The Mystery of Divine Chastening
Jeremiah 18:1-6
Introduction
This passage of Scripture is one of the most unique and powerful passages in the Bible. In it Jeremiah portrays God as a potter and man as a lump of clay. He paints us a picture of God in his sovereignty taking man and molding him into whatever type of vessel He chooses.
God uses Four things to accomplish this in the life of the believer.
1. He uses the Word of God.
2. He uses intercessory prayer.
3. He uses trials.
4. He uses suffering.
It is these last two - trials and suffering - that I want to speak on tonight for they are what compose "Divine Chastening." I have entitled my message "The Mystery of Divine Chastening." A mystery is something that is veiled or hidden. Something that is not easily seen. In divine chastening God rarely sits us down and tells us all that He is going to do in our lives. We just find ourselves in the midst of trials and suffering and then must exercise faith to see the end result.
Every Believer Faces Three Judgments.
1. PAST Judgment as a Sinner - This is our judgment for sin - Calvary. This was settled the day we turned by faith to Jesus Christ.
2. FUTURE Judgment as a Servant - This is the Judgment seat of Christ. - I Cor. 3:11-15. This is a judgment of service to determine a believer’s reward.
3. PRESENT Judgment as a Son - Chastening is concerned with this. - Our Sonship.
Heb 12:5-11
5 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:
6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?
8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.
9 Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?
10 For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.
11 Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.
Prov 3:11-12
11 My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction:
12 For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.
God Allows Chastening To Come Into The Life Of The Believer For One Of Four Purposes.
I. Corrective Discipline I Cor. 11:31,32
1 Cor 11:31-32 For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.
This is for open unconfessed and unrepented sin.
There are Four Things Christians do about their sins.
1. They blame someone or something else. - Adam and Eve
2. They Excuse their sin. - King Saul did this in I Sam. 15 when he didn’t slay the Amalekites.
3. They Cover their sin or try to hide them from God - David did this with Bathsheba.
4. They Confess and forsake them - We must confess our sins or God will judge them for us.
Ps 107:39 Again, they are minished and brought low through oppression, affliction, and sorrow.
Gods Three Rods: Oppression - Affliction - Sorrow
God Speaks - God Spanks - God Calls Home
Gods Second Purpose For Chastening is for:
II. Enlarging Discipline - Pruning - John 15:2
John 15:2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
1. God disciplines us to make us more fruitful. When we have weights or hindrances in our life that keep us from becoming what God wants us to be, God has to prune us.
Illustration.
In the backyard of my first house were several large apple trees. The first year I lived there each tree brought forth a lot of nice apples. The second year was also pretty good. The third year the trees had very few apples on them. They had lots of blossoms in the spring but few nice juicy apples developed. My neighbor told me that my trees had become overgrown with limbs that were taking all the nourishment from the apples. What I had to do was cut back all the useless branches that were robbing the apples. He also told me to cut off half of the blossoms in the spring. Only so much nourishment could come up the tree’s trunk. I would have half as many apples but they would be bigger and juicier.
2. Nothing happens to a Christian by accident.
Loss of health - Loss of loved ones - Loss of life - Loss of property - Heartache
When adversity hits our life it is for a Divine Purpose.
Ps 66:10-12
10 For thou, O God, hast proved us: thou hast tried us, as silver is tried.
11 Thou broughtest us into the net; thou laidst affliction upon our loins.
12 Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water: but thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place.
Job 23:10 But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.
Isa 48:10 Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.
The third reason for chastening in the life of the believer is:
III. Preventive Discipline or Proactive Discipline
Only one example of preventive discipline is found in Scripture. The Apostle Paul was given a thorn in the flesh to humble him and keep him dependent upon the Lord for his grace.
2 Cor 12:7-9
7 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.
8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.
9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
The last reason for divine chastening is:
IV. Vindicative Discipline
Again only one example is found in the Bible. Job was given this form of chastening to vindicate God.
Satan is the accuser of God. He accuses us before God and God before you. Satan accused God of only allowing good thins to come into Job’s life and that was the reason that Job served God.
God allowed Satan to bring three tests into Job’s life and in all three Job vindicated God.
1. Job lost his family and wealth - He vindicated God by saying, "the Lord giveth, the Lord taketh away, blessed be the name of the Lord"
2. Job lost his health and wifely comfort - He vindicated God by saying that God had the right to bring good into his life and also evil if he chose.
3. Job was tested to lose his faith - He replied, "though He slay me, yet will I trust Him"
Ps 27:13 I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.
Never lose sight of the goodness of God. Is God good - He is always good. He is good when good things come into your life. He is also good when bad things come into your life.
Conclusion
Mal 3:2-3
2 But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap:
3 And he shall sit as a refiner and purifer of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness.
1. He Cares - You are as precious to God as silver or gold
1. God’s Method - Fire
2. God’s Motive - To purge or purify
3. God’s Objective - Our Righteousness
The Christian life is a life of testing. Just like a child progresses from one grade to another in school. He passes tests. When God brings adversity into our life it is for the purpose of improving us. To conform us to the image of Christ. When you improve a piece of property you increase its value.
2. He Cleanses - The fire purifies and cleanses.
What is the dross in your life that needs to be purged. Is it Arrogance - Pride - Self will - Rebellion - Anger - An unteachable spirit - Impatience - Ignorance.
a. Affliction humbles us
b. Affliction brings repentance
c. Affliction conquers pride
Look at Nebuchadnezzar
Dan 4:28-35
28 All this came upon the king Nebuchadnezzar.
29 At the end of twelve months he walked in the palace of the kingdom of Babylon.
30 The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty?
31 While the word was in the king’s mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from thee.
32 And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field: they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.
33 The same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar: and he was driven from men, and did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagles’ feathers, and his nails like birds’ claws.
34 And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation:
35 And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?
3. He Comforts - God is with you in the fire (Daniel -three thrown into the furnace)
1 Cor 10:13
13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will
not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
When Chastening comes, we:
a. At first only see the hurt or pain
b. Next we see the mercy and love of God
d. Last we realize the purpose of going through it and find joy.
4. He Controls - God sits by the fire.
5. He Knows When The Work Is Done
Rom 8:28-29
28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the
called according to his purpose.
29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that
he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
6. "Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning." Ps 30:5b
