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around the word of the Living God Psalm 30 I'll begin reading in verse one a psalm a song at the dedication of the house of David I will extol you O Lord for you have lifted me up and if not let my foes rejoice over me O Lord my god I cried out to you and you healed me O Lord you brought my soul up from the grave you have kept me alive that I should not go down to the pit sing praise to the Lord you saints of his and give thanks at the remembrance of his holy name for his anger is but for a moment his favor is for life weeping may endure for a night but joy comes in the morning now in my prosperity I said I shall never be moved Lord by your favor you have made my mountains stand strong you hid your face and I was troubled I cried out to you O Lord and to the Lord I made supplication what profit is there in my blood when I go down to the pit will the dust praise you will it declare your truth here O Lord and have mercy on me Lord be my helper you have turned for me my mourning into dancing you have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness to the end that my glory may sing praise to you and not be silent o Lord my god I will give thanks to you forever amen well please turn with me in your hymn books to him number 233 hymn number 233 will stand as we sing together [Music] [Music] [Music] well let us pray our blessed God and holy father again it is a joy to gather in your house on this Sabbath day may our hearts expressed with the psalmist wrote that our hearts were glad when they said unto us let us go to the house of the Lord it is a great blessing to be in the presence of the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit it is a great blessing to be in that place where you have promised in this new covenant era where your special presence would dwell we give thanks to you Lord God that you saved us by your grace and for your glory that you called us out of darkness into marvellous light that you granted us the graces of faith and repentance that you have put a desire in our hearts to worship you in spirit and truth and we pray that tonight you would be glorified it's we sing our praises unto you that we would indeed take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ as we sing these Psalms and hymns may our hearts be drawn out in love and worship and adoration to you our great God for we acknowledge that you alone are worthy for you are the God who made the world the God who governs the world and the God who has redeemed as a locked out of the world and how we praise you for that glorious gospel of our salvation how we praise you for the work in the mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ on behalf of sinners how we praise you that you sent him into this world sinners to save that it was in fact his mission to seek and to save that which was lost and how we praise you for his success how we praise you that he finished that work of redemption on the cross how we praise you that you rose him again for the third day and that now he's enthroned at the right hand of God Almighty and we look forward to that day when he shall come again in glory to judge the living in the dead and until that day may we purify ourselves may we by grace seek to honor and to glorify you in this world father we pray that your Holy Spirit would be at work in our minds and in our hearts that you would cause us to reflect upon your truth and by your grace may we be obedient to it and our God in heaven as we come tonight we pray that you would encourage our hearts we confess there's many discouragements in this world there are many sorrows much distress but we know ultimately most high that you've ordain whatsoever comes to pass for your glory and for the good of those who love you to those who are the called according to your purpose God may we never lose sight of texts like these may we never lose sight to that great doctrine of the sovereignty of God the reality that you are over all things that you are in the heavens and you do whatever you please caused us as well to reflect upon your infinite goodness in your wisdom and your love and your mercy and God help us to see and to interpret things from a theological point of view from a theological perspective seeing your work in the lives of your people we ask now that you would forgive us for our sins and our transgressions we know Lord God you call us to live in a manner that is worthy of the gospel and yet father we transgress we confess that remaining corruption that's in our hearts we pray that you would indeed wash us and that precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ cleanse us and purify us and help us Lord God to rejoice in this to rejoice in the forgiveness of sins and in that imputed righteousness of our Lord Jesus Christ cause us to celebrate these great redemptive truths not just on the Lord's Day as we gather together but each and every day may we reflect upon your mercies to us and for those who've come here tonight that are unsaved we pray that today would be the day of salvation that your Holy Spirit would bring that conviction for sin and set forth the supremacy and the glory of Jesus Christ is that one alone in whom there is forgiveness and in a righteousness that avails with God we pray father for the practical and the tangible needs in our local church we know there are many that struggle with ongoing illness and we commit them to you and to the word of your grace we pray that though the outer man does decay day by day the inner man would be renewed and strengthened and more and more conformed unto the image of the Lord Jesus Christ we ask that you'd bless all of us as we have spiritual difficulties and challenges and hardships may you encourage us and may you strengthen us with might in the inner man and may we know that that presence of the Holy Spirit in a practical way each and every day we pray father for the the extended care unit we pray for those that heard the word of God today we pray that in your mercy you would draw sinners unto yourself even in these final days for many of them we asked you would have encouraged them the Saints there that you would bless and strengthen your people in that place and be glorified in the ministry that goes on there week by week we also pray our Father for the persecuted church we know that many do not enjoy it what we have and we commit them to You Lord God praying that you'd uphold your suffering Saints granting them perseverance and faith and grace and all things necessary to bear up under the various trials and and afflictions that they endure for the cause of God and truth we thank you that the gospel is going forth we thank you Father that it is conquering we thank you that Jesus Christ will have dominion from sea to sea and we have great confidence in these promises of God and so we pray that these things these these momentary light affliction --zz would not obscure the the exceeding weight of glory that awaits your people in the in the age to come may you cause us to have a proper perspective concerning such things and cause us to be prayerful for the brothers and the sisters that suffer for the cause of God and truth and our Father we pray now that you would continue with us in this time of worship we pray that you would be glorified and honored and we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord amen well you can turn with me to Psalm 40 to see psalm 42 charlie it's an easy it seems like an easy tune it's a new one to me so let's stand and work through 40 to see [Music] [Music] amen we may turn in your Bibles to Genesis chapter 5 for our scripture reading Genesis chapter 5 this is the genealogy of Adam Genesis chapter 5 beginning in verse 1 this is the book of the genealogy of Adam in the day that God created man he made him in the likeness of God he created them male and female and blessed them and called them mankind in the day they were created and Adam lived one hundred and thirty years and begot a son in his own likeness