SNBS #012 - Hebrews 12 PART 2

Good evening everybody and welcome to Sunday Night Bible Study. I am Brother Josiah. I came straight from work and did one of the wow moments with Mercedes. So it's Thursday now. I know you guys are watching this Sunday night, but it's Thursday now.

I just did one of the wow moments with Mercedes. I didn't go watch it on Facebook. It was fun. We went over Romans 15. So, I was a little scattered. I didn't get to go in the regular room and write it on the board, but that's okay.

We're still going to read God's Word. We'll be just fine. I'm here at Witten. I just want to start off by saying I love you guys very much and I want to help you however I can and I hope that this is somehow an encouragement and a blessing to you in your sanctification in your Christian life.

The Need for Local Church Commitment

Alright, we're going to be in Hebrews 12. We started last week. If you haven't watched last week's on Hebrews 12, 1 and 2, go back and watch it. I'll try to do a quick review, but I can't cover everything, so go back and watch it last week.

Go to the YouTube page, Witten Media Ministry, and subscribe there. That would really help us. At any rate, we're in Hebrews 12. Before we get going, I read all the comments. We don't normally have as many comments now that they're recorded and not live streamed as much, but I would appreciate the comments.

I go back and read every one of them, and if you have suggestions or things you want to cover, please let me know. Let me give you the schedule for right now. First off, next Sunday night, there won't be a Bible study as long as next Saturday night won't be question and answer for the 4th of July weekend, so I just want you guys to be aware of that.

We'll pick back up the following week. Also, please make sure you understand, guys, and I love that we have a lot of different people watch this from all different states, and I want everyone to keep watching and be encouraged by this, but make sure you understand that if you get on and watch this video or Pastor Jeff's video or Vicki's video or whatever, that doesn't replace going to church.

First off, going to church is impossible. The church is the people, not the building, but the Bible tells us very specifically to come together as one, to unite. Now, I'm not talking about if you're waiting for COVID to pass or anything like that.

I'm not speaking that. What I'm speaking to are folks, even before all this COVID mess happened, who feel like they never have to go and be with other believers, okay? And I've spoken to this before on Mercedes, and I covered it a little bit tonight.

If you're one of those people that will say something like, well, my relationship between God is between me and Him, and nobody else's business, let me speak to you for just a minute very gently. If you say your relationship is between you and God and nobody else, it's no one else's business, but God, in His word, tells you to walk with other believers, to hold each other accountable, to call each other out on sin, to come together, to stand together as iron sharpens iron, takes friction, right?

If God tells you to do that, and you don't do that, aren't you disobeying God? Y 'all see what I'm getting at? So if you say, my relationship is only between me and God, but God says, no, it's between my other children as well, then you and God have a disagreement, and I promise you He's going to win that battle.

All I'm trying to say is, I love seeing people from Atlanta, from Kentucky, from Florida, from Louisiana, even from other countries, watch these videos, I want you to keep doing that, but understand, I'm not your pastor.

I am a Bible teacher trying to help you, okay? So use this to supplement your faith, but find you a local church where you can plug in, serve, and love the Lord, and I'm probably, everyone I'm probably talking to already does that.

I just felt like it needed to be said. The reason why is, I've had someone say recently, well, there's no point in me going to church, I can always find stuff on YouTube or Facebook to watch that can get my spiritual food.

Well, these videos are awesome, well, maybe not these, but the other ones, Mercedes and Pastor Ben's, but God commands you to come together, so let's obey that command, okay? It's kind of useless to learn about the Bible if you're not going to obey it, and if it tells you to come together, sounds like you should come together.

In fact, the book of Hebrews speaks to this, and we're going to be in chapter 12, but just real quick, chapter 10, verse 24 and 25, Hebrews 10, 24 and 25, and let us consider how to stir up one another to promote love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the day drawing near.

That's the day Christ returns. That was written about, well, almost 2 ,000 years ago. Don't you think that day is closer now than it was then? So if it says encourage each other all the more as that day draws near, sounds like we have even more encouraging that we're supposed to do, and it says, do not forsake the assembling of ourselves, the meeting of ourselves together, as is the habit of some.

It says don't do it. Now, again, let me just emphasize, I'm not talking about those who are for health reasons staying away because of COVID. I'm not saying that. I'm speaking to people who say things like, yeah, I don't want to go and be with other believers.

I just want to learn everything online. Be careful with that, because God's not okay with that, so learn that. All right, we're going to read some more in Hebrews 12, and then here's kind of the schedule.

So next week we're off. We're going to start very soon, very soon on the life of the apostles, and we're going to start that soon. I haven't decided, but I think the start date for that is going to be the first week in August because we have a youth trip we're going on at the end of July, so I probably won't be able to start on it until after August because I want to make these online videos match up with what I'm teaching in person that Sunday night.

