SERMON OUTLINE

Son-Training   Hebrews 12.5-11

Introduction

-Through endurance run the race. V1, 2, 3, 7

-Three incentives: 1) Those who have gone before and pleased God 2) Jesus who endured the cross 3) Future joy and glory

-The directives: 1) Put off sin 2) Put off weights 3) appropriate the power of Jesus (look to Jesus)

Two Circumstances in which to Endure

1) Hostility of sinners       2) Discipline of the Father

-Do not grow weary or fainthearted

-Do not underestimate to cost of enduring in a sinful world. Revelation 12.11

-Do not despise or despair under God’s discipline

God’s Discipline

-God as Father regularly disciplines His children as sons

–Paideia means whole training and education of children in mind, moral, body. Ephesians 6.4; 2 Timothy 3.16

-God’s discipline is corrective, preventative, retributive, educative. Hebrews 5.8. Can be severe. John 19.1

Conclusion

We are to respond to God’s discipline with submission and obedience for our Father is training us to be sons of God.

SERMON NOTES

Son-Training                         Hebrews 12.3-11 [read later]

This morning I am returning to Hebrews 12 from which we have taken our theme verse for this year, “Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus”.

I want to do a quick review of what we have already covered in this chapter before we go on to look at verses 5 to 11. First of all I want to point out again that the key word in this chapter is endurance. Verse 1 literally says, “through endurance let us run the race”. We find in verse 2 the example of Jesus “who endured the cross”. And then in verse 3, we read “who endured from sinners such hostility”. And then we find the exhortation for us to endure for the sake of God’s training in holiness in verse 7.

This letter was written to challenge the Hebrew Christians and us to keep on going and not give up until we finish the race. Through endurance let us run the race that God has put before us, not only to make it to the end but to be holier at the finish line than we are today. Enduring is not easy and not always pleasant but the prize for endurance is well worth all the pain and suffering.

In verses 1 and 2 we are given three incentives for endurance and three directives to endurance. 1) We have the incentive of those who have gone before us in faith and pleased God. 2) We have the incentive of Jesus enduring the cross who is now seated at the right hand of God. 3) Finally we have the incentive of future joy and glory. God has given us strong incentives to endure and keep running the race.

We also have three directives to endurance in the race. 1) We are to put off the sin which causes us to stumble. 2) We are to put off those things which weigh us down in the race. 3) We are to appropriate God’s power working in us through Jesus Christ by looking unto Jesus.

In verses 3-11 we are commanded to consider how Jesus responded in two circumstances if we are to endure. Let us read these verses together.

Verse 3: [Read] We are to consider what Jesus endured if we are to endure. The opposite of endurance is growing weary and fainthearted. This is what the author wants to prevent. Weary and fainthearted means being tired and worn out with no will to fight and move forward and endure. There are times when we may be physically tired and yet still be determined to work, fight, play, pray, serve or do whatever is needed. But there are other times when we have the physical strength but not the mental strength or willfulness to go on. This is what we are to be careful about and this is what we are being warned about in these two following circumstances.

Verse 4: [Read] We studied this verse last time we looked at Hebrews 12 and concluded that if we are to endure we must not underestimate the cost of running the race. The world is antagonistic against God and God’s people and hostilities must be expected. If the race cost Jesus his life at the hands of sinners so the race must cost us our life as well. Willingly giving up our lives for the will of God means that no struggle will be too much for us to endure. When we totally give up our life to God there is nothing left to fear. This principle is expressed in Revelation 12.11, “They have conquered the accuser of the brethren by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death”.

Verse 5-6: [Read] Not only must we not underestimate the cost of hostility from sinners in running the race, we must also understand that God regularly disciplines his children. In some ways this teaching may be harder to accept than hostility from sinners. But the truth is that a loving Father regularly disciplines His children. There are no exemptions for God disciplines all of his children.

A little explanation about the word discipline which in its various forms is used 8 times in verses 5 to 11. This word is translated as chastening in the KJV and NKJV. Chastening means to make pure which is what the end purpose of God’s work in us is (v10, 11). The Greek word is paideia which comes from the root for child and means “the whole training and education of children in their minds, morals and body”. This word involves teaching, training, correcting mistakes and bringing desire under control. This word is used in Ephesians 6.4, “Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord”. And 2 Timothy 3.16, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness”.