after his image and named him Seth after he begot Seth the days of Adam were eight hundred years and he had sons and daughters so all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years and he died Seth lived one hundred and five years and begat Enoch after he begat Enoch Seth lived eight hundred and seven years and had sons and daughters so all the days of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years and he died Enoch lived ninety years and begat Cainan after he begat Cainan Enoch Enoch lived 815 years and had sons and daughters so all the days of Enosh were 905 years and he died Canaan lived seventy years and begat Mahalalel after he begot Mahalalel Canaan lived eight hundred and forty years and had sons and daughters so all the days of Canaan were nine hundred and ten years and he died Mahalalel lived sixty-five years and begot Jared after he begot Jared Mahalalel lived eight hundred and thirty years and had sons and daughters so all the days of Mahalalel were 895 years and he died Jared lived one hundred and sixty-two years and begat Enoch after he begat Enoch Jared lived eight hundred years and had sons and daughters so all the days of Jared were nine hundred and sixty-two years and he died Enoch lived sixty-five years and begot Methuselah after he begot Methuselah Enoch walked with God three hundred years and had sons and daughters so all the days of Enoch were 365 years and Enoch walked with God and he was not for God took him Methuselah lived 187 years and begot lamech after he begot lamech Methuselah lived 782 years and had sons and daughters so all the days of Methuselah were 969 years and he died Lamech lived 182 years and had a son and he called his called his name Noah saying this one will comfort us concerning our work and the toil of our hands because of the ground which the Lord has cursed after he begot Noah Lamech lived five hundred and ninety-five years and had sons and daughters so all the days of Lamech were seven hundred and seventy-seven years and he died and Noah was five hundred years old and Noah begat Shem ham and Japheth amen well let us pray our Father we thank you for your creation of all things we thank you for creation of the creation of man in the image of God and Lord in heaven we thank you for the the great privilege that you have bestowed upon us as image bearers of the Living God forgive us that in so many ways we have tarnished that we have blemished it we have we have ruined it but thank you for salvation in Christ Jesus thank you that you are renewing that image in us and knowledge and righteousness and holiness and our Father we pray that a multitude of others would hear the glorious gospel of salvation by faith in Jesus Christ we pray that more and more people would come out of darkness into marvelous light that more and more people would taste and see that the Lord is good and that God in heaven you would indeed bless and send forth your glorious gospel conquering and to conquer may that word run swiftly and be glorified we pray in our own community here that you would be gracious to the churches that you had bless the preaching of the word in this city and that father many would come out of come to know you as Lord and Savior and our Father in heaven all throughout this nation the nation that is steeped in wickedness and lawlessness and wretchedness we look ultimately to the power of God's gospel in the the work of the Lord Jesus Christ to change hearts and to to bring about good good things father so we pray for the Blessed preaching of your word in this in this land and we pray that you would be pleased to cause many to come to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and our Father in Heaven we think tonight of Rebecca Hall we just ask that you would bless her as she recovers from surgery we pray that you would watch over this young lady and just cause everything to heal well and we ask this through Christ our Lord amen well you can turn with me in your hem book to number 244 hymn number 244 again will stand as we sing together [Music] well please turn with me in your Bibles to proverbs chapter 3 proverbs chapter 3 well read verses 11 to 12 and then pray proverbs 3:11 my son do not despise the chastening of the Lord nor detest his correction for whom the Lord loves he corrects just as a father the son in whom he delights amen let us pray father we thank you for this text we thank you for your involvement in our lives for your sovereign government over us and God we know at times that means discipline it means correction so give us the Grace and the help to receive Solomon's words here help us not to despise nor detest your involvement your your chastening hand in our lives but help us to embrace it and to realize that you mean good and in all that you do on our behalf again forgive us for our sins and our transgressions fill us with your Holy Spirit and grant us the help now to receive with Thanksgiving your glorious word and we pray through Jesus Christ our Lord amen well in many respects this is a bit of a follow-up or a part two to the Wednesday night Bible study if you were not present on Wednesday night I think you'll still be able to follow the message but essentially we looked at the believer and trials in James chapter 1 verses 2 to 8 and essentially James tells the people of God to count it all joy when they fall into various trials knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience God has remedial ends in the trials the tasks and the difficulties that his people go through and as we look at this particular tax we ought to recognize that there are times not all trials and not all tests and not all afflictions and not all things that we go through are directly connected to our sin but there are those seasons or there are those times where God does Chasen us where God does discipline us where God does correct us for our sin and this tax sets that forth and so we need to understand what Solomon is saying and I want to look first at the exposition of proverbs three eleven and twelve right here in the context but then secondly the application of proverbs 11 3 11 and 12 in the book of Hebrews in Hebrews chapter 12 the Apostle Paul appeals to this to make the same point in a situation involving new covenant Christians just at the outset see how the authoritative inspired infallible and inerrant Word of God speaks to the people of God an Old Testament book like proverbs is invoked as Holy Scripture the voice of the Living God to blood-bought children of our Lord Jesus Christ in the New Covenant let's look first of all at the prohibition and then secondly the reason under the exposition of proverbs three eleven and twelve Solomon writes my son do not despise the chastening of the Lord nor detest his correction I want us to see the contacts go back for just a moment to verses 9 and 10 he says honor the Lord with your possessions and with the first fruits of all your increase so your barns will be filled with plenty and your vats will overflow with new wine matthew henry says his exhortation before verses 9 and 10 was to those that are rich and in prosperity here verses 11 and 12 to those that are poor and in adversity and as the Bible tells us God is responsible for both prosperity and adversity in the lives of his people so there is a prohibition given by Solomon it's twofold and it's repetitive and the repetition is to underscore the seriousness of it notice that he says my son do not despise the chastening of the Lord nor detest his correction elif as to job and job 5:17 makes the same point behold happy is the man whom God corrects therefore do not despise the chastening of the Almighty those friends didn't get everything wrong it was rather the application it was rather some of the implication rather some of the practice exhortation given to Joe but in terms of their theology Elif as is absolutely right and he joins the ranks with Salomon to tell us to not despise the chastening of the Lord nor detest his correction now this is God's purpose or