Shabbat Shalom. Today we are reading from the Gospel of Mark. And with the Lord's help, we'll finish this ninth chapter in this ministry meeting. We are in Mark chapter 9 and verses 33 to 50. And so I'm reading, please follow me. And he came to Kfar Nachum, this is Yeshua, and being in the house, he asked them, what was it that ye disputed among yourselves by the way? And they held their peace, for by the way, they had disputed among themselves who should be the greatest. And he sat down, and he called the twelve, and saith unto them, If any man desire to be first, the same shall be less of all, and servant of all.

And he took a child, Yeled, and he set him in the midst of them. And when he had taken him in his arms, he said unto them, Whosoever shall receive one of such children in my name, receiveth me. And whosoever shall receive me, receiveth not me, but him that sent me. And John, this is Yohanan, answered him saying, Master, we saw one casting out demons in thy name, and he followeth not us. And we forbade him because he followeth not us. But Yeshua said, Forbid him not, for there is no man which shall do a miracle in my name that can lightly speak evil of me.

For he that is not against us is on our side for whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name because ye belong to Messiah verily I say unto you he shall not lose his reward and whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believeth in me it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck and he were cast into the sea. 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, where their worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched.

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. where their worm dieth not, and a fire is not quenched. 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, where their worm dieth not, and a fire is not quenched. For everyone shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt. Salt is good, but if the salt have lost its saltness, wherewith will ye season it?

Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another. And this is the last verses of Mark chapter 9. Studying this 9th chapter has been very enlightening because in the 9th chapter of this Gospel of Mark, Yeshua is so practically teaching his disciples because, you know, his disciples are just like you and I, or let's read verses, you and I are just like those disciples of old. There were men like you and I, people like you and I, Those who follow Yeshua the Messiah were men and women just like you and I who needed constantly to be helped by the Lord, instructed by the Lord, encouraged by the Lord, corrected by Yeshua the Messiah because they also had much weakness like you and I have in our lives today.

Let me just remind you that in the beginning of chapter 9, Yeshua took the disciples and he went with them to Mount Hermon, to the high mountain. And there on that mountain, he unfolded before them his future glory. He transfigured before them Moses, Moshe, Eliyahu, Elijah were with him on that mount. Peter, James, and John beheld them. And they were fascinated with the fact that there is a future glory that is yet to come and that Yeshua the Messiah ultimately will be glorified. He came down with them from the mountain, Mount Hermon that is, the Mount of Transfiguration. This is in the previous portions of Mark chapter 9.

And then down there below again, he taught them another lesson. You remember in our previous ministry meeting, a certain man said to Yeshua the Messiah, I have brought my son to your disciples in order to heal him, and they couldn't heal him. And you remember what Yeshua have said to them? You remember he challenged them, he said, you bring him to me. And he said to the disciple, oh faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I suffer you? Bring him to me. and they brought this little boy and eventually the Lord Yeshua, Jesus, our Mashiach, our Messiah healed that young boy and of course he asked his father and he said to him do you believe and he said I believe Lord but help my unbelief.

It shows us again beloved brothers and sisters that we are like these men and women of old. We believe in God. We have accepted Yeshua the Messiah. We have learned already that the only way of salvation it is through Him. But oftentimes in a practical way we have lack of trust in Him. We said in our previous meeting we believe God for our eternal salvation but we don't believe on Him for a piece of bread. This is us. This is mankind. Lord, help my unbelief. Each and every one of us need to say to the Lord Yeshua. And the challenge is, beloved brothers and sisters, I do not know what you go through in your life, and you do not know perhaps what I go through in my life, but the challenge for all of us is to continue on in trusting the Lord Yeshua, the Messiah.

His love for us has never changed. His care for us is unexhaustible. We can always cast our cares upon Him, as Peter said, casting all your cares upon Him, for He care for you. 1 Peter 5, verse 7. It's so wonderful to trust in the Lord and to cast our cares upon Him. You remember what Shlomo said many years ago, trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not unto your own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him and he will direct thy path. Shlomo, HaMelech, Solomon the king of Israel said that even though he was the king of Israel, he had all the riches in this world.

He knew very well that he cannot trust himself, but he need to trust the God of Israel. And you and I need to trust the God of Israel and our Lord Yeshua the Messiah. So now, beloved brothers and sisters, Yeshua really began his journey to Yerushalayim. He knows what he has to do. He didn't come here to live a long life. He didn't come here to improve this world. He didn't come here to fix the problems that exist here in this world. Not at all. He came to deal with the question of sin, and for this, he had to die. And so at the last portion that we have shared together in our previous verses, Yeshua knew that the disciples needed to learn of the purpose that he came.

