Please take your copy of God's Word and turn with me to Hebrews chapter 12.
Hebrews chapter 12. Our text for study this morning is Hebrews chapter 12 verses 4 through 11.
! Before I read it, let me remind you, beloved, that this is God's Word to us, written for His glory and our good.
And as such, we would all do well to listen to it in order to believe its promises and obey its commands.
Hebrews 12 verse 4 and following.
It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons.
For what son is there whom his father does not discipline?
If you are left without discipline in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.
Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them.
Shall we not much more be subject to the father of spirits and live?
For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them.
But He disciplines us for our good, that we may share His holiness.
For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant.
But later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
The very first sermon that I preached on the book of Hebrews some months ago
was opened with the following quotation from William Lane,
who is a contemporary and very respected New Testament authority.
He wrote,
Hebrews is a delight for the person who loves puzzles.
Its form is unusual, its setting in life is uncertain, and its argument is unfamiliar.
It invites engagement in the task of defining the undefined.
Undefined are the identity of the writer, his conceptual background,
the character and location of the community addressed,
the circumstances and date of composition,
the nature of the crisis to which the document is a response,
the literary genre and the purpose and plan of the work.
Although these undefined issues continue to be addressed and debated vigorously,
no real consensus has been reached.
Lane then goes on to do a very careful work
to give us the probabilities and the likelies of the letter before us.
But one matter is without contention.
The theme of Hebrews is the supremacy and finality of Jesus Christ.
That is that Christ is greater than,
and he lays out this argument in the opening chapters,
than angels, greater than priests,
greater than the old covenant redemptive economy.
And that Christ is the final word.
We need no new revelation.
And we need not go back to any system of the world.
Jesus Christ is supreme,
and Jesus Christ is final for the salvation of our souls.
We know from clues throughout the text
that this letter was originally written to Hellenistic Jewish Christians,
that is Greek-speaking Jews,
that had not seen Jesus,
but had heard the gospel and believed.
This is Hebrews chapter 2, the very beginning.
And that they had an Italian locus.
They were located within Italy,
likely on the outskirts of Rome.
They were suffering and would suffer further.
And so we have been exploring at link the letter's secondary theme,
the necessity of faithful endurance.
He is working out that those who are in fact in Christ
will endure in Christ to the end.
Last week we saw the author use the metaphor of a race
to encourage these believers and us
after a sweeping Old Testament summary of faithful endurance
in the following way.
And this is the first three verses of Hebrews chapter 12.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses,
let us also lay aside every weight and sin which clings so closely,
and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith,
who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross,
despising the shame and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself
so that you may not grow weary or faint-hearted.
So he tells us that it's going to be a race
that has to be run with endurance.
And to do so, we're going to have to lay aside anything
that hinders that race.
And the way that we're going to complete that race
is by fixing our eyes on Christ
as the supreme example of faithfulness.
He continues this section with further encouragement
to faithful endurance amidst these undefined issues
that Lane suggests to us,
which we will study in the following outline.
Number one, this is our outline for the text this morning.
Number one, correction for faltering endurance.
Correction for faltering endurance.
Number two, challenge to sustained endurance.
And number three, reasons for sustained endurance.
So number one, correction for faltering endurance.
And we'll find this in verses four through six.
At the very outset of today's text,
he begins with two corrections.
First, he corrects them with the fact that
while they had suffered,
no one had yet been martyred.
He works to give them a bit of perspective.
Verse four,
in your struggle against sin,
you have not yet resisted.
To the point of shedding your blood.
There appears to be a shift in metaphor here
from the Christian life being described as
the race that is set before us in verse two
to that of a wrestling match with sin,
possibly also in the Olympic games,
a boxing match, right?
This imagery may have popped into his original hearers' minds.
Truly, the Christian life is one
that must be run with endurance,
and it certainly is a struggle against sin.
Now, in verse three of chapter 12,
he has just exhorted them to consider him
who endured from sinners such hostility against himself.
Jesus had shed his blood.
They had not.
It is as if he is saying,
quit being so dramatic.
