Turn in your Bibles to Hebrews 12. We¡¦ve been talking in recent weeks about suffering, seeking to make sense out of the trials and hardships we go through in life. To start us off, I want you to think about what one couple has gone through¡K
Introduction: Video interview with a couple who endured a difficult time.
How should we view this situation? What does their trial say about God? Is there a perspective that explains what Gary and Allena have gone through? Or that makes sense out of the hardships you are going through right now? To be honest with you, why God allows suffering is one of the most perplexing questions of the Christian life. But the Bible gives a consistent answer. When you accept this answer, suffering is no longer hopeless or meaningless. The Bible sees hardship as God¡¦s loving discipline, which, as we submit to it, he uses to produce his character in our lives.
I. APPRECIATE HARDSHIP AS A SIGN OF GOD¡¦S LOVE (4-6)
¡§In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: ¡¥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, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son.¡¦¡¨
A. GOD HAS ENCOURAGEMENT FOR YOU IN YOUR TRIALS
1. The writer of Hebrews is addressing people who had suffered trials and made sacrifices for their faith
he wants to remind them of the biblical understanding of their trials
so he quotes Proverbs 3:11-12
then proceeds, for the rest of the passage, to explain it
2. If you, likewise, have been going through difficult times¡K
God has a word of encouragement for you
Do you remember it?
Maybe, as you face affliction, you don¡¦t feel like God is paying attention
Or that he cares about you
Prov 3 gives us two truths about God that encourage us
First: if God is disciplining you: it means he loves you
The trials he allows in our lives actually show his paternal care for us
God would not treat us with neglect / unconcern
Not allow us to grow up without direction / correction
Second: if you are going through times of chastening¡K
it is an affirmation that God accepts you / recognizes you as his child
3. This is absolutely contrary to what we normally think
most people assume: suffering proves that God does not exist
Or at very least: that he is not active in our lives
That God can¡¦t do anything about the hardships that come our way
But we assert, based on Bible¡K
hardships are a positive thing because they reflect God¡¦s love
To accept this: requires a view of life radically shaped by God¡¦s Word
If you¡¦re going to find any comfort / any purpose in suffering¡K
If your understanding of suffering is to go beyond the shallow conclusions of pop philosophy or traditional common sense¡K
Then you have to accept the Bible as God¡¦s Word
And the wisdom of the Bible as the final authority for how you think
4. But even common sense does support God¡¦s truth¡K
we all realize from experience: there are parents who don¡¦t care about kids
one of the ways that shows „³ refuse to restrain / govern / correct child
if you love your child, you discipline her
you don¡¦t want her to grow up selfish, out of control, insecure, lazy, etc.
you want your kids to succeed, to develop self-discipline
no 2-year old appreciates a spanking!
they need it in order to understand the idea of boundaries
but they can¡¦t understand why you are doing that to them
no teenager appreciates being grounded
but need it in order to learn to make the right decisions
so we can affirm by experience and common sense what the Bible teaches¡K
that discipline really is a sign of a parent¡¦s love
Accepting Biblical truth, then, means¡K
B. YOU NEED NOT LOSE PERSPECTIVE WHEN TRIALS COME
1. If the quotation from Proverbs is true¡K
If God disciplines those he loves¡K
Then there are two immediate applications (6)
2. Application 1: Don¡¦t make light of God¡¦s discipline
don¡¦t undervalue the experience of suffering you are now going through
the writer will explain, in the rest of passage, why trials have great value
but consider: the 2-year-old gets angry when mommy takes the knife away
he found it on the table and wants to play with it
he can¡¦t possible value the discipline he just went through
but we¡¦re more mature than that, aren¡¦t we?
shouldn¡¦t we be able to appreciate God¡¦s discipline in our lives?
