How God Sanctifies Us (Hebrews 12:3-11, Jeff Kliewer)

Cornerstone Church

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September 26, 2021

Sermon Notes: http://notes.cornerstonesj.org How God Sanctifies Us

08:20: Through all of the things that God has done, we are new creations. One of the threads that I'd like to use at the beginning here is the battle that's going on between the world's message and truth.
08:36: We're inundated continually with a message from the world that would have us believe a lie, but we know that God has given us the truth, and we know that God gives us the grace, and we know that through the power of the
08:54: Holy Spirit, we can discern truth from lie. It says in John chapter 1, verse 4, in him was life, and the life was the light of men.
09:09: Christ came ordained from before the foundation of the world, because before the foundation of the world,
09:15: God knew that man would need redemption, and so he came, and he came as that life, which we all so desperately need, but in his coming, he also gives us light, and light is that thing that allows us to see and to perceive the world, is inundating us and leaving us in darkness, but in Christ is life, and life is the light of the world.
09:44: During the week, we encounter God in many different ways. We might spend time in the scripture and in prayer, but the intent is to intentionally put ourselves in the light, and we come here together this morning to worship and to hear
09:59: God's word proclaimed, and I pray that within our very hearts, we're surrendering to who he is, because we need his light.
10:09: We need him to show us, so we're gathering together to learn about him and to develop in our relationship with him, and so I'd like us to take just a moment in the quiet of our own hearts, bow your heads and ask,
10:25: Lord God, show me your truth. I need your light. I want to see you this morning.
10:32: Let's just pray. Lord, your truth is so precious.
10:51: Your grace on us and the power of your Holy Spirit open the eyes of our hearts this very morning.
11:00: Amen. So activities that are going on, September has been a powerful month.
11:05: October is going to continue. I just want to highlight a couple of things to put on your radar screen.
11:11: For various reasons, the baptism, which we had hoped for back in September, is now moved into later
11:18: October. If you have a desire towards baptism, we would love to talk to you and help you be prepared to be part of this baptism celebration.
11:31: If this is something that is of interest to you, please talk to Pastor Jeff, talk to myself, one of the elders, and we'd like to work with you and help you as you desire to be baptized.
11:42: That will be late October. The second Saturday of October, we will continue with our
11:48: Love Life ministry. We were given an insight on how this
11:54: Love Life ministry is so impactful. There are children who are not yet born who may never see the light of day because of the evils of abortion.
12:08: So we go to the Cherry Hill Women's Center and we stand and we pray for those people.
12:16: Come to be part of it. What time does it start? Nine o 'clock and meeting at the
12:22: Cherry Hill Women's Center. If you have interest and want more information on it, you can see
12:29: Jeff, myself, or Jonathan Leonard and we'll give you insights on that. Come back this evening at six o 'clock for our time of prayer.
12:37: Also, there are multitudes of opportunities to hear God's word, to grow in God's word, to be discipled in God's word.
12:46: Women's studies, men's studies, small group studies, please take part in them.
12:52: You can go on to our website or Pastor Jeff's weekly Pastorgram also highlights those various schedules.
12:59: Looking a little bit out in the future, the men are planning a retreat in November. It will be the second weekend.
13:05: It's a Friday to Sunday, the 12th to the 14th. It's up in the Poconos. Pocono Mountain Bible Camp is where it's at.
13:13: It's a great time of growth. Signing up is an important thing.
13:20: Quite frankly, the earlier you sign up, the less the fee is for signing up as time progresses.
13:26: John Detoli is the best point of contact. Again, if you're interested and you can't find
13:31: Jeff, contact either Jeff or myself. Let's turn to prayer. Father, as we're together this morning, we know that your truth sets us free.
13:42: We know that in the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God. This very, very message of good news has come to proclaim to us.
13:51: We know that your Holy Spirit teaches us and guides us. Lord, we continue to hold up those in our midst who are grieving recent loss.
14:01: Help us Lord to minister to them and many in our congregation who are still suffering for their continued healing.
14:11: Lord, we pray for this woke versus woke free dialogue that's going on in our churches.
14:17: I pray Lord for pastors who will stand firm on the truth of God.
14:23: We hold your word and we desire your word. We desire your truth. This morning,
14:29: Lord, as Pastor Jeff opens Hebrews chapter 12, we understand the discipline of God and who he loves, who he loves he disciplines and we need
14:39: Lord to be cleansed of those things that are holding us captive. We pray Lord in all these things we pray in Jesus name.
