Kids: feel musc, exer, feel musc, prax → stronger, ~pryr

Intro

Tort (up/hit/run/lug/yell/b4) → why me?

There was once a man who made his boys get up at 5:30 every morning. Every morning, he made them hit one another … hard. Every morning, he made them run until they nearly threw up. Every morning, he made them lug heavy equipment until they couldn’t carry anymore. Every morning, he yelled at them that they weren’t good enough … not yet. And this was all before breakfast. Every day.

These were good boys, decent boys. They didn’t do anything to deserve punishment. They might tempted to cry out to God, “Why me?!?” But they didn’t. The thought never crossed their minds.

Hebs asking, context[trade/fam/mbox/crt], wilting

The first century Christians to whom the letter of Hebrews was written could have asked the same question … “Why me?” “Why us?” These Christians were undergoing persecution for their faith. People stopped doing business with them. Family members disowned them. Neighbors stopped talking to them. The local boys would drive up to their houses on their donkeys and knock over their mailboxes, yelling obscenities at them as they sped off … on their donkeys. Every time they were taken to court, they lost, no matter what the facts of the case might be. They were good people, decent people, and they were being tortured in a way, and they could ask, “Why me?” And in fact, some were. And worse, some of them were beginning to wilt under the pressure. Some had given up on the faith, and others were thinking about doing the same.

Prayer

Title

Not tort[], ^why me? Wanted win, need coach

These boys I was telling you about – they were not being tortured by their day. They were being trained by their coach. The coach got them up at 5:30 every morning. He made them hit another in practice snaps of the football, one after the other, to train them how to block and how to get around a block. He made them run to their physical limits to increase their stamina, a little more each day. They lifted heavy weights day after day, building strength and muscle mass. Every day, he yelled at them that they weren’t good enough … to win the championship. Not yet. They are getting there, but they are not there yet, so they must train some more. And this was all before breakfast. Every day.

And the boys never once asked, “Why me?” This is what they signed up for! They wanted to win the championship, and they couldn’t would the coach pushing them. Every day. The coach giving them the discipline that they need. Because he wanted them to win the championship, too.

Psa 94.12: ~boys, embrace

Read. Blessed is the one who is disciplined by the Lord. Just like that boys would ultimately benefit from their coach bringing good disciplines to their lives, blessed is the one who embraces the discipline that the Lord offers to bring into our lives.

Series: blv, char, looks, walk, disc

Our series is on what it means to be blessed, and how to be more blessed in our lives. So far, we’ve learned that blessed is the one who believes in him / has his character / looks for him / walks in his ways. Today, we will add to our list, blessed is the one who is disciplined by him. Please open your Bibles to Heb 12.

Reader

Missing the Pt of Disc

Xit: Hebs’s prob <> pers, RS

The problem with the believers addressed in the book of Hebrews was not so much their persecution, but that they were missing the point of God’s discipline in their lives.

No blood (4): athl; boxer (“T”), give utmost; ^utm, ^~martyrs, ^~JC; but alrdy wilt*

First, they hadn’t even seen the extent of the discipline that could come their way. Read v. 4. The author of Hebrews is using a lot of athletic metaphors in this passage, and this is one of them. He’s bringing up the picture of their version of a boxer. Boxers in their day didn’t have big gloves, 3 minute rounds, and referees to make sure all the punches landed in the designated areas. Their version of boxing was brutal and very, very bloody. You didn’t fight without drawing blood from your opponent, and spilling your own blood because of your opponent. In fact, one ancient writer wrote that a true athlete is the one who sees his own blood. They are the athletes who give their all for their sport. The believers in Hebrews have not yet given their all for Christ. They have not yet given their utmost. There was more they had to give. They had not resisted to the point of shedding blood, like so many other Christians in other regions had. They had not resisted evil men to the point that Jesus had, spilling his blood at the hands of his persecutors. And yet, they were already beginning to wilt. Some had left, and others were about to, and they hadn’t even spilled blood for their faith, yet.

Forgot meaning (5a):

Worse, they have forgotten the meaning of the Lord’s discipline.

cf Pv 3.11-12: they knew, but forgot; this = disc?