3. Application 2: do not lose heart
Again: the rest of the passage explains and works out
why we should not be totally discouraged when hardships come
but we will despise God¡¦s discipline
and we will lose heart and give up
if we do not have the biblical perspective of¡K
appreciating trials as a sign of God¡¦s love
As the exposition of Prov 3 plays out, the passage continues to stretch us in our perspective and our response, calling us to¡K
II. ENDURE HARDSHIP AS PART OF YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD (7-8)
¡§Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons.¡¨
A. HARDSHIPS ARE A FATHER¡¦S LOVING DISCIPLINE
1. (7): states explicitly what Prov 3 has already implied
hardships are God¡¦s fatherly discipline
and thus should be endured
2. the word ¡§discipline¡¨ refers to: instruction, counsel and correction of children
a good synonym: the word ¡§training¡¨
the difficulties you go through are God¡¦s hand lovingly training you
if you have experienced an abusive type of discipline at the hands of a parent
it may be difficult for you to grasp this as an expression of God¡¦s love
but I think we all understand that parents are called to train their children
far beyond learning ABCs and arithmetic and even life skills
to develop a godly character
if you¡¦re a parent: you want to see your child grow up to maturity
we all understand: sometimes you have to apply discipline
discipline is mandatory for your child¡¦s well-being
and often that discipline is painful or distasteful to your child
likewise, as a loving Father, God is training us toward maturity in Christ
he has a positive agenda for your life
but as he transform you: sometimes hardships is what it takes
If hardships are an expression of God¡¦s loving discipline as a heavenly Father, then¡K
B. HARDSHIPS DEMONSTRATE THAT YOU REALLY DO BELONG TO GOD
1. (8) presents an argument from human life
we observe that human fathers discipline their sons
but we can just as appropriately apply this to both parents
and to daughters as well as sons
in fact, some of you grew up without the input of a father in your life
to discipline and train you
but its clear: the underlying point is still valid
when God disciplines us through trials
this is evidence that you are truly, legitimately his child
2. our assumption is typically just the opposite¡K
when we go through sickness, suffering
through depression, loss of some kind
we conclude that God doesn¡¦t care / that he has abandoned us
3. but just the opposite is true
for example: I may say a word on occasion to a child that is misbehaving
but I¡¦m not going to spank your child
or try to tell a teenager who lives down the street: he is grounded
why? they¡¦re not my children
I don¡¦t take them aside and teach them what¡¦s right / guide them
and apply accountability to them
in the same way I do my own kids
let¡¦s say you¡¦re at a Mary Kay party or something like that
you¡¦ve got a room full of women, with some kids in the back yard
one kid starts to act up, needs correction
you can tell who the mother is by which one gets up to deal w/it
the other mothers don¡¦t get up „³ its not their child
so: if you¡¦re disciplined by God: you must be his child
4. so we¡¦re building a new perspective on suffering
we can appreciate hardships as a sign of God¡¦s love
we can endure hardships as part of our relationship with God
the third part of this new perspective: the passage invites you to¡K
III. SUBMIT TO HARDSHIP FOR THE BENEFITS YOU WILL RECEIVE (9-11)
¡§Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.¡¨
A. GOD IS A BETTER PARENT THAN ANY EARTHLY FATHER OR MOTHER
1. Verse 9: continues the argument from human experience
our earthly fathers disciplined us
they did the best they could
and by and large, we respect them for it
when you become an adult yourself / or a parent yourself
you look back and can appreciate the times you got grounded
or the times your parents said ¡§no¡¨
2. if that¡¦s the case, we should respect God¡¦s discipline even more
its an argument from the lesser to the greater
if our fallible parents got discipline right most of the time¡K
how much more will God get it right all the time?
if we can see the point of our parents¡¦ discipline
and we recognize we have benefited from it
how much more should we submit to God¡¦s discipline
because its benefits are even greater
3. Verse 10: continues the argument
if your dad disciplined you as he thought best
or your mom did her best, from her limited human perspective
how much more will God our heavenly Father know what is best for you & I!
God knows what he¡¦s doing: his discipline (10) is ¡§for our good¡¨
Meaning = for our advantage
It truly changes how you handle hardships if you realize this biblical truth¡K
God¡¦s discipline is good for you!
B. GOD DESIRES ONLY THE BEST FOR YOU
1. A very common view of suffering
Held even by many who profess faith in Christ¡K
Hardships of life are simply random
They just happen / they have no purpose
If God is truly good / truly cares about us¡K
Then he must be powerless to stop suffering
Or he would surely do so
That view: that God is not involved, cannot be involved¡K
I believe: leads only to cynicism and despair
Removes all meaning and purpose from suffering
2. the Bible portrays God as deeply and purposefully involved in hardships
Shows that the trials of life¡K
far from being tragedies to endure in sorrow and pain
Actually result in significant benefits
there are two benefits listed that come from hardships
as God allows them in your life
both of these are wonderful / they are what we really want
they make any trials we face worth the pain
3. benefit 1: ¡§that we may share in [God¡¦s] holiness¡¨
we become refined / purified by hardships
so that the flaws in our character are worked out
we come to reflect the character of God more and more fully
his holiness (in this sense): his separation from all sin
so God¡¦s benefit for us: to make us progressively less sinful
the result: we are progressively more and more humble
more a blessing to others
more in step with God
closer in communion with him
more fitted to be useful to him / to make an eternal impact
those changes are not automatic
as we¡¦ll see in a moment: it depends on how we respond to suffering
but trials have potential to create this incredible benefit in our lives
4. benefit 2 (11): ¡§it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace¡¨
the word harvest: suggests an abundance!
