Hell is for Real, 1 November 2020
Hell is for Real
Series—Mark: The Real Jesus
Mark 9:38-50
Series Big Idea: Mark’s gospel is the most concise biography of Jesus.
Big Idea: Hell is real…and avoidable!
Hell. There are few words which conjure up more images, more controversy, more fear. It’s a word found in English Bibles which has been used both as the name of a Michigan community and a swear word.
There are a lot of myths about hell, and while we won’t probably answer every question, our text today as we continue in the book of Mark will reveal some of Jesus’ teachings on hell.
More people believe in heaven than believe in hell.
More people believe in angels than believe in demons.
More people believe in God than believe in satan.
What does that tell you? We are optimists!
It may not be politically correct, but the Bible is abundantly clear that there are two roads, two teams, two sides, two armies at war with one another…good and evil. Spiritual warfare is real, and we’re in the middle of it every day.
However, there is much we don’t know for certain about the spiritual world. There are many things we don’t know about heaven and hell. Theories about the afterlife abound, but the Bible is not as clear about some things as we may have been led to believe.
Let’s begin with our scripture for today.
“Teacher,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us.” (Mark 9:38)
John is worries about someone performing an exorcism. I can just see it: “Jesus, the guy is from a different denomination! He’s not on our team! He probably hasn’t even been ordained yet or gone to seminary! We need to stop this, right?”
“Do not stop him,” Jesus said. “For no one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, for whoever is not against us is for us. (Mark 9:39-40)
Wait, is it “whoever is not against us is for us” or “whoever is not for us is against us?”
Twice Jesus says, “Whoever is not against you/us is for you/us,” here and in Luke 9:50.
Twice Jesus says, “Whoever is not with me is against me” (Matthew 12:30, Luke 11:23).
Which is it, Jesus? Actually, the context matters. “Whoever is not against you is for you” applies to other believers, while “whoever is not with me is against me” is a reference to those who are anti-Christian. The point is, you cannot be neutral about Jesus. Are you with Jesus or against Jesus?
It’s not a question of do you like Jesus or do you believe intellectually some events in history. The question is are you with him. If so, you need to be all in…heart, soul, mind, and strength; time, talents, and treasures; 24/7/365. He’s not looking for fans. He is seeking followers. Disciples.
Back to our text, Jesus continues,
Truly I tell you, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to the Messiah will certainly not lose their reward. (Mark 9:39-41)
I think this is a statement of unity. As we stated last Sunday, there are theological arguments which separate followers of Jesus, yet we are all children of God. We will spend eternity with God and one another. We need to be careful about judging other believers simply because we have disagreements. But that doesn’t mean we can be careless about our theology, our study of God.
“If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them if a large millstone were hung around their neck and they were thrown into the sea. (Mark 9:42)
A quick read may cause you to think of children, but I think the reference is to those new to the faith. A biblical millstone was huge. Jesus is graphic about the consequence of causing others to stumble, to fall into sin. Now Jesus gets even more graphic.
If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out. (Mark 9:43)
Some people have taken this verse literally! The message is following Jesus demands sacrifice. Anything that gets in the way of following Christ must go. Jesus is saying the consequences of sin are real. Hell is for real.
The original Greek word translated here as “hell” is “geena” from the valley of [ge] Hinnon or Gehenna in southwest Jerusalem, used figuratively as a place or state of everlasting punishment. I’ve been there! Gehenna was the place where idolatrous Jews sacrificed their children to the pagan god Molech, and later where bodies of the dead were disposed. In the first-century, it was a garbage dump with everything set on fire, hence Jesus’ phrase, “Where the fire never goes out.”
Does this mean hell is a literal lake of fire that will burn forever? Maybe.
Much of our understand of hell—fire and brimstone—comes not from the Bible, but rather from art and an Italian poem by Dante called Divine Comedy. Inferno is the first part, describing Dante’s journey through hell with vivid language.
Jesus spoke of the kingdom of heaven as a present reality, not merely something in the afterlife. In the same way, our choices now can create what many call “hell on earth.” Sin has consequences. Hell is real, I don’t want anyone to experience it. God doesn’t want anyone to experience it. Jesus’ friend Peter wrote,
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9)
C.S. Lewis said,
“There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, “Thy will be done”, and those to whom God says, in the end, “Thy will be done.” All that are in hell choose it. Without that self-choice there could be no hell. No soul that seriously and constantly desires joy will ever miss it. Those who seek find to those who knock, it is opened.”
There are so many things we don’t know about heaven and hell, but my simplest definitions are
Heaven is where God is present.
Hell is where God is absent.
To restate C.S. Lewis,
God does not send people to hell. We choose to be present with God now and for eternity or we choose to ignore God now and He will honor that choice for eternity.