So in verse 31, he taught his disciples and he said to them, The Son of Man is delivered unto the hands of men, and they shall kill him. And after that he is killed, he shall rise on the third day.

he wanted the disciples to grasp it he wanted them to realize that that he must be killed he needs to die because if he will not die you and i will never be able to receive sins forgiven we will never be able to come to be right with god because after all we all came short of the glory of God all have sinned and come short of the glory of God so Yeshua came in love for Israel in love for the nations of the world he came in order that he will be delivered and he will eventually will pay for the price of sin and sins and so he is on the way to Jerusalem

he's heading are, his mind is set towards the city of Jerusalem, and as he's traveling along from Mount Hermon down to Caesarea Philippi, from Caesarea Philippi he's traveling around the land of Galilee, and he's once again arrived to the city of Kfar Nachum, or the town of Kapar Nachum, in Hebrew we call it Kfar Nachum, the village of Nachum, and in that village he was always teaching there and instructing the disciples and once again as he continued on towards Yerushalayim he's instructing his disciples of what is true honor here in this world you see brothers and sisters we all like when somebody honor us and exalt us here in this world But as far as

God's concerned, the process ought to be different.

Those that will be exalted here in this world and get all the honor here in this world, when they're going to stand before God, they will realize the true honor comes from God and not from man. Unfortunately, because we are human, we like to get honored here. We like to be exalted here. And the Lord teaches exactly the reverse. exactly the reverse suffering come before glory tribulation come before honor humility come before exaltation as far as God is concerned in the world it is exactly the opposite we like to have a good name for ourselves we like people to tap us on the shoulder and say you are a great guy we like to have all the things that found in this world we like the pleasure of this world we don't like to be humbled we don't like to be getting a lower place rather than a higher place we love the place of privilege and honor here in this world but let me remind you beloved brothers and sisters that God said many years ago to Shmuel the prophet of Israel man looketh upon the outward appearance but the Lord looketh on the heart.

Men like to be exalted here and now but God knows the heart and God desire that our heart will be contrite and broken hearts and humble here before the Lord. And so this is what leading to the verses that we just read in mark 9 verses 33 to 50 yeshua himself now teaching once again his disciples about true honor true honor true place before god that is really that which gives joy to the heart of god and by the way why do you think local churches local congregation local assemblies are breaking to pieces. Why is it that many of us do not live in harmony with one another?

It's because we do not humble ourselves before the Lord. We are not thinking about the other. We are so selfish by nature, even as believers.

And that's why there's many broken relationships, broken marriages, broken homes, broken assemblies, broken congregation, because we are not people who are humble as we are exalted in the bible to be humble yourself under the mighty hand of god and he will exalt you in due time peter said to the early believers in first peter chapter 5 so now please follow me as we continue here with those next verses here in verses 33 and 34 of mark chapter 9 we find now that they have arrived to Kfar Nachum notice that it says here in verse 33 and he came to Kfar Nachum and being in the house most likely is the house of Simon, Shimon and

Andre in Kfar Nachum next to the synagogue next to the Beit HaKneset so he is in the house and as they are in the house verse 33 Yeshua asked them and he said what was it that ye disputed among yourselves by the way now in other words he chose us that as they were walking around the area of Galilee and heading all the way towards the town of Kfar Nachum they were talking with each other walking through the field walking there on the mountains and the hill of the Galil they were talking with each other but apparently when they were talking with each other notice at verse 34 it says they held their peace why

for by the way they had dispute among themselves who should be the greatest now this is fascinating isn't it just a few verses earlier Yeshua said to them, listen, I'm going to be killed.

I'm going to be delivered. I'm going to die. I'm going to suffer. I'm going to be really delivered by the hand of men and I'm going to die for the sin of this world. And instead of them paying attention, they are walking around the fields of the Galil and they were talking and says, which one is really the greatest among us? I'm the greatest one might say. No, no, no, I'm the greatest. The other one said, no, no, I have done this and I have seen this and I'm closer to Yeshua. I am the greatest. Now you and I might say I would never do such a thing.

But isn't it true, brothers and sisters, we might even not say it verbally. But we surely think it. Sometimes our mind and our thought we're so self-centered, we surely do that. If the disciples did that, You and I cannot say that we don't do that. And the point is that we learn from this is that the Lord listens to what we say. He also sees with His eyes our behavior and conduct. And while they didn't think about that, they are walking on the way in the Galil and they are walking all together, they're following after Yeshua all the way to Kfar Nachum, Yeshua challenged them.

