The Discipline Of The Lord

Hebrews 12 and the Lord's Supper

Turn with me once again, please to the book of Hebrews chapter 12. Hebrews chapter 12 this evening we partake in the Lord's Supper but I think the exhortation to properly bear with the discipline of the Lord fits very well with Our participation in the Lord's Supper this evening, so we will continue our study there in Hebrews Chapter 12.

Let's ask the Lord to bless our time together a gracious Heavenly Father. We do ask that you would help us to understand that. Your word teaches us that we are your sons and your daughters. That you have entered into a very special relationship with us and as such you have a purpose a Purpose in bringing trial and difficulty into our lives a purpose in chastising us disciplining us.

Lord help us to think upon this this evening as we consider The fact that our true relationship with you is based solely upon the work of Jesus Christ a finished work a perfect work. Help us to see this balance.

We pray in Christ's name as we look at this text of Scripture again this evening. I Am reminded of one of the greatest Needs for balance within the Christian life is addressed to us in these very words.

Let us Remember what the text says. Hebrews chapter 12 beginning of verse 4 you have not yet resisted the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin and You have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons.

My son do not regard lightly this one of the Lord. Nor faint when you are reproved by him for those in the Lord loves he disciplines and he scourges every son whom he receives. It is for discipline that you endure.

God deals with you as with sons. What son is there whom his father does not discipline? But if you are without discipline of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons furthermore We had earthly fathers to discipline us and we respected them.

Shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of Spirits and live. For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good. So that we may share his holiness.

God's Sovereign Purpose and the Danger of Man-Centered Religion

This evening as we once again look at this text. I want to Make sure that we understand first before we start looking very carefully at the actual exhortation from Proverbs chapter 3 and making application and looking at each text.

There's there's a balance that I very much want to begin with and it'll be our primary thought for this evening. And and I think it fits rather well With our partaking of the Lord's Supper all at the same time there is a great confusion on the part of many in Regards to the relationship that we are to have with God in the Christian faith.

Not so much within the true Christian faith, but within what is broadly called Christianity there are so many different understandings of what it means to be a child of God a son a daughter of God as We know in this fellowship God is sovereign in the matter of salvation.

It is the key Mechanism whereby the triune God has chosen to glorify himself. It's not all about us.

It's all about God.

We begin with God. We begin with his eternal purpose. We begin in the very councils of eternity. We recognize that the Father Son and Holy Spirit together before creation itself counseled together and decided together decreed together to bring about the creation of the universe and.

On this.

Particular planets in this particular part of this vast universe. It is God's purpose to glorify himself through the creation of a particular people and through the drama of creation and fall and then redemption specifically through the incarnation of Jesus Christ to unite a people to himself.

So that they might have the relationship to him of Sons and daughters. That they might know him in a way that Adam could never have known him. Because they have been changed. Because the gift is greater than the transgression.

Because there is this union with Christ because of the incarnation. There is the tremendous condescension of God to enter into a relationship with a particular people solely and freely by grace and Completely based upon the good pleasure of his will.

We begin with that grand narrative. We begin with that over arching perspective because the temptation as creatures as human beings Is to begin with ourselves? To begin with our experience and no matter what happens when man starts there.

The overarching purposes of God the grand intentions of God have to be defined by very small parameters and So we see so many today Who struggle mightily with the freeness of God's grace? Who struggle mightily with the centrality of God's grace that it is his purpose and His purpose alone that is accomplished in this universe.

They struggle with that because from their perspective We have to be at the center. From their perspective if it's really going to have meaning then we have to be the ones Who determine whether God is successful in the act of salvation.

And so there are so many Even this evening in this land in this city Who are proclaiming a message that basically says God is trying his best? He's trying his best and His heart is broken this is not how he wants it to be.

And If we would but cooperate if we would but join together with him We can make this a better world. But you see God has put out a 100 effort and now it's time for you. And I it's almost like one of those matching grants you ever see that on television or radio.

They've got some kind of Telethon going on and they're trying to raise money and we have a matching grant if you give five dollars it becomes ten. If you Give a hundred becomes 200 call in now. And that's sort of like what's being preached from many a pulpit.

It's like the way I heard it once expressed.

In all seriousness.

God has voted for you. The devil has voted against you and now you've got the tie-breaking vote. Well, I know there are people that view it in that way. I know there are people who really feel that God is just doing his best and if we'll just cooperate.