None of you has died yet.
It is as if he is saying,
stop your whining.
John Piper would say,
murmur, murmur, murmur.
I find this a particularly striking correction
for the church today.
We have suffered so little.
Suffered so little.
And we complain so much.
But we have suffered so little compared
to the death of our Lord.
Not a single one of us will ever bear
what Christ endured.
While it's possible that we may
die a death for the name of Christ,
we will not bear the wrath of God
for the church in our dying.
None of us.
So as we look to Christ,
as this perfect example for us,
we have not struggled against sin in this way.
If we are considering him who endured from sinners
such hostility against himself,
then we also should not grow weary or faint hearted.
This is the first correction that he brings to them.
Gives them some perspective.
Second, the author corrects them
because they had failed to remember
and apply the scripture
to their current situation.
He writes, verse 5,
and have you forgotten the exhortation
that addresses you as sons?
They had forgotten.
And so he is gently reminding them.
Ladies, do not forget that the Bible was written
at a time when all of the inheritance of a father
was granted to his sons.
So you want to be a son,
as the Bible expresses it,
and you are.
Paul wrote in Galatians chapter 3, verse 26,
in Christ Jesus,
you are all sons of God through faith.
With this in mind,
here the scripture that the author of Hebrews now cites,
which is Proverbs chapter 3, verse 11 and 12.
My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord,
nor be weary when reproved by him.
For the Lord disciplines the one he loves
and chastises every son whom he receives.
You see here what the author is doing
is he's saying,
listen, church,
everything you're experiencing,
all of the hardships that happen in your life
come from the Lord's good hand
because you are his children.
This is an astounding perspective shift.
If you don't think in these terms,
oh, I pray that you would begin
to be able to see this morning
that the difficulties that are happening
in your life are coming from
the one who loves you.
In verses 5 and 6,
there are two negative implications.
Don't disdain and don't dismay.
The author says,
do not regard lightly.
Do not cast it off.
Do not consider it as it should be considered,
the discipline of the Lord.
And do not dismay when you are being disciplined.
He says,
nor be weary when reproved by him.
The opposite, therefore,
are two positive exhortations for us.
That would be,
do regard,
pay close attention,
appreciate the discipline of the Lord,
and do refresh,
which I recognize is bad English,
so you could say,
or be refreshed,
be encouraged,
be uplifted by the fact
that God disciplines you.
The author wants us to see
that the challenges that we face in this world
are for our good.
They are given to us
by his kind hand.
Why?
Love.
The text tells us,
for love,
the Lord disciplines
the one he loves.
Being disciplined is a sign
that you belong to God
and that he is seeking your good.
Do you believe this?
Do you believe
that you belong to God
and that his discipline
is an act of loving kindness
to you?
Or,
do you think that you
know better?
That you could arrange your life
in a more suitable fashion?
That the challenges of your life,
the things that seem to keep you
from enduring faithfully,
are unfair and misplaced.
That they couldn't possibly
be kindnesses
from God.
Beloved,
if your faith is faltering,
you need correction.
You need perspective
and you need
the promises
of God.
The Lord disciplines
the one
he loves.
To make the point
a bit further,
let me give you
one more text.
This is Psalm 84,
the second half
of verse 11,
which says,
no good thing
does he,
God,
withhold
from those
who walk
uprightly.
No good thing
does he withhold
from those
who walk
uprightly.
If you are in Jesus Christ
this morning,
if you have repented
and believed
in the person
and work
of Christ,
knowing that he
kept the law
for you,
that he died the death
that you deserve,
right?
You don't come to God
on your own merit,
but because of the merit
of Jesus,
right?
If you have turned
from your sin
and you have said,
I need a savior,
Christ is this
great savior
to you,
then you are
clothed
in his righteousness.
Therefore,
you walk
uprightly
before God.
When God
sees you,
he sees the
uprightness
of Christ.
Psalm 84,
11 says,
no good thing
does he withhold
from those
who walk
uprightly.
If you're in Christ,
you walk
uprightly.
