An Encouraging Perspective

Take your Bibles and turn now to Hebrews chapter 12. As you're turning, I would ask something of you. I'd ask maybe just a little bit this afternoon if you'd pray. I have the opportunity of going to the Lima prison and preaching today for their service this afternoon. Get to see my guys again, and I'm looking forward to that. So you pray if you have time.

Service starts at 2. Now we're in Hebrews chapter 12. I want you to begin following as I read, beginning in verse 4. In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. for the Lord disciplines the one he loves and chastises every son whom he receives.

It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you're left without discipline in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this, we've had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live?

For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them. But he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment, all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant. But later, it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Therefore, lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees. and make straight paths for your feet so that what is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed.

Father, we come to this point in our worship of you where we listen to you speak. Give us ears to hear. Help us to listen carefully to what you have to say. Help us to remember this is the very voice of God addressing us, not just some words in a text, but the living word of God. You have spoken these things to us sitting here today, and you intend for us to hear your voice as you speak to us.

So help us to do that for your glory and our good. In Jesus' name, amen. The pressure is on. Deny Jesus and opportunities open and life becomes easier. It started with the loss of your job. You once managed the cement plant, but once they identified you as a follower of Jesus, now you're sweeping the streets.

But you don't deny Jesus. This month, the police came to your house three times to question you. And your neighbors. Well, because of that, the neighbors avoid you. They don't even make eye contact with you anymore. And besides that, rumors are starting to fly all around the neighborhood about you and your family.

Still, you will not abandon Jesus. Recently, you found out that because of your stand, because you identify as a disciple of Jesus, all opportunities for your children to go to university are now shut down. There's even talk of a trial on some trumped-up charges. The pressure seems unending and relentless. How can you persevere then without losing heart?

How can you endure and continue to confess Christ when to do so means the loss of your job, the loss of opportunities, all these things. Life could go easier if you just deny him, but you're going to endure. You're going to persevere. How do you do that without losing heart? Well, we've seen what our writers told us for the last several weeks, right? You know you cannot abandon Jesus without dire consequences.

So because we read in chapter 10, you must not throw away your confidence, which has great reward. you can remain true we've seen with the perseverance that's fueled by faith in the promises of God we've seen that chapter 11 gives us a whole list of old testament champions who persevered who endured because they believed the promises of God and last week we saw that he says you will not lose heart if you look to Jesus the author and perfecter of our faith who for the joy that was set before him despised the shame of the cross and sat down at the right hand of God. Look to Jesus, you won't lose heart. Because he withstood opposition and hostility by looking forward to the joy and authority that God had promised him that would be his after his suffering.

But now he's going to offer us another perspective. Another perspective that should help us to not lose heart. Another perspective that should help us to endure when the pressure is on to deny Christ. Or for that matter, whenever any tragedy strikes, How are we going to persevere? He offers this other perspective, a perspective that gives hope and keeps you from losing heart.

We find it in verses 4 through 6. Let's look at it together. In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves and chastises every son whom he receives.

Here then, he gives you another perspective intended to help you to endure. And that perspective is this. You will not lose heart if you are convinced that all this hardship is discipline from God to those whom he loves. That the other perspective now he gives you to help you to endure So let look at it together If you would not lose heart then listen to God analysis in verse 4 In your struggle against sin, you've not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.

When it comes to endurance, you're not just enduring hardship and persecution, you're actually in a struggle against sin. the sin of falling away you'll be tempted to yield to that sin you'll be tempted to say if i just not identify as a christian if i if i just just leave jesus out of the picture life is going to get easier life will be better and he's saying the fight for endurance is actually a struggle against sin a struggle against abandoning jesus it's a struggle against sin the sin of falling away. But in that struggle, he says, you have not yet spilled your blood. You're under pressure, but you're not martyrs yet.

I think of Heath Lambert. You guys remember Heath from two years ago, one of our conference speakers? He's the pastor of this church in Jacksonville, Florida, a very large and influential church. Well, in the last month, they adopted a statement on sexuality and gender. That is a statement that confesses exactly what the Bible teaches about those subjects.

And they adopted it. The membership, in order to keep your membership or to become a member, you need to sign it. No big deal. We actually have the same thing. If you've read our Constitution, we actually have a statement about that, which you sign off on, if you join this church. You sign off on that.

Well, they did the same thing. However, for them, within a few weeks, it got into the local media and exploded. It exploded. There was all kinds of people in Jacksonville coming out against them. There was a local television report. I actually saw the report on their church that they had.

There was an uproar in the community. People were angry. Heath was interviewed by the Rolling Stone about this whole thing. And horrible things were said on social media and at the church because last Sunday night, you know what they did? This is so heath. They had an open mic.

