she had fallen at the last hurdle.
She had trained for so long,
so many hours of hard work,
so many late nights, long days,
being exhausted in body and in mind,
missing out on friends, on fun,
all because she had a goal in mind.
And now hardship had come,
and it was all too much.
Was it time to let go of that goal?
Was she going to let her family down?
As I was describing a situation,
what kind of image came to mind?
This is not a rhetorical question.
Anybody want to throw out anything?
What kind of situation were you imagining?
Sorry, Janet, I didn't hear you.
Dear sister.
A sports person?
Sports person?
You can imagine a sports person,
they've got a goal in mind,
they're going to run a marathon,
they've been training for this event,
42Ks is a long way,
and a person training for an event like this,
they make choices not to spend time on certain things,
they watch out for distractions,
but then a hardship like an injury could hit.
What other things were you imagining?
Anyone?
Maybe someone preparing for an exam,
training hard, working hard,
pursuing marks to get into a university.
Are you remembering when you worked hard
to get where you are today?
You know, there's that goal,
and so everything else goes out the window.
Exercise, friends, social time,
the only choice is to study hard or work hard.
But right at the end,
a hardship like stress under pressure can hit.
Hardships and difficult moments like this,
they break people.
You see injuries to professional sports people,
they make people retire early.
I've seen people change their university degrees
because it just became too hard.
I see the amount of half-started projects
around my house.
There's a towel rack I haven't finished replacing.
There's a broken kitchen cupboard I need to fix.
Because at one point or another,
they just get hard.
The author of the letter to the Hebrews
describes the Christian life like this.
It's been our slogan in that video we've been watching,
you know, with Liv running.
The author to the Hebrews describes this Christian life
as a race.
God has chosen people for him through his grace,
and now we run towards him.
Being with Christ and becoming like him,
that is the goal that we run towards.
And on the way,
we have plenty of choices to make.
Choices to follow him,
and not to just chase our own desires.
We must watch out for sin,
being aware of the dangers around us.
And as we run this race,
there will be hardships.
These hardships are different
to getting a broken leg from a race.
But as we pursue different goals,
hardships might break us
and make us finish early.
Or will the hardship
push us on to the prize?
But what's the point of hardships
and difficulty
as we follow Jesus?
How do we deal with frustrations and sin?
Do we just say,
come on James,
you'll be fine,
brush yourself off,
Jesus loves you.
And is that all that we do with hardships?
How do we view hard times
as Christians?
Today,
as we finish our series
on the disciplines of grace,
we're going to see how
God encourages us
when hardship and difficult times hit.
So please pray with me.
Heavenly Father,
we have all experienced
hard and painful times.
And we know as people
still living
that there will be
more hard and difficult times to come.
Father,
help us to understand
how you encourage us
and how you are with us
and love us
in those times, Lord.
Amen.
The author of Hebrews,
he writes to a church
who it seems
were faced with
much persecution.
They hadn't been persecuted yet
enough to shed blood,
but they were likely faced
with daily persecution.
And they're faced
with this question,
we're under attack
and so who is in charge?
Is God really in charge?
God,
are you sovereign
over our enemies?
Or are they more powerful
than you?
And so the author
describes Christianity
as a race.
one with challenges
and difficulties,
but with a joy,
a joy of being
with Christ.
Have a look with me
at Hebrews 12,
verse 1.
And let us run
with perseverance
the race
marked out for us,
fixing our eyes
on Jesus.
And then down
to verse 3,
so that you will not
grow weary
and lose heart.
There is temptation
to grow weary
and lose heart
with whatever goal
you are chasing.
And this is not a
short-term goal,
this is not even
a long-term goal
like a 42k marathon.
This is a lifelong goal
of following Jesus
and being with Him.
And the author
of this letter
encourages us
as we run this race.
Verse 5,
and have you
completely forgotten
this word
of encouragement
that addresses you
as a father
addresses his son.
It says,
My son,
do not make light
of the Lord's discipline
and do not lose heart
when He rebukes you
because the Lord
disciplines the one
He loves
and He chastens
everyone He accepts
as a son.
Father to child
discipline
is the way
that God
encourages us.
And this encouragement
is so we don't
lose heart
and so we don't
grow weary.
