A number of years ago. A professor in Africa named Victor Cooligan. Wrote a book entitled 10 Things I Wish Jesus. Never said. And I wasn't too impressed by the title of the book until I understood what was behind the title.
Because as I read the title, Ten Things I Wish Jesus Never Said. It's not your prerogative to determine. And wishing away what Jesus said. If he said it, he said it, and we need to benefit from it. But the point he was making was It was in response to the rise of the prosperity gospel in Africa.
And those things that he Speaks of in that book, wishes that. Jesus had never said That we are to be men and women who are poor in spirit. We are to refrain from judgment. We are to deny ourselves. We are to cut off our limbs if they hinder us.
from walking in In holiness. The issue of hating mother, father. Brother, sister. In Things like that. Tonight, we have before us a passage that I've entitled The Call.
to radical. Discipleship. The call to radical discipleship. And in this passage, the Lord Jesus himself reveals the radical nature of true. discipleship and there are Two ways of thinking about that word radical.
It may be understood, number one, to mean That which is basic, that which is fundamental, that which is foundational. that which is primary. Or That which is extreme, that which is fanatical, that which is severe. I remember when I was first converted, and I expressed what God had done for me. to my father.
He said, well, that's fine, just don't get fanatical about it.
Well That's a bit subjective, isn't it? I'm always intrigued when I'm watching a football game and it's twenty degrees and there's some fan who spent an hour and a half painting his face the team colors and he has no shirt on and it's snowing outside. In my opinion, that's somebody who's fanatical. And if you can be fanatical about your football team, I'm not going to apologize for being fanatical for Jesus. Unfortunately, in the day and age in which we live, with shallow superficiality and Shallow Christianity.
The words of Christ seem radical to us. And yet Understood in a biblical way, they are basic, they are fundamental, they are foundational, and they are primary.
Okay. It seems that what we have before us is extreme. But it should grab our attention to see what Jesus is trying to convey about discipleship and those who are following him. Unless I be misunderstood, this call to radical discipleship is not for. The special forces of Christianity.
This is for all Christians. all who name the name of Christ, all who are professing faith, in the Lord Jesus Christ. We've all been called too radical discipleship.
So this this passage before speaks of Four. aspects of radical discipleship and let me Speak to you about them. Number one, Radical love. Radical love, and that's found in verse 42. Jesus said, But whoever causes one of these little ones to who believe in me to stumble It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown.
into The sea.
Well, there are a number of things about what Jesus is saying here that need to be understood. The first is. that this is not talking about children. He had been talking about children. In verse 37 of this same chapter, he said, Whoever receives one of these little children in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives.
Not me, but him who sent me. But Jesus is not talking about children here. And how do I know that? He says again in verse 42: but whoever causes one of these. Little ones, and you say, well, that sounds like a child.
What's the next phrase say? who believe in me. Who believe in me.
So he's not talking about children. He's not talking about the children that he summoned to come and. sit on his lap. And say Unless you become as a child, you cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. That's not what he's talking about.
He's talking about radical love. Whoever receives one child like this in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, Must. receive all who know me. John chapter 13, verse 20, Jesus said, Truly, truly I say to you, he who receives whoever I send receives me, and he who receives me receives him. Who sent me?
So we're called to a radical kind of love, and what is the opposite of love? It's not hate. The opposite of love is selfishness. selfishness, and that is that monster that we all have to fight. We must put him down.
We must crucify that part of our being. We're all selfish at heart. And yet runs in opposition to the radical love that we're being called to here. The truth that how one treats a believer is how one treats Christ prompted the Lord's warning against causing one of these little ones who believe to stumble. That word stumble Is the Greek word scandalizo, which refers to causing someone to be tripped by temptation and fall or to be led into sin?
Again, Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to stumble. It would be better. For him, if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown, into the sea. Those are strong words. In other words, it is better to die a horrible death by drowning.
than to cause another Christian to sin. And how might we do that? How might we be guilty of causing another Christian to sin. How could we engage and those things that would cause another Believer to stumble. in this life.