And he says, what is it that you have been disputing among yourself? I saw you arguing, and I heard you arguing on the way from around the Galil there, around the Sea of Galilee. We have arrived to Kfar Nachum. He's sitting there in that place in the house of Simon, and he challenged him. He says, listen, why is it that you disputed? What were you talking about? And the disciples knew very well that they were not right. Oh, they knew very well. Oh, yeah, we were arguing with another. Perhaps, let me just remind you, Peter, James, and John just came up from the mountain, Mount Hermon.

And they have seen the glorified Mashiach in a future glory when he will be reigning over Israel and the world in the Messianic kingdom. And maybe, I'm not sure who, but maybe they were probably thinking of themselves, boy, we are the greatest three. And maybe when they came down and they joined the other nine, and the other nine says, what did you see? What have you seen? He said, it's not for you to know. We are the greatest one. We'll tell you later. Now, mind you, the Lord told them not to share this with them. But isn't it true, brothers and sisters, because God revealed to us certain things and we have been privileged in one thing or another, We always seem to think that we know better and we are superior than others.

And we don't learn the lessons that the Lord wanted to teach us to learn from Him. What an example He has been for us in our lives. He humbled Himself. He made Himself of no reputation. Though He was equal with God, Philippians chapter 2, He became a man who was born to the virgin Miriam in the city of Bethlehem. He lived the perfect life. He humbled himself, but he didn't stop there. He was going all the way to the shameful cross where he will die for the sin of this world. The sinless one. The pure one. The creator of the universe as man humbled himself. You know, if there's anything that touches our hearts, is to realize how much He has done for us and a willingness to come down from heaven to humble Himself.

What a lesson we learn here. And yet the disciples don't grasp it. They just don't. Like we, like I, don't grasp it. Because we're often so much occupied with ourselves. And they couldn't say a word. They couldn't say a word because it says here they held their peace they didn't say a word why because by the way verse 34 they had disputed among themselves who should be the greatest that shows us that even though they were believers in Yeshua they still have the sin in them that we all still carry with us you know we are born again but it doesn't mean that our old nature have disappeared the flesh lusters against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh and they are contrary to each other the spiritual men want to live for God the old nature the old men want to live for self the new men want to glorify God the old nature said I will be glorified and we are learning as we walk here in this world how much we need the grace of God.

And so now in the next verses, from verse 35 really to the end of the chapter, Yeshua, the Messiah, is teaching the important thing, the lesson of what is true honor. What is really true to be the one who is honored by God, the one who is the greatest? Do you want to be the greatest?

He's really asking them and he would ask you and I today, do you really want to have an honor that you seek for that all the time and there he tell them let me tell you what is truly honor from God rather than honor for men I was just recently watching on the television those that are the great singers the great actors those one that we are all fascinated by the movie stars oh yeah they're going to get a lot of glory here in this world people will shout and will exalt them and give them a place and they will be so pumping themselves as if they are so much great here in this world

but listen one day we all going to have to stand before God and God going to evaluate the life of each one the unbeliever but also the believer's life for we must all appear before the judgment seat of the messiah the apostle paul said in second corinthians 5 10 believers and every one of us going to get the reward exactly as we live whatever has been done for the flesh going to have to be burnt with fire but whatever was done for yeshua the messiah will last for time and for eternity and so here he is teaching them what is really true honor and so notice what he does chapter 9 of Mark verse 35

he sat down he sat down and he became the teacher now notice that he is in the house in Shimon Petrus and Andrew's house in Kfar Nachum he become the head of the house wherever Yeshua go he is in charge he sat down he called the 12 disciples unto him and you notice what he tells them here in verse 35 he called them the twelve and he said if any man desire to be first or to be honor or to be the greatest the same shall be last of all and servant of all do you really want to be the greatest from wherever you are whoever you are in your local assembly or local congregation

or the family, wherever you are, if you really want to be the greatest, first of all, he said, the same must be the last of all and also he's adding the servant of all.

Now, you know, again, bear with me. Isn't it true we all love to be served? And it's so wonderful to sit at the table and somebody serves you. You know, I've been so privileged for years to be hosted by homes of brothers and sisters who have hosted me as a servant of the Lord, coming to their home. They take care of me, they feed me, they allow me to stay at night. And I often think about it. There's one dear sister who said to me, Brother Gideon, you are the servant of the Lord and we want to serve you. And in my heart, I'm thinking, Lord, the true servant is that sister or that brother who hosts me.