God's Way in the lives of his people the specific thing that Solomon tells us of of is that chastening of the Lord if you go back to the book of Deuteronomy just so you can see that this is God's practice with his children in the Old Covenant namely Israel in Deuteronomy chapter 8 at verse 5 you should know in your heart that as a man Chasen's his son so the Lord your God chastens you and then again in Deuteronomy chapter 11 verse 11 I'm sorry Deuteronomy 11 beginning in verse 1 therefore you shall love the Lord your God and keep his charge his statutes his judgments and his commandments always know today that I do not speak with your children who have not known and who have not seen the chastening of the Lord your God his greatness in his mighty hand and his outstretched arm his signs in his acts which he did in the midst of Egypt to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to all his land Moses there under God is exhorting the people to faithfulness and one of the things that that God says is that I'm not speaking to the children rather I'm speaking to you those who have seen in witness the chastening of the Lord this is God's way with his people we need to be chastened we need to be corrected we need to be rebuked we need to be reproved and Solomon says when this happens were not to despise it nor are we to detest it but we are to recognize God's sovereign purposes in it one for his glory and two for our well-being now certainly we're going to spend some time later in Hebrews chapter 12 but also in Revelation chapter 3 the Lord Christ to the church in laodicea says as many as I love I Jason as many as I love the church in laodicea that church that was neither hot nor cold that church that was lukewarm that church that the Lord Christ had had threatened a spew out of his mouth nevertheless he says he's come to them in at tone and in that manner out of love it was born out of love so Solomon says to us that we are not to despise we are not to detest the very correction or the chastening hand of our God matthew henry says it is the chastening of the lord which as it is a reason why we should submit to it the very fact that it's called the chastening of the lord henry says is an argument as to why we ought to submit he says as it is a reason why we should submit to it and he says parenthetically for it is folly to contend with the god of incontestable sovereignty and irresistible power lords you're never gonna win anyway don't despise don't detach because this is God who is sovereign who has brought this upon you for your benefit and for your remedy he goes on to say so it is a reason why we should be satisfied in it for he may be sure that a God of unspotted purity does us no wrong and that a God of infinite goodness goodness means us no hurt it's a beautiful statement God a God of unspotted purity does us no wrong and that a God of infinite goodness means us no hurt in other words we can trust his purposes in our lives even if they sting even if they smart even if they hurt from time to time the chastening of the Lord is good and Solomon prohibits us from despising it or detesting yet now as we look through the book of Proverbs you'll see one of two responses to correction typically it's with reference to children to their parents but ultimately God stationed the parents over the children's lives so when a child despises the correction of a father or a mother in turn they are despising the very correction of God most high so I just want to scan through some of these proverbs to show this twofold response to correction and to see how the good response is held out as the norm for the people of God in other words you're not to despise you're not to detest it but rather you're to embrace it and receive it and find what God would have for you in it and deal with it properly but in terms of some general teachings with reference to correction give two people notice in proverbs 10 at verse 8 proverbs 10 at verse 8 look at several here again just to underscore there are one of two ways that we may go when we are corrected of course Solomon says when the Lord corrects us when he chastens us were not to despise it were not to detest it were to receive it and were to embrace it proverbs 10 8 the wise in heart will receive commands but a parading fool will fall proverbs 10 and verse 17 he who keeps instruction is in the way of life but he who refuses correction he goes astray so you cannot find in the book of Proverbs any sort of blessing upon the person that rejects or resists good sound counsel it will never come into your your your reading where Solomon says it's a good thing to get a counselor and to have good things spoken to you but go ahead and reject it go ahead and despise it go ahead and do something absolutely contrary to that or opposite no the blessed man is the man who receives correction the blessed man is the man who puts these things into practice notice proverbs 12:1 whoever loves instruction loves knowledge but he who hates correction is stupid proverbs 13 and verse 18 proverbs 13 and verse 18 poverty and shame will come to him who disdains correction but he who regards a rebuke will be honored again we're not teasing out all the implications of what happens if you in fact do reject but just showing there's one of two ways that a person who can respond to correction you either receive it and are blessed or you reject it and you are cursed those are the options with reference to correction notice in proverbs 15 proverbs 15 at verse 5 a fool despises his father's instruction but he who receives correction is prudent this is over and over again emphasized in brethren as parents as Grandparents we need to speak wisdom into our children's lives and tell them if you despise the correction I'm giving you now that is symptomatic of problems later the Lord's if you train them for insubordination in the home it ought not to surprise you they're insubordinate in the workplace when they're insubordinate in society when they're insubordinate across the board when they're insubordinate to the true and living God because you have trained them to be insubordinate brethren it is our responsibility to take seriously the fifth commandment not simply to hold it over our children as a threat that they better do what we're telling them but to see in it our responsibility and our duty to enjoin upon them the necessity to obey their parents in the Lord for this is right and to honor their fathers and mothers notice in proverbs 15 at verse 10 harsh discipline is for him who forsakes the way and he who hates correction will die it's pretty pretty cut and dry there isn't it what do you mean Solomon there's no what do you mean Solomon if you hate correction you will die that is as simple as it gets notice in proverbs 15 at verse 12 a scoffer does not love one who corrects him nor will he go to the wise and then in proverbs 15 31 and 32 they hear or the ear that hears the rebukes of life will abide among the wise he who disdains instruction despises his own soul but he who heeds rebukes gets understanding you see this commendation to be a correctable person to receive what it is that the Lord has for you to receive the chastening of God from his aunt as something that is beneficial something you're not supposed to rage against something you're not to panic under something you're not supposed to fret over but rather you're supposed to in the language of the Puritans kiss the rod and submit sweetly to God's dealings in your life notice in proverbs 19 proverbs 19 at verse 20 listen to counsel and receive instruction that you may be wise in your latter days can you see that emphasis it begins in the nursery it begins when they're little listened to counsel and receive instruction that you may be wise in your latter days proverbs 19 27 cease listening to instruction my son and you stray from the words of knowledge and then proverbs 29 1 proverbs 29 verse 1 he who is often rebuked and hardens his neck will suddenly be destroyed and that without remedy it's