Let me speak to four. areas that we could be guilty of. Number one, By direct Temptation. By direct temptation. That is, by overtly enticing someone to sin against the law of God.
It may involve specific sins like lying or gossiping or cheating or stealing or committing sexual sins. You remember Joseph and Potiphar's wife in Genesis 39, 7? It says, Potiphar's wife looked with desire at Joseph, and she said, Lie with me. That is a direct temptation. Proverbs one, verse ten, Solomon says, If sinners entice you, Do not consent.
So that is one way, a direct temptation. The second would be an indirect temptation. And what might that look like?
Well, let me give you one example. You see Ephesians chapter 6 and verse 4. Paul cautioned Parents, do not provoke your children. to anger. Do not provoke your children to anger.
That would be an indirect temptation. And how would a parent be guilty of that?
Well By such things as inattention or lack of affection or overbearing expectations. That would be an indirect temptation. A third way of being guilty of this would be by setting an example that would cause others to sin. Romans 14, verse 13, Therefore, let us not judge one another any more, but rather determine this, not to put an obstacle or a stumbling block In A brother's way. It's rather common for Christians to talk in the realm of.
Christian liberty and Only one aspect of that is considered.
Well, I have Christian liberty to do this, and I have Christian liberty to do that.
Well, no, you really don't have Christian liberty to do this or to do that. Without giving that Christian liberty and the exercise of it in reference to. Other believers, a weaker brother. How about I have Christian liberty not to do this and not to do that? But I hardly ever hear that.
I often hear, well, I have Christian liberty to do this and do that, and I'm going to do it. And I want to say, in no reference to anyone else. You don't have that kind of liberty. That is setting a bad example. We who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength and not to please ourselves.
This is Romans 15. Each of us is to please his neighbor for his good, to his edification, for even Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, the reproaches of those who reproached you fell. On me. And then a fourth way we would be guilty of causing. A brother to stumble.
Another one, Jesus said, whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to stumble. by failing to stimulate others to righteousness. Hebrews 10, verse 24 exhorts us to let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and to good deeds.
So there is that first aspect of radical discipleship, and what is it? It's radical love. And it's radical because it's contrary to our nature. It's contrary to our inclinations and our inclination of selfishness. I remember Paul David Tripp talking about how.
And I love that man. I love his writings. If you don't have a copy of his book, New Morning Mercies, you need to get it. I know some of you have read it year after year after year. It's fresh.
It's powerful. He's an honest man. He's a man. Saved by the grace of God, but he's still. Making progress.
He's not arrived by any stretch of the imagination. And he was talking about this issue of selfishness. And he says, it is so natural to be selfish. He said, I was. My wife and I were talking one evening and we decided we wanted a bowl of ice cream.
So I went and I got the ice cream out in two bowls and I put ice cream in both. And as I was walking up the stairs to hand her a bowl of ice cream, I was looking at the two bowls and went, which one is there's more ice cream in? And it's just a simple example, but that is. That's how Rooted selfishness is in us. The one that you, God gave you as a helpmeat, you're in a one-flesh relationship, you're going to cheat him out of a spoonful of ice cream.
Yeah. Mothers are a wonderful example to us. Six or eight children, and a half a pie, and then only four or five slices, and who goes without the pie? Not the youngest child. The mother does, right?
Because she is an example to us of selflessness.
Well, it gets harder as we move on here. Four aspects of radical discipleship. Number one, radical love. Number two, radical purity. radical purity, and that is beginning at verse 43.
And there's three things mentioned here. The hand? The foot? In the eye. And why those three things?
Well, it emphasizes the battle against sin includes all aspects of our lives: what we do, where we go, and what we see. The battle has to be fought on those. Grounds. Radical purity. Let me read the verses again.
If your hand. causes you to sin. Cut it off. Rather than having two hands to go to hell into the fire that shall never be quenched, where Their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off.
It is better for you to enter life lame rather than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched, where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire, where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched. Three times Jesus repeats those words. Speaking of hellfire, where the worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.