Now you might be
thinking,
discipline?
Discipline is what's
supposed to encourage me.
Maybe when you're
in the midst
of a hardship,
maybe something like
some comforting words,
everything's going
to be okay.
That's what encourages you.
Maybe a gift of food.
Maybe,
you know,
I mentioned a pile
of donuts
the other week.
That's really encouraging
to me in difficult times.
But here
we see that God
chooses
discipline
to encourage us.
What then
is discipline?
Here we go.
Here's a definition
of discipline for us.
Discipline
is training
or correction.
Discipline
is training
or education
by correction
or punishment.
Training
or education
by correction
or punishment.
And this is what
God does for us
and this is how
he encourages us.
Now the first thing
to note
with discipline
from God
is that he
does not
punish us.
God does not
see our sinful
behavior
and get angry
and send hardship
to us.
He does not go,
you know,
James,
case in your sinning
again,
here's a lightning
bolt to punish you.
God
does not
punish his people.
Let me say that
again.
God does not
punish his people
who follow Jesus.
But he disciplines
us through hardship
and adversity
in our lives.
These are painful
and difficult
but our hardships
are not punishments.
God has
met out
all of the
punishment
that we deserve
on his son,
Jesus.
That is the cross.
That is the place
where our punishment
has been dealt
with.
But he does
discipline us.
He corrects
and trains
our behavior
but in a
relationship with
him.
How do you feel
with me saying
that God
trains and
educates
and changes
our behavior
through discipline
and correction?
Do you feel
okay?
Does this idea
of discipline
make you feel
a little bit
awkward?
When we think
of God
as a father
who disciplines
us,
it can be hard
for us not
to think of
our own parents
or what we
are like
as parents
disciplining
our children.
And this can
go either way.
It could be,
oh look,
my father,
he never
disciplined me
at all
and I've
turned out
okay,
so what's
the point
of discipline?
I see no
point.
Or it could
go the other
way,
my father
was very
firm.
he always
disciplined me
very firmly
and I've
turned out
okay,
so of course
I want
God to
discipline
me.
Or our
view of
our fathers
can be
painful.
Maybe we
don't have a
relationship
with our
father at
all or
maybe some
of us have
painful
memories of
being disciplined
by a father.
Some of us
might right
now be in a
difficult
relationship
with our
fathers
where
discipline
has crossed
a boundary.
For that
person in
that situation
it can be
hard to
think that
God should
discipline.
Discipline
can only
seem like
a bad
word when
we view
discipline
from our
perspective
in the
world.
But here
in Hebrews
12
discipline
is about
loving
correction.
It is
guiding
and putting
us back
on the
path to
follow
the
Lord.
Before we
look at
what God's
discipline
actually looks
like,
the author
wants to
make sure
that we
get the
most out
of our
correction.
And so
he says,
my son,
do not
make light
of the
Lord's
discipline
and do
not lose
heart when
he rebukes
you because
the Lord
disciplines
the one
he loves
and he
chastens
everyone he
accepts as
his son.
he disciplines
because he
loves.
And the
first thing
he wants
us to
be aware
of is
not making
light of
discipline.
Making
light of
God's
discipline.
This might
seem difficult
to do.
If God
is disciplining
us, how
would we
make light
of it?
I think
of a
child who
disciplines
the, a
child who
disobeys the
parent and
is disciplined.
They can get
upset at the
parent, how
dare you
discipline me?
I was in
the right, you
were in the
wrong.
Maybe you
were like that
as a child,
maybe you've
seen a child
like that.
I see some
people smiling,
I don't want
to know.
A child in
that position,
thinking that
they are
right, they
will never
learn from
discipline.
And it's
as easy for
a parent to
think, I've
told my
child the
right way to
go, I've
disciplined
them.
But five
minutes later
they're doing
the exact
same thing
again, making
light of
discipline and
ignoring it.
A child, a
person, us
in that
situation, we
lack humility.
We lack
self-awareness
that we
desperately need
God to
correct us.
Don't make
light of the
Lord's
discipline.
Don't remain
indifferent.
Maybe you
can vaguely
see that God
is calling you
to change your
behavior.
But you
don't actually
spend time
meditating on
what it
means.