14:47: Amen. Blessed is your end
15:21: Jesus is mine Oh what a foretaste
15:29: Of glory divine Heir of salvation
15:37: Purchase of God Born of his
15:44: Spirit washed in his blood
15:50: This is my story This is my song
16:00: Praising my Savior All the day long
16:08: This is my story
16:15: This is my song Praising my
16:21: Savior Perfect submission
16:35: Perfect delight Visions of rapture
16:46: Now burst on my sight Angels descending
16:55: Ring from above Echoes of mercy
17:04: Whispers of love This is my story
17:15: This is my song Praising my
17:21: Savior All the day long This is my story
17:35: Praising my Savior Perfect submission
17:54: All is at rest My Savior I'm happy and watching and waiting
18:13: Looking up Of his goodness
18:23: Lost in his love This is my story
18:32: This is my song Praising my
18:39: Savior All the day long
18:46: This is my song
18:55: Praising my Savior The word says, speaking to one another in hymns and psalms and spiritual songs
19:22: And I just love to hear the word of God spoken out loud, just read out loud
19:30: This is Psalm 24 The earth is the
19:35: Lord's and the fullness thereof The world and those who dwell therein, for he has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers.
19:44: Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord and who shall stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully
19:56: He will receive blessing from the Lord and righteousness from the God of his salvation. Such is the generation of those who seek him who seek the face of God of Jacob Lift up your heads,
20:09: O gates, and be lifted up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this
20:14: King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle Lift up your heads,
20:21: O gates, and lift them up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this
20:26: King of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory. God, we just look and pray for the day,
20:41: Lord God, when you will return in glory. Stars in the sky will be dimmed and your glory seen in the sky and your feet will touch down on the
20:53: Mount of Olives and it will split to the north and the south and create the Valley of Decision. You will cross the
21:01: Kidron Valley and you will enter through the East Gate of Jerusalem and there you will raise. And it says that all the hills will be brought low around Jerusalem and Jerusalem will be lifted up as a plane looking at the city will look up to Jerusalem.
21:29: We just look forward to that day when we are with you. Praise the
21:40: Lord. Who is this
22:05: King of glory? That pursues me with his love and haunts me with each hearing of his softly spoken word.
22:27: My conscience a reminder of forgiveness that I need.
22:39: Who is this King of glory? Who offers it to me?
22:51: Who is this King of angels? Oh, bless the prince of peace.
23:03: Revealing things of heaven and all its mysteries.
23:14: Must fear and never longing for his grace in which to stand.
23:26: Who is this King of glory? Son of God and Son of Man.
23:36: His name is Jesus. Precious Jesus.
23:48: Lord Almighty. Who is this
24:02: King of glory? With strength and majesty and wisdom beyond measure.
24:19: The gracious King of kings. The creator of all things.
24:37: Who is the King of glory? Who is everything to me?
24:47: His name is Jesus. Precious Jesus.
24:59: Lord Almighty. King of glory.
25:22: Who is this King of glory? His name is
25:33: Jesus. Precious Jesus.
25:44: Lord Almighty. King of mine. King of glory.
26:01: The creator of all. He is the
26:08: King of glory. He is everything to me.
26:19: He is the King of glory. He is everything to me.
26:41: Praise the Lord. His mercy is more stronger than darkness and newer than our sins.
27:02: Amen. His mercy is more than love could remember.
27:21: No wrong mission on knowing.
27:27: He counts not their sum thrown into a sea without bottom or shore.
27:36: Praise the Lord. Our sins they are many.
27:44: His mercy is more. Praise the Lord. His mercy is more stronger than darkness and newer and more.
28:05: Our sins they are many. His mercy is more.
28:23: But patience would wait as we constantly roam.
28:29: But Father so tender is calling us home.
28:36: He welcomes the weakest, the vilest, the poor.
28:41: Praise the Lord. Our sins they are many. His mercy is more.
28:50: Praise the Lord. His mercy is more stronger than darkness and newer and more.
29:08: Our sins they are many. His mercy is more.
29:37: Riches of kindness He lavished on us. His blood was the pain.
29:45: His life was the cost. We stood neath a debt we could never afford.
29:59: Our sins they are many. His mercy is more.
30:06: Praise the Lord. His mercy is more.
30:18: Stronger than darkness and newer and more. Our sins they are many.
30:27: His mercy is more. Our sins they are many.
30:33: His mercy is more. Our sins they are many.
30:39: His mercy is more. Good morning.
30:57: Let's pray. God our sins they were many.
31:05: Your mercy is more. We thank you so much for the mercy you have given us. We recognize that we are beggars with empty hands.
31:16: We brought nothing to you and yet you gave us salvation.
31:22: It is all of grace not by work so that no one may boast.
31:29: We thank you Father for the salvation we have in Christ and we confess this morning it is all by mercy and not by anything in us.
31:38: Nothing that we deserve. We pray Lord as we look into your word this morning that you would train us in godliness.
31:49: Father in Hebrews 5 there is a rebuke to those who are living on milk only and never able to receive the meat of the word.
32:01: Lord this morning we pray that you would help us with meat from your word. Help us to chew and digest and receive things that require effort and require attention.
32:13: Help us to be sharpened in our thinking. Let your spirit work in us as the word is spoken to us that we would comprehend and that we would be sharpened by it and strengthened and even disciplined by your word.
32:29: We thank you for your word for it is truth. We stand upon your word in Jesus name.
32:36: Amen. Karl Marx promoted a need based theory of justice.