The author reminds them of Proverbs 3.11-12. Read 5a. This proverb was part of their instruction from early childhood. They knew these principles, but they have forgotten their meaning. And likely, they didn’t understand that what was happening to them was the Lord bringing them discipline in their lives.

Meaning? Punish? [] ^accus; not just

We cannot go further, then, until we understand what “discipline” means. When we hear the word “discipline,” we tend to think of punishment. Someone steps out of line, and by golly, they need to be disciplined? Why can’t Johnny come out to play? Because he’s being disciplined.

But if you pay close attention to this passage, no where in this passage does the author accuse the readers of committing any sin that is being punished. The idea of punishment is not in this passage.

So, discipline can sometimes include punishment, but discipline is not the same thing as punishment. Discipline is much, much bigger.

What is disc? [open]; 2 Tim 3.16; Eph 6.4; raise kids; v. 11 train (gym)

So, if biblical discipline isn’t punishment, what is it? [open] Read 2 Tim 3.16 – this same word is translated in 2 Tim as “training,” not “punishment.” It’s a building up term, like the coach and his boys. Eph 6.4 instructs fathers: Read. The word used in all three of these verses refers to the same process we employ to raise up children. In fact, if we skip ahead to verse 11, we see that those who are trained by this discipline will develop peace and righteousness in their lives – it’s training. That word, training, is the word that we get our word “gymnasium” from, the place where people are trained in their sport.

But feels like: why me? Deserve? ~kids roll; what do we say?

However, when we’re in the middle of whatever this is, it may feel like punishment, and we may look up to the Lord and say, “Why me? What did I do to deserve this punishment?” When we bring proper training and discipline to our children, what do they normally do? Roll their eyes and wonder why we’re doing what we’re doing. And what do we tell them? [open]

Undervalue (5b): warning; θ’s disc = hi val, ~coach; if underval, ^benie

Not only had they forgotten the meaning of discipline in this old proverb, they undervalued God’s discipline. Read 5b. The proverb specifically warns them to not regard lightly the Lord’s discipline, to not undervalue it. God’s discipline is something of extremely high value, like the coach’s discipline of the players. If they players undervalue that discipline, they won’t get the benefit of it.

Fainting (5c): ~players, too hard to win

And, they were fainting. Read 5c. That would be like one of the players just giving up, saying it’s just too hard to win a championship.

RV

The believers were missing the point of discipline, perhaps considering it as punishment, forgetting the Lord’s teaching on discipline, not valuing his discipline enough, and just giving up under it.

Purp of Disc

Xit: What is purp? [open]

So then, what is the purpose of God’s discipline? [open]

Opp = strng: ^nd; sin (4b; ours, gen, opps); ^accus, but opp; must be sanct; strong!

We have an opponent, and it is a strong opponent. You don’t need the discipline of training if your opponent is weak, but our opponent is strong. But in this passage, the author does not name the enemy we would expect – this battle that we’re in is opposed by Satan, but the enemy the author names here is sin itself. Read 4b. This struggle is particular against sin: against our own sin, against sin in general, against sinful people who work hard to bring down Christians, like the persecutors in their day were doing. The author doesn’t accuse the readers of sin in the sense that they are being punished for it, but naming sin as the opponent that we’re striving against.

They are believers, so they are already saved, and their sin has been forgiven by Christ. But they still struggle against the reality of sin every day until the day they die. Sin is still a formidable, strong opponent for those who believe.

Disc = Prep/train for battle: RE strg opp; we need, ~players

Discipline, then, in preparation for this battle. We have a strong opponent, and so we need to be trained with discipline in order to conduct this battle effectively, just like those football players need training.

Not in suff shape: worn / faint

Without discipline and training, we are not in sufficient shape to take on this enemy. We don’t have enough strength and endurance on our own, just like those players don’t yet have enough strength or endurance to win the championship. And, like the believers this letter was written to, sometimes we feel pretty worn down by the battle, about ready to faint.

Father loves his kids (6): disc = what loving fathers do, b/c they know

But the more important purpose of discipline is simple: The Father loves his kids. The heavenly Father disciplines us because we’re his children, and he loves his children. Read 6. Discipline is what loving fathers do for their children. They know that discipline is what will bring them up right, and out of love, that’s exactly what they bring to their children.

