Church of the Nazarene - Harrisonburg
Tough Sayings of Jesus Part 2
If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away...
Locations & Times
Church of the Nazarene - Harrisonburg
1871 Boyers Rd, Harrisonburg, VA 22801, USA
Sunday 9:00 AM
Sunday 10:30 AM
https://www.youtube.com/churchofthenazarene
Sunday 10:00 AM
Tough Sayings of Jesus
The desire of this series is not to take some difficult sayings of Jesus and turn them into not-difficult sayings of Jesus. They will be difficult before and after this sermon series. The purpose of the series is for us to more deeply understand the Lord’s purpose in saying these difficult things and how we are to think and behave accordingly.
Often these sayings are tough for us because they shine light into the dark corners of who we are, they take us places within our hearts that we would honestly rather not go…they show us our great need for Him.
However, it is important that the church teach the whole truth of the Bible – the ideas that are pleasant and those that are terrifying and make us uncomfortable.
Today we look at Christ difficult declaration, "Cut off your hand..."
The desire of this series is not to take some difficult sayings of Jesus and turn them into not-difficult sayings of Jesus. They will be difficult before and after this sermon series. The purpose of the series is for us to more deeply understand the Lord’s purpose in saying these difficult things and how we are to think and behave accordingly.
Often these sayings are tough for us because they shine light into the dark corners of who we are, they take us places within our hearts that we would honestly rather not go…they show us our great need for Him.
However, it is important that the church teach the whole truth of the Bible – the ideas that are pleasant and those that are terrifying and make us uncomfortable.
Today we look at Christ difficult declaration, "Cut off your hand..."
John Stott
What he was advocating was not a literal physical self-maiming, but a ruthless moral self-denial. Not mutilation but mortification is the path of holiness he taught, and ‘mortification’ or ‘taking up the cross’ to follow Christ means to reject sinful practices so resolutely that we die to them or put them to death.
What he was advocating was not a literal physical self-maiming, but a ruthless moral self-denial. Not mutilation but mortification is the path of holiness he taught, and ‘mortification’ or ‘taking up the cross’ to follow Christ means to reject sinful practices so resolutely that we die to them or put them to death.
Note the words ‘eternal fire’ in verse eight.
For most of the history of the church, some have asserted either some form of ultimate universal salvation for everyone or ultimate annihilation of the lost.
But for the entire history of the church, the vast majority of Christians and the vast majority of the church’s most eminent and reliable theologians have affirmed that what Jesus and the apostles taught about hell is eternal, conscious punishment.
For most of the history of the church, some have asserted either some form of ultimate universal salvation for everyone or ultimate annihilation of the lost.
But for the entire history of the church, the vast majority of Christians and the vast majority of the church’s most eminent and reliable theologians have affirmed that what Jesus and the apostles taught about hell is eternal, conscious punishment.
“The devil doesn’t care if you read your Bible or go to church, as long as you don’t apply it to your life.”
Sin is gruesome and deadly - not laughable and light hearted
The moment you think sin is acceptable, cut that thought off!
HOLINESS UNTO THE LORD
John Stott continues:
Jesus was quite clear about it. It is better to lose one member and enter life maimed, he said, than to retain our whole body and go to hell.
That is to say, it is better to forgo some experiences this life offers in order to enter the life which is life indeed; it is better to accept some cultural amputation in this world than risk final destruction in the next.
Of course this teaching runs clean counter to modern standards of permissiveness.
It is based on the principle that eternity is more important than time and purity than culture, and that any sacrifice is worth while in this life if it is necessary to ensure our entry into the next.
We have to decide, quite simply, whether to live for this world or the next, whether to follow the crowd (the culture) or Jesus Christ.
John Stott continues:
Jesus was quite clear about it. It is better to lose one member and enter life maimed, he said, than to retain our whole body and go to hell.
That is to say, it is better to forgo some experiences this life offers in order to enter the life which is life indeed; it is better to accept some cultural amputation in this world than risk final destruction in the next.
Of course this teaching runs clean counter to modern standards of permissiveness.
It is based on the principle that eternity is more important than time and purity than culture, and that any sacrifice is worth while in this life if it is necessary to ensure our entry into the next.
We have to decide, quite simply, whether to live for this world or the next, whether to follow the crowd (the culture) or Jesus Christ.
Today is the day, choose to obey God whatever it cost.
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Proverbs 14:27
The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, turning a person from the snares of death.
1 John 1:8-10
If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.
Hebrews 12:1-4
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.4 In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.
“St Ignatius of Loyola notes that, ‘Sin is unwillingness to trust that what God wants is our deepest happiness.’ Until I am absolutely convinced of this, I will do everything I can to keep my hands on the controls of my life because I think I know better than God what I need for my fulfillment.”
Proverbs 14:27
The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, turning a person from the snares of death.
1 John 1:8-10
If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.
Hebrews 12:1-4
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.4 In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.
“St Ignatius of Loyola notes that, ‘Sin is unwillingness to trust that what God wants is our deepest happiness.’ Until I am absolutely convinced of this, I will do everything I can to keep my hands on the controls of my life because I think I know better than God what I need for my fulfillment.”