So except for this week, because we're a little behind in person, normally whatever I'm teaching you guys at 6 p .m. on Sunday night on this video is what I'm teaching in person at Witten. It doesn't always work out that way, but that's what I want to try.

So we might keep doing some different one week studies, but I think in August we're going to start the life of the apostles, then in September we might do the canon of scripture, how we have the books of the Bible we have, why others aren't included, and then in October hopefully we'll start another book because you guys know I prefer book studies.

I prefer to take a book of the Bible and go verse by verse. That's kind of my forethought of what I'm planning on doing. Alrighty, with all that being said, seven and a half minutes in, let's read some Hebrews 12.

Endurance, Discipline, and the Fatherly Love of God

Hebrews 12, let's start in verse 1. Therefore, since we're surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and sin which clings so closely. We talked about last week the difference between weight and sin.

There are things that aren't sinful that could still be holding you back, and you need to cut those loose too. And let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. You put aside sin and weight so you can run.

Okay, that's last week. I need to focus. Verse 2. 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.

Alright, that's where we left off last week. Verse 3. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or faint hearted. In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.

And have you forgotten the exhortation that is addressed to you as sons? 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 punishes every son whom he receives, or chastises every son whom he receives.

It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is testing you as sons. For what son is there whom a father does not discipline? One more, excuse me. And you are left without discipline. If you are left without discipline, in which you have all participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.

Okay. Let's hear that again. So the quote is from Proverbs, I believe it's Proverbs 11, let me make sure before I move on. And I don't care that this is in here, Andrew doesn't have to edit this out. You guys know that sometimes I gotta look down and see.

Proverbs chapter 3, verse 11. So verse 5 and 6 is a quote from the Old Testament, and yes, let me go on my rant again. I think you should have a Bible that has a footnote, a note in the margin, puts it in bold, puts it in indention, something that shows you that it's a quote from the Old Testament.

See the way my Bible does it, is you see how this is kind of indented off by itself? That's showing you it's a quote from the Old Testament. I love that. Holman puts it in bold. I love that too. Anyway, my son, do not regard lightly, but discipline the Lord, nor be wary when reproved by him.

For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives. Okay, so we see Jesus in verse 1 and 2, not only enduring suffering, but doing it with joy. In verse 3 it says, so consider him Jesus who endured from sinners such hostility against himself so that, so if the God of the universe can come in human flesh and endure sinners from people, I mean endure suffering from sinners like us, how much more should we be able to endure suffering?

So that we don't grow weary or faint hearted, because our God can relate to our suffering. We read that before in Hebrews. You have not struggled or resisted against sin to the point of shedding your blood, whatever suffering you claim to be going through for the cause of Christ.

By the way, if we're being honest with ourselves, half the time it's not for the cause of Christ, it's for the cause of self. Some of us need to hear that. But for those of you that really are, sometimes you do suffer in the workplace or at home, or wherever, or at school, because you're standing up for what's right, for being a Christian.

You haven't resisted to the point of shedding blood. Guys, we go through a lot of suffering here in the United States for being believers, we do. But compared to our brothers and sisters around the world, it's not even close.

We have brothers and sisters being killed all over this planet for the cause of Christ. Now Americans, wake up, wake up, because if you can't look out the window and see where this country is headed, it's not towards God at the moment.

It's going to cost us all something, more and more every day, it appears, to believe. So stand strong in the faith, and prepare yourself, so when that day comes, you don't grow weary or faint hearted.

Verse 5. Have you forgotten the exhortation addressed to you as sons? Notice again, I know I point this out all the time, I just did it with Mercedes. I can't help it. He quotes Proverbs chapter 3, and says that was addressed to him.

Alright, so we don't know who wrote Hebrews, we're not exactly sure. Paul, Priscilla, Apollos, Luke, you know, whatever, Barnabas. He quotes Proverbs and says it was addressed to you, your readers. Thousand years earlier, says that was God speaking to you now.

See this common theme in the Bible? Matthew 22, 2 Peter 1, 2 Peter 3, 2 Timothy 3 .16, Joshua 1 .8 and 9, Matthew 4 .4. Rewind that, go read all those. Seriously, rewind that, go read all those. Even though we recognize the Bible is written by 40 something different people, it has one author, and that's the Holy Spirit.

He quotes Proverbs, and I say he, we don't know who wrote Hebrews, and says that's God speaking to you now. God is addressing you as sons. Let me stop right here, let me ruffle some feathers. Not everyone is God's child.

Now, if you just made a frowny face when I said that, listen to me again, I'm trying to help you. We are not all God's children, we're all God's creation. But you are alienated from God until you believe.

