The Meaning and Purpose of God’s Chastening
A Series on
the Tough Love of God Towards His people
Hebrews 12 |
|
Pastor Craig Ledbetter
Bible Baptist Church, Ballincollig, Cork, Ireland
May 8, 2016 AM
I.
Introduction
(Hebrews 12:5-11)
A.
There is a
word that repeats itself
over and over in Hebrews 12. It is the word chastening, chastising, and
chastisement.
1.
You see
Chastening in verse 5
2.
You see
Chastening again in verse 6
3.
Chasteneth
in verse 6
4.
Chastening
in verse 7
5.
Chastisement
in verse 8
6.
Chastened in
verse 10
7.
Chastening
in verse 11
8.
If you get
the idea that's an important word, you're right.
B.
Not a very
popular word
1.
Psychologists and the media define chastening as “abuse” and extreme,
and detrimental
2.
Almost no
one on TV or radio talk shows use the word
chastening in a good sense
C.
Chastening
Doesn’t Make Sense to People Today
1.
The very
thought of a God of love
chastening His children is not acceptable to most people.
2.
As children,
we all had the idea in our minds that our parents showed love to us when
they gave us those things we wanted and enjoyed.
3.
But when
they placed restrictions upon us we quickly jumped to the conclusion
that they didn't love us.
4.
We only
understood love that coddled and comforted us, but we could not
reconcile a kind of love that had chastening and correction mixed in.
5.
Well, we
were WRONG.
D.
The Bible
has much to say about Chastening, and says it actually is VERY, very
good for His children! AND, that if you are not experiencing it, you are
not even in the family of God!
II.
Message
A.
The Simple
Fact Is… God’s Chastens His Children (Hebrews 12:5)
1.
God is
active in the life of a believer
a.
We always
want Him to be active blessing
and helping and
honouring us…
b.
But His
biggest activity is chastening us
c.
Deut 8:5
Thou shalt also consider in thine heart, that, as a man
chasteneth his son, so the LORD thy God chasteneth thee.
d.
God spoke to
king David about young Solomon… 2Sa 7:13,14
He (Solomon) shall build an house for my name, and I will
stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever. I will be his father, and
he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the
rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men:
e.
Psalm 118:18
The LORD hath chastened me sore: but he hath not given me over
unto death.
f.
Psa 119:67
Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy
word.
g.
Psa 119:71
It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn
thy statutes.
h.
Psa 119:75
I know, O LORD, that thy judgments are right, and that thou in
faithfulness hast afflicted me.
i.
Now, none of
that may sound great to you, but it is vital for us as believers!
2.
God is a
Father (Isaiah 64:8) of His Creation, but especially of Believers!
a.
All
Believers are adopted into His family and become sons and daughters of
God (2Cor 6:18)
b.
And we enter
into a relationship with God as our Father
c.
Not just
Almighty, not just Creator, Sovereign, Lord
d.
But He is
our Abba, our Father, our Dada! The Being that we depend upon for
guidance, direction, provision, and our very lives!
3.
God doesn’t
leave us alone –doesn’t leave us to ourselves
a.
And as our
Father, He will not leave us alone, and just let us go our own way, and
do as we please
b.
He is at
work ON us and IN us (Philp 1:6; 2:12,13) to conform (forge) us on the
inside to be like Jesus
c.
Think about
it
1)
When God
DOES leave a person alone, it is the worst thing to happen to someone –
slowly fall apart
2)
Hey! If you
are NOT sensing His pull, His drawing, His correction in your life… it
shows that you have gone too far, and God has been pushed away enough
that he is leaving you alone!
4.
God WILL
leave people to THEIR father, the devil
B.
God Chastens
ONLY His Children (Hebrews 12:5-8)
1.
Not the
children of another father (see John 8:44)
2.
God will be
responsible for HIS children, and it shows…
3.
Real, true
blue Christians CAN’T get away with sin anymore – we do sin, but we
always get caught, and we always regret it
4.
Think about
it. ONLY born again Christians feel that way!
C.
The Fact Is,
He Chastens Because He Loves! (Hebrews 12:6)
1.