As such,
God withholds
no good
thing
from you.
That is,
your life
is full
of
good.
Maybe not
by your definition,
but it is full
of good,
of God's
defining,
and it is
aimed at,
it is for
your
sustained
endurance.
God loves
you far
too much
to be terribly
concerned about
the benefits
you're receiving
now.
He's far
more concerned
about the benefits
that you'll
receive forever.
He has
the mindset
of eternity,
and we
very quickly
are forgetting
that we are
a people
passing through
a vapor
in the wind,
and God
is preparing
us for
a future
glory.
The Lord
disciplines
the one
he loves.
have you
forgotten
the text
that addresses
you
as sons?
Secondly,
we see in the text,
in the first half
of verse 7,
a challenge
to sustained
endurance.
The author
has told us
that Jesus
endured,
and it is
imperative
that we
endure.
It is
for discipline
that you
have to
endure.
Culturally,
we tend
to have a
very negative
view of
discipline.
You may
have either
never been
disciplined
in your
home,
or you
were possibly
disciplined
with severity.
The word
discipline
means to
teach
or instruct.
This is
what this
word means,
which means
that discipline
ought to be
viewed as
a positive
thing,
especially
that discipline
which comes
from the
Lord.
Additionally,
the discipline
of God
for his
children
never
involves
his
wrath.
Theodore,
I'm going to
guess Latch
is the way
you pronounce
this very
oddly spelled
last name,
who is an
Old Testament
scholar,
put the point
this way,
God's plans
concerning his
people are
always thoughts
of good,
of blessing.
Even if he
is obliged
to use
the rod,
it is the
rod not
of wrath,
but the
Father's rod
of chastisement
for their
temporal and
eternal welfare.
There is not
a single item
of evil in his
plans for his
people,
neither in their
motive,
nor in their
conception,
nor in their
revelation,
nor in their
consummation.
So we can
read Psalm
23 this
morning,
and we
can unite
with the
psalmist in
saying that
God's rod
and his
staff are
a comfort
to us.
We can
declare that
he is in
fact the
good shepherd.
So we
should endure
our hardships
as kindnesses
from God,
as helpful
discipline.
And this
discipline takes
three forms.
So we'll
step outside
of the text
just a bit.
I want to
give these
to you
quickly.
Discipline
takes three
forms.
I'll give
you a couple
of Bible
examples for
them.
Number one,
corrective
discipline.
Sometimes we
need to be
shown the
error of
our ways.
We need to
be shown it.
There needs
to be consequence
for our
action.
And we need
to experience
the temporal
consequence of
our sin to
keep us mindful
of its eternal
consequence,
especially if we
are not found
in Christ.
An example
of this is
found in
Paul's letters
to the
Corinthians.
Some of
them were
sick.
Some had
died because
of their
abuse of
the Lord's
Supper.
And Paul
writes in
1 Corinthians
chapter 11
and verse
32,
So God
brings along
corrective
discipline,
helps us to
see that there
is error in
our way.
And there's a
consequence here
and possibly
forever.
Second form
of discipline
is preventive
discipline.
Sometimes we
need to be
kept from
sin by
discipline.
An example
of this is
the humility
God worked
in Paul,
which he
speaks of
in 2 Corinthians
chapter 12
and verse 7,
where he
wrote,
So to
keep me
from becoming
conceited,
there's the
preventive measure
there,
Paul was
kept humble,
right?
He wasn't
allowed to
become conceited,
he goes on,
because of the
surpassing
greatness of
the revelations,
a thorn was
given me
in the flesh,
a messenger
of Satan
to harass
me,
to keep
me from
becoming
conceited.
You see
that Paul
takes this
as a
kindness
from God
on his
behalf.
The third
form that
discipline
takes is
instructive
discipline.
Sometimes
we are
taught lessons
proactively
through
discipline.
This was
the case
for
Job,
who after
enduring
much
suffering
that
was
neither
corrective
or preventative,
he declares
in Job
chapter 42
verse 4
and following,
Here I will
speak,
I will
question you,
and you
make it
known to
me.
