(Hebrews 2:1-14)

“Looking at Jesus”

“Did You Look at Jesus”

These have both been preached out of this passage of Hebrews 12:1-3.

There are two main goals that I see rising to the surface:

1)      Maturing (11:40) – be made perfect, grown, and matured.

2)      Enduring (12:2-3) – do not grow weary and do not lose heart.

The writer of Hebrews (of whom we are not certain) immediately goes into a discussion of one of the hottest topics of our day.

Discipline.

Chew on that for just a second, before I break loose here. 

Maturing . . . Enduring . . .  Disciplining.

Maturing and Enduring do not take place without discipline.

What a hot topic!

Discipline.

Let’s play Bible or Quotation again:

“Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6).

“Spare the rod and spoil the child” (Quote)

“Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying” (Proverbs 19:18).

Proverbs 13:24 He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes

Proverbs 22:15 Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.

Proverbs 23:12 Apply thine heart unto instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge. 13 Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die. 14 Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell. 15 My son, if thine heart be wise, my heart shall rejoice, even mine. 16 Yea, my reins shall rejoice, when thy lips speak right things.

Proverbs 29:15 The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame.

The goal of this message is not to make a biblical case for discipline – it is a strange day that brings us to a point of wondering if we should discipline.

May God have mercy on anyone who beats a child.

May God have mercy on us if we don’t discipline our children.

Read Proverbs 3:11-12

Read Proverbs 4:20-27

Who is doing the discipline? 

Not just our earthly Father and Mother . . . but very importantly our Heavenly Father.

Back to Hebrews 12

Endure hardship as discipline (vs.4).

HEB 12:7 eis paideian hupomenete:

HEB 12:7 Endure hardship as discipline

HEB 12:7 It is for discipline that you endure; (NASV)

If ye endure chastening (KJV)

There is such a thing as discipline from the Lord.

A wise heavenly Father will discipline his child whom He loves.

Why would we question that?

Because we are uncertain as to whether or not a wise earthly father (or mother) would discipline his child.

The Lord does discipline His children and it is apparently very important in maturing and enduring.

The question that would be good for us to ask today is not, “Does the Lord discipline” but rather “What is His discipline”.

We are always theologically responding in our attempt to understand God’s Word.  It is like the pendulum swing.

The pendulum swings right:  everything bad that happens was discipline from the Lord.

Everything that happens was a sign of sin in one’s life and the Lord was disciplining him.

A pastor I listened to at a conference in Minneapolis about 15 years ago lost his wife and 3 children in a car accident.  He was not in the car with them.  His wife was driving up a hill when over the top came two cars side by side – teens racing – killed his whole family.

When people gathered with him to grieve this ultimate loss . . . someone came (who he did not know personally), stood in the doorway and said to him, “What sin are you covering up that the Lord would do this to you?”

This preacher said that it took 3 or 4 men to hold him down.  He would have beat that guy silly if he could have gotten his hands on him.

Was that the correct response?  Yes, it was.

Why would anyone do that to another person?  Because he was on the right side of the pendulum swing in our understanding of the Lord’s discipline.

The response of the mourning preacher was correct – everything bad that happens is not discipline from the Lord for unconfessed sin.

This, however, is not normally the trouble for us today.  We are on the other side of this pendulum swing – probably in response to the swing to the other side.

The pendulum swings left:  Does the Lord discipline?  Or I suggest the better question to ask is What is His discipline?

In order to endure hardship as discipline, we need to recognize a few things from Hebrews 12.

I.                    Everyone endures discipline (vs. 7-8).

II.                 Respect and Submission are at stake (vs. 9).

III.               Sharing in God’s holiness is the invitation (vs. 10).

IV.              No on enjoys it (vs. 11).

V.                 Righteousness and Peace are the achievable goal (vs.11).

What is the Lord’s discipline?

Have you ever been disciplined by the Lord?

I have.

Hardship and discipline are not necessarily the same.

Every hardship is not discipline for sin.

Every hardship does make us more disciplined before the Lord.

Hardship and discipline are endured in the same way.

Endure hardship as discipline.

A key to our endurance.

A key to our maturity in Jesus Christ.