Put in your mind the picture of a son being trained by his tutor, usually an educated slave, in all aspects of his life in order to be a responsible moral citizen, businessman, athlete, father, leader and thinker. The slave was allowed to discipline the child and to do whatever was needed to accomplish the task of a whole life education. One word that was suggested for this process was son-training. That is what is going on here.

So we can expect hostility from sinners from the outside which must be endured, but there is also son-training from God that must be endured in order to fulfill God’s purpose of holiness and righteousness in His sons.

Now verse 5 warns us about two wrong responses to God’s discipline – despise and despair.

Despise means to regard lightly, not seriously, to not value, to reject. It is the response of the hard heart that ignores God in trials and temptations. It is reflected in complaining, rebellion, criticism, and carelessness. That is not how we are to respond to God’s discipline in our lives.

Despair means to be fainthearted, to give up in difficulty, to give in to doubt and lies and unbelief, to question the goodness of God.

These are not the responses we are to have to God’s son-training. We are to endure not despise the disciplines of God; we are to endure and not to despair under the disciplines of God. We are to move forward in faith and please God and be changed. God’s motive is love and God’s purpose is holiness and righteousness.

Verse 7-11: [Read] We are to endure the circumstances we find ourselves in for son-training. This son training is described as sharing in the holiness of God and peaceful fruit of righteousness. The present turmoil leads to the peaceful fruit of righteousness. God’s discipline is motivated by His love, is for our good, is a sign of our sonship, is painful for the moment, but yields worthwhile results.

Let me categorize the purpose of God’s discipline under four headings. God’s discipline is corrective, preventive, retributive, educative.

God’s discipline is used to correct a wrong behavior or understanding. It exposes sin and character flaws and leads us in the right path.

God’s discipline is used to prevent us from falling into sin or more deeply into sin. God will hurt us physically to preserve our souls.

God’s discipline is used to punish our sins. God’s discipline is not a payment for our sins for only Jesus Christ can pay the penalty for sin but our sin has consequences and in these consequences we are taught to be sons of God. God’s discipline is not a sign of His displeasure but of our sonship and of His son-training.

God’s discipline is used to educate us in the ways of God. We are emptied of self-sufficiency and self-righteousness and learn to be humble. Our faith is strengthened. We learn to see life from a heavenly perspective. We learn to be more useful in our service to God. We are told in Hebrews 5.8 that “Although he was a son, Jesus learned obedience through what he suffered”.

God’s punishments can be very severe. The Greek word “chastises/punishes/scourges” in verse 6 is used in John 19.1 for the whipping of Jesus before he went to the cross. God scourges all his sons.

How are we to respond to God’s discipline? Verse 9 encourages us to “be subject to the Father of spirits and live”. We are to submit to our Father’s discipline. Not to hold a fist toward heaven but to raise our hands to God in surrender and obedience.

Then verse 11 says that we are to be trained by God’s discipline. Literally the Greek says, “having been exercised by it”. The Greek word means to exercise naked and vigorously. There is an active response to God’s discipline.

God’s discipline is designed for us to submit to God, to obey God, and to be trained by God to conform to His Son Jesus Christ in every way, holiness being a major sign of the character of Jesus.

Some of us exercise and watch what we eat for better health. The more we value our health the more effort we put into our exercise and eating habits. The more we value holiness as spiritual health, the more willing we will be to submit to God’s discipline and to be trained by it. We are to see God’s discipline as coming from the loving hand of our Father to train us to live in the peaceful fruit of righteousness.

Through endurance run the race of faith. Look to the incentives God has place all around you. Put off sin and what keeps you from running effectively. Look to God’s power. Expect hostility from the world. Understand God’s discipline as training in righteousness. Do not despise God’s work or despair because of it, but submit and be trained by it. It is your Father’s purpose for you to be like His Son and to enjoy His Love and Grace for all eternity.

Communion

1 Peter 1.2 – for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood

Ephesians 1.4 – holy and blameless before him

Colossians 1.22 – reconciled to present you holy and blameless