Who allow me to be in the home or take care of me. Making sure that I can carry on in the ministry that the Lord has been trusted unto me. That's the true servant. It's very humbling when you really think in God's sight. I'm not talking about what people think. I'm talking about what does God says about this. And as far as God is concerned, those who serve Him are the ones that are really honored before Him. Those that really take the energy and the time and the focus, they make it the purpose, I am going to serve God and God's people. They are truly the ones that are the greatest in the midst of the people of God, as before God, not as before man, but as before God.

Yeshua is teaching us a principle. It's really a principle. And because he heard what they say, and he sees what they do, not one can ever hide from the eyes of the one with whom we have to do. Because he sees everything. He's all-knowing. He's all-seeing. He's all-powerful. Omniscient. Omnipotent. Omnipresent. the Lord is with us right this moment even though we don't think he is where two or three are gathered together unto my name Yeshua said there am I in the midst of them so look at this he said to them in verse 35 if any man desire to be first the same shall be last of all and shall be servant of all that's the way God evaluate thing.

Yeshua is teaching the disciples. So now notice that immediately in the next verse, Yeshua teaches a visual lesson on what is true honor. He's very visual, Yeshua the Messiah. If you see, this is by the way, the synagogue in the city of Kfar Nahum. It's called the White Synagogue, which was built upon the synagogue that Yeshua the Messiah was there when he went to the city of Kfar Nachum next to this synagogue is the homes of Peter and Andrew is where Yeshua visited there and wherever he have gone he have gone to these homes that were community homes there was like homes that one close to each other next to the Beit HaKneset and they were going to the Beit HaKneset leaving the Beit HaKneset immediately they are in their home it was not too far in a distance and here he is now teaching them a principle that we all need to learn, and only the Lord is able to impress this upon our heart.

If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all and servant of all. So what does he do in verse 36 and verse 37 of Mark chapter 9? He presents before them a visual lesson of what is true honor in the sight of God.

So let me read verses 36 and 37 and he took a child and he set him in the midst of them and when he had taken him in his arms notice he embraced him he affectionately embraced him, he said unto them and notice verse 37 whosoever shall receive one of such children in my name receiveth me and whosoever shall receive me receiveth not me but him that have sent me now imagine he take a little child now we do not know who his parents were but he took a little boy a little child and when you think about a child you think of a person who is helpless who is always dependent upon his parents

he always need things to be provided for him he needs to be taken care of and he took this little one he put him in his arm he embraced him he hugged him and he says to everyone whosoever receives such children and he applies it to believers all believers but the example was look at this little child if you see this little child is an example of all believers whether they are young believers all believers brothers or sisters whoever receives this child in my name receives me and whosoever shall receive me he doesn't only receive me but he received the one that sent me in other words he says if you receive a believer in

the Lord Yeshua the Messiah doesn't matter what position he have in life.

Doesn't matter what spiritual state he or she are at. Doesn't matter whether they understand like you or less than you or even if they have a good position here in this world but if you receive anyone such as this child a believer in Yeshua the Messiah you do not only receive me but you receive God the Father who sent me to this world in other words what he is really saying this is the lesson that we all to learn because God desire his people to be a humble people a people that are caring for one another not seeking an exaltation for themselves but humble before God and learning from our blessed Lord Yeshua, the Messiah.

And by the way, beloved brothers and sisters, this is not only applied to us today in the age in which we live in, in the church age, after the Messiah came. That was very similar to what God had expected from Israel, his people in olden days. The Jewish people, the people of Israel needed to be humbled before God and broken before him if they could serve one another and serve the nations around them. Think of Moses. The Bible said that Moshe was the meekest man on earth. That's why God could use him. Look at Isaiah, Yeshayahu. Yeshayahu says, Woe is me for I am a man with unclean lips and I dwell in the midst of a people with unclean lips for mine eyes have seen the Lord.

Yeshaya, who Isaiah said in Isaiah chapter 6, God could use him. Look at even Abraham, Abraham our father who was called by God as chosen from all other men around the world and God called Abraham and he said to him, Abraham, you leave your family, leave your people, leave your country and go on to the land which I will tell you of. He didn't call Lot to come with him, but Lot came along. And with the time there was a friction between Abraham and Lot's herd man, Abraham said to Lot, you take whatever you want. If you go that way, I'm going to go the other way.

If you go the other way, you take everything. I don't want us to fight. I don't want us to fight. And you know what happened, beloved brothers and sisters. Lot chose the best part. But eventually he found himself in the city of Sodom, which was judged by God. While Abraham, God said to him, lift up your eyes. And he gave him the promised land and he blessed Abraham. And he blessed the descendants of Abraham. The lessons are applied to every generation before Yeshua came and after Yeshua came. It's applied to all God's people. The principle is very much the same. Whosoever shall receive one such children in my name receiveth me.