It's not
helpful for a
child to
ignore their
parents'
discipline.
You know, the
parent who
says, don't
touch that, it's
hot.
You know, you
want your child to
learn the lesson
from the
instruction and
not them
touching it.
God does the
same thing.
Don't go down
that path.
That is not the
best way to go.
you will hurt
yourself.
This is not
the way I
have for you.
Don't ignore
me.
And when we
don't think
about the
discipline that
God gives to
us through
hardship, we
don't learn
from it.
And when we
refuse to
consider our
deep and
difficult times,
our lives and
relationships with
God will just
remain shallow.
some of us
can be
indifferent to
God's
discipline, but
for others, they
can be crushed
by it.
They are
overwhelmed and
lose heart.
And so the
author of the
Hebrews wants
to make sure
that you don't
make light of
God's discipline,
but don't lose
heart by his
discipline.
Don't be like
the runner who
collapses on
the track
completing that
race.
Maybe we
hate conflict,
we're unable
to deal with
correction.
Maybe you
are afraid that
if God is
disciplining you,
it means he's
angry with you.
How do we
face discipline
from God
without losing
heart and
without making
light of it?
The Lord
disciplines the
one he loves.
And he
chastens
everyone he
accepts as
his son.
God
disciplines the
one he
loves.
This is a
strange
doctrine.
It's a really
difficult thing,
but it's also a
wonderful truth.
On the one
side, God
disciplines, but
it's only because
he loves.
God
disciplines
because he
loves.
God
doesn't
discipline out
of wrath
or anger.
He's not
punishing.
It is truly
only from love
because he
has made us
his children
and brought
us into
his family.
One where
he is the
father and
he cares for
us.
He cares for
our instruction.
The author
to the Hebrews
encourages this
church when they
are under
attack.
He reminds
them of
these promises.
Don't lose
heart.
Don't make
light of God's
discipline.
He will guide
you in your
growth and
he does
this all
because he
loves you.
So we
come to
the question,
how?
How does
God actually
discipline us?
Hebrews 12
verse 7.
Endure
hardship as
discipline.
Just those
simple four
words,
endure
hardship as
discipline.
Hardship.
Adversity.
This is
God's
discipline.
This is
his correction
or training
for us.
Now remember
the Hebrew
church were
being persecuted.
They were
being attacked.
Is it
that God
is doing
that through
fatherly love
to correct
this church?
It doesn't
say that God
looks on while
his people are
being attacked
and going
through hardship.
hardship, but
that the
Lord is
the one
who disciplines.
He is
the one
who chastens.
He is
the one
who corrects
and teaches.
Does that
mean that
in some
form God
is in
charge and
responsible for
all hardship?
Is it
possible that
God not
only allows
hardship, but
actually sends
hardship to
us, to
draw us
closer to
him, to
correct and
to train
us?
Is God
in control
of all
hardship?
Is he in
control of
all of the
difficult seasons
that we face
and experience
in life?
Of sickness
and loss?
Of losing
a job?
A relationship
of hurt
and brokenness?
Does God
just allow
these things
to happen
or is he
in some
way involved
in them
all?
Imagine
two types
of surgeons
for me.
There's
the emergency
room surgeon
and then there
is the elective
surgery surgeon
and I'll have
our surgeon
correct me
later if I'm
wrong about
this.
So we've
got our two
surgeons, the
emergency room
and then the
elective planned
surgery.
The first
emergency, the
first one, the
emergency room
surgeon, a
person comes
in with a
mangled leg.
Let's think of
the situation,
what's happened
to them?
Sorry, bike
accident.
Thank you,
Nolly.
But let's go,
just a simple
bike accident.
Okay, that's
nice, simple.
They've fallen
off their bike
and their leg
is damaged.
The emergency
surgeon operates
to save the
leg and fix
the situation.
Okay, and
then it's a
very different
from my limited
understanding of
surgery, which
I have no
understanding other
than that TV
show House.
Imagine on the
other side with
the elective
surgery surgeon,
a patient has
come in with a
cancerous growth
on their leg and
the surgeon has
planned out what
he needs to do,
he's taken
MRIs, x-rays,
multiple scans,
and he can see
the growth inside
the leg and
they plan out
what they're
going to do,
they draw on
the leg what
they're going to
do, and he
takes a scalpel,
presumably,
slices the
leg, removes
the cancerous
growth, and
then fixes it
back up.