I had
heard of
you by
the hearing
of the
ear,
but now
my eye
sees you.
Therefore
I despise
myself and
repent in
dust and
ashes.
Through
Job's
suffering
and his
following
dialogue
with God,
he reached
a new
and more
complete
understanding
of his
Lord.
Because
Job was
doing
well,
God
allowed
suffering
so that
Job
would do
all the
more
well.
Much
like an
elite athlete
gets pushed
by a
coach,
those at
the top
of their
game
don't stop
getting
coached.
They get
pushed
further
on.
We are
often
instructed
through
our
hardships.
We must
remember
that the
challenges
of our
lives
are
discipline
that
comes
in one
of these
three
forms
and we
must be
discerning
and sorting
that out
and we
must remember
that it is
loving
and it is
for our
good.
James
Moffat,
who's a
contemporary
commentator,
stated in
his commentary
on this
text,
to endure
rightly,
one must
endure
intelligently
and by
which I
think he
means
mindfully.
If we're
going to
endure the
hardship of
this world,
we must
understand
why it
comes our
way and
the purpose
for it.
Third,
reasons for
sustained
endurance.
We'll see
this in the
last half of
verse 7 and
through the
end of the
text in
verse 11.
The author
gives four
reasons for
sustained
endurance,
beginning
second half
of verse 7
and on.
Number one,
he gives
us a
paternal
reason.
A paternal
reason.
He writes,
God is
treating you
as sons.
For what
son is there
whom his
father does
not discipline?
If you are
left without
discipline in
which we
all have
participated,
then you
are
illegitimate
children and
not sons.
The logic
goes, if
you are
sons, then
you will
receive
discipline.
If you
are not
sons, then
you will
not receive
discipline.
Because this
is true,
we should
not regard
lightly the
discipline of
the Lord,
nor be
weary when
reproved by
him, but
should rather
be encouraged
to press
on by
it.
God loves
us as
our
father.
Second
reason for
sustained
endurance.
It is a
lesser to
greater
reason.
There is a
Latin phrase
I wrote down
and I am not
even going to
try to
pronounce it
for you.
A logical
tool, a
lesser to
greater
argumentation.
The logic
here goes,
if this is
so, then
this must
be even
more so.
He says
in verse
9,
besides this
we have
had earthly
fathers who
disciplined
us and
we respected
them.
Shall we
not much
more be
subject to
the father
of spirits
and live?
Now I
recognize that
not all of
you have
fathers who
disciplined
you or
disciplined
you well.
You may
not have
had the
type of
respect for
your fathers
that the
author is
here implying.
If that is
the case for
you, I want
you to
know that
he is
speaking in
generalities
and that
the lesson
he is
teaching does
not have
to be
lost on
you because
your frame
of reference
is different
from the
one he
is implying.
So here,
if you
have a
father who
disciplined
you and
you respected
him, or
if you
have ever
noticed a
father who
disciplined
well and
you respected
him, then
how much
more should
you respect
God?
Fathers who
discipline their
children are a
shadow, a
reflection of
our great
God who
disciplines us
for our
good.
So we
should much,
much more
respect God
and therefore
respect his
loving correction.
His loving
correction is
always perfect.
It's always
perfect.
He does not
fail the way
that earthly
fathers fail.
And as
such, therefore,
it is always
respectable.
The third
reason for
sustained
endurance is
a sanctifying
reason.
Verse 10,
For they,
these fathers,
disciplined us
for a short
time as it
seemed best
to them.
But he
disciplines us
for our
good that we
may share
his holiness.
It's a
sanctifying
reason.
We've said
this already
before,
but God
is about
working in
our lives,
aiming us
to look
more like
him.
Good earthly
fathers do
this, right?
The discipline
of our
children is
aimed at
making them
look more
like our
children.
You are
my son,
therefore,
you should
look like
this.
You should
live like
this.
But we
do this
so imperfectly
because we're
fallen and
we fail in
many,
many respects.
But our
heavenly father
does not
and never
does.
