There's only one thing worse than certain death, and that's death beyond death.

And that's exactly, go back to the Matthew context, that's exactly what Matthew does with

it.

He says, if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off, because it's better to go into heaven maimed

than to go to hell with two hands. So that's clearly in Jesus' mind. There is something much

worse than being a drowned with a millstone around your neck.

And that's condemnation.

Jesus often spoke about sin and judgment in ways that make us uncomfortable.

I'm Dan Kruver.

In this episode of Light and Truth,

I've included as much of John Piper's interaction with his listeners as possible without losing a threat of his argument.

So we can hear how he helps us feel the weight of Jesus' words in Luke 17.

He shows us why love for others means taking sin and all its consequences seriously.

This message was originally delivered at Bethlehem Baptist Church on Sunday evening, December 4th, 1983.

Now I want very much for you to hear this as a word from the Lord tonight.

I love studying the Gospels because there we hear the Lord Jesus talk most plainly in his earthly voice.

And I think that's why the Gospels were written because those words served as guides for the church and ethical thinking and its theological reflection.

And so here we have it straight from the master's mouth and it's very important to take that seriously.

These three paragraphs don't look like they have much to do with each other at first

glance, but we'll try to see that they do, but let's take them just one at a time. Versus one to

four, first. He said to his disciples, temptations to sin, or it could be more literally

translated, stumbling blocks, are sure to come, but woe to him by whom they come,

...