a powerful statement concerning correction and the rejection of it or the despising or detestation of it again that in the context of child to parent but when we come back to proverbs chapter 3 the very argument that Solomon uses for us not to despise nor detest God's correction is the father father child relationship the reason why God chastens us is not because he's a meanie the reason why God chastens us is not because he's vicious the reason why God chastens us is because he's our Father that's the emphasis in proverbs 3 11 and 12 so you have the prohibition in the verse first part verse 11 do not despise the chastening of the Lord nor detest his correction and then you have the reason in verse 12 for whom the Lord loves he corrects just as the father the son in whom he delights so when we come to this whole ordeal how do we know if we are refusing correction what will evidence it the whole host of ways one will panic two will rage three we'll think hard thoughts about God for we may not even interpret it as something from God for our good and our benefit was thinking about this as I was thinking about this particular tax James calling on us in the midst of affliction to ask of God for wisdom is absolutely beautiful now James doesn't need Jim saying good job James but but in affliction in testing in trial in chasing don't we need wisdom how do we know that this is of God how do we know it's not a temptation of the devil how do we know it's not something that just flowed out of our remaining corruption we need wisdom to process the data we need wisdom to go to the scripture we need wisdom to be balanced and appreciate the work of the Living God in our lives we need wisdom to be able to navigate through these uncharted waters we need the wisdom that James says God is willing to give to all who asks he gives it liberally and he will not upgrade us he will not reproach us he'll never mock you and say why are you back for more wisdom why are you coming to me for more wisdom this pleases God when his people ask for wisdom when Solomon said I want wisdom Lord the Lord most high was was delighted in that response on the part of Solomon we need wisdom so that we're able to interpret properly the things that are going on and so that we are able to submit and we are able to learn and were able to internalize the lessons that the Lord has for us so that we will come out the other side more and more conformed unto the image of our Blessed Lord Jesus Christ we need that provision of wisdom to enable us to see that chastening is from God to understand that it is for our good and to help regulate our passions there was that quote from Manton I didn't put it into these notes but Manton says something about wisdom functioning in such a way has to to control our passions when were under these tasks when we're under these trials and in this case when we're under this chastening you know when you discipline your children you don't allow them to flip out you don't allow them scream you don't allow them to carry on like they you know they're just losing it no they've got to they've got to submit they have to go through it in a particular way they have to they have to understand the remedy that's involved in all of this or the good that's involved in all of this and the same is the case for the people of God so the argument or the reason or the rationale for the chasing that comes to us do not despise it nor detest his correction is verse 12 whom the Lord loves he corrects just as a father the son in whom he delights as I've already mentioned Jesus to the church and Laodicea I keep underscoring that because if you looked at all those seven churches later to see it seems to be about the worst I mean they're neither hot nor cold they have no clue that their true spiritual convention I mean they are a mess and they don't know it there's a an obvious lack of self-awareness on the part of laodicean so you always think that the believer if he's anything he self-aware if he's anything he's self-aware he's ratchet and he knows it he's not holy any understands it he may not embrace it and like that but the reality is he's somewhat self-aware you get to that church and layou to see it they didn't have a clue in fact you can turn there because I think it underscores the love motive even more so when we understand just how bad they were Revelation chapter three verse will start at verse 15 I know your works that you are neither hot or cold nor hot I could wish you were cold or hot so then because you are lukewarm and neither cold nor hot I will vomit you out of my mouth now please don't understand that Jesus would prefer it for me to be a complete atheist that's not the analog that's not what he's emphasizing he's not saying I want you to be hot a vibrant fervent earnest Christian or I want you to just be cold a wretched God hating God despising atheist that's not the point the point is a lot simpler than that hot things in our mouths are good cold things in our mouths are good lukewarm things are terrible that's the point right nobody drinks a lukewarm cup of coffee nobody drinks a lukewarm cup of water on a hot day you either want it cold or you want it hot not the water the coffee that's the point Jesus is not saying I'm much more impressed without right atheism so go ahead and pursue that and there were nearby cities there were nearby places too to Laodicea where I think it was Colossae had the had the cold refreshing water and then Harappa las' had the hot sort of healing medicinal water and so Laodicea basically didn't have their own water supply so it had to be piped in by the time the water got to them it was lukewarm they were symptomatic of their own city's water supply and Jesus appeals to them on that level so then verse 16 because you are because you are lukewarm and neither cold nor hot I will vomit you out of my mouth because you say here it is lack of so awareness I am rich have become wealthy and have need of nothing and do not know that you are wretched miserable poor blind and naked could they have been more wrong could they have messed it up more completely than that I mean that's as bad as it gets that is completely contrary and completely opposite what they saw themselves as and what Christ says they really are you've probably seen that those memes that say this is how these people perceive us this how people perceive us and this is how we really are well they think they're godly and upright and holy and righteous and Jesus says I'm about to spit you out of my mouth I am functioning the way the land of Canaan dead the land of Canaan vomited out the godless inhabitants from their myths because they were wicked verse 17 because you say I'm rich I'm sorry verse 18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire that you may be rich white garments that you may need clothe that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed and anoint your eyes with eyesalve that you may see as many as I love I rebuke and chasten it's almost in congruous isn't it you almost don't expect that response in verse 19 he's threatened to spit them out of his mouth he has told them they are absolutely contrary to their own assessment of themselves and yet this rebuke is born out of love why is it that we think any word that is harsh any word that may be severe is borne out of hate that is simply not the way it is when you tell your child don't put that knife in your body that's said oftentimes with a tone that may be interpreted harshly but you are saying it out of love right God does that Jesus does that in this particular context and he says as many as I love I rebuke and chasten therefore be zealous and repent so back to proverbs 3 verse 12 for whom the Lord loves he corrects just as a father the son in whom he delights matthew henry says it is a fatherly correction it comes not from his vindictive justices judge but his wise as a father Matthew Poole says afflictions are not in felicities but benefits and comforts because they are testimonies of God's love