32:45: He taught that justice was based upon human need not based upon what is earned and so Karl Marx taught that we should take from the private property and the private person of a population each from their own ability and give to each according to need.
33:13: That view of justice presumes that all people are entitled.
33:21: It presumes that God owes to people. Of course in the atheistic communist system there is no
33:28: God but the view of humanity is that people are owed and entitled many things.
33:35: The view of justice that Marx held is resonant and consistent with what's being promoted by our government this week.
33:42: There is a proposition by the government to take another 3 .5 trillion dollars from the taxpayer and redistribute that money according not to what people have earned but according to what they need.
34:01: It is a need based theory of justice which they entitle redistributive justice.
34:07: Have you heard the term redistributive justice? The idea of taking forcibly from some and redistributing that to others they consider to be justice because they think justice is meeting needs rather than giving to people what they have earned or what belongs to them inherently from God.
34:29: Two very different views of justice. Turn with me to begin the sermon today just briefly in Romans chapter 3 because contra the opinions of man
34:40: God tells us what is actually so. Amen? In Romans 3 23 to 26 we see
34:49: God's view of justice. Romans 3 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
35:02: That's the starting point. Humanity not as meritorious but in sin and short of God's glory
35:10: God owes humanity exactly this much. Nothing.
35:16: Zero. God owes us nothing. All of us are the sinners who stand guilty before a holy
35:23: God continuing on and are justified by his grace as a gift.
35:31: So according to God justice and a gift are two very different things.
35:37: Salvation here is pictured not as something meritorious something that God owes us because we need it.
35:43: How many people living on planet earth are without a need of salvation? None.
35:49: All of us need salvation but it cannot be demanded of God. If God to give salvation to any which he does it is by grace and that word there in verse 24 is very important.
36:05: It's the opposite of something that you merit. It is unmerited favor. It is as we see a gift through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus whom
36:15: God put forward as a propitiation. It's a big theological word by his blood.
36:21: A propitiation is a turning away of wrath. So God justly as a holy
36:27: God has wrath towards sinners but a propitiation is a sacrifice that God himself makes which satisfies that wrath.
36:38: And of course this means that Christ has stepped into our place and died the death that we deserve.
36:44: I was on a flight to Florida on Thursday to go see my parents. It was their 50th anniversary so I was just down there for a day but I got to talking to the lady next to me and she was
36:56: Roman Catholic but she didn't have an understanding of the gospel. And so I asked her well what does it mean that Jesus died for our sins?
37:08: And she said well for us. I said well what does it mean that he died for our sins?
37:14: And she didn't know and so because of the Holy Spirit opening the door I had the chance to tell her what does it mean that he died for our sins?
37:23: That brothers and sisters is the gospel. And the answer is that he died as a propitiation.
37:33: Meaning he stepped into our place and died the death that we deserve.
37:39: He took into his body the wrath of the father as a payment for our sins. The son interposed.
37:46: He stepped in and he died the death that we deserve. That's what it means. He took the wrath of God in our place.
37:57: He died for our sins as a substitute sacrifice. All we like sheep have gone astray but the
38:03: Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. Our sin was placed on him and he died the death that we deserve.
38:10: That's the meaning of the gospel itself. But read on. To be received by faith.
38:19: Only those who believe this gospel are actually atoned for. This was to show
38:27: God's righteousness because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.
38:36: Now look at verse 26. This is God's view of justice. It was to show his righteousness at the present time so that, which is a clause that gives us understanding of why these things are happening, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
39:05: In other words, if God had not propitiated our sin, if he just winked at our sin, if he just overlooked it and pretended that it didn't happen, he would not be a just God.
39:16: A just and holy God must punish sin. But we're sinners.
39:23: So that means he must punish us. He must kill us and send us to hell.
39:31: Because turn with me to Romans 6 .23. For the wages of sin is death.
39:43: But the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our
39:50: Lord. So God is just and he is the justifier of those who have faith in the
39:56: Son of God. He's just because he does punish sin. He gives the sinner what is owed to him.
40:03: Only we now have a substitute who took that for us and God still punished sin only it fell on the shoulders of his only son.
40:11: He is just and we are justified when we are united with him. Because see, this is how it works.
40:18: Through union with Christ the death he dies is on our behalf and the rising from the dead, we are justified.
40:27: Being united with Christ, the punishment put on Christ counts for us and his resurrection life is our justification.
40:38: A lot of theology here, but it's actually simple gospel, isn't it? Justice had to be served.
40:48: If it hadn't been, God wouldn't be just. He gives to people what they have earned. And what do you earn if you work all day in the field?
40:57: Wages. What is the wages of sin? Death. Justice is giving people what they have earned.
41:07: And that justice is very different from charity. Charity is grace.
41:13: It's not something that you've earned. It just comes from the unmerited favor of God toward us.
41:20: Grace is very different from justice. Now, in our culture, these two categories of justice and grace have been conflated.
41:31: And that has worked all manner of mischief in the land. Politically, we have a misunderstanding of what is just.