And whosoever shall receive me, really, he doesn't receive me only, but he received the one that has sent me, namely God, the Abba, The father who sent the son, the Mashiach, to come down to this world and to give himself a ransom for many. What an amazing principle we can learn here from this passage as Yeshua, the Messiah, he's teaching his disciples. Now notice how interesting. Because as he was in the middle of teaching and instructing the disciples, it seems to be that there is a pause here. Because John, this is Yohanan, the Apostle John, he kind of paused for a moment and he in verse 38, he really wanted to defend the disciples.

I think it's very commendable when somebody wanted to defend the disciples and to say, you know what, Lord, we might have failure here and so on. But there are certain things that we have done that are positive, the disciples have done that are positive. We can learn from John, but the Lord teaches another lesson. Notice that, and I'm reading now verse 38. Yohanan, that is John, verse 38, he answered him. Yeshua was teaching, Yeshua was instructing, and then John, you might say, almost interfering there, and he says, Master, Master, Rabbi, Rabbi, he says, we saw one casting out demons in your name, and he didn't follow us so what did we do?

We forbade him because he followed not us. Now this is tremendous. You see John wanted to defend the disciples and he all of a sudden kind of directed the attention to another believer somewhere there and he said to Yeshua the Messiah he said Master we saw one casting out demons he was literally casting out demons and he was doing it in your name but you see he said he didn't follow us so we stopped him we told him don't do so anymore because you cannot do it unless you follow us now here it is another amazing lesson that we can learn from that beloved brothers and sisters the Lord is teaching us the lesson that not everybody have to follow us to follow you or to follow me God has his people everywhere and he has the privilege to use his people everywhere wherever they are providing that they honor him and live for him and doing things in a way that is pleasing to him You know, again, I'm just pausing here for a moment.

Why do you think, once again, there are so many divisions among the people of God? Many of the divisions that happened historically in the history of our people Israel and presently in the history of the body of Messiah, the church that is, the Ecclesia, is because we don't like when somebody doesn't do things the way I do it. Now, I'm not talking about doctrinal error. I'm not talking about sinful lifestyle. I'm talking about that which someone doesn't do exactly the same that I do at the same time, or you might say different ministry that the Lord raised someone to do, and we sometimes shun others or stop them from doing the ministry that they are doing as unto the Lord because they are not following us.

This is also a lesson that is important. Now you notice that the Lord did not agree that this man should stop doing what he was doing because he didn't follow them. Because Yohanan said, he said, listen, we saw one man, he was casting out demons. And he was doing it in your name, Yeshua, in Yeshua's name. But he doesn't follow us. And therefore we forbade him because he doesn't follow us. Now, what is interesting here is that if you read with me for a moment back in verses 17 and 18 and 19 of the same chapter, that this man could remove demons from one who possess, but the disciples themselves could not do so.

Look at this, verse 17, 18. He says, one of the multitude answered and said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which has a dumb spirit, and therefore he taketh him, he teareth him, and he formeth a gnashing with his teeth, and he become rigid. But he said, I speak to your disciples, and that they should cast him out, but they could not. Now, it is so interesting. the disciples who followed Yeshua couldn't even do so while the man who didn't follow us was able to cast out demon in the power of Yeshua and John says in that verse 38 he doesn't follow us but he cast out demon in your name and because he doesn't follow us we forbade him and stopped him from doing so Now that is amazing, isn't it?

You know, other people live for God and serve God and minister the Word of God and being used by God and we're not happy with it. And we often at times are not living for God and are not right before God and yet we don't like what they do because they don't follow us now what does that teaches us that one can be so proud so self-centered that assuming that I'm the only one who is doing right and everybody else is wrong we have to be so careful that lead to legalism sectarianism pride and arrogance which have no value before the Lord. That is not humility.

That is not humbleness as before the Lord. That's why Yeshua is teaching the importance of what is true honor, what is true first place, as it is indeed before the Lord. And so when John, and he meant well, I'm confident, he, by the way, just came down from the mountain, Mount Hermon, Mount of Transfiguration. He has seen the glorified Messiah. He has seen Moshe and Eliyahu in a wonderful scene there. He was a privileged brother in that time. And you might say everyone should be exactly like him or everyone should follow exactly like him. And the Lord teaching John, Yohanan, and all the disciples and you and I the lesson that we will need to leave things to the hands of the Lord and trust that whatever others are doing, they're doing it as unto the Lord to pray for them, to seek to bless them and hopefully trust that they're really serving the Lord and make sure that I live for the Lord, that I serve the Lord, that I'm humble before the Lord.