We know what that's called. It's called synergism. It's a it's a synergistic cooperation between the will of God the will of man that brings about Salvation and God's given a hundred percent and if we just do the same then all will be well.

The problem is that is clearly not the teaching of Scripture. That is clearly not the teaching of Ephesians chapter 1 and Romans chapters 8 and 9 and so many other texts where the Bible so clearly teaches the sovereignty of God's purposes in this world and the result of not seeing that the result of starting with man rather than God.

Is that even when we get down to these texts these texts that most of us will recognize have extremely Practical applications as to how you and I live our lives each and every day see a lot of our friends a Lot of our Christian friends will say well, you know, I think we just need to leave all that stuff.

You talk about so much to mystery. We need to have some mystery in God. Leave that out there. It really doesn't make any difference when you get down to the the nitty-gritty of living the Christian life.

But have you noticed.

It does.

It does make it makes a huge difference. For example in the emergency room. In the critical care unit. I learned that when I was a hospital chaplain. I've told this story many times before that I was sort of thrust into that role and I went out.

I bought a bunch of Books, I read these books. I couldn't talk to people in the hospital the way these books said I should because of the Fundamental theological difference between myself and the authors.

Basically, they were saying distance God from whatever has happened. He's he wants to he wants to make things better but he had nothing to do with this tragic had nothing to do with this death and I'm like How am I supposed to tell this person that God has a wonderful plan for your life now?

But he was on vacation when this tragedy took place. He had no purpose in that but I'll have a every person purpose everything else. It made no sense to me. It made no sense because it wasn't biblical.

It wasn't derived from the scriptures. It was derived from a psychological understanding of well What would be the best thing to make someone feel good in this situation? So it does impact very practical matters.

It matters it impacts all the Christian life and when it comes to you and I and our attitude to God's chastening his disciplining of us. It has everything to do with how we experience that and the attitude we will have toward that.

You see if we start from man. Then what's God's purpose in all of this? I mean I'm the one that got myself into this God had given a hundred percent effort, didn't he? And I'm the one that sort of signed on the line.

You know, it was offered to me. I was my choice. That's why I've always wondered why there are so many people. Who though they will so emphasize we have to have the the deciding factor has to be our autonomous will.

You notice many of them just naturally want to believe that once you're in Christ, you can't lose that. Doesn't make a lick of sense when you think about it. If it was my choice to get in then why can't it be my choice to get out if my free will was what got?

Me in then my free will can get me out unless somehow I gave up my free will. When I got into this thing, which makes no sense either. But you see if you start with man. Then coming to the conclusions that God has the sovereign right to discipline you as he chooses.

Adoption, Sonship, and the Meaning of Discipline

You see.

When you get down to the final the final exhortation here notice what says verse 5. The exhortation which is addressed to you is what as sons. Ladies if you want to throw the word daughters in there, I suppose you can.

The point is there is this intimate filial relationship that has been.

Initiated.

In and through Jesus Christ. We have been adopted into the family of God. And think back with me for a moment. Ephesians chapter 1 the eternal purpose of God. Pre destination before time began its personal.

It's always in Christ and it's unto sonship. Unto adoption as sons and daughters in Jesus Christ. That's his overarching purpose. And here now in the nitty-gritty of the everyday. The difficulties I'm having in the Christian life.

It comes down to address to you as sons and how you Understand how you became a son or a daughter is going to have everything to do. With how you respond to God's discipline it's got everything to do with the exhortation which is addressed to you as Sons.

What that means. Is this whole section about discipline? Scourging. Do not consider it likely. This is something that's important. This would be something that we actually desire. Not just endure. Because we see what the end of it will be.

It's all within a family relationship and that family relationship that Adoption that we have been. We can now cry out Abba Father through the Spirit of God. It all flows from his.

Purpose.

And I say to you I've seen it over and over again that when people approach this subject and they do so from the Underside from man's perspective rather than the biblical perspective of seeing the entire purpose of God.

How they understand?

Discipline will vary tremendously. In fact, I would like to suggest since it seems to be the topic of conversation amongst many today. That this is one of the key factors in why a.

The Word-Faith Movement and Man-Centered Theology

False.

Disgusting.

Doctrine has become so prevalent in our world today. You've all heard of the word faith movement this concept that we somehow can speak our reality and Our words can somehow create the reality around us and that it's God's purpose that we're to be healthy wealthy and wise and have bright teeth and even legs.