41:41: People are owed according to their need, which of course requires taking from others to give to them.
41:47: And that, of course, is injustice. And the conflating of these categories has not stayed out there in the realm of politics.
41:56: It's even crept into evangelical churches. So consider the words of Timothy Keller, who
42:05: I quote here unfavorably. He says this. The haves have what they have to a great degree because of unjust distributions of opportunities and resources at birth.
42:22: Who is the primary determiner of a person's opportunity and resource at birth?
42:30: It's God. The country you're born in, the time in which you live, who your parents are, all of these things are determined by God.
42:40: And if Keller's theory is right, then God himself is unjust.
42:46: Continue on. If we have the world's goods, they are ultimately a gift. If we were born in other circumstances, we could easily be very poor through no fault of our own.
42:57: Certainly there's truth in that, but listen to this. To fail to share what you have is not just uncompassionate, but unfair, unjust.
43:11: Keller's making the argument that people are owed or entitled to have their needs met.
43:20: And for someone not to do that is an injustice towards them. He even says if you do not actively and generously share your resources with the poor, you are a robber.
43:36: Strong words. You are unjust. You see, the error here in Keller's thinking is that justice and compassion overlap and conflate to become essentially the same thing.
43:51: And that is very dangerous for the gospel itself because justice is giving people what they have earned.
44:01: And compassion comes from the heart. It is charity. It is very different from the category of justice.
44:07: If you were to bring this thinking into the Christian life, you would assume that God owes you everything that you need.
44:20: The truth is God owes us nothing. The truth of the matter is that we live in a culture which
44:31: I would describe as an entitlement culture. Everybody is owed. But the
44:38: Bible doesn't present us that way, nor does it present the world in which we live as being something to which people are entitled their needs being met.
44:49: In this culture, the health and wealth gospel has come into the church and it certainly fills the stadiums, doesn't it?
44:58: But it tells people that God will only meet your needs. You can expect from God sunshine and roses.
45:06: Remember the old song? It was written by Stan Vincent. Ooh, child, things are going to get easier.
45:13: Ooh, child, things will get brighter. As Christians, we understand there is coming a day and Phil spoke of it this morning as he was leading worship.
45:24: There is coming a day in the eschaton where things will be easier. Things will be brighter.
45:30: But is that really the promise for the Christian life here and now? Far from it. We should not expect all sunshine and roses.
45:41: We should expect in this life there will be suffering. Christian, hasn't all of your sin been paid for on the cross?
45:58: Haven't the demands of justice been met? They have.
46:06: Romans 8 .1 says, therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
46:15: Now, follow me here. This is where it all comes together. Condemnation has to do with justice.
46:26: The just desserts of our sin, the wages of our sin is death. That was fully paid for on the cross.
46:36: So, Christian, you should expect no condemnation from God. There is no more wrath against your sin.
46:44: There is no more anger towards you. All of that was paid for in full on the cross.
46:49: So why then do we suffer? The answer to that is that discipline is different from condemnation.
46:59: Most Christians don't get this. And because of that, they're very confused when suffering comes into their lives.
47:06: When suffering comes into your life, God is not punishing you. There is no condemnation for you in Christ Jesus.
47:14: It's fully paid for. But He is disciplining you. So we turn now to Hebrews chapter 12 where this teaching becomes explicit.
47:24: And it's understandable now if we see the biblical worldview that all justice for our sin has been satisfied in Christ, and yet we suffer.
47:35: Not for justice, but because of grace. Because we have a loving father.
47:41: This is a passage about discipline. God, as a loving father, disciplining the children that He loves.
47:52: So let's read it. This is Hebrews 12 verses 3 to 11. If we understand this, we'll grow.
47:59: There is generally a lack of maturity in the church in America.
48:05: And this is a piece of the puzzle that's missing for most Christians. And it can stunt your growth as a
48:12: Christian. Because what ends up happening is when a bad thing happens, a circumstance in life goes wrong, you begin to wonder if God even loves you.
48:20: You begin to wonder if God is punishing you. And some Christians turn hard towards God.
48:27: And they stop growing. When in fact, it's the love of the Father that is bringing discipline into your life in many cases.
48:34: Let's read it. Hebrews 12 3 through 11. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself so that you may not grow weary or faint -hearted.
48:48: In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.
48:55: And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the
49:07: Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves and chastises every son whom he receives.
49:20: It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons.
49:27: 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.
49:40: Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the
49:48: Father of Spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time, as it seemed best to them.
49:55: But he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness.
50:02: 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.
50:13: The Word of God here is given to us for our training. We are being trained this morning toward holiness, toward righteousness.
50:23: The time in the Word that we are spending will make us more like God. This process of becoming like Christ is called sanctification.
50:36: And theologically, we need to understand that it is very different from justification.
50:44: Justification is a legal term. In Romans 3 -6, we learn about justification by faith.
50:54: Justification has to do with justice. That a sinner must be punished for his sin.
51:05: And in Christ, our punishment has been satisfied and so God is satisfied with us.