Some of your Bibles are missing verse 44. That’s because many of the oldest manuscripts of the Bible lack this phrase:
where
“Their worm does not die
And the fire is not quenched.’ (Mark 9:44, NKJV)
This is a quotation from Isaiah 66:24. Some believe the worm represents internal suffering and the fire external. This is added detail to verse 43. Together they read in the NKJV,
It is better for you to enter into life maimed, 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.’ (Mark 9:43b-44, NKJV)
Let’s look at a few more verses and you’ll understand why there are missing verses.
And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. (Mark 9:45)
Verse 46 is missing in most translations, too. The NKJV reads exactly the same:
where
“Their worm does not die
And the fire is not quenched.’ (Mark 9:46, NKJV)
Finally,
And if your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, where
“ ‘the worms that eat them do not die,
and the fire is not quenched.’ (Mark 9:47-48)
Verses 44, 46, and 48 are exactly the same in the NKJV. The translators likely added 44 and 46. The meaning of the text doesn’t change with or without them. It’s as if the NKJV did a copy-and-paste for emphasis. This is one of a small number of textual discrepancies in the Bible. Since we don’t have the original manuscripts, there are some variations, but virtually all of them are like this, having no bearing on the meaning. If someone tells you the Bible is full of errors, they are literally correct, but those errors are inconsequential to the meaning, reliability, and authority of the Bible. Out of 66 books, there are a few occasions where the copyist was unsure whether something was a semi-colon or a comma with a speck of dust on the page. No big deal.
To my knowledge—I am not an expert on the original, ancient documents—there are absolutely no controversies surrounding any essential truths of our faith such as the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Any problems are extremely minor such as punctuation.
Tony Evans says hands represent things we handle, the foot represents where we go, and the eye symbolizes things we look at, all potential doors to sin. Jesus continues,
Everyone will be salted with fire. (Mark 9:49)
Fire can destroy, but it can also test and purify. Salt purifies, too. Old Testament sacrifices were offered with salt, which both preserves and purifies.
“Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt among yourselves, and be at peace with each other.” (Mark 9:50)
So What?
The Alliance Statement of Faith says,
Man was originally created in the image and likeness of God: he fell through disobedience, incurring thereby both physical and spiritual death. All men are born with a sinful nature, are separated from the life of God, and can be saved only through the atoning work of the Lord Jesus Christ. The portion of the unrepentant and unbelieving is existence forever in conscious torment; and that of the believer, in everlasting joy and bliss.
The verse used to support “the portion of the unrepentant and unbelieving is existence forever in conscious torment” is Revelation 21:8…
“But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” (Revelation 21:8)
My purpose today isn’t to debate nuances of hell, but merely to encourage you to avoid it! The Bible never describes it as a wild party for demons and rock stars. It’s the one place in the universe where God is absent. I can’t imagine how dreadful it is. You think this world is bad?! Imagine our planet without God. Literal or figurative fire, eternal or temporary…does it really matter?!
Alliance pastor Skye Jethani writes, “An afterlife in heaven or hell is the residue of tradition, but it is decidedly not the emphasis of the New Testament. Scripture has a far more physical and terrestrial vision of the future. It depicts a renewed earth in which God dwells with his resurrected people in a redeemed, glorified creation. The Lord is focused on redeeming his world, not abandoning it to the enemy. The goal of the New Testament is not disembodied souls escaping the earth and occupying a celestial heaven for eternity…Its emphasis is not heaven or hell but on a choice between life or death.”
I know this isn’t the most uplifting of subjects, but there’s good news. That’s the meaning of the word “gospel.” The good news or gospel is Jesus.
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. (John 3:16-17)
Without Christ, our sins would automatically condemn us to hell, separation from God. He is allergic to sin. But Jesus died to pay for our sins, to forgive us, to wipe the slate clean, to reconcile us to the Father. If we choose to follow Jesus, we will not perish, but will have everlasting life. Could there be any greater news?
Today we remember the sacrifice Jesus made, leaving heaven to come to earth for about thirty-three years to live, die, and resurrect.
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)
Hallelujah!
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)
Hallelujah! Hell is for real…and avoidable…not because we are good enough, but because of Jesus.
But as I said, Jesus isn’t looking for fans. He wants followers. If you want Jesus simply for a “get out of hell free” card, you’re in the wrong place. He wants to give you life—abundant life, everlasting life, real life…now and forever. You simply need to say “yes” and respond to his gift, the gift of himself. Repent and turn away from your sins…and follow Jesus.
While there is much we don’t know about hell, one thing is certain: God will judge evil.
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23)
You are not ready to live until you’re ready to die.
You can listen to this message and others at the First Alliance Church podcast here.