We are told
over and over, Chastening is an act of love, not hatred or punishment
a.
Pro 3:12
For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son
in whom he delighteth.
b.
Heb 12:6
For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son
whom he receiveth.
c.
Rev 3:19
As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore,
and repent.
d.
This is a
great confusion in almost everyone’s mind
2.
God
chastens, NOT because He is an angry God, but because He is a faithful
Father, a LOVING Father, who DELIGHTS in us (Prov 3:12), and is
determined to transform us – make us better people
3.
Modern
culture believes in a different “loving God” than the one in the Bible
a.
A god who
would just let people find their own way, not live with guilt, not have
to experience the results of their sin, and other people’s sins…
b.
But that
kind of a god is a negligent god
– irresponsible, careless, remiss, slack, uninvolved
c.
Parents who
do not correct their children are classified as NEGLIGENT and can LOSE
their children
d.
Teachers who
do not correct their class, and just let their students do as they
please, often lose their jobs! Or at least they SHOULD!
4.
Simply put…
If God didn’t love you, He would leave you alone! Please don’t ever ask
God to do that!
D.
The Meaning
Chastening (Hebrews 12:9) – Now we finally get to understanding the
meaning!
1.
What does
the word chastening mean? Is
it good?
a.
Well, most
people think chastening means God
beating us up, or punishing us
for some sin. But that’s not what it means at all.
2.
To Teach
a.
The word
chastening has to do with teaching and training children. It is the word
that means to train and educate your children in the right way.
b.
We get the
word discipline from this concept...
c.
Teaching,
training, having clear expectations, and carrying out corrective
measures when a child is not doing something right
d.
EXAMPLES
1)
How can a
piano student get to the place where he or she can play in an orchestra
if no one will correct them when they play wrong, or below their
ability?
2)
The fact
that their teacher corrects them, and often scolds them, does not mean
they don’t love them
3)
And the fact
that for much of our lives, our parents scolded us and corrected us when
we did wrong did not mean they did not love us
4)
It meant
they wanted us to do right, to do better, to succeed
e.
God’s
Chastening means to CORRECT Believers (Hebrews 12:9). That’s it! (Prov
3:12)
1)
It means God
doing whatever it takes to get us to do things right, by telling us what
we are doing wrong, then instructing us on how to do it right, and
troubling us when we won’t do things right!
a)
Not many
people mind the Teaching part – people will come and listen to
instruction
b)
But when we
hear Correction, rebukes, and being told we are wrong, or are doing
things wrong and need to change… oh, well, that crosses a line with most
people!
c)
And to then
discover that troubles in our lives are from the hands of a LOVING God,
all because we are being stubborn, or wilful, or hard-hearted… well,
THAT is when everyone leaves the room!
2)
If we don’t
change, God increases the pain, the pressure, the trouble
a)
Not to
punish or judge us – Jesus was judged and punished for us, for ALL our
sins
b)
Just to
correct us when we don’t do things the right way – God’s designed way
c)
And often,
painfully so
d)
God does NOT
just tap us on the shoulder, but is in direct kind to our attitude
(1)
Yes, He is
patient. Yes He is gentle
(2)
But don’t
imagine for a second that He will let you get away with your sin, and
your rebellion, and your attitudes!
(3)
You will
always reap what you have sown – planted, done (Gal 6:7; Eccl 12:13,14)
(4)
And you will
reap MORE than you sowed – one seed, produces a lot of corn
(5)
And you will
reap LATER than you sow – sometimes right away, but mostly months and
even years later
f.
And boy
don’t we ALL need correction?
1)
Your
manager, your teacher, your parents SHOULD correct you – and you should
THANK them when they do! I KNOW, I KNOW, I JUST LOST MOST OF YOU!
2)
It would be
SO WRONG to just let us do things the wrong way, our own way, wouldn’t
it?
a)
Imagine an
automotive factory, with managers that just let the employees
make cars any way they felt like – and being told, THAT’S A GOOD BOY!