which is infinitely more desirable than any evil can be terrible we just read that again because I think there's a world of good theology in that statement because they are testimonies of God's love which is infinitely more desirable God's love then any evil can be terrible so God's infinite love is far more excellent than the worst evil is terrible that's good theology it may be because it's by 45 on a Sunday night and you might not be as fresh as you may have been this morning but if you internalize what Matthew Poole says here you'll say yay and amen to the chastening hand of God Almighty he says they show God's purpose and desire and care to purge us from our sins and to make us fit for his presence and Kingdom turn back to the book of Deuteronomy we already highlighted the chastening of the Lord toward Israel in chapters 8 and 11 but go back further to Deuteronomy chapter 1 Deuteronomy chapter 1 at verse 29 then I said to you do not be terrified or afraid of them he's rehearsing the wilderness he's rehearsing the exodus and the wilderness wanderings he's rehearsing how God had provided for them in those instances then I said to you verse 29 do not be terrified or afraid of them the Lord your God who goes before you he will fight for you according to all he did for you in Egypt before your eyes that's a fatherly function isn't it fighting for his kids that ought to be a no-brainer for any father in here any mother you know any woman that has children is like a mama bear when somebody comes to mess with those kids she will fight for those children a father will fight for his children God does that and then in verse 31 and in the wilderness where you saw how the Lord your God carried you as a man carries his son in all the way that you went until you came to this place you see that's how God acts toward his children he is like a father to them he fights for them and protects them he defends them and cares for them when they need to be picked up and carried through the wilderness God the Father picks them up and carries them through the wilderness you see the analogy holds not just in one aspect of Jason II but in the entire complex of God's dealings with his people but chastening is a part discipline is fundamental the fact is is that we have sinned and we need to be corrected and Solomon's prohibition is that we do not despise it nor do we detest it go back to Proverbs and just an emphasis on the Father human father's emphasis in the discipline of his children a father doesn't discipline his children because he hates his children a father disciplines his children for the exact opposite reason a father disciplines his children because he loves them he doesn't want them to go astray he doesn't want them to run amok he doesn't want them to end up in hell and so a good father good mothers discipline their children there is remedial benefit involved and if the father of the children in terms of church does this it's for remedial benefit it is for help it is for good look at proverbs 13 and verse 24 proverbs 13:24 he who spares his rod hates his son but he who loves him disciplines and promptly few being evil men love to give good gifts to your children how much more will your Father in Heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask if we as fathers discipline our children and that's born out of love will not our Heavenly Father who loves perfectly discipline his children and it be born out of love absolutely the chastening hand of God is in evidence in a manifestation of the love of God toward us proverbs 19 and verse 18 proverbs 19 and verse 18 chasin your son while there is hope and do not set your heart on his destruction it's not the case that parents discipline their children because parents are mean because parents are vindictive because parents are nasty and vile creatures certainly parents that's those particular attributes but for the most part when they're dealing with their children they try and exercise their pressure in love and that's the emphasis from Solomon here proverbs 22:15 foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child the rod of Correction will drive it far from him why do you discipline your children because I don't want him to be a fool why do you discipline your children because I want them to succeed why do you discipline your children because I love them that's the emphasis in the book of Proverbs proverbs 23:13 and 14 proverbs 23:13 and 14 do not withhold correction from a child for if you beat him with a rod he will not die you shall beat him with a rod and notice what you do you deliver a soul from hell this does not mean salvation by the rod but rather it means that you put God first in the raising of your children what is most important is their never dying soul you are not going to kowtow to the prevailing wisdom of the age and engage in lawlessness with reference to parenting you love your children so you're going to parent them the way that God commands you to love to love them and that includes chastening that includes discipline proverbs 29 17 proverbs 29 17 at the end of this study on proverbs you'll probably all be able to say well at least I know where proverbs talks about disciplining children that's a good thing proverbs 29 17 correct your son and he will give you rest yes he will give delight to your soul so all of that to highlight that as earthly fathers discipline their children it is born out of love so when the Heavenly Father disciplines us it is born out of love now let's turn to Hebrews 12 to see a new covenant application of this passage to the Saints Hebrews chapter 12 the context the believer isn't encouraged exhorted to run with endurance the race that is set before us notice in verse 1 for the end of verse 1 here's the exhortation here's what Paul wants the people of God to receive let us run with endurance the race that is set before us that's the emphasis of of much of the book of Hebrews many times the people of God in the book of Hebrews are exhorted and encouraged to run to be persevering to be endure it to be a people of patience to be a people that fight the people that go forward a people that are engaged in earnest and and run with endurance the race that is set before us and then the Apostle gives several incentives on this running and the first incentive is of course the Lord Jesus Christ the second is this cloud of witnesses that hebrews chapter 11 is and then thirdly it's the father's discipline verses 5 to 11 is an expanded treatment of proverbs 3 11 and 12 it is an application and appeal to that tax in the context of New Covenant Christians to tell them how they are to run with endurance the race that is set before them when you are doing that and chastening comes your way don't despise it don't detest it but rather embrace it receive it and understand that this is God's will for you for his glory and for your well-being so look at Hebrews 12 verse 5 and you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as two sons the Old Testament speaks authoritative lis to the New Testament Christian Charles Bridges says we must not overlook the Apostles testimony to the divine inspiration of the book showing the instruction throughout to be the teaching of our Heavenly Father to his beloved children to see the Hebrew Christians these believers had in fact forgot proverbs 3 11 and 12 notice what he says verse 5 you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you not as enemies but his sons see this was a big problem with these people they thought religion meant only good things always and the Apostle says you know better than that there's hardships in this world not only from without but from within and from above the Lord Jason's the Lord reproves the Lord corrects the Lord has a manifold with manifold purposes in terms of or uses or means rather to keep you running with endurance the race that is set before you and one of them is chastening one of them is disciplined but these people had forgotten that now notice he appeals to proverbs three