51:11: Justification, therefore, is final and finished in the cross of Jesus Christ. It is finished.
51:18: Justification is a legal declaration. God declares you innocent.
51:25: You, the sinner, are already declared innocent through faith in Christ. It's once and for all.
51:32: That declaration has already been made. Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
51:43: Romans 8 -1, right? Justification is finished. Sanctification is a process.
51:52: It begins when you're born again. The Spirit of God comes to live inside of you. You're given a new nature.
51:58: The old things are gone. The new things have come. But there still remains in you a sin nature.
52:07: A desire for things that are unpleasing to God. And habits that you had from your former life.
52:16: And we fall. And we sin. This process of sanctification is being conformed in practice to the likeness of God.
52:28: There, fortunately, is an end to this process. It comes at the rapture of the church or at the individual death of each
52:37: Christian. In that moment, you will be glorified. So, glorification is when your sin nature itself is taken away.
52:45: And you are like Him in sinlessness for all eternity. You're no longer a sinner in heaven.
52:53: So, we have justification, which is a legal declaration. Sanctification, which is being made into the likeness of God.
52:59: And then, finally, glorification when you no longer sin. This passage here is about sanctification.
53:07: That's what we need to understand. Look at verses 3 and 4. This is the first key to being sanctified.
53:12: How do we get sanctified? How does God sanctify people like us?
53:21: The first thing, He sanctifies by our looking at Jesus.
53:29: It's kind of counterintuitive. You wouldn't have expected that, right? You get sanctified by looking?
53:37: It says in 2 Corinthians 3 .18, we all, with unveiled faces, beholding, beholding means looking, the glory of the
53:50: Lord are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another.
53:57: This comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. So, by looking at Jesus, you start to look like Jesus.
54:04: I was at a soccer game yesterday, and my look -alike showed up. Somebody who looked a lot like me.
54:13: And people were marveling. They look exactly like. They even put sunglasses on me to look like his sunglasses.
54:19: And we took a picture together. It was a lot of fun. I kind of felt bad for him that he was being told that he looks just like me.
54:26: No, just kidding. But we enjoyed the moment. It was funny. But no matter how much
54:31: I look at him, if I just stared him in the eyes and he stared at me, we would no more become more and more look -alikes than we already were, right?
54:40: Looking at somebody doesn't make you look like them. But supernaturally, in the spiritual world, you need to understand this.
54:49: The degree to which you look at Jesus is the degree to which you become like him.
54:56: Looking at him makes you look like him. Let's see this. Verses 3 and 4. And remember, we already talked about this last week.
55:03: Verse 2, looking to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. This is the key to the
55:10: Christian life, is staying Jesus -centered in everything. Now we're told, consider him. Well, how do
55:17: I look at someone who's invisible? Jesus is seated at the right hand of the
55:22: Father and we're being sanctified by looking at him, but to us now, he's invisible. Not fully so.
55:29: The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, and now we have the written Word which reveals the
55:36: Son. It shows us what he's like. So how do you consider him? By reading
55:42: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. And you see him on those pages, and when you're done reading
55:50: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, you know what you do? You read Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John again. And the rest of the
55:56: Scriptures. And you see Christ on every page of this book. From Genesis to Revelation.
56:04: He's there. You keep seeing him. You consider him. What does it mean to consider?
56:11: It's not just a passing thought. You train your mind. You discipline your mind to think about him.
56:20: And in what way do we think of him in verses 3 and 4? Who endured from sinners such hostility against himself.
56:27: You think about him crucified. You think about him rejected.
56:36: So that you may not grow weary or faint -hearted. You see, in the
56:42: Christian walk, as soon as bad things start happening, which eventually they will, many
56:48: Christians grow weary and faint -hearted. That's the natural response. You were not told to walk the race.
56:57: In verse 2, you were told to run. Verse 1, let us run with endurance.
57:04: Anybody here a runner? Before you finish your run, your legs start getting heavy.
57:11: Your lungs are heaving. It starts to hurt. The race of life is not a walk in the park.
57:17: It is a run and it includes pain. And so you become weary and faint -hearted.
57:24: And many people have given up in the race because it's hard. But what we're being told here is as you look at Jesus, he supernaturally strengthens you.
57:34: In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.
57:42: Look at Jesus. He did. He was tempted in the garden. The devil came and tried to convince him to not go the way of the cross.
57:53: Try to find another way. But resisting that temptation, he set his heart and his mind to do the
58:00: Father's will and to drink the cup in full. And so in the garden, struggling against temptation, in love for us, he began to sweat.
58:16: And not just beads that I feel sweat on my forehead as I preach. Jesus, as he served us, began to sweat drops of blood.
58:30: The capillaries in his skin began to burst as his heart pounded in the anxiety of what was happening to him.
58:37: Lay on his shoulders. And yet he did not stop. He suffered in our place.
58:45: And then going forward, he took the cross on his shoulders. And he died the death that we deserve.
58:53: As we think about this, as we daily remember what Christ has done on the cross, we become like him.