You can watch this video and others at the First Alliance Church Video Library here.
Series—Mark: The Real Jesus
Mark 9:38-50
Series Big Idea: Mark’s gospel is the most concise biography of Jesus.
Big Idea: Hell is real…and avoidable!
Hell. There are few words which conjure up more images, more controversy, more fear. It’s a word found in English Bibles which has been used both as the name of a Michigan community and a swear word.
There are a lot of myths about hell, and while we won’t probably answer every question, our text today as we continue in the book of Mark will reveal some of Jesus’ teachings on hell.
More people believe in heaven than believe in hell.
More people believe in angels than believe in demons.
More people believe in God than believe in satan.
What does that tell you? We are optimists!
It may not be politically correct, but the Bible is abundantly clear that there are two roads, two teams, two sides, two armies at war with one another…good and evil. Spiritual warfare is real, and we’re in the middle of it every day.
However, there is much we don’t know for certain about the spiritual world. There are many things we don’t know about heaven and hell. Theories about the afterlife abound, but the Bible is not as clear about some things as we may have been led to believe.
Let’s begin with our scripture for today.
“Teacher,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us.” (Mark 9:38)
John is worries about someone performing an exorcism. I can just see it: “Jesus, the guy is from a different denomination! He’s not on our team! He probably hasn’t even been ordained yet or gone to seminary! We need to stop this, right?”
“Do not stop him,” Jesus said. “For no one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, for whoever is not against us is for us. (Mark 9:39-40)
Wait, is it “whoever is not against us is for us” or “whoever is not for us is against us?”
Twice Jesus says, “Whoever is not against you/us is for you/us,” here and in Luke 9:50.
Twice Jesus says, “Whoever is not with me is against me” (Matthew 12:30, Luke 11:23).
Which is it, Jesus? Actually, the context matters. “Whoever is not against you is for you” applies to other believers, while “whoever is not with me is against me” is a reference to those who are anti-Christian. The point is, you cannot be neutral about Jesus. Are you with Jesus or against Jesus?
It’s not a question of do you like Jesus or do you believe intellectually some events in history. The question is are you with him. If so, you need to be all in…heart, soul, mind, and strength; time, talents, and treasures; 24/7/365. He’s not looking for fans. He is seeking followers. Disciples.
Back to our text, Jesus continues,
Truly I tell you, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to the Messiah will certainly not lose their reward. (Mark 9:39-41)
I think this is a statement of unity. As we stated last Sunday, there are theological arguments which separate followers of Jesus, yet we are all children of God. We will spend eternity with God and one another. We need to be careful about judging other believers simply because we have disagreements. But that doesn’t mean we can be careless about our theology, our study of God.
“If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them if a large millstone were hung around their neck and they were thrown into the sea. (Mark 9:42)
A quick read may cause you to think of children, but I think the reference is to those new to the faith. A biblical millstone was huge. Jesus is graphic about the consequence of causing others to stumble, to fall into sin. Now Jesus gets even more graphic.
If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out. (Mark 9:43)
Some people have taken this verse literally! The message is following Jesus demands sacrifice. Anything that gets in the way of following Christ must go. Jesus is saying the consequences of sin are real. Hell is for real.
The original Greek word translated here as “hell” is “geena” from the valley of [ge] Hinnon or Gehenna in southwest Jerusalem, used figuratively as a place or state of everlasting punishment. I’ve been there! Gehenna was the place where idolatrous Jews sacrificed their children to the pagan god Molech, and later where bodies of the dead were disposed. In the first-century, it was a garbage dump with everything set on fire, hence Jesus’ phrase, “Where the fire never goes out.”
Does this mean hell is a literal lake of fire that will burn forever? Maybe.
Much of our understand of hell—fire and brimstone—comes not from the Bible, but rather from art and an Italian poem by Dante called Divine Comedy. Inferno is the first part, describing Dante’s journey through hell with vivid language.
Jesus spoke of the kingdom of heaven as a present reality, not merely something in the afterlife. In the same way, our choices now can create what many call “hell on earth.” Sin has consequences. Hell is real, I don’t want anyone to experience it. God doesn’t want anyone to experience it. Jesus’ friend Peter wrote,
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9)
C.S. Lewis said,
“There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, “Thy will be done”, and those to whom God says, in the end, “Thy will be done.” All that are in hell choose it. Without that self-choice there could be no hell. No soul that seriously and constantly desires joy will ever miss it. Those who seek find to those who knock, it is opened.”
There are so many things we don’t know about heaven and hell, but my simplest definitions are
Heaven is where God is present.
Hell is where God is absent.
To restate C.S. Lewis,
God does not send people to hell. We choose to be present with God now and for eternity or we choose to ignore God now and He will honor that choice for eternity.
