God's Woodshed

1. Illus. of my dad as a boy

• Lived on a farm, had a woodshed. Last thing you wanted was an invitation to join my grandfather in the woodshed.

• Local pastor named Brother Douglas had a radio show they listened to each Saturday.

• Once my dad was smarting off at the dinner table. When my grandfather said, “boy, you better change your tune” my father replied, “to what old man? Brother Douglas?”

• He said that when he regained consciousness he was in the woodshed on the wrong end of a barber strap!

2. God sometimes has to take His children into the woodshed for discipline and correction. He sees us involved in some sinful habit or practice. According to vs 5, the first thing God does is to rebuke us. He sends someone or something into our life to tell us, “This is not my will for you, so stop it now.” If we will not listen, He goes a step further. According to vs 6, He scourges (mastigoi, whips) us.

3. What causes God to whip us? Willful, rebellious ongoing sin. He doesn’t whip us when we do wrong, are convicted, and confess it to Him. He doesn’t whip us when we do something we didn’t know was wrong. He whips us when we spit in His face by saying, “I know this is wrong but I’m going to do it anyway.” How long does it last? Until we repent and turn from our sin. What form does it take? Many different forms, but all have one thing in common- they hurt (see vs 11a)!

4. Text: God describes the reasons He disciplines His children when they are rebellious and disobedient.

5. Why does God take us into the woodshed when we are rebellious and disobedient? Three reasons.

I. GOD TAKES US INTO THE WOODSHED TO DEMONSTRATE HIS LOVE

1. See vss 5-6. The NIV translates this passage as, “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when He rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those He loves…”

2. Sometimes when we are being disciplined, we get mad at God. “God, don’t you love me anymore?” The truth of the matter is that when God disciplines a rebellious child, it demonstrates how very much He does love us!

3. Illus. of couple

• Divorced after many years of marriage.

• Teenage son named Matt.

• When at fathers, father expected him to go to school and do his homework etc.

• When at his mother’s, he was allowed to do whatever he felt like doing.

• Which of those two parents really showed love for that boy?

• Same with God! He demonstrates his love when He disciplines us!

4. Shouldn’t be surprised that God operates this way. We as parents do the same thing! (Illus. of child insisting on playing in busy street. Since you love your child and don’t want to see them get hurt, what would you do? Rebuke and chasten!)

5. Are you living in rebellion today? God loves you far too much to let you play in the street! He is going to rebuke and discipline you!

II. GOD TAKES US INTO THE WOODSHED TO AUTHENTICATE OUR SONSHIP

1. See vs 7. When God spanks us, one of the things it does is to prove that we are His children. Do you go out and spank the neighbor’s kids? Of course not! They don’t belong to you. Well, neither does God spank those who do not belong to him!

2. When you are rebellious and God takes you into the woodshed for discipline, it proves that you belong to Him.

3. Illus. of bicycles on Anderson Rd.

• Me and 4-5 other boys decided we would scare some of "those old people" who drove down our road.

• When our lookout would say a car was coming, we would ride our bikes like we were going to ride our bikes out into the road in front of these cars.

• Had no intention of doing so. We would swerve at the last minute. Poor people in the cars would be scared to death!

• One called my dad. He looked out and saw us, came right out and wore me out! All doing the same thing, but I was only one he grabbed up and whipped!

• Why? Because I was the only one that was his son!

• It’s that way with God. You can run around with lost people and not do one thing they aren’t doing, yet God will single you out for discipline. Why? Because you belong to Him!

4. “Tim, that shows what you know. I’ve been involved in this secret sin for some time. God isn’t disciplining me!” See vs 8. If He isn’t, you better look long and hard are yourself.