58:59: That's the first thing. There's two more. Keep following along.
59:04: Verses 5 through 8. The second thing, not only do we have to look at the
59:12: Son, we need to understand that God treats us as sons. Have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons?
59:25: My son, quoting from Proverbs 3, 11 and 12, do not regard lightly the discipline of the
59:32: Lord. To regard lightly means to not think much about it.
59:38: It means to not really have thought about it at all. Maybe coming in this morning, you've wondered why do painful things come into my life?
59:48: Why is it so hard to be a Christian? Don't regard lightly the reason that we have here.
59:55: Nor be weary when being reproved by him. Of course, the answer here is that God is disciplining us.
01:00:02: It says, for the Lord disciplines the one he loves and chastises every son whom he receives.
01:00:09: Because God loves you, he disciplines you. It is for discipline that you have to endure.
01:00:18: God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline?
01:00:24: If you're left without discipline, in which all have participated, meaning all of us who are
01:00:29: Christians, we all endure these things, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.
01:00:39: Consider the life of King David. Did God love David? He called him a man after his own heart.
01:00:47: There was a special connection between God and David. In fact, in the entire of the Old Testament, you see a special affection toward David from God.
01:00:58: The answer to that question is obvious. Does God love David? Yes, he loved
01:01:03: David. But David, as he grew older and he saw his kingdom expand and the military was strong and they conquered every foe and he remembered how he killed
01:01:17: Goliath and took his sword and chopped the giant's head off and he remembered how he ran from Saul but eventually took the throne.
01:01:26: Guess what happened to David in his flesh? He started to puff up a little bit.
01:01:32: He grew proud. He became somewhat arrogant. And that arrogance began to grow like that sin we see in Hebrews 1 .1,
01:01:43: I mean 12 .1, the sin that so easily entangles. I don't think David even saw it coming. It was just kind of creeping up his legs and body and before long, he was puffed up and prideful.
01:01:55: So what does a loving father do when he sees the sin of pride in his son?
01:02:02: He sends a prophet to him and he makes him choose between three very painful options.
01:02:10: Not wanting to fall into the hands of the enemy or into any human hand, David chooses discipline and that discipline that he was offered was a plague that comes over Israel and David suffered mightily seeing people that he cared about begin to get sick and before long 70 ,000
01:02:35: Israelites were dead and David was on his face before God pleading with God, no longer puffed up in pride, but saying,
01:02:47: Lord, they're not the ones that sin. The sheep are not the ones that sin. Lord, put the punishment on me.
01:02:55: Punish me, Lord. And now David began to look like the son of God.
01:03:03: A good shepherd to the sheep, willing to lay down his life for the sheep. Now David looked like Jesus and God was pleased in his son,
01:03:13: David. You see, discipline does not mean that God is angry at you.
01:03:20: It means he loves you and if you continue with the story, many people miss this because it goes on to the next book, but I think the theme continues from 2
01:03:30: Samuel 24 into 1 Kings chapter 1. Go with me here just for six verses.
01:03:37: 1 Kings chapter 1. We've just seen the discipline of God over David's life, but I find these first few verses fascinating about David as a father.
01:03:52: We were just told in Hebrews we've all had human fathers who discipline us. We respect them for it.
01:03:58: Let's see David as a father. 1 Kings 1 1 to 6.
01:04:06: Now King David was old and advanced in years. And although they covered him with clothes, he could not get warm.
01:04:15: Therefore his servant said to him, let a young woman be sought for my Lord the King and let her wait on the
01:04:21: King and be in his service. Let her lie in your arms that my Lord the
01:04:26: King may be warm. So they sought a beautiful young woman throughout all the territory of Israel and found
01:04:34: Abishag the Shunammite. Because of her profession at this moment, this is why
01:04:39: I call her Abishag the Heating Pad. They brought her to the
01:04:45: King. The young woman was very beautiful and she was of service to the King and attended to him.
01:04:51: But the King knew her not. So this is not sexual. There's no immorality here. She's just there to warm him up in the bed.
01:04:59: Notice what it says though. The King is about to die. He's gotten very old. Abishag the
01:05:04: Heating Pad is taking care of him. But where is his son? Not praying for his dad.
01:05:11: Look at what his son is doing. Verse 5. Adonijah the son of Haggith, that's the mom, exalted himself saying,
01:05:21: I will be king. And he prepared for himself chariots and horsemen and fifty men to run before him.
01:05:31: Now look at this comment in verse 6. This is where I'm going. His father had never at any time displeased him by asking, why have you done thus and so?
01:05:45: He was also a very handsome man and he was born next after Absalom.
01:05:53: Why was Adonijah such a selfish man? So entitled.
01:06:00: All he wanted was the throne. No concern for his father. No selflessness. No prayer.
01:06:06: No intercession. What went wrong in Adonijah's life? The answer is in verse 6.
01:06:12: His father had never at any time displeased him by asking him, why have you done thus and so? This was an undisciplined son.