eleven and twelve which speaks to you as two sons my son do not despise the chastening of the Lord nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by him for whom the Lord loves he chastens and scourges every son whom he receives so he appeals specifically to this and he assumes what the believer often forgets that there is a father child relationship that obtains between the believer in his God we need to understand that the Word of God comes to us it speaks to us as two sons adopted freely by the grace of God granted faith and repentance so that we may enter into the family of God and therefore the father is our Father he is our father brethren we need to remember that so whatever comes his way or from his aunt is for our good fathers don't give their their children who are hungry stones they don't give their children who are hungry scorpions they give them good things it may not be you know cakes and cookies and that sort of stuff but they give them good things because there's that relationship that is born out of love the author assumes that the belief or what the believer often forgets that the father disciplines his children see see when these things happen the first response ought not to be I can't believe that these things are happening to me I just cannot believe it why can't you believe it have you ever read the Bible have you ever put your nose in the book for anybody to ever say I can't I can't believe I'm experiencing such things in this world my big question is why what why would it have ever gotten to your head that that's the way things are why do you think you're in a Disney movie why do you think you're in a fairy tale you think bluebirds are gonna comment and and and bear you up so that you can go to heaven with no hindrance with no problem with no pain with no toil with no suffering that is not the emphasis in Holy Scripture the father carries us to be sure the father also Chasen's us and chastening as the so we'll go on in a moment to say it in the time the present it's not it's not joyful but it's painful it hurts right when you discipline your children they don't typically have great big smiles on their faces if they do you're doing it wrong if they do you're doing it wrong this is a painful process by which God conforms us more and more unto the image of his son who learned obedience through suffering Christ learned obedience through suffering certainly as those who are not Christ we're going to have to learn it in the same way and the author emphasizes the particular thing that Solomon does in Proverbs 3 my son do not despise the chastening of the Lord don't despise it don't balk at it don't whine about it don't grumble concerning it certainly don't complain and don't get angry or panicked with God also he says nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by him don't get discouraged about that in fact if you understand what the Apostle is saying in this particular chapter or sachet you will see that the very chastening hand of God is confirmation that you're a child of God this is why you can kiss the rod because it's an evidence of the Father's love for you this is a token given by God Himself that you are not illegitimate that you are a legitimate blood-bought child of God adopted into his family entitled to all of the privileges and as well to the chastening that comes from the hand of God for the good of his people notice he says in verse 6 for whom the Lord loves he chastens he scourgeth every son whom he receives and on this basis he says if you endure chastening verse 7 God deals with you as with sons for what son is there whom a father does not chase it I love the way he just assumes this I don't think he could assume this in our modern landscape we don't ever want to ever inhibit a child from being anything that he or she wants to be brethren it's our job to do that if they want to be axe murderers we need to step in and say absolutely positively not we have a particular task that the Apostle assumes notice that if you endure chastening God deals with you as with sons for what son is there whom a father doesn't chase it there's no such thing it's like a it's like a unicorn what son out there is there that a father doesn't chase that if you you you you you withhold correction or if you you don't discipline your son you hate him according to Solomon in the book of Proverbs but he loves in disciplines and promptly this is born out of love we want the best for you and this is why we're going to bring this discipline to bear on you and God's Way with his people is exactly and precisely the same notice in verse 8 but if you are without chastening of which all have become partakers then you are illegitimate and not sons see these are the kinds attacks where people can read this and say you know everything's been going pretty good in my life I wonder if I'm even saved well don't do that you're saved because you believe the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ by the grace of God if you're not presently suffering under the chastening hand of God it probably will come I don't know when but most likely it will come there is discipline there is correction for all of God's people if it's not there right now don't go out and jump into some sin so that God will chasten you don't use that sort of logic that's not what you want to get out of this sermon please don't don't don't go and do vile things and say well you know I need to make sure I was not illegitimate I wanted to make sure I wasn't a bastard I wanted to make sure that I was really a participant in the family of God do you see the Apostles argument this is part and parcel of what it means to be a child in God's family you get discipline you go to the woodshed you get out of line he correct you why because he loves you he scourgeth every son whom he receives that's the emphasis of the apostle the presence of divine chastisement is the demonstration of God's fatherhood the absence of divine chastisement evidence is that there is no fatherhood for that particular person now that's not to say that unbelievers don't get you know pain and problems and difficulties and hardships to be sure but in terms of the family of God there are those instances and seasons where the Lord Most High gives us these things now notice what Paul goes on to do he compares God as father to our earthly fathers verse 9 furthermore we have had human fathers who corrected us and we paid them respect isn't that what you do if you don't you need to I mean I guess if you're five you haven't understood all the ins and outs but when you're 15 or you're 25 you ought to come back to your parents and say thank you that you didn't leave me to myself thank you that you love me enough to chasten me thank you that you love me enough to correct me thank you that you love me enough to to bring a bit of pain at certain seasons in my life so that I didn't go out and do the vicious vile wicked wretched things that I would have done don't we respect fathers that do their job don't we respect mothers that function and the capacity that God instituted for them of course we do that's the emphases of the apostle but notice what he does he goes from the lesser to the greater shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the father of spirits and live if we respect earthly fathers who chastened us as they seem you know they thought best for season shall we not praise God Almighty shall we not delight in God Almighty shall we not say that I have learned many things from this particular season to the woodshed and I'm thankful for the Lord for it if any of you I don't want to have a show of hands or some group therapy session but if you reflect upon your past and you've gone through any difficulties or trials in your Christianity you know you came out the better on the end didn't you you know that God's will had been done in conforming you further to the image of the Lord Jesus Christ there's a book title called grace grows best in winter a ship for a a ship that sails goes much