And that's why Yeshua said to him in the next verse, notice it's verse 39 on now, 39, 40 and 41, Yeshua said to them don't forbid him don't forbid him look at this I'm reading the next verses 39 but Yeshua said forbid him not for there is no man which shall do a miracle in my name that can lightly speak evil on me in other words he says listen if he is doing some miracles in my name he will not really speak lightly against me if he speak and he does what he does in my name, providing he does it unto the Lord and in Yeshua's name, in Jesus' name.

And then notice what he says in verse 40. For he that is not against us is on our side. He that is not against us is actually on our side. Now if you put your finger here and go to Matthew chapter 12 and verse 30 you see the reverse of the very same thought Matthew 12 and verse 30 he that is not with me is against me and he that gather is not with me he's scattering abroad you notice it is interesting that in these two verses we come to a conclusion that you cannot be undecided person you are either with the Lord or you are against the Lord as he said and if you are not against the Lord you are really on our side Yeshua said in Mark 9 and verse 40 so there is no middle ground and you remember many times I mentioned it in the ministry that the four gospels of Matthew Mark, Luke and John all these four gospels present before us four truths that we must learn.

Matthew says you're either wise or you are foolish. It was the wise man who came from the east and says where is he that was born Melech Hayehudim the king of the Jews. You're either wise or you're foolish. Mark says you're either in or you're out you cannot be on the fence later on in Mark chapter 12 he will say to that man you are not far from the kingdom you are not in but you are not far but you still need to get in you're either in or you're out you cannot be on the fence on the other hand Luke, the gospel of Luke says you are either saved or you are lost you cannot be half saved or half lost and one day saved and another day lost no you are either saved or you are lost in the gospel of John Yohanan is the fourth gospel John says you are either a believer or you are an unbeliever whosoever believeth on him shall not perish but have everlasting life John 3.16.

You cannot be half believer, three quarter believer. You are either a believer or you are unbeliever. You know that this is important. And those verses, Mark 9.40 and Matthew 12.30 teaches us this principle. He that is not with me is against me. Matthew chapter 12 and verse 30. he that doesn't gather with me he's really scattering abroad Mark chapter 9 and verse 40 teaches he that is not against me or against us he's actually on our side so Yeshua said to Yohanan no no no no no he says really don't forbid him if he does what he does in my name this is fine and you make sure John Yohanan and all you disciples make sure that you first of all are able to be in a right relationship with me that you can cast out demons like he does so because you couldn't earlier first of all judge yourself before you are judging someone else that's the lesson that's the lesson that Yeshua is saying now brothers and sisters in the next verses this is as he gets towards the end of this ninth chapter notice what he does, and I think this is important for all of us to learn self-judgment.

This is extremely important in the spiritual growth of the believer. You want to grow spiritually, he's really saying to them, you make sure that you first of all deal with your own heart and your own conscience. Because unless you deal with your own heart and conscience, how can you deal with someone else? You need yourself to deal with your own personal situation. And isn't it true, beloved brothers and sisters, we know ourselves that at times we do not have self-judgment, self-discipline in our own personal life. And so verse 42 to verse 48. There is a danger in offending others or stumbling others. And also there is a danger of you offending and stumbling your own self.

You make sure that you deal with things in your own life. Sin must be judged. God will judge sin. Make sure that you confess and repent before the Lord so God can continue to revive you and to restore you into fellowship with him. And so notice the next verses, verse 42, the Lord is really teaching the way of God's people to treat one another is a very serious thing in the way that we treat one another. And so he says in verse 42, he says, for whosoever shall offend one of these little ones, that believeth in him, it is better for him that a millstone or a heavy stone were hanged about his neck and he were cast into the sea.

See what he's really saying? You have to be careful in your treatment of one another because this little one, you remember, he still holds the little child in his arms. He's embracing him and this little child representing believers, everyone that have trusted in the Messiah and he says whosoever offend the Hebrew word offend here is machshil stumble whosoever stumble one of these little ones that believes in me it is better for him if he will take a heavy stone a millstone put it around his neck and cast it into the ocean into the sea because he's going to die and drown with it In other words, what he's really saying, deal seriously with your attitude one towards another.