Verse 44, verse 46, and verse 48. Number of things here. Number one. He's not talking about physical mutilation. This is hyperbole.
This is a a means of communicating to exaggerate a point. Sin is your enemy. You better be serious about it. I'm encouraged. Our seventh and eighth grade boys Sunday School class has this posted on the bulletin board for our boys to see.
Sin is a killer. Kill it before it kills you. I'm glad our boys are seeing that. I'm glad our boys are being taught that. That's just not a principle, that's scripture.
Romans 8:13. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die. But if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. What's at stake? Life or death?
Sin is serious. How serious? Jesus went to the cross to die for sin. Does it need to be anything more serious than that? Nothing is worth missing heaven for, and nothing is worth going to hell for.
Nothing.
So Not talking about physical mutilation, but we're talking about. Jesus is using words to get our attention about how serious we must be viewing sin and how serious we need to be at putting it to death in our lives. We're too passive about it. We're too tolerant of it. We're too lazy-faire about it.
Be killing sin, or it will be killing you. Number two. Several things here. The first is, this is not about physical mutilation. Number two, The word cause that's in verse 43, verse 45, in verse 47, speaking of the hand, speaking of the foot, speaking of the eye.
If your hand causes you to sin, if your foot causes you to sin, if your eye causes you to sin, that word cause is in the present tense. This isn't one and done. This isn't something you settle at conversion. This is something that is an ongoing reality in the life of every Christian.
Now, that's not news to any of you sitting here tonight, but it is news to a lot of people because they've been taught. If there's something happens down here at an altar, you come down and settle the matter, and sin never bothers you again. Oh, I wish that were true. Don't you? But that's not.
The reality. Sin is an enemy that we will live with as long as we breathe God's air. There is no salvation apart from a heart that seeks after righteousness. That is the initial commitment that every believer must make. We cannot make peace with sin.
We must see it as an enemy. We must commit that we are going to battle against sin as long as we live. And it becomes our lifelong pattern. That's radical discipleship. The third thing.
that I would draw to your attention. Is Jesus makes mention of hell. in this passage. three different times. The word Gehenna.
Hell appears 12 times. In the New Testament, and all but one of those uses is by Christ. And he speaks of hell. and references that it is a place of unquenchable fire. Eternal hell, the lake of fire.
And we could spend a good bit of time about Wrestling with that issue. But Let's just believe what Jesus said. It's a place where the worm does not die and the fire is not quenched. Jesus said it in verse 44, he said it in verse 46, he said it again in verse 48. I think the three-time repetition is on purpose.
He doesn't want us to miss it. Radical love, radical. Purity. What else does he say? Talking about four aspects of radical discipleship.
Number three, radical sacrifice. What are the Demands: What are the aspects of radical discipleship? They are radical love, radical purity, radical sacrifice. Verse 49 says, will be seasoned with fire. Everyone will be seasoned.
with fire.
Now the meaning, I think, can be best understood by examining scripture passages in which salt and fire are mentioned together.
So let's look at two places in the Old Testament. First, in Ezekiel chapter 43. Turn to Ezekiel chapter 43. This passage connects both salt and fire with Old Testament sacrifices. And why am I drawing your attention to that?
Because our third aspect of radical discipleship is radical sacrifice.
So here's the language of sacrifice in Ezekiel chapter 43, verse 23 and verse 23. 24. Here's the instructions: When you have finished cleansing it, you shall offer a young bull without blemish and a ram from the flock without blemish. And when you offer them before the Lord, the priests shall throw salt on them, and they will offer them up as a burnt offering. to the Lord.
And then turn to Leviticus. Leviticus chapter 2. Leviticus chapter two. We're not accustomed to being. Back here in Leviticus, but Leviticus chapter two and verse thirteen.
Yeah. says this. And every offering of your grain offering you shall season with salt. You shall not allo allow the salt. Of the covenant of your God to be lacking from your grain offering, with all your offerings, you shall offer salt.