I think of the peach tree we used to have at our old house down the street
This time every year: it was overloaded with fat, juicy fruit
The branches were hanging down to the ground
We had sack after sack of peaches from one small tree
Who doesn¡¦t want an abundance of ¡§righteousness¡¨ in their life?
is there any of us who has never said in our heart¡K
I want to be more like Jesus
I want to be a better person
I want to be a better husband / wife / father / mother
I want my life to count
I want to be less controlled by sin
I want to be free from my addictive behaviors
I want to follow Jesus more fully
Its also a harvest of ¡§peace¡¨
Peace with God as the sins that pushes you away from his is removed
Restored relationships with the people around you
A well-being / satisfaction in your heart
God¡¦s digging / cultivation / stirring / pruning in your life through hardships
creates this kind of harvest in you
5. As you set your hope on these benefits, its very important to understand¡K
this harvest / this transformation doesn¡¦t happen immediately
if you want to not lose heart, you have to have this outlook
while you¡¦re going through the trial, you probably will not see benefits
(11): at the time, discipline is never pleasant, but painful
this is a full recognition of how hard suffering really is
we never downplay the real pain people go through during trials
if all you can see is the present moment, you will despair
that¡¦s why (11) says: ¡§later on, however¡K¡¨
that¡¦s the perspective you have to keep in view
there is a time coming when the benefits will be reaped
that¡¦s why (7) said: ¡§endure¡K¡¨
like farmer: works hard all spring / summer
goes through a lot of trouble / hardship
fighting weeds / pests / drought
why doesn¡¦t he quit?
because he understands the principle of ¡§later on, however¡¨
he understands that, in due time, there will be a harvest
unless he is a radish farmer, the benefits never come right away
of course, its very hard to see it at the moment¡K
but the fruit of discipline is worth the price that is paid
6. as I said earlier: whether you experience the benefits of God¡¦s discipline depends on your response
(9): called us to submit to God¡¦s action in our life
another way to say that (11):
the harvest belongs to ¡§those who have been trained by [discipline]¡¨
when trials come, you have choices to make
you can view it the world¡¦s way, or God¡¦s way
you can give up hope, or persevere through it
you can reject what God is trying to do, or be trained by it
those who are willing to let God train them through hardships
are the ones who receive the awesome benefits
I¡¦m not talking about some truth you grasp with your mind
¡§OK God, teach me the lesson I¡¦m supposed to learn so you can end trial¡¨
training is not a lesson you learn
it¡¦s the transformation of your heart and life
its God makeover of your inner world
and the outer actions that result
So then: if hardship is God¡¦s discipline¡K
If it¡¦s a sign of his love for you / his interest in what you¡¦re becoming
If there are tremendous benefits to be reaped through suffering
Then here is the final application¡K
we¡¦ve already seen: appreciate it / endure it / submit to it
Finally¡K
IV. STRENGTHEN YOURSELF AND OTHERS WHEN HARDSHIP COMES (12-13)
¡§Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. ¡¥Make level paths for your feet,¡¦ so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.¡¨
A. WHEN HARDSHIP COMES, FACE IT WITH TOUGHNESS
1. (12) strengthen yourself!
yes, hardship makes us weak
(12) is a picture of someone who has been beat up in the boxing ring
or someone who is exhausted with spiritual and emotional fatigue
actually, (12) is a quotation from Isaiah 35:3-4
¡§Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; say to those with fearful hearts, ¡¥Be strong, do not fear; your God will come...¡¦¡¨
that original message was given to comfort Israel
during a time when they were under God¡¦s discipline
likewise, those who are discouraged because of hardships
are invited to hope in the coming of God
as their deliverer: who will arrive (as you read the following verses)¡K
justice and with blessing
2. the application of (12): suck it up!
Don¡¦t give in to spiritual fatigue
Set your mind to keep going: knowing that God is at work
when you¡¦re hiking up in the hills
you start to feel weak and tired, and you want to quit
your pace begins to lag
if you refocus on the goal / banish the negative thoughts
if you renew your commitment to reaching the top
you get that extra burst
and get back up to speed again
when trials come: don¡¦t fall into the ¡§woe is me¡¨ mentality
strengthen yourself!
B. WHEN HARDSHIP COMES, HELP OTHERS WITH COMPASSION
1. (13): talks about those who are ¡§lame¡¨
people who are so debilitated by their trials
they can¡¦t keep traveling / take the next steps they need to take
2. the ¡§level path¡¨ in (13): the Lord¡¦s way
we can help others to keep walking in God¡¦s ways
even when they are suffering
so that they will find healing to get up and get going again
CONCLUSION
In the end, we¡¦re really confronted with a different way of thinking about life. God uses the difficulties we encounter as a means of training and moral development. Hardships can really be seen as gift that helps us become all that God wants us to be. It doesn¡¦t take much genius to realize that much of our development as persons comes through challenging and even painful experiences. So we affirm that a loving God can use the trials in our lives for our good. As you submit to his discipline, he uses it to produce a transformation in our lives. Let¡¦s pray.