Don't be proud and arrogant assuming that you are better than somebody else. Don't be careless in what you say to someone else and how you treat someone else. Learn from Yeshua the Messiah in the manner whereby you treat one another. That is what he's really saying. Because if you don't, it's better for you to take a millstone, put it around your neck, throw it into the sea, and you're going to see what is going to happen to you. Eventually, you're going to die. In other words, what he's really saying, deal drastically with sin in your life. Judge it. Confess it. Repent before the Lord. Don't be arrogant.

Don't assume that you are superior than somebody else. And this is the way that the Lord will teach his own people as to how to treat one another. How to be the one that really received honor from the Lord rather than honor from men. This is an amazing principle, beloved brothers and sisters. That little one here, little one in verse 42 is a representation of a believer in Yeshua, the Messiah. One that belonged to the Lord. And so now, very strong words he's saying in verses 43 to 48. Every believer needs to have self-judgment. Now notice how strong these words are. You see, and I'm reading those verses.

Verse 43 to 48. If your hand offend ye, 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. That's the hand. Look at verse 44. He says, where their worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched. Now verses 45 and 46, he's speaking about the foot. 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 where the worm dies not and the fire is not quenched. Thirdly, he's speaking about the eye in verse 47 and 48.

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 where the worm dies not and the fire is not quenched. Now you see, beloved brothers and sisters, if we will practice this, I believe all of us will come here with one hand, one eye, and one foot. Because all of us have sinned, and all of us, if we will act in this way, we will literally cut our eye, our foot, and our hand, we will all come here with one eye, one hand, and one foot.

Because we all fail and sin against the Lord. But you see, the point that he's teaching us here is the necessity to deal seriously with sin. Not to be light with it. So take it seriously. To understand that we don't want to offend God's people and be proud and arrogant against them. You might as well put a rope around your neck, take a millstone and cast it into the sea and die. Because that is not honoring God. That is not that which brings honor to the Lord Yeshua, the Messiah. And you notice he's using a few times the word hell here. The Greek word hell is Gehenna.

It comes from the Hebrew word Gei Ben Hinnom. In fact, I want you to turn with me to Joshua for a moment, chapter 15. When Israel, our forefathers, entered into the promised land many years ago, One of the locations that was their possession was a valley, Gei, Gai, Ben-Hinnom, a valley that belonged to the son of Hinnom. Hinnom is the name of a person. The word Gei or Gai, Gehenna, Gehenom, the valley that belonged to the son of Hinnom. The valley that belonged to the son of Hinnom. Joshua 15 and verse 8 we read. And the border went up by the valley of the son of Hinnom. Notice the valley, Gai, or Gai, the son, Ben.

Hinnom is the name of the man by the name of Hinnom. So the border that would belong to the people of Israel, it was really in a southern part of the city of Yerushalayim. There was a valley next, outside the gate today. We still have it today. In that valley, the pagan world years ago used to have a lot of fire. They were burning human sacrifices there. They were burning the garbage down there. They had human sacrifice. They were burning their children there. Sacrifices to their own gods. So the border went up to the valley of the son of Hinnom and to the south of the Jebusite.

The same is Jerusalem. You see, it's right in Jerusalem today. It's a valley called Gebenhinom and it became to be known among our people as Gehenom and the Greek took it and used the word Gehenna. And the Lord is using here in this passage Mark 9 verse 42 on a few times the word Hel or Hellfire which come from the Greek Gehenna and actually from the Hebrew Gebenhinom, the valley that belonged to the son of Hinnom. Now I want to read with you one more verse to show you that we're actually burning children, sacrifice there. Notice in 2 Chronicles chapter 28, please turn to 2 Chronicles chapter 28. And there in the first three verses we find out what Ahaz, the king of Israel, did when he didn't follow the God of Israel, but he followed the God of the nations of the world when he was away from the God of Israel.

He was the king of the northern tribes of Israel. And in 2 Chronicles 28, we read verse 1, Ehad was 20 years old, young man, when he began to reign and he reigned for 16 years in Jerusalem. Again, interesting, it's Yerushalayim. But he did not that which was right in the sight of the Lord, like David his father, and he walked in the way of the king of Israel, he made also molten images of Baalim.

And then notice what it says in verse 3, moreover he burnt incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom Gei Ben Hinnom and he burnt his children in the fire after the abomination of the heathen whom the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel now can you imagine beloved brothers and sisters how the evil world burning their children in the valley of Gei Ben Hinnom sacrificing human sacrifices and the king of Israel when he turned away from the God of Israel and ended up to adopt the lifestyle and the mannerizing of the nations of the world burning children there in the very same valley called Gehenna, Gehenom, Gei Ben Hinnom and you

notice beloved brothers and sisters I'm back to Mark chapter 9 because we read three times in these verses that Yeshua the Messiah said he said in verse 44 where the worm dies not and the fire is not quenched verse 46 where the worm dies not and the fire is not quenched verse 48 where the worm dies not and the fire is not quenched that name Gehenom Gebenhinom Gehenna in the Greek Gehenom in the Hebrew become a picture of hell where the judgment of God will come upon those who reject the Messiah and they will suffer for time and for eternity, as it says here, where the worm dies not and the fire is not quenched.