Endure for it (7a): ^b/c; to become; such a gd thing; ~player <->

And interestingly, in v. 7, the author says that we endure for this discipline. Read 7a. He does not say that we endure because of the discipline (even though that’s a true statement), but that we endure in order to become disciplined. The author tells us to endure so that we can become even more disciplined – that godly discipline is such a good thing in and of itself that we should endure all this stuff that makes us want to faint so that we can get more of it! Discipline itself is worth enduring for. A football player not only needs discipline in order to endure, but he needs to endure in order to become even more disciplined.

RV

The purposes of discipline are because we have a strong opponent named sin, and we need to be prepared for the battle because we’re not in sufficient shape as it is. He also disciplines us because he loves us as our father. And having discipline is itself of such value that we should endure in order to have more of it.

Bene of Disc

Xit: RV, RS

They had forgotten the meaning of discipline, but the author then teaches us the purpose of his discipline. Next, he explains the benefits of discipline.

Being child (7b-8) know who dad is; if Y/N disc? BRU! Good → best father

The first benefit of the discipline from the Father? Being a child of God. Read. Being disciplined by God lets us know who our Father is. If God is bringing godly discipline and training in your life, if he is working on you to shake out your sinful habits, if he’s reminding you to be prayerful, it’s a sure sign that he’s your Father. Even when the discipline is more in the direction of punishment, it’s a sure sign that he’s our loving Father. If you have never been disciplined and trained by your father, then you begin to wonder if he really loves you. If you have been disciplined by God, blessed are you! He’s your dad! Whatever good dads are, God is the perfect Father in every respect, including how he disciplines us.

Really living (9) ~boys ^rly play; BRU!

A second benefit to being disciplined is that we finally get to really live. Read 9. Really live! Those boys can’t really play football until they’ve been trained by the coach. We can’t really live the Christian life until we’ve been trained by God. If you are being disciplined by God, the blessed are you! Because now you can really live.

Share in holiness (10); opp; partake / share; (1 Cor 11.32) BRU! Being sep’d

Third, he trains us so that we can share in his holiness. Read 10. Remember, our opponent in this battle is sin, and the training and discipline we receive from God allows us to share in his holiness, rather than be mired in sin day after day. In v. 4, we are “partakers” of his discipline, and now here in v. 10, we “share” in his holiness. That’s no coincidence. RS. 1 Cor 11.32 puts it this way (read). If you are disciplined by the Lord, blessed are you! Because he’s separating you out from the world.

Harvest of peace & r’ness: (11) > bear frt; > temp discomf; BRU!

Fourth, he disciplines us so that we can have a harvest of peace and righteousness in our lives. Read 11. The idea is stronger than just bearing fruit – this is a harvest of peace and righteousness in your life. And that is far greater than any temporary discomfort we may experience during the process of undergoing discipline and training. If you are disciplined by the Lord, blessed are you! Because you will reap peace and righteousness.

If disc by θ, good! BRU! RV

If you are disciplined by God, good! You are blessed, because you have reassurance that you are his child, you can really live the Christian life, you will share in God’s holiness, and you will reap a harvest of peace and righteousness in your life.

SCT: Embrace the F’s Disc

Xit: “therefore” (12); do 2

“Therefore,” he says in v. 12. Because there are purposes and benefits to discipline, therefore, do these two things:

Be strong and walk straight (12-13):

Be strong and walk straight. Read.

Be strong: b/c disc = gd; take strg conditioning, ~players → strg → champ

Because discipline form God is a great thing, be strong! Endure! Take the strength conditioning that God offers through his discipline, like the football players – the training produces strength which leads closer to that championship.

Walk straight: stay on course, stay w/training prog; ~players (^pastry/roids)

Walk straight! Stay on course! Stay with the training program, like the football players – they shouldn’t eat toaster pastries or do steroids, but stay with the training.

AOT dislocated: useless

Have strong limbs, instead of being dislocated and useless.