They invited the whole community to come to the church for an open mic thing where they could say whatever they wanted, ask any questions they wanted, and he would respond. And a lot of nasty things were said. But no one was arrested or executed. Right? At most, it's social pressure. In some instances, we're getting to legal pressure.

You know, he's saying to these people, yes, you've had your property confiscated. You've served jail time. You've been slandered, but you haven't shed your blood yet. Right? Right? God says to you, get an accurate understanding of your situation.

You're under pressure, but you haven't arrived yet at the ultimate test. And we can easily say that, right? we've not arrived at the ultimate test none of us are giving up our lives for the gospel yet all right so at least get that analysis in our head god also says in this analysis that you can become nearsighted now i'm nearsighted i'm horribly nearsighted i'm about blind i can only see things when they're about that close okay that's just i i can barely see anything unless it's right right in that thing. I'm nearsighted.

And he's saying to these people as well, you tend to be nearsighted as well. You cannot see that those remain steadfast through centuries. You had centuries of example that you could have seen, but you didn't see it. They didn't see anything worse. Something maybe worse is in store for them. After all, Jesus died.

That may happen to you, but see, the only thing you're seeing right now is the pressure of the present circumstances. You're facing pressure. You're facing legal issues, he says to them. But the pressure you're feeling right now, that's all you see. You don't see anything else. Now, if you want to know people who are nearsighted in that fashion, just talk to American Christians, right?

We gripe, we despair, we panic at the social pressure right now that's being applied to us. We're bullied on Facebook, but we're not yet beaten in the streets, are we? We are booed when we try to speak, but we're not yet incarcerated for what we say. I mean, we're not even where they were in the book of Hebrews. We're not even there yet. We are terribly nearsighted, okay?

We've not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood. We've not even resisted yet to legal things being pressed upon us. And so, dear friends, let me tell you, we got to quit being such babies an african pastor one time said to an american you americans are always praying that the pressure goes away we're praying that we can stand up under it and so we need to not be so nearsighted we haven't yet reached the point of shedding our blood listen to god's analysis you will lose heart if you get nearsighted you will lose heart if you don't realize the struggle against sin.

All right? Now, here's the second thing. If you would lose heart, listen to God's encouragement. If you would not lose heart, listen to God's encouragement. You find it in verse 5. And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons?

God offers encouragement when you face hardship. So I'm watching this documentary on the Korean War, and there's this one scene where a village is completely bombed out, and there's a little little boy standing there all alone crying just tears your heart out right maybe his parents have been killed in that bombing here's a little boy who's just standing there crying all alone do you think that god going to do that to you do you think that when hardship comes and everything blown away that you going to be just like a little child with no one Is that what you think No he doesn say that He encourages us. He helps us.

How so? Where do you find the encouragement you need when tragedy or persecution comes? Does it come in a vision? Does it come in an unbelievably warm feeling that maybe you're doing the right thing or some great inexplicable work of the Spirit? Is that where you get the encouragement? No.

What does he do? He says, you've forgotten that word of exhortation or encouragement. Where does he find it? In the Bible. He quotes to them Proverbs 3, verses 11 and 12. All right?

He's not looking for anything extraordinary. He just turns to the Scripture and says, here, you've forgotten this. This is what you need to hear. Why do we so easily lose heart? God has not left us alone. He's given us His Word.

And by the way, this is the living Word of God. If you want to know what God thinks about anything or what God has to say about anything, you know what you need to do? Stop looking for a sign. Stop looking for a warm feeling. Open the covers of this book. And there's where you find it.

In fact, in Romans chapter 15, verse 4, we read for whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction that through endurance and through the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope the problem with us is that we don't look to the scriptures for encouragement we become disheartened through our own neglect of god's means of grace that will strengthen us in times of difficulty open the book Read it. Know what God says. Now someone might say, hey, I'm doing what God commands, and what does it get me?

I'm doing exactly what Jesus told me to do. You know what it gets me? It gets me nothing but persecution and slander at work. What word of encouragement could you possibly give me? Well, that brings us to the third item here. If you would not lose heart, then listen to God's explanation.

Listen to God's explanation. for the Lord disciplines the one he loves and chastises every son whom he receives here's God's explanation of what's happening to you here's his explanation so that we do not lose heart he's saying let me tell you what I'm doing in all this all right he's first of all these afflictions persecutions or normal hardships of life are discipline that word discipline is used for the training of children or the training of athletes the painful methods employed to bring children to maturity and athletes to fitness okay you see its description in verse 11 same words used in verse 11. For the moment, all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant. It's a painful means of bringing about growth.