01:06:20: David had not been a good father to him. He had spared the rod and spoiled the child.
01:06:30: And this kid grew up entitled and lived it out in that way.
01:06:36: Besides he was a handsome man, which some of you have that struggle that it just kind of goes to your head. He was a handsome man and born next after Absalom.
01:06:47: So he was after the throne. Absalom had kind of disqualified himself and now
01:06:54: Adonijah, I think he was dead at this point, but Adonijah was looking for the throne. That brings us back to Hebrews 12.
01:07:01: And it all ties together. Let's go. Discipline. You don't have a father like King David.
01:07:10: King David had too many wives. And because of that he had all these children by so many wives.
01:07:16: He wasn't really able to be a true father to them. And that is the case very often in the culture today.
01:07:23: Fathers that aren't really fathers. Let me tell you something. You have a loving father.
01:07:31: Your father in heaven is not like David was to Adonijah. He is a good father.
01:07:37: And that's the point of Hebrews 12 verses 5 -8. Now finally the last point.
01:07:43: What then does that look like? Because when I pushed my brother down in the yard while we were playing basketball we were young.
01:07:51: I got mad. He was probably beating me or something. He went on to be a Florida Gator, so he was probably beating me. Anyway, I pushed him down in the yard.
01:07:58: But what I didn't know was that my dad had walked out that door just at that moment. And so he came and grabbed me by the elbow and took me inside and spanked my butt.
01:08:09: Sorry, I shouldn't have said that word. But the point is he disciplined me. Right?
01:08:15: I had a father who I could see. And because my father loved me, he disciplined me.
01:08:22: And he chastised out of me that ungodliness. Look at verses 9 -11.
01:08:29: How can your invisible father discipline you? Besides this, we have had earthly fathers.
01:08:36: Okay, people you can see. They disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the father of spirits and live?
01:08:46: So take it from the earthly. The father that you've seen. Now we're going to the invisible father, the father of spirits.
01:08:55: In verse 10, they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them. Sometimes it wasn't good the way they disciplined.
01:09:02: They're just doing how they do. But he, God, disciplines us for our good.
01:09:08: It's always good. He doesn't err in the things he gives us.
01:09:14: It is the perfect loving father who brings things that we may share his holiness.
01:09:20: Now notice that. That expression is what this passage is about. This is the reason why we suffer the way we do.
01:09:31: As Christians, that we may share his holiness. That's the aim.
01:09:38: Some of the old holiness preachers that are now derided as fundamentalists. They were right.
01:09:45: The Christian life is about becoming more like Christ. We are to share his holiness.
01:09:51: Holiness is important to God. Oh, we know he's holy, right? Holy, holy, holy.
01:09:58: But do you know that your life on earth is about becoming like him? To become holy as he is holy.
01:10:06: Look at verse 11. How does this then happen? For the moment all discipline seems painful.
01:10:16: Rather than pleasant. But later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
01:10:25: Verse 11 unlocks the whole thing for us. There will be painful circumstances in your life as a
01:10:33: Christian. They'll come at you when you don't expect it. It may come in the form of a diagnosis, an injury, a disappointment, a teenager with a broken heart because this guy that you had a crush on disrespected you and kicked you to the curb.
01:10:59: And that's painful, man. We can't underestimate how much struggle and pain happens even in the lives of our children and in young people.
01:11:10: Emotional strife. The husband and wife going through a divorce. I've heard it recently described as worse than dying.
01:11:18: I would rather die than go through this again. And there's the physical suffering of sicknesses and diseases and death.
01:11:30: But what about when you're watching your loved one go through something like that and there's nothing that you can do? These are the realities of the
01:11:39: Christian life. And very often, immature Christians which to some degree marks all of us,
01:11:46: I think, we fail from this passage to understand what
01:11:52: God is doing. Discipline seems painful. God is in every detail of this life.
01:12:02: And we're learning from this passage today that many times the pain, the painful things are accomplishing discipline in you.
01:12:13: It will produce a harvest of righteousness in this life and fully in the life to come.
01:12:20: There are good purposes being accomplished. So in closing, when life's painful circumstances come at you, you need a new category.
01:12:32: Most Christians don't have this category, sadly. God must be angry at me.
01:12:38: No, listen. There is a category in the Christian life called discipline. God uses the painful aspects of the
01:12:47: Christian life to conform us into His holiness, into His image. We need to have a category for that without assuming that all suffering belongs to that category.
01:13:02: This is where many people also get in trouble. In the book of Job, was God disciplining
01:13:07: Job for a deficiency in his character? No. Not at all.
01:13:12: His three friends assumed that and they came to Job and said, the reason you're going through this is because you must be hiding some sin in your life.
01:13:21: And the book makes it very clear it was the three friends that were in folly. Job was suffering for a number of reasons.
01:13:29: One was spiritual warfare, Job 1 and 2. But another reason was to demonstrate the value of God to Job, that even in the midst of all that suffering, he would not curse
01:13:40: God and die. But he continued to bless God. And it demonstrated the supreme excellency of Christ.
