How Does God Discipline His Children. Series

Intro: There is an unfortunate thing happening while we sit here today. Happens to you,

to me, to individuals, groups, families, nations and countries. Happened from the first human

beings until today and will certainly happen in the future. It happens with this church and with

other churches.

I’m talking about DISOBEDIENCE

It started in the Garden of Eden, Adam and eve where disobedient to the Word of God.

Follow me to Gen 2:16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of

the garden thou mayest freely eat:

God commanded --- saying – He used His word!

Look at Gen 3:1 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God

had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

Are you getting excited? Wait you will!

So what was the serpent’s message? hath God said – Did God use His Word? Did

He really say this?

When they took of the tree what did they do? They were disobedient to the what? To the

Word. They were disobedient to His voice, His word.

Look at Gen 3:9b And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked;

and I hid myself.

What did he hear?….. His voice

This is the problem over time. Go through OT look at kings, priests. What was their sin? Disobedience.. Think of a few. Eli, Saul, David. Also so today.

People sit in the House of God, while His Word goes out Sunday after

Sunday, but yet they stay disobedient. Preachers warn their people but it

falls on death ears.

Romans 10:21 But to Israel he saith, All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a

disobedient and gainsaying people.

Notice: His not talking of outsiders, NO, No , No, he is talking of Israel. Their

own people, I’m not talking to outsiders today, they don’t listen anyway, but

I’m talking about you.

I know you… You say “Oh, Pastor you’re surely not talking about me”. I am!

Here is a test…… Who remembered Br. Peter’s message last Sunday? C’mon show me. Which text did he use? Ok … so it was a whole week ago, What about Cell groups? What was the text? What was Gods challenge to you?

Isaiah warns us:

Is 29:13 And so the Lord says, "These people say they are mine. They honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far away. And their worship of me amounts to nothing more than human laws learned by rote (New Living Trans)

So your child is disobedient. What does a loving Father do when his child is disobedient?

He chastens him.

Col 3:6 For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:

Job 5:17 Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the

chastening of the Almighty:

Heb 12:5 And have you entirely forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you, his children? He said, "My child,

don’t ignore it when the Lord disciplines you, and don’t be discouraged when he corrects you.

6. For the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes those he accepts as his children

7. As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Whoever heard

of a child who was never disciplined?

8. If God doesn’t discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not

really his children after all.

9. Since we respect our earthly fathers who disciplined us, should we not all the more cheerfully submit to the

discipline of our heavenly Father and live forever

10. For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God’s discipline is

always right and good for us because it means we will share in his holiness.

11. No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening – it is painful! But afterward there will be a quiet harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.

How then does God discipline His children:

When you are disobedient He will:

I. First send conviction through His Holy Spirit:

That is the work of the spirit –

John 16:8 And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:

You know that you are doing wrong, you feel convicted and you repent.

Ons should never quench the Spirit

I Thess 5:19 Do not quench the Spirit.

If you don’t listen:

II. Will He sent a messenger

II Sam 12 Nathan to David.

Praise the Lord that He sent a messenger in my life. That caused me to give my life to