Since that seems to be a really major problem at most healing crusades. Seems to be the one thing that God can heal all the time is uneven legs. Yes, there's sarcasm there. It's okay. I would like to suggest to you that this entire.

Mindset.

Cannot even begin to understand what the writer of the Hebrews is saying here because it's based upon a fundamentally man-centered Synergistic perspective. It did not grow out of any perspective of reformed theology or any perspective of biblical theology.

It grew out of a very man-centered Theology and it can only it can only survive in that context. I was just in South Africa. And I was informed that the largest proportion by far the majority of people in South Africa that call themselves Christians.

Adhere to the word faith movement the amazing thing when you think about South Africa I mean when you think about the the stifling poverty that many of these people live in I understand why they want to grab hold of something like that.

It just would strike me that after about six months you get the idea that doesn't work. But so deep is the desperation. But I had to actually keep in mind every time I was talking to a Muslim there. Remember this person's probably never talked to a real Christian.

They've talked to people who think it's I just confess it and get it from God stuff. Most of them aren't even Trinitarians. In other words, I need to recognize they're probably rather confused by what I'm saying.

Because they're thinking I'm like these other folks. Introduces a tremendous barrier a tremendous mountain to have to climb. But it comes from this man-centeredness and may I address another Aspect of this if you come from a Roman Catholic background and many of you do.

You may struggle with what is said here because of again the man-centeredness or in this case the the Church sacrament centeredness of Roman Catholicism. What do I mean? Well, you know that in Roman Catholicism you have the doctrine of purgatory and it's interesting.

I was just looking at some developments in that area. Some of you not many of you but some of you are old enough to remember.

Friday fish fries.

Yes, some of you are old enough to remember. The old-style Roman Catholicism that was most prevalent before the Second Vatican Council. Well now there's people openly saying well, you know purgatory isn't a place you go to suffer.

Purgatory is an intense encounter with Jesus.

Well.

I'm more than happy. When someone begins to abandon a false teaching, I think that's wonderful. The problem is when their religion insists on still being called infallible. Even when they change their teaching from what they used to teach to what they're teaching now.

Because if you teach something not different now, then you used to teach what you used to teach is called something that's wrong. Which means you're not infallible now, huh?

But that issue aside.

There is still very deeply ingrained in the mind of the Roman Catholic the idea of temporal and eternal punishment and Because you go to the priest. Because you have to confess to the priest and the priest gives you penances and you know that you never work those penances off.

Perfectly you never do them with with proper contrition. Then you've got the specter of purgatory and indulgences and all these other things that come along with it and. So in Roman Catholic theology, they read this section of Hebrews and say see there there it is.

There's why you have purgatory. There's why you have need for purgation after death. There's there's the whole issue is that you've got these temporal punishments for sins. And what's going on here is this temporal punishment is what you're going through here.

And that's not what the writer of the Hebrews is talking about. There is nothing here and there will be nothing here about you need to go through this. So that the work of Jesus Christ can be completed.

That text in Colossians 124 about about filling up the sufferings of Christ has nothing to do with his sufferings for salvation. Different term. Different term. There's nothing here about what Christ has provided you with the beginning.

His death has provided the grace to get you in but now it's the sacraments and now it's your works and Events you can stand before God clothes and the righteousness of Christ and Mary and the Saints and yourself.

Has never even crosses the mind of the writer of the Hebrews. This exhortation is addressed to you as sons and the idea that What the writer of the Hebrews is saying is well. If you don't go through these things, right, then you're gonna lose your sonship.

That's never even mentioned. Notice what the purpose is it is for. Discipline not salvation. Discipline that you endure. God deals with you as sons and then notice what is. What is the purpose here. The overarching purpose is expressed all the way down in verse 10.

But he disciplines us for our good so that we may share his.

Holiness.

Relationship of son and daughter to God Means that God wants us to be like him. God wants us to be like him. What's the other way in which this is expressed in the New Testament? We are being conformed to the image of Christ.

We are being conformed the image of Christ. He wants us to share his holiness. And so he disciplines us. It is a part of Sanctification is a part of being made like Christ. It is God's very purpose to make us a special people a Different people not like the world.

We have different wants we have different desires. He wants us to share his holiness to be unlike the world around us. And so there must be Discipline and this is addressed to us as sons and daughters we who have been parents Know that we want our children to grow up in such a way.