It's one verse. Let me read it again and take note of the emphasis on covenant. And every offering of your grain offering, the salt of the covenant of your God to be lacking from your grain offering. With all your offerings you shall offer. Salt.
Salt. A preserving Chemical added to the sacrifice, when they were burned, as a symbol. of what? A symbol of God's enduring covenant. And specifically, the grain offering seems to be in view here, particularly there in Leviticus chapter 2 and verse 13.
The grain offering. One of the five Old Testament offerings, along with the burnt offering, the peace offering, the sin offering, and the guilt offerings, was an offering of consecration. Symbolizing total devotion to the Lord. And notice again the language there in Mark chapter 9. Verse 49, for everyone.
Not some, but everyone will be seasoned. with fire.
Everyone. That is all believers. All believers should make a long-term, enduring, permanent sacrifice of their lives. to God, and where do we find Paul instructing us along those lines? Romans chapter 12 and verse 1.
What does he say? We are to present our bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto the Lord, which is our reasonable service.
So this is radical discipleship. Radical love, radical purity, radical sacrifice. A living sacrifice. That is, as we live out our lives, We are offering ourselves to God. for his service.
I remember talking to a man who was. Adamant convinced me that he loved his wife. He says, I love her so much, I'd be willing to die for her. I said, Well, brother, I doubt the Lord will ever. Ask you to die for your wife, but I'll tell you what he is asking you to do.
Live for. Be a living sacrifice. Lovers, Christ loved the church. And they've been married for over 50 years. It was like a new idea to him.
I'm thinking, really? How is that a new idea? You've been sitting in a church like this? But he thought, well, he was really making a statement. I'll be willing to die for her.
Well, God's not asking you to die for her. But he's asking you to love her and to live for her. and to make sacrifices for her good. And what else does he say here? This is, again, radical discipleship.
Radical love, radical purity, radical sacrifice. Radical obedience. Radical obedience. Notice what he says in verse 50. Salt is good.
Too good sometimes, right? Doctor says Knock it off. Salt is good. But if the salt loses its flavor, How will you season it? Have salt in yourselves and have peace with one another.
Salt. One of the arresting sites is you're traveling in Um Israel is when you travel near the Dead Sea. There's just piles and piles of salt. I mean It's just, it's astounding. You see it everywhere.
And salt can be contaminated in that particular area with something that's called gypsum. And if it's contaminated, it loses its effectiveness. It loses its. Preservative quality, it becomes unsalty, becomes tasteless, it's useless, it's no good any longer. And we're not accustomed to that.
We have salt in our. cupboards that last for years and years and years, and it's preserved and it's not going to be contaminated with anything.
So we have a hard time saying seeing this. Salt is good, but if the salt loses its flavor, And the audience that Jesus was speaking to would understand that. They would understand that there are contaminants that would. render salt useless. Salt is good, but if the salt loses its flavor, how will you season it?
You can't. Its quality is gone. It's useless. It needs thrown away. And then He brings a fitting challenge to these proud, self-serving.
Constantly bickering ones. over who is the greatest. And what does he say? Have salt in yourselves and have peace. with one another.
have peace with one another. Jesus was very long-suffering with these men. In our study in Mark, there was a time when they were arguing among themselves as they were making a journey. And Jesus overheard them. He knew what they were bickering about.
He knew what they were arguing about, who was to be the greatest in the kingdom. You remember that? Several months ago. Jesus says, Hey fellas, what were you talking about as we were making our way home? Nothing.
No, what were you talking about? He knew what they'd been talking about. They were ashamed of themselves. To be at peace with one another. I think most of us have lived long enough as a Christian to know that that's not always easy.