You are excluded from the family of God until you believe. Then you're adopted as sons. Every one of us, when we didn't believe, and every unbeliever right now, is not a child of God. They're a creation of God, and they are made in His image, and they have value because of that.

But you don't become a child of God until you've been set free. Who the Son sets free is free indeed, we know the song. Then you are adopted in, Romans, for God did not give you a spirit of fear to fall back into slavery, but He's given you a spirit of sonship, or adoption, by whom we cry out, Abba, Father.

See, when you're saved, you become a child of God. You are adopted into the family of God. Not everyone is God's child. Now, whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. So anyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be a child of God.

But at this current state, until that person believes, they are not a child of God. So he's addressing us, believers, as children, sorry, and says this. 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 punishes every son He receives. If you're a real believer out there, you know what the discipline of the Lord feels like. You know what the conviction of the Holy Spirit says.

If you've never felt that, it's because you need to get saved. Conviction leads to repentance. We know that feeling of the discipline of the Lord. I don't like that feeling. At the same time, I love that feeling, because it says He disciplines those He loves.

When I sin, I hate when I sin, and when the Lord disciplines me, it's not fun. But it says He disciplines those He loves. His children. See, God has a love for everyone on this planet, all of His creation.

But there is a love that only His children can experience. You see, you get to experience the full love of God when you come to become His son. God loves the whole world, absolutely. But there's a special, unique love that you will never be able to participate in, you'll never be able to experience until you come into the family of God.

First John 3 .1 says this. Look at how great a love the Father has lavished on us that we should be called the children of God. The world doesn't know Him. Right there in that verse, First John 3 .1, it says there is a love that only His children know, and the world doesn't know it.

They can if they become His son, but they don't right now. Look at how great a love. The Father has lavished on us that we should be called the children of God, the world doesn't know Him. The discipline of the Lord comes to those He loves.

His children. When I see other children disobeying their parents, I don't discipline them. I may get irritated and upset and wish somebody would, but I don't. You know why? Because they're not mine. The Lord disciplines His own, not people that aren't His children.

Because He disciplines His children, those who believe. Why do I discipline my daughter Ava? Because I love her, and I want to do what's best for her. Sometimes I hear parents say of their grown-up children or their teenage children, I just want them to be happy.

Happy in the Lord or happy in their sin? Because if you mean you want them to be happy in their sin, then at that current moment, you're not wanting what's best for them. Guys, the heart is desperately wicked and incurable.

You know what happens to people that are happy in their sin? Change it. Say that you want your children to be happy in the Lord, because that's the real source of lasting peace and happiness. This world offers happiness, but nothing lasting, fleeting.

What I want for Ava is not happiness and sin. She's just a little girl right now. She's only a year or two, but I'm disciplining her now because the same book of Proverbs says train them up in the way they should go when they're young and when they're old, they want to depart from it.

The Bible says I have to trust in God, and all I can do is train her up in the instruction of the Lord. Guys, I don't know about the rest of you parents, but I know I'm not perfect. I mess up all the time.

There's no handbook that I can read that says this is exactly what you should do in this scenario. New scenarios come up every day with Ava, and I trust this. I trust what this says, and if that makes me crazy, then I'm crazy.

I discipline Ava because I love her, and I want what's best for her in the Lord. What's really best for her, not what the world says is best for her, but what the Lord says is best for her. The Lord disciplines those he loves and punishes every son he receives.

If you have felt that, be encouraged by this, he's only disciplining those he shows that love to. His discipline is a type of love that you can only experience if you're one of his children, and if you're not one of his children, I beg you, and listen to me, that is the only lasting source of happiness and peace in this world, because this world can't offer it.

Verse 7 is not for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons, for what son is there whom a father doesn't discipline? If you're 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 in the short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good.

Let me read that line again, Christian, verse 10. He disciplines us for our good that we may share his holiness. Verse 11, for the moment, all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later, but later, it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

There we go. So, all discipline doesn't seem good at the moment, it seems painful, but later, it yields peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Okay. So, this passage is saying that fathers, our earthly fathers disciplined us, or at least they should have.

There it is right there in the Bible, fathers, right there in the Bible. Earthly fathers are to discipline their children. Guys, the word discipline means to train. There's a million different ways you can do that, but it all has to be done in the Lord.

If I train up Ava in the instruction of Josiah, she will fail. So I've got to train her, discipline her, disciple her in the ways of the Lord. And yes, that means when it comes to getting what she wants, God getting what he commands, God's going to win every time, and I'm to make sure that happens, and I do.

So our earthly fathers are supposed to discipline us, and we're supposed to respect them. How much more should we respect the God of the all, the God of the whole universe when he disciplines us? He disciplines us not because he's mean, not because he's angry.