Everything that
he is working
is working us
in the direction
of looking
more like
him so that
we would
share his
holiness.
And if your
holiness is not
the highest aim
of your living
in this life,
then you're
shooting too
low.
If you're
aiming at
other things,
it's not a
worthy enough
thing to aim
at.
God aims
as the
aiming should
happen.
He's aiming
at your
holiness.
Romans 8,
28 gives
us some
direction in
this.
I think all
of you,
when I say
Romans 8,
28,
go,
I know
this one.
I got it.
We know
that for those
who love
God,
all things
work together
for the good
for those
who are called
according to
his purpose.
You probably
dropped the
last half
of that
off of there
because we
don't want
to think
about what
God's purpose
is in the
good that
he's working.
Because really
we want to
think about
our purposes
in the good
that God
is working.
And so we
make it into
this strange
mystic verse.
I know it's
true.
Everything works
out.
Everything for a
reason.
And we're
looking for the
reason.
We're trying to
understand.
We're giving
ourselves this
hope.
Like, yeah,
I don't like
what's happening
right now.
But somehow,
some way,
yeah,
it's going to
be good.
good.
The text
tells us
the good.
We don't
have to
guess at
the good.
The clue
of that is
the last part
of verse 28.
For those
who are
called according
to his
purpose.
What is the
purpose?
Verse 29
tells us.
For those
whom he
foreknew,
he also
predestined to
be conformed
to the image
of his
son.
That's the
good that
he's working
in your
life and
in my
life if
we belong
to him.
God is
working all
things together
for that
great and
highest good.
Read there.
Share in his
holiness that
we will be
conformed to
the image
of his
son.
His son,
who was
himself God,
but was
fully man and
submitted himself
in every way
to the
father.
Our high
example of
faithful
endurance.
This is
what he is
making us
into.
And we
won't arrive
at it on
this side
of glory,
but we
are moving
in that
direction
steadily for
the praise
of him
who is
doing it.
This is a
wonderful reason
to press on.
A sanctifying
reason to
appreciate the
kind
corrections
of God.
And then
the fourth
reason for
faithful endurance.
is a
joy-filled
reason.
A joy-filled
reason.
Verse 11
says,
For the
moment,
all discipline
seems painful
rather than
pleasant,
but later it
yields the
peaceful fruit
of righteousness
to those
who have been
trained by it.
The author
recognizes that
there is a
disconnect
between the
experience of
discipline and
the reality
of discipline.
He notes
that for the
moment,
all discipline
seems painful
rather than
pleasant.
He knows
that it
hurts.
He has
experienced
that hurt,
and he
sympathizes with
us in that.
But,
by implication,
it yields
pleasantness.
In the
moment,
he says,
it's painful,
but it
will
yield
pleasantness,
which he
calls the
peaceful
fruit
of
righteousness.
Doesn't
that sound
wonderful?
In the
midst of
trial,
you're
sailing the
sea of this
life,
and it is
getting rocked
by the
storms of
this world.
In the
midst of
temptation,
doesn't
that,
the
peaceful
fruit
of
righteousness
steady you?
We can
be
steadied.
We are
steadied by
our loving
God as
he trains
us to
yield this
in our
lives.
Isaiah
chapter 32
verse 16
and 17
says,
justice
will dwell
in the
wilderness
and righteousness
abide in
the fruitful
field,
and the
effect of
righteousness
be peace,
and the
result of
righteousness
quietness
and trust
forever.
I love
that.
I love
that.
The effect
of righteousness
will be
peace,
and the
result of
righteousness
quietness
and trust
forever.
So hold
up and
hold on.
love.
We have
a loving
God who
disciplines
us for
the sake
of faithful
endurance.
Beloved,
it is because
he loves
you.
Trials of
this life
are not
outside of
his control.
They're being
brought your
way,
whatever it
is,
for your
good.
May we be
those who
declare,
Hebrews
chapter 10
and verse
39.
We are
not of
those who
shrink back
and are
destroyed,
but of
those who
have faith
and preserve
their souls.
Let's pray
together.