is the surety of judgment. Everyone shall be judged: every sacrifice a person has made and every work they have don shall be judged too.

“Salted with fire” probably means everyone will be tried with fire.

1 Corinthians 3:9–15 NKJV

9 For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building. 10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. 11 For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. 14 If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

Our works and sacrifices set ablaze. The wood, hay, and stubble will be burned. Why? Because they are:

impure

worthless and cannot be used

unpleasing to the Lord

But the gold, silver, and precious stones shall last and be proven incorruptible. Why? Because they are:

pure

beneficial and can be used

pleasing to God

I pray that each of us desires to kill sin in our lives and have true and lasting deliverance from it.

I want to make one more point before we wrap up this morning.

Christ said three things are necessary to save oneself from the terribleness of sin.

Search oneself and labor. Evaluate one’s saltiness, one’s purity and usefulness.

Be sure to be salted, to have salt. One must be pure and useful.

Live in peace with one another. This is essential.

John 13:34–35 NKJV

34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Ephesians 4:31–32 NKJV

31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. 32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.

Fighting our sin is costly but refusing to fight will cost even more.

It’s better to burn in the fires of this world as an offering than burn in the fires of hell as a punishment.

Our personal examples should be stable and our covenantal relationships should be enduring.

Remember this isn’t a random teaching Jesus gave to His disciples. What brought about this great lesson was the arguing among the disciples, of who was the greatest among them; and the intolerance shown toward a man’s ministering in the Lord’s name.

Numbers 6:24–26 KJV 1900

24 The Lord bless thee, and keep thee: 25 The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: 26 The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.