God says, these hardships you face are painful methods that I employ to produce change. One day, my dear wife Becca said to me, honey, couldn't God change us without hardships? and I say yeah he could but it's a moot point he hasn't said he's going to do that one of an old pastor once said God can do anything he wants to do but we ought to expect God to do what he says he'll do right and he says what I'm bringing this into your life it's discipline it's what I use with children. It's what athletes use to achieve fitness.

It includes, what does he say? It includes reproof. Now that's not merely words, but words aimed so, words so aimed that you are thoroughly convicted, so persuasive that you stand there with no excuse. That's what the word reproof means. It's words that are so persuasive that I stand there and say guilty. I got no excuse.

It's those kind of words. He says these hardships you face serve as well as chastisements. Chastisements. Many people are disheartened and discouraged because they've believed a lie. You know what that lie is? God never punishes his children.

That's the lie. You know the word chastise there means whipped or scourged. That's tough, right? but here's where you need to listen carefully because we have to make a necessary distinction here when we talk about this punishment all right listen carefully there are two kinds of punishment there's punishment as retribution that is punishment as payment you've done wrong you're going to pay.

That's retribution. Jesus made that payment. There is retribution, by the way. God will make people pay, but not for those who are in Christ. Jesus received the full measure of the retribution that was due us. This kind of punishment is like a father saying to his son, I'm going to make you wish that you never said that.

All right? That's one kind of punishment. It's retribution. You said that, pal, I'm going to make you pay. That's not what he's talking about here. He's talking about punishment as correction.

Punishment that comes for the purpose of correcting you So let me say this Listen carefully You may be going through hard times and you saying well, God's just making me pay. No, He's not. Your debt has been paid in full. There is not that kind of punishment coming your way. So get that out of your mind. Stop the hanged dog look and say, oh, God's punishing me.

He is not doing that. If he is punishing you, it's for the purpose of correction. Now, one of my girls, Lydia, I used to call Beamer. Because, frankly, whenever I would come home, she would beam. And that was kind of nice. And she would always be glad to see her daddy.

And I'd come driving in the driveway. I remember, I came in the driveway one time and she just made a beeline for the van. Well, I stopped. I got out of the van, and I took Beamer, and I spanked her. Now, why was I doing that? Was that, what are you doing?

Man, I'm going to make you pay. No, that wasn't it at all. I spanked her. Why? So she'd learn a lesson and learn it quickly. Don't be running toward the vehicle when it pulls into the driveway.

I didn't want anything bad to happen to her. So I gave her something painful that would correct her course. That's what God's talking about here. This is chastisement. This is punishment intended to correct. All right?

The hardship, the pressure, the persecution you face, whatever tragedy in your life that you face are painful. But it is a punishment of fatherly love intended to correct. It's not a punishment of vindictive justice or I should say vindictive retribution. It is not that. It is God's fatherly care in correcting you. So no matter what it is, tragedy or even persecution, God intends that persecution to correct us.

Right? To correct us. Many today are discouraged because they do not believe that a loving Heavenly Father would ever bring any painful circumstances into their lives. There's so many Christians who believe that. They are at a loss to explain what is happening in the difficulties and the hardships of life. But God encourages you by explaining that those painful trials and persecutions are intended to correct you.

That's what He's after. He explains it to us. He gives us a different perspective. He's saying, look at persecution, look at hardship from my point of view. All right? It's intended to correct you.

Don't lose heart. Here's another part of that explanation. Such hardship is evidence that you have a relationship with God. That hardship is evidence you have a relationship with God. Notice what he says. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves and chastises every son whom he receives.

Now notice, it shows his love. You know, I hated to spank Liddy that day, but I loved her, and she needed to learn quickly. I spanked her because I loved her. Right? It shows love. Love does not hesitate to correct.

Here's what he's saying to these people. Remember chapter 10. The fact that you had your property confiscated. The fact that people have slandered you. the fact that they've publicly ridiculed you, the fact that you've spent time in jail, means that God loves you. Now that's a paradigm shift that we all need to get in our minds. When hardship comes, I ought to be saying, God loves me.

You know what the most common response I hear? When someone comes to me and says, Pastor, this has happened and this has happened. and all these things are happening. God must not love me. The answer is no. It's just the opposite. It's just the opposite.

Again, put yourself in their place. I'm thinking about my place out in the country, nice little place, really comfortable. You know, I really like it out there. Someone comes along and confiscates that property. Do you think the first thought in my head is, Wow, God loves me. It should be.

It should be. That's what he's saying here. It shows that God loves you. All right? That's an incredible explanation, isn't it? We've got to have a paradigm shift.