He disciplines us for our good, so 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.

It yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness. You want lasting peace? Obey. If you are a believer listening to this right now, if you're a believer, please hear me. The best way to be at peace is to obey.

I'm going to say it again. Andrew, don't edit this out. If you are a believer, the only way to have lasting peace is to obey. I want everyone, please, I know I said read those other verses, and I want you to, but if you're not going to, go read this one, please, I'm begging you, 1 Samuel 15 .22.

One verse, 1 Samuel 15 .22. Pause it right now if you have to, and go read it. To obey is better than sacrifices. See, Saul was trying to make excuses for his sin. You can go read the story. By saying, well, God, we were going to make sacrifices to you.

We were going to do this for you. We were going to do this for you. We were going to go to church. We were going to tithe. We were going to do this for you. But we didn't obey what you said, what you said.

God looks at Saul through his prophet and says, don't you know that obedience is what I desire more than anything? You want to please God? Obey. You want to be at peace? Obey. It really is that simple.

It doesn't matter what Josiah wants. It doesn't matter what anyone else wants. Obey. Jesus said, if you love me, you will keep my commandments. You know the best way to show God you love him? Obey. That's straight from Jesus' mouth.

John 14, 15. 15, 14. Ah, 14, 15. Obedience is the best way to show. Now I'm thinking of a song. Obedience is the very best way to show that you believe. Can you spell? Okay, I'm done. Okay. Obey really honestly is the best way to show God that you love him.

Later, this discipline yields peaceful fruit. Okay. 2 Timothy 3, 16. May the God of peace give you peace at all times in every way. May the God of peace give you peace at all times in every way. It's my new favorite prayer.

2 Thessalonians 3, 16. So, discipline seems painful at the front end. Obeying God is not easy, but in time, you'll reap the reward. And peace will free the righteous to those who have been trained by it.

I'm not talking about in heaven. I'm talking about God will give you heavenly peace on earth now through obedience. Verse 12. Therefore, lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees. Make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather healed.

Holiness, Peace, and Daily Decreasing Before Christ

Strive for peace with everyone and for holiness, without which no one will see the Lord. What is holiness? Okay, to be holy is to be set apart. God told his people, Paul in Corinthians said, Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord.

He's quoting Isaiah, I believe. Touch not the unclean thing. Come out from among them and be separate. Guys, holiness is being set apart and different from everyone else because you're called by God. Do your friends and coworkers, classmates, whatever, at work or school know that you're a Christian?

Do the people you work with, people you go to school with, know you're a Christian? How do they know that? Let's do this two ways. Number one, if you never said a word about it, would they know by the way you act?

If you never said a word about it, would they know by the way you act? Let your light so shine among men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is heaven. Now, if they never got to see you act, would they know by the way you speak?

Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O God, my rock and my redeemer. Go, therefore, and teach all nations with your mouth, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I command you.

Preach the gospel to every creature, Mark 16. So, we profess Jesus with our mouth to others, and we act it out. It's both and, guys. It's both and. Holiness is you being set apart in action, in word, in speech, in mind, in heart.

You being set apart from this world. People should know you're a believer by the way you act and the way you speak. And you should know which one you need to work on more, but the answer is both. Strive for peace with everyone and for holiness.

Without it, no one will see the Lord. Guys, when someone gets saved, that's the start of their sanctification. The process of being made more and more like Christ. No one ever reaches perfection until they get to heaven, but it's an upward trend.

And yes, it's like this, but it's a progress upward, more holy. Martin Luther said, the more holy a man becomes, the more conformed he is to the image of Christ, the more disgusted he is with the sin that remains.

If someone claims to have been saved, and they've been saved for 30 years, and nothing has ever changed in their action, nothing's changed in their words, nothing's changed in their heart. They have not experienced holiness.

They may have had a religious experience, but not salvation. Without holiness, that act of being set apart, being different, a new creation, no one will see the Lord. If you're a Christian out there, I said this last night, and I'll end with this.

Your daily goal should be John 3 .30. Your daily goal should be John 3 .30. Where John the Baptist said, he must increase and I must decrease. Every day, you decrease a little more, you die to self a little more, what you want becomes less important, and what God wants becomes more important.

A little bit, one step, every day, he must increase and I must decrease. Every day. You can say that today, I loved Jesus more than I did yesterday. Well, how do you know that? Because I obeyed more. Jesus said, if you love me, you'll keep my commands.

You showed Jesus love by obeying him. Therefore, every day, be able to say that today, he increased and I decreased. I love you guys very much. I hope this is really helping, and I will speak to you guys soon.

See y 'all, I won't see y 'all next week. It'll be two weeks. Talk to y 'all later.