That there are going to be challenges, and there's going to be misunderstandings, and there's going to be unspoken expectations that we're not able to meet, and there is going to be the lack of peace. In relationships, sometimes within our family, sometimes with brothers and sisters in Christ, and it ought not to be. And we need this exhortation. from the Lord Jesus. Be at peace.
with one another. Be at peace with one another. And I could preach a whole sermon on what that might look like. But for sake of time and Keeping this message consolidated as we're talking about four aspects of radical discipleship. It is radical love, it is radical purity, it is radical sacrifice.
and it is radical obedience. You say radical? To be at peace with one another? Absolutely. Because what happens?
when there's where we have ought against one another. We begin to rehearse in our minds why we're right and they're wrong. And if I get an opportunity, I've got this long argument. of why they're wrong and I'm right. That flies in the face of have people have peace with one another.
We're not As kind and generous, and long-suffering, and forbearing with one another as we ought to. It's amazing how Easy it is to get cross with somebody. And we ought not to be that way. And it's interesting that Jesus would end this. section.
This is one of the most A resting and radical passage of scripture dealing with what it means to be a follower of Christ. recorded in the Gospels. And what's the last thing Jesus talks about? He talks about salt. Mm-hmm.
And we are what? Christians are to be the salt of the earth. There are no other spiritual influences. For modeling the truth other than the lives of true disciples of Jesus Christ. There is nobody else who's been called to this.
We're the only ones. We're followers of Christ and we are the salt of the earth. And what effect should we have in this world? We are a preserving. Quality in this life.
And we're to be the light of the world as well.
So here we have it. Four. aspects of radical Discipleship. How are you doing? How are you doing in this This test.
Radical love. Is that something that you exemplify, is it something that you can say, you know what, I I understand that. And I know what that the demands of that. I know What hinders that? I'm on guard against the hindrances to it.
I'm working at that. Or is that something that's not even on your radar? Pastor Strength mentioned in a sermon this morning about love. By this. Will all men know you're my disciples by your love one for another.
It's important. And anything that hinders that. Anything that's a threat to that needs to be viewed as a serious problem and dealt with. Radical purity. I am I.
Radical amputation. There's reasons why the scriptures have such warnings. Make no provision for the flesh. Be putting sin to death. Mortify the deeds of the flesh.
Be at war. With sin. Have zero tolerance for it. You say, well, I'm just so tired of the fight. There's a day when the fight will be over.
But right now, stay in the ring. Don't give up the fight. Don't run up the white flag on the pole and surrender. Jesus is worth it. Pursue holiness.
Why?
Well, without it, no one will see the Lord. If you're a Christian. That's not something that you can Just cast off. We are to be pursuing holiness. Knowing that In this life?
Well never be done with our battle with sin. But here's the goal. My friend Dr. Stuart Scott said this so many times. I heard him say it.
He said the goal of Christian life. is to be sinning less. Not being sinless. You see the difference? We ought to be sinning less than we did a year ago, five years ago, ten years ago.
There ought to be a trajectory into our life. We ought to be growing in sanctification. Radical sacrifice. Our lives are not our own. We've been bought with a price.
Therefore, we're to glorify God and our bodies, which belong to Him. We don't belong to ourselves.
So we are a sacrifice. We are a living sacrifice. And it is a joy to give ourselves, yield ourselves to God and say, God, use me. Use me however. Gift me.
Whatever gifts you have for me, make me aware of them. Help me to develop them that I might be more and more useful in my service for you. and then radical obedience. Radical obedience. So those four things.
Challenge us tonight. to rad radical discipleship. Let us pray. Father, we thank you for the words of our Savior. We thank you for the hard things of Scripture.
That challenge us and make demands of us and. We thank you, Father, that we're not left to ourselves. We thank you that you work in us both to will and to do according to your good pleasure. But there is that part of our lives that you hold us accountable for. We're to work out our salvation with fear and trembling, knowing that you are at work.
in us both to will and to do according to your good pleasure, and we rejoice in that. that we're not left to ourselves. That this is a spirit. Wrought spirit enabled. venture that we're on.
Father, give us grace. To Yield ourselves and lean in to these aspects of radical discipleship. For our effectiveness in this world. and to enhance our testimony in this world. and to increase our effectiveness.
as we live out our lives in this world. I pray in Jesus' name. Amen.
Okay.