WOULD you drive a car made that way?
b)
Imagine a
house builder, just allowing all the contractors to stack the bricks
and mortar any way they felt like, and putting the windows anywhere,
anyway they felt would work, and then telling everyone, WHAT GOOD JOBS
YOU ALL DID! Would YOU live in that kind of a house?
c)
Imagine a
teacher having a child answer 6 times 6, and saying 30, and then
saying WELL, I GUESS TODAY IT EQUALS 30! GOOD BOY! Would you send YOUR
children to be taught by that kind of a teacher?
d)
ALL of those
employers, managers, teachers should be fired for allowing people to do
things WRONG! All because they didn’t want to offend or hurt the
feelings of people!
e)
The best
manager sees someone do something wrong, and they stop them, and then
show them the right way to do it, and then they expect them to change
and do it the right way! And the boss expects that if the employee will
not change and do things the right way, that the manager has the
backbone to FIRE them and make them wake up to doing things right!
f)
The best
teacher evaluates their children and when someone answers wrongly, they
instruct on the right answer and how to arrive at the right answer, and
then they expect their student to know the right answer from then on!
3)
So God is
constantly at work, correcting the way we handle fears
4)
Teaching us
to handle stress right
5)
Teaching us
to train our children right
6)
To pray more
effectively and simply
7)
To think
clearly
8)
To deal with
temptation right
g.
Now, HOW God
chastens us is the real question!
E.
God Uses
Many Different Ways To Correct Us (Hebrews 12:6,7)
1.
Sometimes
just by words on a page in the Bible as we read it, or from a preacher
a.
God is very
gracious to allow you to hear quiet words from His Bible (Heb 4:12)
1)
A quiet
rebuke (Heb 12:5)
2)
Piercing the
heart
3)
Examining
and exposing our wrong intentions
b.
And
sometimes God is VERY kind to raise His voice a bit and get your
attention by a Bible believing, passionate preacher who cares about your
soul (Heb 13:17)
1)
Pointing out
your sin, and your wrong attitudes
2)
Exposing
your hard heart
3)
Trying to
get you guilty under God!
4)
You may not
like it, but THAT is love!
c.
The prophet
Nathan was God’s chastening scolding voice to David! “Thou art the man!”
d.
Isn’t it
funny that people so easily ignore the words of the Bible, and the
preachings of a preacher?
e.
But when
people ignore or reject God’s WORDS, He takes it to the next level!
f.
Remember,
God is determined to bring His children into line!
2.
Sometimes by
gentle pressure - changing circumstances – small amount of pain
a.
Bad weather
to change your wrong plans
b.
Maybe a
girlfriend dropping you
c.
Unexplained
sorrows – not always bad, sometimes it is God trying to humble you and
teach you HIS joy and goodness
d.
Remember
Paul’s thorn in his flesh – because of his pride, and tendency to be
proud
3.
Sometimes by
a heavy hand – chastening – whipping – scourging – very painful
a.
Losing your
job
b.
Getting in a
car accident
c.
Having a
heart attack
d.
Constant
Sickness (the Corinthians experienced this)
e.
God caused
David to lose a lot after his sin with Bathsheba – it was very painful,
and heavy handed of God!
f.
Samson lost
his eyesight
g.
Saul lost
his kingdom
4.
It all comes
FROM God’s hand. Part of HIS training of your personal character and
integrity
5.
WARNING!
That is, until you prove to God that you are completely stubborn and
unwilling to change – THEN God has to move it up to the highest level
and give you an early death – earlier than it should have been
F.
What is the
Difference Between Chastening and Punishing?
1.
I will
explain this more next Sunday, but let me just introduce some thoughts
to you
a.
Chastening
is usually pain and trouble in your life that God uses to show you that
you are doing wrong and headed for trouble. It is intended to redirect
your attention, and help you grow and change for the better
b.
Punishment
is God no longer being able to correct you, so He has to now cause you
to start losing things. It is intended to only hurt you, and break you.
c.
Punishment
flows from justice - chastening flows from love.
d.
Punishment
is inflicted by a judge, and usually is fatal and final - Chastening is
administered by the parent, and is measured, and helpful.
e.
Believers
are often chastened - but they are never condemned.
f.
Why? Because
we are not under the law - but under God’s grace now. God no longer
treats us as criminals - but deals with us as sons.
g.