That is a serious thing for those who reject the Messiah today who will suffer an eternal separation from God for time and for eternity. Now, one more verse I need to read in Isaiah chapter 66, turn to the last chapter of the prophet Yeshayahu, the last chapter of the last verses there in Isaiah chapter 66, look what Isaiah said to Israel, our people, when he was predicting the future of the nation of Israel in a Messianic kingdom. he says in verse 23 and it shall come to pass that from the new moon to another from a Shabbat to another shall all flesh come and worship before me says the Lord this is verse 23 of Isaiah 66 all the nations that will remain at the end of the tribulation in the Messianic kingdom they will come and they will worship from new moon to new moon from Shabbat to Shabbat they will come and they will worship the king when the nation of Israel restored in the future day But then he said in verse 24, And they shall go forth, and they will look upon the carcasses of the men that have transgressed against me.

For their worm, notice that, shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched, and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh. You see, Yeshua knew his Bible very well. He wrote the word of God. He's the eternal word of God. And he was quoting what Isaiah predicted in chapter 66 at the last verse of his whole prophecy. And he's speaking about the day of judgment for the unbelievers. They will experience separation for God where their worm dies not and the fire will never be quenched. It is an eternal fire. eventually hell is going to be cast into the lake of fire as we read in other passages in the Word of God.

Now what's the lesson? Because Yeshua is speaking to his disciples. They were saved. They are not lost. They will never have to go to the lake of fire or to hell or to Gehenom because they are believers. But what he is really teaching, the importance, the seriousness of dealing with sin because sin dishonored God. Pride come before destruction and therefore they are to learn the importance of the lesson that they need not to offend each other, to think highly than each other because they really behave in a way that the unbelieving world behaves. They behave when they do so in a wrong way and that's why thank God that 1 John 1 verse 9 says if we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

That's what he said to the believers who fall into sin from time to time. There is a need constantly to go to the throne of grace and confess our sins before the Lord and say, Lord, on the basis of your shed blood, I confess, I repent, and I thank you that you are going to restore me into fellowship with you. And let me conclude, beloved brothers and sisters, as Yeshua concludes here when he spoke to his disciples in Mark 9, 49 and 50. Yeshua is pointing to the need to be a living sacrifice, living for him in a pleasing way. he said for everyone shall be salted with fire every sacrifice shall be salted with salt salt is good but if the salt have lost its saltness wherewith will ye season it have salt in yourself and have shalom, peace, one with another.

Now, what salt? I mean, I always enjoy to eat my food with some salt. Now, if there is no salt on your food, it doesn't seem to be so tasty. Of course, today we are told, don't eat too much salt, don't put too much sugar, don't put too much this, you know, all these things that we need to avoid today. But in those days, salt speaks of preservation. Salt speak of seasoning. And what does he mean by having salt in our life? We need to have seasoning in our life. We need to be preserved in our life. In other words, the way we conduct ourselves, we should stir up each other to live for God.

We should encourage each other in order to follow the Lord. We should not press people down, cause people to be discouraged, put people down. That's not ministry. That's not the life of the Mashiach. Have some season. Have some salt in your behavior, in your conduct. Be an impact upon others. Don't be the one who put people down. Lift people up. Don't be the one who exalt yourself. Humble yourself under the mighty hand of God. He will exalt you in due time. Have your life effective and useful for the glory of God and the blessing of God's people. That's what he is saying. And then he concludes this portion.

He says, Have shalom with one another. Yehi shalom beinichem, he says in Hebrew. Make sure that there is shalom among each other. Don't fight. Don't constantly elevate yourself and put everybody else down. Build each other up. Don't you understand when the God's people are fighting, they're only hurting themselves. When the husband and wife are fighting, they destroy the marriage. When the children are fighting with the parents, they destroy the family. When the brethren are fighting with each other, they destroy the assembly. Don't do that. Have shalom among yourself, he's saying to the disciples who had to learn this lesson. It's not for them only, beloved brothers and sisters.

I truly believe that it is for me, it is for you, and it is for all the people of God. May the Lord bless his word. Can we say amen to that?