They share our values. Not they make the mistakes we made we are imperfect as this text is going to point out. But to share our values to share our our deep Commitments as Christians to Jesus Christ as we want one that we desire that so we can understand that God as father Would desire that we as his children would reflect his true nature be ye Holy as I am.

Holy is the very terminology that God used over and over again with the people of Israel and Now that the law is written upon our hearts. It can actually take place and so you see this discipline is for our holiness not so that we can somehow Make it by the skin of our teeth into heaven.

Not that somehow we are adding to the finished work of Christ. Not that we are somehow going to have to stand before God in this patchwork quilt of righteousness some of which we get from the Saints and some of which we get from Mary and some of which we get from Christ and Some of which we get from crawling upstairs on our knees kissing each one and praying to a saint again, the man centeredness of.

Rome.

Results in that Misunderstanding of what the discipline of God is all about. Now there will be a discussion there will be a discussion of some people that if you're without discipline, you're not really a son.

You're not part of the family. Because God will discipline every son he receives. In other words It is God's purpose when he calls any one of his elect in the union with Christ to make them like Christ.

He's not going to leave anybody out there. And so there is good reason I think. For a person who looks at their life and goes I see no discipline. I see no desire for Christ.

I see no.

Desire for holiness. When I do experience difficulties in life and everybody does my thoughts are not about what God would have me to learn. All that stuff you're talking about this morning about Striving against sin.

I have no earthly idea what you're talking. There are those the false faith. There are those who the scriptures tell us are not really of us. There is a whole false teaching that's popular out there now that denies.

There is such a thing as false faith as long as you tip your hat toward God you're in. The New Testament knows nothing of it but the focus of this text is on that intimate the relationship that exists between God and his people.

God as father and Us as sons and daughters of God what we do this evening In the Lord's Supper speaks the exact same thing the warnings that are given. The fact that this is for Only those who have bowed the knee and repentance and faith Jesus Christ Demonstrates what we're talking about is a family activity.

This table is for the sons and daughters of God to remember What has been done for them in Jesus Christ. And when we partake of The bread we partake of the cup. We are remembering that intimate union that exists that Jesus talked about I in you and you in me.

I and the Father will come and make our abode with you by the Spirit of God and We are proclaiming to the world when we partake of these elements. Not only do we believe in the death burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ and proclaim His death until he comes.

But that we are in essence saying very clearly to everyone who observes this is all my hope. I cling to nothing else. I believe in nothing else, but the all-sufficiency of Jesus Christ. I Proclaim my sonship my adoption in the family of God.

Not on a merit of my own. But solely because what Jesus Christ has done in my place and so as we come to the table this evening. There is that point in time where we examine ourselves. There is that point in time where we we ask the question for whom is the Lord's Supper instituted.

And I would suggest that the answer that we give Is very much in line with the exhortation of Hebrews chapter 12. Because it says it's for those who are truly Displeased with themselves for their sins and yet trust that these are forgiven them for the sake of Christ.

That's the attitude that the writer of the Hebrews is saying do not take lightly. Recognize it's the discipline of a loving father to a son to a daughter. Recognize that that's the attitude.

That we are told to have.

There in Hebrews 12. It's the attitude that we need to have in the Lord's Supper this evening as well, and so remember the exhortation is addressed to us as sons as Daughters and the reason the focus is he wants you to share in his holiness.

It's not just a legal transaction situation. That's been taken care of in the glorious truth of justification. We heard last week remember.

But now.

Now there is the working out of that purpose in our lives and making us like.

Jesus Christ.

Prayer for Holiness and Assurance in Christ

Let's pray to you a gracious Heavenly Father. We do ask that as we come to your table this evening we would come as Obedient sons and daughters as people who have recognized that we have entered into the very family of God by your grace alone and that we would want to be like you and That you've made the way open for that to happen to the death burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

And we Recognize that the very same spirit Who raised Jesus from the dead has not grown old and has not grown feeble, but is with us to this day. And by that spirit we can agonize against sin. We can struggle against that sin and seek to be holy as you are holy.

That is your purpose in us. We thank you for it. We thank you that that holiness is not something that we add to the finished work of Christ, but instead it is the Response of a believing heart. Desires to be like the one who has loved us and changed us and redeemed us.

And so may we rejoice this evening as we proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. We thank you for the gospel if there be any amongst us that have not understood they have not bowed the knee. May they know who Jesus Christ is may they know their own sin and his absolute sufficiency.

Thank you for your word. Thank you for your discipline for all these things in Christ's name.