When hard things come, we've got to say, this is a sign that God loves me. And such hardship, yes, even persecution, reveals that you are God's child. That you are a son of God. That you are a child of God. when hard things come when persecution arrives God is saying I'm treating you as as a son that I love you're my son you're my child I'm going to treat you like that now suppose a stranger came to my house complete stranger let's just say he was uh somebody selling me something and I invited him into the house and he sits down and my kids are running around with the neighbor kids or something and I grab one of the neighbor's kids and I start spanking him what is that guy going to conclude he's going to say oh it must be one of his kids right you don't go around spanking the neighbor kids mostly i know we had a pact here for a while but we you don't just spank the neighbor kids you spank your children they're the ones that get that attention and so god is saying hardship coming your way you know what that means i'm treating you like one of my children that's what it means now some have thought and taught as that god's child will not suffer we hear it on the airwaves all the time if you're one of god's people what's going to happen you're going to prosper god's going to do all kinds of things for you he's going to do this there'll be no sickness and no disease if you're part of god's people not God says just the opposite here.

The fact that you suffer hardship proves that you're a son or daughter of God. So what is that word of encouragement then? God is at work in the persecution. God is at work in the hardships and the tragedies. And many lose heart because they have forgotten that word of encouragement. listen to God's explanation the hardship you experience because you follow Jesus says that God is exercising fatherly care and correction that's what it means paradigm shift you know what I suggest to you? let me give you some homework look back over the last year write down the hardships and the tragedies you've experienced write them down and then say this this and this and this and this and this means god loves me if you're in christ that's what it's saying to you that's what you need to be interpreting that as all right here's the fourth and the last thing he tells us if you would not lose heart listen to God's warning.

Look at verse 5. He says, My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by Him. Here's a warning. God warns you about wrong responses to hardship and persecution when you don't recognize them as you should. there are a couple of wrong responses here here's the first don't be stoic don't be stoic what does that mean do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord regard lightly means treat as insignificant treat it lightly so whenever tragedy or persecution comes you know what some people say Well life unfair Or it is what it is That's treating the Lord's discipline lightly.

It is what it is. You know, that's the way it is. That's not treating it rightly. You know what happens when you're thinking that way? Why put up with it then? I'll get out of it.

I will abandon Jesus if it is what it is. Then I'm done. You know, with that kind of attitude, you will not grow. Instead, you'll jump ship. Listen to me. Those words should never cross a Christian's lips.

Life is unfair. Don't you ever say that. here's the other thing he says don't despair the term be weary means despairing when tragedy or persecution arrives this one says i give up i can't go on it's just too much for me that attitude produces depression and there's no growth when you're depressed and you will abandon jesus but both of them have an improper view of God. When you say life is unfair, it is what it is.

You're saying God is not sovereign over all the events of my life by his loving, wise, and good providence. When you say life is unfair, you might as well just say what you really mean. God is unfair because God is in control of all the events of your life. Life is not unfair. Your life is what God thinks is best for you. Right?

Your life and the hardships that come and the persecutions that may come our way are intended by God to show his love So don ever say life is unfair because now you're blaming God or at least you're saying God's absent. God's absent. All right. For the despondent, for those who despair and grow weary, you do not see God as either loving or good. Right?

This is too much. Do you think a God who's infinitely wise and who is good is going to torment you? You think that's what it's about? He's wise. He's good. He's loving.

To say, I give up, is to say, God, you're not good. You're not good. with both these responses, with those kinds of attitudes, the sorrows we experience are wasted. Think that thought. Sorrows that come our way, the difficulties, the hardships, the persecutions that come our way are intended by God to do good things. We'll see that next week. Okay?

We'll see that next week. but if we don't have the attitude we don't accept god's explanation then the sorrow is wasted it's wasted it ought to be used for good as you start looking at those things through the eyes through the explanation that god has given so listen to god's warning listen to god's warning so when hardship comes your way in the form of tragedy hardship or difficult or a persecution will you remember what God says? Will you remember that? When people say all kinds of awful things about you on your Facebook page because of your faith, will you say well that tough but I haven shed my blood yet When you the object of slander at work because of your faith will you say I am a child of God I am a child of God when your property is confiscated because you're a follower of Jesus will you say wow God really loves me when painful events arrive what attitude are you going to display These are the things that God's told us.

In some way, your faith will cost you something. Let's not be surprised at that. In some way, little or great, our faith is going to cost us something. But that's no reason to lose heart, to give up, or to give in. There's no reason for that. Why?

Because God gives you this encouraging perspective. What is that perspective? Hardship is discipline from God intended for those whom He loves. That's the perspective you need if you would not lose heart. Father, Your Word is so pointed. Your Word is so vast.

It covers everything that we face. And we thank You for that. We thank you for your word that gives us hope. Hope even in the midst of hardship, from hardship all the way to persecution. We're thankful for that perspective. So Lord, whatever it is we face, help us not to lose heart.

But help us to embrace that perspective that says, God is at work in discipline to those whom he loves. Again, help us to embrace that. In Jesus' name, amen.