So we've got
these two
options.
One responds
to the damage
and fixes it,
one surgeon
plans it,
there is pain,
but there is
a healing as
well.
Which of
these two is
our God-like
when it comes
to hardship
and pain?
Is God-like
the elective,
is God-like
the emergency
room surgeon
who sees
our pain
and just
fixes us up,
heals us,
and goes,
there you go,
you'll be fine,
go on.
Or is
God sovereign
and in
control?
He has
planned out
what needs
to happen
to us,
and the
pain of
hardship
will hurt
us,
much like
the scalpel
to the
leg.
But he
brings healing
through that
as well.
God is
not a
passive
observer.
He doesn't
sit idly by
while we
are being
attacked,
while we
are under
hardship.
The picture
of God
here is
a father
who is
intimately
involved
in raising
up his
children.
He is
the one
who is
disciplining.
God is
the one
who rules
over
sinners.
He is
the one
who is
in control
of those
who are
persecuting
the church.
Those people
are still
guilty,
but God
uses them
to work
out his
loving
purpose
of
disciplining
this
church,
of
growing
them
up
in
their
faith.
And he
does the
same
for us.
I was
really sick
a couple
of weeks
ago.
What
started
as a
cold
grew
into
a
flu
and
then
very
quickly
full-blown
man
flu.
Ladies,
you'll
know how
bad
this
is.
Turned
into
a chest
infection
and four
of us
at home
were hit
really
hard.
Alyssa
unfortunately
was hit
really
bad,
but she
was the
least
sick
somehow.
She
wasn't
well.
I
couldn't
do
much
at the
time
but pray
to God,
help me
get better.
God
help me
get better.
Now,
God
was in
control
of that
situation.
I can't
see the
exact
connection
between
being
sick
and my
sin,
but looking
back,
it's made
me wonder,
it's made
me wonder,
was God
trying to
teach me
something
then?
Was he
disciplining
me because
I don't
depend on
him and
I depend
on
antibiotics,
just the
fact that
I will
get better?
I still
think I'm
physically
capable.
Do I
have an
idol of
health and
self-control
that God
was just
trying to
break down
so that I
depended on
him?
I wonder
if God
uses
hardships
because we
just don't
listen.
Does God
use hardships
because it
is too
easy to
ignore him
when all
is going
well?
And he
needs to
remind us
of how
much we
need to
depend upon
him.
We do
like to
draw the
connection,
God is
sending this
because of
my sin,
this hardship
is all of
my fault,
I'm being
punished for
this.
can we
tell always
if a
particular
hardship
has come
from a
specific
sin in
our life?
Well,
we might
be able
to,
the Holy
Spirit
might bring
it to
our
attention,
but I
think
chasing
reasons for
hardship
can be
a danger.
It can
make our
lives much
like a
Western
version of
karma,
where we
think this
hardship has
happened because
of my sin,
I'm at fault
and God
has sent
this to
me,
this pain
is because
of that
action I
did,
but I
think this
is dangerous
because
Jesus has
taken our
punishment for
our sins,
and we
don't have
to bear
some of
the pain
for our
sin,
Jesus has
taken that,
but every
expression of
discipline is
intended to
bring us to
be more like
Jesus.
Now,
during a
moment of
hardship,
we often
will not
see the
point.
We won't
see what
God is
doing.
But during
hardship,
it should be
enough for
us to
know that
God is
in control,
and this
hardship is
somehow for
our good.
The author
to the
Hebrews gives
us an
encouragement,
God is in
control of
all things,
even
hardships,
and he
uses them
for our
good to
guide and
grow us.
The
encouragement and
comfort here
must come from
the fact that
God is in
control.
So God
encourages us
to continue
the race,
and he uses
hard times to
discipline us.
But why?
Why?
Why does he
use hard and
painful things?
Verse 7
again,
God is
treating you
as his
children.
For what
children are
not disciplined
by their
father?
If you are
not disciplined,
and everyone
undergoes
discipline,
then you are
not legitimate.
The author
uses a very
real-world
example to
explain why
God disciplines.
