Hebrews 12 Sermon Notes

Introduction

Long suffering , war, and discipline are marks of a Christian life. Today’s world these traits are avoided or not as seen as values of character growth.

Modern psychology lists tribulation as trauma and will always focus on the negative. The world teaches hedonistic message, seek pleasure.

There are many circles proclaiming Christ that are teaching the same. It does not have to be put money in to receive, it comes from if you just believe blessings will follow.

No where in the life or ministry of Jesus was this taught, nor was it experienced by heroes of the faith in Hebrews Ch. 11.

Hebrews 12 is perhaps the more practical chapter of the life of a follower of Jesus with great implications of doctrinal truth. We will examine three truths in today’s passage.

First: The call of long suffering, second the discipline of God, third peace in war for a Kingdom that cannot be shaken.

Long Suffering:

Let us examine the cloud of witnesses, those who have gone before. Reading Hebrews 11 points us to the reality of a couple of things; life as a follow of God is not the removal of trials or tribulations, much less the affect of sin on a fallen world.

The temptation of a hedonistic world view rather than a Christian world view is to ask or blame God for suffering. The atheist may in turn reject God and the Christian will be tempted to walk away from God.

I met a Pastor once, I was applying for a position within his church. He was working on his doctoral with his thesis being on suffering and why God permits it.

In respect I would not dive into argument with the Pastor, but that is not the proper question or response.

The world, including Christians want an easy life, or at least one with as little pain as possible. Now the audience of this letter would have been either in the heat of Nero’s reign or approaching it. Either way a life without pain and trial would have foreign to them.

Persecution is real and for many today outside of the western church it is still a reality. Even then the writers of Hebrews reminds the Jews look back at the cloud of witnesses and see your trial is nothing new.

Going back to that Pastor’s thesis; the proper response is not to ask God why, but rather to worship God in the suffering and not sin.

Worship is the response in suffering. Does this mean we are not plead to God for the removal of trial? No, we are properly to go to God in our trials and pray relief. David himself and his Psalms are a prime example of this. Yet notice David worships God in the suffering and when he did sin he followed it with repentance.

Long suffering is to endure in the trials and tribulations that even Jesus said would occur, he also said pick up your cross. You will endure persecution, trial, and tribulation in this life.

Sin and Discipline

When trial or tribulation comes, the writer of Hebrews reminds the hearer do not sin.

If you have worked with or have children, you know that when they tired, hungry, or you take their tablets away that this is the worse thing in the world, life is ending, and behavior issues are quickly to follow. Often sinning against their parent’s or caretakers.

Beyond childhood life brings many pains, for the Jewish Christian it would be the face of death for simply following Jesus. Sins temptations in trials of life is where the enemy roams to have one fall away from God.

Christen and I went to a theater in Lancaster Pa. called Sight and Sound. We saw the performance of David and leading up the scene where David would sin with Bathsheba, he was worn down from war, tired, and facing trial.

In the moment of trial, David instead of worshiping God would fall to the hearts desire of lust.

When worship of Christ is absent in trial and tribulation, sin will not only knock at the door, sin will quickly enter the soul.

So when we sin in the New Covenant we are met with discipline of the Father.

The Lord will discipline those He loves. How this discipline is carried out may vary on the person.

How should we respond in discipline? To repent and believe the gospel. Let us look at the heart of repentance with Psalm 51

Psalm 51 KJV 1900

To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came unto him, after he had gone in to Bath-sheba. Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: According unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions: And my sin is ever before me. Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, And done this evil in thy sight: That thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, And be clear when thou judgest. Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; And in sin did my mother conceive me. Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: And in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness; That the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. Hide thy face from my sins, And blot out all mine iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God; And renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; And take not thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; And uphold me with thy free spirit. Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; And sinners shall be converted unto thee. Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: And my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness. O Lord, open thou my lips; And my mouth shall shew forth thy praise. For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: Thou delightest not in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: A broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion: Build thou the walls of Jerusalem. Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering: Then shall they offer bullocks upon thine altar.

The promise of the gospel is God will discipline those He loves, the Son has atoned for the sin of sinners, the Holy Spirit leads to a life of repentance.

In the state of repentance God will restore to your heart peace, and you can rightfully go back into the place of worship. Far better you not sin in your long suffering, but if you do repent, believe, worship Christ.

The discipline of the Lord is out genuine love for your soul. In your in a position of being disciplined by the Lord, first examine to ensure the sin being chastised is repented of, and second treasure the very truth that God who loves you disciplines you.

Kingdom Not Shaken

Through the trials, tribulations within this fallen world the hope of the gospel is Christ and His Kingdom. Christ Kingdom is not shaken by things of this world, the sin that affects it.

Christ is King, He is sovereign over all things, Nothing is outside of His providence.

It is His Kingdom that we embrace of the reward of these trials and tribulations. It is in His Kingdom that we will worship in purity with reverence and awe. Indeed God is a consuming fire.

Your trials, war, and discipline is not wasted, for there is hope in the New Jerusalem where we shall walk with God and God with us.

Application

Endure your trials and Tribulations: Worship God in the midst of these trials and tribulations

Be on guard, fight the war of sin that creep at the door knocking. Repent when you fall, embrace the love of the Father, the atonement of the Son, and the Life in the Spirit.

Do not be taken, but be of hope that Christ is superior of all things; His Kingdom is not shaken and you will not be taken from His love over your life.

Conclusion

Trials, Tribulations, the affect of sin is part of this world, this present state. You are not promised to escape the cross if you follow Christ. You will enter the Kingdom of God where this present age is consumed in fire and the New Earth, Heaven will be our eternal home where we stand in awe and worship of the living God.