Some of your Bibles are missing verse 44. That’s because many of the oldest manuscripts of the Bible lack this phrase:
where
“Their worm does not die
And the fire is not quenched.’ (Mark 9:44, NKJV)
This is a quotation from Isaiah 66:24. Some believe the worm represents internal suffering and the fire external. This is added detail to verse 43. Together they read in the NKJV,
It is better for you to enter into life maimed, 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.’ (Mark 9:43b-44, NKJV)
Let’s look at a few more verses and you’ll understand why there are missing verses.
And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. (Mark 9:45)
Verse 46 is missing in most translations, too. The NKJV reads exactly the same:
where
“Their worm does not die
And the fire is not quenched.’ (Mark 9:46, NKJV)
Finally,
And if your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, where
“ ‘the worms that eat them do not die,
and the fire is not quenched.’ (Mark 9:47-48)
Verses 44, 46, and 48 are exactly the same in the NKJV. The translators likely added 44 and 46. The meaning of the text doesn’t change with or without them. It’s as if the NKJV did a copy-and-paste for emphasis. This is one of a small number of textual discrepancies in the Bible. Since we don’t have the original manuscripts, there are some variations, but virtually all of them are like this, having no bearing on the meaning. If someone tells you the Bible is full of errors, they are literally correct, but those errors are inconsequential to the meaning, reliability, and authority of the Bible. Out of 66 books, there are a few occasions where the copyist was unsure whether something was a semi-colon or a comma with a speck of dust on the page. No big deal.
To my knowledge—I am not an expert on the original, ancient documents—there are absolutely no controversies surrounding any essential truths of our faith such as the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Any problems are extremely minor such as punctuation.
Tony Evans says hands represent things we handle, the foot represents where we go, and the eye symbolizes things we look at, all potential doors to sin. Jesus continues,
Everyone will be salted with fire. (Mark 9:49)
Fire can destroy, but it can also test and purify. Salt purifies, too. Old Testament sacrifices were offered with salt, which both preserves and purifies.
“Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt among yourselves, and be at peace with each other.” (Mark 9:50)
So What?
The Alliance Statement of Faith says,
Man was originally created in the image and likeness of God: he fell through disobedience, incurring thereby both physical and spiritual death. All men are born with a sinful nature, are separated from the life of God, and can be saved only through the atoning work of the Lord Jesus Christ. The portion of the unrepentant and unbelieving is existence forever in conscious torment; and that of the believer, in everlasting joy and bliss.
The verse used to support “the portion of the unrepentant and unbelieving is existence forever in conscious torment” is Revelation 21:8…
“But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” (Revelation 21:8)
My purpose today isn’t to debate nuances of hell, but merely to encourage you to avoid it! The Bible never describes it as a wild party for demons and rock stars. It’s the one place in the universe where God is absent. I can’t imagine how dreadful it is. You think this world is bad?! Imagine our planet without God. Literal or figurative fire, eternal or temporary…does it really matter?!
Alliance pastor Skye Jethani writes, “An afterlife in heaven or hell is the residue of tradition, but it is decidedly not the emphasis of the New Testament. Scripture has a far more physical and terrestrial vision of the future. It depicts a renewed earth in which God dwells with his resurrected people in a redeemed, glorified creation. The Lord is focused on redeeming his world, not abandoning it to the enemy. The goal of the New Testament is not disembodied souls escaping the earth and occupying a celestial heaven for eternity…Its emphasis is not heaven or hell but on a choice between life or death.”
I know this isn’t the most uplifting of subjects, but there’s good news. That’s the meaning of the word “gospel.” The good news or gospel is Jesus.
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. (John 3:16-17)
Without Christ, our sins would automatically condemn us to hell, separation from God. He is allergic to sin. But Jesus died to pay for our sins, to forgive us, to wipe the slate clean, to reconcile us to the Father. If we choose to follow Jesus, we will not perish, but will have everlasting life. Could there be any greater news?
Today we remember the sacrifice Jesus made, leaving heaven to come to earth for about thirty-three years to live, die, and resurrect.
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)
Hallelujah!
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)
Hallelujah! Hell is for real…and avoidable…not because we are good enough, but because of Jesus.
But as I said, Jesus isn’t looking for fans. He wants followers. If you want Jesus simply for a “get out of hell free” card, you’re in the wrong place. He wants to give you life—abundant life, everlasting life, real life…now and forever. You simply need to say “yes” and respond to his gift, the gift of himself. Repent and turn away from your sins…and follow Jesus.
While there is much we don’t know about hell, one thing is certain: God will judge evil.
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23)
You are not ready to live until you’re ready to die.
You can listen to this message and others at the First Alliance Church podcast here.
You can watch this video and others at the First Alliance Church Video Library here.