So, out of
infinite wisdom, out of tender love, and from perfect faithfulness, all
of God’s corrections come to us.
2.
Aren’t you
glad to not have to fear God’s righteous wrath and punishment that WILL
fall upon every sin and sinner who rejects the forgiveness in Jesus
Christ?
G.
The Purpose
of God’s Chastening – Why Does God Do It? (Hebrews 12:10,11)
1.
To Prove He
Loves Us (Heb 12:7,9)
a.
He takes His
responsibility VERY seriously
b.
HIS
reputation and character is at stake
c.
But more
than that, His love is being shown
d.
Only a
father who HATES his child would neglect to chasten them (Prov 13:24)
2.
To Awaken
Our Sorrow for Sin (Heb 12:11)
a.
What a
wonderful goal
b.
THIS one
thing is so gone from the western society’s heart!
c.
Psalm 32:1-5
d.
Psalm 51:2-4
3.
To Give
Wisdom – to teach us (Heb 12:11)
a.
Pro 13:1
A wise son heareth his father's instruction: but a scorner
heareth not rebuke.
b.
Ecc 7:5
It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to
hear the song of fools.
c.
Our society
is so full of information, but so little wisdom – can’t decide which
bathroom to use!
4.
To Produce
Holiness in us – biggest goal!
a.
How does our
modern society handle problems?
1)
If a child
has behaviour problems they say, "Here is a drug" and cope with it
2)
If a person
is discouraged, they say, "Here is a drug." and cope with it
3)
If a person
is depressed they say, "Take this drug." and cope with it
4)
Amazingly
there are thousands of drugs out there for any number of things.
5)
Marriage
problems? Take Viagra.
6)
People
believe problems are bad and must just be coped with.
b.
But the
truth is, God uses all of our troubles as ways to produce holiness in us
c.
His great
purpose for us is our sanctification, and “that we should be holy and without blame before him in love.” (Eph
1:4; 1Thess 4:3,4)
d.
As has been
said by so many great old time preachers, God's great primary concern
for us is not our happiness, but our holiness.
e.
In His great
love, He is fully determined to bring us to holiness and godliness, and
He uses many differing means to that end.
H.
Next Week…
the Work of God’s Chastening
1.
How God
chastens us
2.
I’ll show
you when trouble is God’s chastening, and when is it not. How to tell?
3.
And I will
show you how to respond to God’s chastening
4.
It is vital
we all learn this series of truths this month
5.
Will you be
here for EVERY service? Every one?
III.
Conclusion
A.
Chastening
Doesn’t Make Sense to People Today
1.
The very
thought of a God of love
chastening His children is not acceptable to most people. As
children, we all had the idea in our minds that our parents showed love
to us when they gave us those things we wanted and enjoyed.
2.
But when
they placed restrictions upon us we quickly jumped to the conclusion
that they didn't love us.
3.
We only
understand love that coddled and comforted us, but we could not
reconcile a kind of love that had chastening and correction mixed in.
B.
But the Fact
Is… God’s Chastens His Children
C.
He ONLY
Chastens His Children
D.
He Chastens
Because He Loves!
E.
What does
the word chastening mean?
1.
Teaching,
training, having clear expectations, and carrying out corrective
measures when a child is not doing something right
2.
To get us to
do things right, by telling us what we are doing wrong, then instructing
us on how to do it right, and troubling us when we won’t do things
right!
3.
If we don’t
change, God increases the pain, the pressure, the trouble
F.
HOW Does God
Correct Us?
1.
By the words
of rebuke in this Bible – that’s where He starts
2.
By the words
from a soul-winner, or a preacher
3.
By small
problems and pressures
4.
Sometimes by
a heavy hand
5.
Just
remember, every time of chastening comes FROM God’s gentle hand.
G.
Why Does God
Chasten His People?
1.
To PUNISH
us? No.
2.
To Prove
that He Loves Us
3.
To Awaken
Our Sorrow for Sin
4.
To Give
Wisdom – to teach us
5.
To Produce
Holiness in us – biggest goal!
H.
How is it
Going? |