01:13:48: That Job would worship no matter what. That was the reason there. To glorify God in suffering.
01:13:54: There are many reasons for suffering, so we've got to be careful. We can't go around diagnosing for other people.
01:14:00: That's not what I'm teaching today. Don't go to your suffering friend and say, hey, God's disciplining you.
01:14:07: That's what Job's friends did. No, I'm saying this needs to be a new category for your own thinking.
01:14:13: This needs to be the default reaction when you begin to suffer. Lord, search me.
01:14:22: Try me. See, is there some unclean way in me? God, what are you teaching me in this discipline?
01:14:30: What most people tend to do is begin to blame other people and get angry.
01:14:36: And never turn and say, God, what are you doing in me? But this is what we're being taught in Hebrews 12.
01:14:43: God uses these things to discipline us that we would be like him. For those who are trained by it.
01:14:51: So you must get this tool for your tool bag. Right away, when suffering happens, you need to learn by it.
01:14:58: Don't just keep beating your head against the wall. Because you'll keep suffering by discipline again and again.
01:15:05: It's not the only reason for suffering. There are many reasons that God allows suffering in our lives.
01:15:13: So circling it all back around to where I opened, God is a just judge. He's already punished our sin in Christ.
01:15:25: The suffering that you endure is not him punishing you in any way, shape, or form. That is fully satisfied in Christ.
01:15:33: But as a loving father, he will discipline you. Be trained by it.
01:15:40: Be quick to call on God when suffering happens. Learn from Hebrews 12 to be a child to a father.
01:15:53: And when the painful circumstance comes in, whatever it may be, know that God has a purpose in it.
01:15:59: And trust him through it. Amen? That's the lesson from Hebrews 12. Let's pray. So Father, we thank you so much for the riches of your word.
01:16:13: We thank you and we acknowledge that you are God and you owe us nothing.
01:16:21: We are entitled to nothing. But the wage of sin is death.
01:16:28: We deserve to be cast off from you, yet in your love you have given
01:16:33: Jesus Christ to take the penalty of our sin.
01:16:40: We thank you for justification by faith. But we also, Lord, pray for our sanctification that in these days that we have left on earth that we would share your holiness, that you would make us more and more like the
01:16:56: Son. We see him there, Lord. I can picture him in my mind's eye, just agonizing in the garden of Gethsemane.
01:17:07: Lord, we can picture him rejected by sinners, mocked, scorned, crowned with thorns in mockery of his claim to be king.
01:17:22: We see Jesus beaten and whipped and carrying the cross along the road of suffering.
01:17:37: We see Jesus at Calvary, laying down on the harsh wood. We picture
01:17:43: Jesus nailed to that cross and lifted up. We see him heaving for breath and breathing his last, releasing his spirit, saying, it is finished.
01:18:02: We look to Jesus. We consider him. We pray that you would conform us to the image of the
01:18:08: Son. And even in suffering, Lord, we pray that we would look to you to share your holiness.
01:18:14: In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Let's stand and sing. We bow our hearts.
01:18:27: We bend our knees. O Spirit, come make us humble.
01:18:37: We turn our eyes from evil things.
01:18:44: O Lord, we cast down our idols to give us clean hands and give us pure hearts.
01:18:55: Let us not lift our souls to another.
01:19:02: Give us clean hands and give us pure hearts.
01:19:10: Let us not lift our souls to another.
01:19:16: And O God, let us be a generation that seeks your face.
01:19:26: O God of Jacob. And O God, let us be a generation that seeks your face.
01:19:40: O God of Jacob. We bow our hearts.
01:19:53: We bend our knees. O Spirit, come make us humble.
01:20:04: We turn our eyes from evil things.
01:20:11: O Lord, we cast down our idols to give us clean hands and give us pure hearts.
01:20:22: Let us not lift our souls to another.
01:20:29: Give us clean hands and give us pure hearts.
01:20:37: Let us not lift our souls to another.
01:20:46: A generation that seeks your face.
01:20:53: O God of Jacob. A generation that seeks your face.
01:21:19: Give us clean hands and give us pure hearts.
01:21:26: Let us not lift our souls to another.
01:21:33: Give us clean hands and give us pure hearts.
01:21:41: Let us not lift our souls to another.
01:21:47: And O God, let us be a generation that seeks your face.
01:21:58: O God of Jacob. And O God, let us be a generation that seeks your face.
01:22:13: O God of Jacob. Do not despise the
01:22:37: Lord's discipline or be weary of his reproof. For the Lord reproves him who he loves as a father, the son in whom he delights.
01:22:49: Blessed is the one who finds wisdom and the one who gets understanding. For the gain from her is better than gain from silver and her profit better than gold.
01:23:01: She is more precious than jewels and nothing you desire can compare with her. Long life is in her right hand.
01:23:09: In her left hand are riches and honor. Her ways are ways of pleasantness and all her paths are peace.
01:23:19: She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her. Those who hold her fast are called blessed.