Bring together

ID the opp

Give high regard (^disregard)

Endure it (^faint)

Be strong/walk straight (^dislocated)

To bring all the things we’ve talked about together: identify the opponent: sin; give high regard to God’s discipline, rather than disregarding it; endure through his discipline, rather than fainting under the pressure; and be strong and walk straight, rather than being dislocated.

In community

And this is something we do together, something we do together. The weak limbs are not just weak areas in your individual character, but weak members of our church family. Help one another be strong, help one another walk straight, so that none of us becomes dislocated.

SCT; How? Egs...

Embrace the Father’s discipline. But how? How do I do that? The author kindly gave us examples of how to just that.

Cloud of witnesses (1): acted on faith, didn’t let temp trub deter, knew more perm

Verse 1 talks about a “cloud of witnesses,” and because of them we should run with endurance. Who are these people who make up the cloud? All of the people chapter 11. Hebrews chapter 11 is what we frequently call the “Hall of Faith” because of the great examples of faith we have in the OT. All of these examples acted on faith, and they didn’t let temporary troubles deter them from enduring and walking straight. They knew that something more permanent, something far greater, lay ahead of them, and they didn’t faint. They accepted the difficulties as God’s sovereign control over their lives. Whether or not they knew it was discipline is not discussed, but they are still examples of not giving up. They are our first example of how to embrace the Lord’s discipline.

Pioneer: (1-2) joy ahead, “endured” maltreat by sin, v. 3! (Heb 5.7-9)

But the greatest example is in vv. 1-3, the “Pioneer” of our faith – Jesus. He pressed on because of the joy set before him, enduring all the mistreatment that sin brought on him – the same word that we are told to do in v. 7, “endure.” Read v. 3 – think of him! Consider how he handled the Father’s discipline and then imitate it. Read Heb 5.7-9.

How recog disc?: 8? both eg’s suffer in pursuit, AOT in retreat; both = disc; while

And how can I recognize when God is bringing discipline in our lives? I think verse 8 suggests that all of us have entered into that discipline, and that God is using all things in our lives to train us, to bring us this discipline. I would propose to you that we are always in his training program – that there is never a time when God is not our coach to strengthen our hands and enable us to walk straight.

The two examples, the cloud of witnesses in ch. 11 and Jesus in vv. 1-3, suffered, but note well that they were suffering in pursuit of God’s will. They were not in retreat from God’s will for their lives, but they were seeking it out, like we talked about a couple of weeks ago. They weren’t suffering because they were because they were rebelling against God; they suffered while they pursued God. When we stay on course, we can be sure that the ups and downs of life are the Lord bring discipline in our lives – something other than the kind that is given to correct our behavior.

Concl

Why me? B/c RV benies; BRU!

So, when we see tough things happening in our lives and we are tempted to ask, “Why me?”, I have the answer. Why you? Because your Father loves you and wants you to really live. He wants you to share in his holiness and to have a harvest of peace and righteousness. Blessed are you!

HBD?: blv, char, look, walk, disc

So, when someone tells you to “have a blessed day,” we have learned so far that we can in fact have more and more blessed days if we believe in him, if we take on his character, if we look for him, if we walk in his ways, and now, if we embrace his discipline.

Insert

EV: if not child, no training; drawing

Prayer: Psa 94.12-14

Psa 94.12

Blessed is the man whom You discipline, O Lord, and whom You teach out of Your law.

2 Tim 3.16

All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;

Ephesians 6:4

And, fathers, do not provoke your children to anger; but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

1 Cor 11.32

But when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord in order that we may not be condemned along with the world.

Heb 5.7-9

7 In the days of His flesh, He offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His piety. 8 Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. 9 And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation.

Psa 94.12-14

12 Blessed is the man whom You chasten, O LORD , And whom You teach out of Your law; 13 That You may grant him relief from the days of adversity, Until a pit is dug for the wicked. 14 For the LORD will not abandon His people, Nor will He forsake His inheritance.

Order

1. Praise and Worship

2. Welcome/Prayer – Marshall

3. Song – Hallelujah, Your Love is Amazing

4. Song – Kindness

5. Children’s Time – Colby

6. Announcements - Colby

7. Scripture Reading – J.Y.

8. Sermon -  Colby

9. Song – Come, Thou Fount