further in the tempest and storm than when the sea is calm that is just a fundamental principle in God's cosmos there are seasons and instances where God takes us to the woodshed with the expressed purpose of conforming us unto the image of his beloved son and if our earthly fathers do that and we respect them for it we ought to respect Yahweh for His infinite wisdom in treating us in like manner notice what he goes on in verse 10 to say for they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them he's given a bit of a hat tip to the imperfections involved in the human father right all of us as fathers have made plenty of mistakes I don't think any of us as fathers would say yeah you know I carried out my role of disciplinarian perfectly I found that balance I found that sweet spot and it was great nobody does that we did the best we could and we didn't always do it right we lot of trial a lot of error but notice what the Apostles argument for they indeed for a few days from childhood to maturity but then notice as seemed best to them but he for our profit so while the earthly father does it inconsistently the earthly father does it imperfectly the earthly father does it for a few days God does it perfectly God does it consistently and God does it from cradle to eternity God has this down God knows what he's doing when it comes to chase me and to correction for his people he has perfected it not that he has perfected it I speak in the manner of men God doesn't ever get better at anything but in terms of its effect upon us it is a perfect process that he engages in and then notice how the Apostle sort of summarizes the entirety of the argument here verse 11 he gives us this no-brainer walk back to verse 10 he for our profit that we may be partakers of his holiness you see that's the result that's the that's the endgame that's the purpose why does God do what he's doing because he wants us to participate in his holiness he wants us to be conformed to the image of his son he wants us to go from this glob of you know unformed clay into a living embodiment of one of Christ's people that's his purpose and then he summarizes it in verse 11 now don't chastise J'son he seems to be joyful for the present but painful again we don't necessarily laugh when bad things happen to us because God's purposes are being realized no it's not pleasant at the time it's painful it hurts it stings but it yields fruit there's benefit there's good effect that comes as a result of God's training nevertheless afterward it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it that language of those who have been trained by it means it's not just a one-time shot you're gonna get one shot of discipline when you're you know four years into your Christian life and that's going to satisfy for the rest of the time know you're trained by it no earthly father treats his kids that way well you know you got the you got the discipline once now you know everything's corrected and you just go on your merry little way no you're trained by it and it's the same thing in God's school we're trained by his chastening by its Karachi but it's not only that we know that right I I feel like I should qualify it it's not all chastening it's not all correction it's great blessing there's benefit there's blessing and benefit in the chastening and correction but brethren there is a necessity for the training of God in this particular way in this particular manner so we see the exposition proverbs 3 11 and 12 real live application in Hebrews chapter 12 verses 5 to 11 in conclusion I want to highlight a few things for our consideration in a practical way with reference to the chase any of God in the first place correction is necessary in light of our remaining corruption chastening is necessary in light of our remaining corruption now we are saved freely by God's grace we believe the gospel by God's grace we repent of our sins by God's grace and we are in that state of having been saved we are justified freely by His grace and of course justification then is the the foundation place or rather the the next sort of phase is sanctification and in that sanctification that is where the Spirit is working in us to conform us unto the image of Jesus Christ so justification is Christ's work for us that's the status or the basis upon which we are accepted by God into heaven but sanctification is a reality that always follows justification and it's always the case that the Spirit is working in God's people to conform them under the image of Christ and as we move and live and have our being in this lower world we face the reality of Romans seven thirteen to twenty five the good that I wish to do I don't do the evil I don't want to do I find myself doing we find the reality of Galatians 5:17 the spirit lusts against the flesh the flesh lusts against the spirit these two are contrary to one another so that you don't do the things that you want that's a reality for God's people isn't it no one here should look surprised you should have a yen amen look on your face right you're all in Romans seven in Galatians five with me it's not just me that has faced this remaining corruption thing is it somebody give me a nod of confidence at your way okay and then we sing it I think you sang it this morning and him for 29 prone to wander lord I feel it prone to leave the god I love so how does God deal with us his wayward signs when we said when we express ourselves in terms of our remaining corruption he chastens us he corrects us and you know what's really surprising is that it's not more severe if you stop and think about it in fact bridges makes this observation he says comparing our affliction with our sin is not the marvel that it is so light it really isn't surprising that God corrects us or Chasen's us what's surprising is that he doesn't do more that he doesn't let us have it even more severe and I'm calling into question the infinite wisdom of God doing that I'm simply saying that if we understand our sin rightly our remaining correction corruption correctly it is intriguing that were not more severely under the rod or chastening hand of God brother preach Psalm 130 verse 3 this morning if you Lord should mark iniquities O Lord who could stand what's he saying he's saying that we're so bad now remember the man that ten that was David under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit now certainly David had a few you know glitches or hitches in in his road of sanctification which I don't want to minimize but David was a man after God's own heart David was an upright and holy man David was conformed under the image of Christ and yet David says if you should mark iniquities O Lord who can stand there's that scene in the book of Ezra Ezra chapter 9 were the people of Israel marry the pagans of the land and ezra is basically confessing sin to god almighty and he says and after all that has come upon us for our evil deeds and for our great guilt since you our god have punished us less than our iniquities deserve you see he understands correctly if we got what we deserve we would be in dire straits Psalm 103 verse 10 he has not dealt with us according to our sins nor punished us according to our iniquities or there's the Prophet Jeremiah in the Book of Lamentations he asks the question why should a living man complain a man for the punishment of his sins I think the NASB captures it even better why should any living mortal or any man offer complaint in view of his sins in other words if you understand yourself rightly how in the world in God's moral cosmos could you ever complain about any suffering or any hardship or any affliction that you might undergo so correction is necessary in light of our remaining corruption secondly by way of a practical application correction confirms that we are the children of God it's a blessed thing isn't it you want to know that you have legitimacy in the house of God we get first and foremost it's faith in our Lord Jesus it's believing the gospel if you believe in your