Preached Apr 11, 1999 at Faith Baptist Church
By Pastor Steven E. Mays

"3 Things that will send you to Hell for Sure!"

Mark 9:41-48

41 For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward.
42 And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.
43 And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:
44 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.
45 And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:
46 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.
47 And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire:
48 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.

Strangely enough there is a Gahanna in Ohio (the word Jesus used for Hell); and there is a Hell, Michigan. Both are really quite nice places and deserve better names. We may sometimes make for ourselves a Hell on earth, but Jesus spoke of a Hell beyond earth, beyond time; and that gives us a great deal to think about.

Hell is a very serious matter… God had only one son, and He made Him a Hell Fire and Brimstone preacher… never mistake that.. 4 times as much in the NT on Hell as on Heaven…

The devil minimizes this in our minds by causing us to use Hell lightly… Hell isn't a cuss word, it's a Place and in some places it's a description of state of life, or state of being or product of a Devil - Sin filled world!

If more hell were preached in the pulpit, there would be less hell in the community.

The sad thing about the truth of hell is, it is Eternal. The Catholics have come up with the extra-Biblical idea of purgatory, the JW's have said it doesn't exist, the Hindu's have said it's not coming back in as high a place or rank in the created order, the Mormons have said it's not being a God, but all of that is a bunch NON SENSE made up by men who'll find out the moment their hearts stops beating that they were DEAD WRONG!

This morning I want to point out 3 things I find in my text passage that will send you to Hell for Sure!

I. The first thing that will send you to hell for sure is your Hand!

43 And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:
44 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.

We live in an hour of men and woman loving iniquity…

We live in a time when folks love their sin!

1. Isaiah 2:8 Their land also is full of idols; they worship the work of their own hands, that which their own fingers have made:

2. Proverbs 6:17 A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,

3. Revelation 9:20 And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk:

Jesus said very clearly that if your hands sin, it would be better to cut those hands off and be saved than to go to hell for sin that your hands want!

1 Corinthians 9:27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

If my hands were wanting to grab a beer or a joint or some other sinful thing that would keep me from God!……

If my hands were wanting to work when I ought to be seeking God!…..

If my hands wanted to play ball when I ought to be seeking the Lord!…..

It would be better to cut my hands off and get to God than to Keep to Hands and Die and Burn in Hell!

Our hands need to turning pages in our bibles… yet…

There is dust enough on some of your Bibles to write damnation with your fingers.
-- Charles Haddon Spurgeon, Christian History, no. 29.

II. The SECOND thing that will send you to hell for sure is your Foot!

45 And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:
46 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.

If my feet were wanting to take me to some sinful place or some other sinful thing that would keep me from God!….

If my feet were go to some place away from God when I ought to be seeking God!….

If my feet wanted to take me to some hellish dance floor instead of to the House of God and place of Worship!….

If I had feet that wanted to take me to a place of unfaithfulness to wife and family, feet that would take me to adultry and wickedness ….

If my feet were wanting to play ball when I ought to be seeking the Lord!….

It would be better to cut my feet off and get to God than to Keep two feet and Die and Burn in Hell!

America is full of feet that are keeping folks on a road to Hell… We see feet like ----

Proverbs 1:16 For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood.

Proverbs 5:5 Her feet go down to death; her steps take hold on hell.

Proverbs 6:13 He winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he teacheth with his fingers;

Proverbs 6:18 An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,

Proverbs 6:28 Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned?

Listen to the word of God!

Proverbs 4:26 Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.

We don't need wicked feet, cut them off, we need beautiful feet!

Romans 10:15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!

III. The Third thing that will send you to hell for sure is your Eye!

47 And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire:
48 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.

If my eyes were wanting to take me to look at some sinful place or some other sinful thing that would keep me from God!…..

If my eyes were to look at evil and wickedness…..

If my eyes were going to stay filled with lustfull things….

If I had eyes that wanted to take me to a place of unfaithfulness to wife and family, feet that would take me to Adultry and wickedness ….

It would be better to pluck out my eyes and get to God than to Keep two eyes and Die and Burn in Hell!

The Bible talks about some eyes that will take you to Hell.

Proverbs 10:10 He that winketh with the eye causeth sorrow: but a prating fool shall fall.

Proverbs 30:17 The eye that mocketh at his father, and despiseth to obey his mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it.

Ecclesiastes 1:8 All things are full of labour; man cannot utter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.

1 John 2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

You'd be better off to pluck eyes like these out than let them take you to Hell!

What are your eyes looking at right now? What are they looking on that will keep you from a Right Relationship with God?



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