In the
first century,
children were
disciplined by
their fathers.
It was their
responsibility.
They had the
primary focus
of disciplining.
And the
argument goes
that children
are disciplined
by their
fathers unless
there is
something wrong.
An illegitimate
child would
not be
disciplined.
Discipline is
actually a
proof for us
that we have a
close relationship
with God.
We are
not
illegitimate
children he
feels burdened
to carry like
he's just
got to feed
us, but he
doesn't want to
look at us.
It's actually
the opposite.
God disciplines
us because we
are so close.
Now our
fathers
discipline as
best as they
thought possible,
but God as a
father disciplines
not like us.
A parent might
have a good or
a bad relationship
with discipline.
Even the best
parents discipline
as best as
they think.
But we are
all fallible.
Every parent
is fallible.
They're
inconsistent and
often guided
by emotions.
Anyone who
has tried to
discipline a
child in a
godly manner
knows that there
are simply times
when you don't
do the right
thing or you
just don't know
what the right
thing to do
is.
How do I
discipline this
child?
How much
do I
discipline
them?
How much
is too
much?
What is
harsh?
What is
enough?
I've seen
my children
shrug off
discipline.
Just water
off a
duck's
back.
But I've
also seen
them emotionally
crushed by
my discipline.
Finding the
right balance
between those
two is a
challenge.
God is
not an
inconsistent
parent.
He doesn't
discipline
harshly based
on his
emotions.
God always
cares for us
in the same
way.
He doesn't
have debate
with himself.
What is the
best thing to
do in this
moment?
He knows
what we
need and
he only
gives us
what we
need.
Verse 10,
God disciplines
us for our
good in order
that we may
share in
his holiness.
No discipline
seems pleasant
at the time
but painful.
Later on,
however,
it produces
a harvest of
righteousness
and peace.
God has a
purpose behind
every piece
of hardship.
It's not
pleasant,
it's just like
that scalpel,
but it is
done for our
good,
for our
holiness,
for our
peace,
and for our
righteousness.
And those
are definitely
the places
that we need
to be growing
in as
Christians.
It is not
pleasant,
but it is
designed only
for our
good.
When we
are in the
midst of
hardship and
pain,
we can't
understand why
it's happening.
All we can
do is to
cry out to
God to
end the
pain,
bring this
suffering to
an end.
It might
not be
years later
until we
realize what
God has
done.
He may
have sent
hardship and
difficult times
to you when
you were a
teenager to
prepare you to
be who you
are today.
He may have
corrected you and
disciplined you in
your 20s so
that in your
40s you were
able to survive
what was going
on.
He might be
disciplining you
today in
hardship because
of what is
coming in the
future.
We might
never know
the reason
for a
season of
hardship and
pain but
God knows.
He's planned
it and he is
sovereign over
it.
Even though we
can't see what
God is doing
in the midst of
hardship we
must remember
that he is
sovereign and
in control.
If you're in a
season of
hardship or
pain or
adversity today
hold on to
that truth that
God is in
control and he
loves you.
Remember these
two truths when
hard times come
because the
longer that we
live the more
likely that
difficult times
are coming.
I heard about
a woman who
was about to
become a
grandmother.
Her new
grandchild was
in a different
state in the
US and to
see this
grandchild she
would have to
fly.
But this
woman hated
flying.
was absolutely
terrified of
it.
But the
only way to
overcome her
fear to
endure the
hardship of
flying was
with the
destination in
mind.
We have a
journey marked
out for us
with the joy
of being with
the Lord at
the end of
this race.
But this
journey called
life is not
always easy.
there are
good times.
There are
hard times.
And God
uses these to
train and to
correct and
adjust our
hearts and he
does this
lovingly because
he is our
father who
loves and
cares for us.
Let me pray.
Heavenly
father you
are a good
and generous
God.
We thank
you that you
are in
control of
all things,
that you
are in
control of
good times
and difficult
days,
Lord.
Father,
when we
are in
those difficult
days,
those hard
times,
remind us
that you
are in
control and
that you
love us.
Use these
to discipline
us,
to bring us
back to
you,
so that we
can reach
the end
of this
race marked
out for
us.
For what a
joy it is
to be your
children,
Lord.
Amen.