heart confess with your mouth you are saved that's the beauty of Christianity it's not a works based religion it's not a do better try harder and if you are successful at the end then God will allow you entrance into this kingdom that's not it by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone that's legitimacy but in terms of our lives of sanctification the chastening hand of God the correction that comes from an evidence is that we are legitimate children we are co-heirs with our Lord Jesus Christ thirdly correction is a necessary part of being the children of God you get that right it's a necessary part of being the children of God every son receives heat scourge is it's a necessary part of being a child of God so therefore we are forbidden we are prohibited from despising it we are forbidden from being discouraged by it and we are forbidden from detesting it we are to embrace what God has given and see his hand of mercy in it fourthly correction is painful now but it yields good fruit that emphasis of the Apostle in Hebrews 12 Hebrews 12 is probably the best sort of application best explanation of proverbs 3 11 and 12 that one could find but in verse 11 now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present but painful nevertheless afterward it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it and I would add one other thing comes from a different context comes from a different place but I would I would I would phrase it this way Corrections pain now is significantly less than glories joy later let me just repeat that Corrections pain now is significantly less than glories joy later turn to 2nd Corinthians chapter 4 2nd Corinthians chapter 4 beginning in verse 16 therefore we do not lose heart even though our outward man is perishing yet the inward man is being renewed day by day for our light affliction which is but for a moment that momentary light affliction see we're in the midst of it we're steeping it and it seems like forever it seems like all I ever do is suffer all I ever do is get chase and all I ever do is have affliction Paul says no it's a momentary light affliction it's passing this isn't your eternal spot this isn't your eternal lot in life he says our light affliction which is but for a moment is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory corrections pain now is significantly less than glories joy later that's his emphasis verse 18 while we do not look at the things which are seen but at the things which are not seen for the things which are seen are temporary but the things which are not seen are eternal so that's a perspective I think as the people of God we ought to embrace with reference to the father's correction but finally in terms of the purpose of the father we ought never to forget that the chastening hand of God is born out of love it's for love that he does this it's for love that he corrects us it's for love that whatever pain we are currently experiencing is there now we may not always appropriate it at the moment like we should that's why I think passages like these are helpful for reflection upon in the lives of Christians on a regular basis but brethren God's chastening of his people is born out of love secondly the chastening of the Lord is characteristic of his paternal care for his children just as he carried Israel in the wilderness so he chastened Israel in the wilderness because they needed to learn lessons just as he carries us now from day to day so he chastens us now at times from day to day why because we need to learn the lessons thirdly the chastening of the Lord is ultimately for our good go to Romans 8:28 for just a moment Romans 8:28 the most popular among Christians I think John 3:16 is probably the most popular among all people but Romans 8:28 is a very popular and famous text and and and well it should be but notice what he says in verse 28 we know that all things work together for good to those who love God to those who are the called according to his purpose for whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his son that he might be the firstborn among many brethren moreover whom he predestined these he also called whom he called these he also justified and whom he justified these he also glorified what we might call the Ordo salutis the order of salvation the golden chain of salvation it's a beautiful sort of display of what God does in terms of saving his elect by Jesus Christ but notice in verse 28 we know that God are all things work together for good that to those who love God to those who are are the called according to his purpose we know that because of what goes on in verses 29 and 30 we know verse 28 is a legitimate and appropriate implication from the reality that God foreknew that God predestined that God called but God justified that God will glorify if God is gonna do that for his elect then he's certainly going to work everything out for their good that is a no-brainer fact look at what he says in verse 32 he says he who did not spare his own son but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him also freely give us all things if he didn't spare Jesus at Golgotha is he gonna forget you on Thursday if he didn't spare Jesus at Calvary is he gonna abandon you and your time of need Paul's argument is absolutely positively not he argues from the greater the lesser if he delivers up his son for you he's going to deliver you on Tuesday it's gonna give you the Grace and the help and the strength and the wisdom that you need to navigate through whatever circumstances you find yourselves in and with reference to verse 28 for Paul to say we know all things work together for good to those who love good a God he's talking about bad things we do not need to be convinced that finding bag money worked for good we do not need to be convinced that sitting on a beach in Mexico is good we don't need to be convinced that that promotions at work are good we don't need to be convinced of those things in the context he is essentially saying we know that bad things horrible things terrible things the worst of things worked for good to those who love God to those who are the called according to his purpose well how do we know that Paul because he foreknew us he predestined us he called us he justified us and he will glorify us if he is undertaken on our behalf to do all of that then certainly whatever comes your way is ultimately ordained by God for his glory and for your gun there is great encouragement in the Bible for the suffering saints of Jesus Christ for the suffering saints of God Almighty the chasing the Lord is ultimately designed to conform us unto Jesus that we may share in his holiness that we may yield those good fruits of righteousness that we may indeed bear forth the the Blessed image of the Lord Jesus Christ in our lives well as I said part 2 of James 1:2 2:8 James 1:2 to 8 is another passage that I would encourage all of you if you weren't there on Wednesday night to get into that particular passage to think through the doctrine of afflictions and testings and chastening that comes from God and to realize with Paul in Romans 8:28 that all these things work for good all these things are ordained by God for the good of his people to those who love God to those who are the called according to his purpose well let us close in a word of Prayer father we thank you for this word we thank you for the encouragement that we have concerning your paternal care for your people and we know that that does involve you carrying us day by day and we know that it involves correction and chastening and discipline and God help us to not despise it help us not to detest that correction but help us to reflect upon the love that you have for us and your design in promoting Christ's likeness in each of our hearts and in our lives I pray that you would go with us now that you would watch over us in this coming week that you would grant us grace to be faithful witnesses to you in this world and we pray these things through Jesus Christ our Lord amen you