No pain, no gain

Pain is a powerful teacher

Take off your coat.

DARC Direct Action Resource Center. Law Enforcement Counter Terrorism Class

Learned and practiced tactics, techniques, and procedures to counter a small cell terrorist attack.

Then we applied those tactics techniques and procedures in practical exercises where we had role players shooting back at us with marking rounds.

We learned these lessons through pain. And pain is a powerful teacher.

Dr. Robert Gary Lee “Wisdom is nothing more than healed pain.”

Think about that for a moment.

Touching a hot surface.

Hot wire.

Cut by a sharp knife.

As adults, we learn a terrible fact. That emotional pain can be far more severe than physical pain.

Pain is a universal truth of life. But if we allow it, it can serve as discipline in our lives.

The Bible teaches us that God allows us to experience pain, for that specific purpose.

First: He gives us two problems.

Hebrews 12:4 NASB95

4 You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin;

We haven’t resisted sinning.

Hebrews 12:5–6 NASB95

5 and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons, “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, Nor faint when you are reproved by Him; 6 For those whom the Lord loves He disciplines, And He scourges every son whom He receives.”

The pain you feel is for your own good.

One of the most painful and valuable lessons we learned was on Tuesday night. We went into the building, but had not been taught how to control the outside. We all got shot to pieces repeatedly. The lesson: you can’t control the inside of a structure, unless you control the outside of the structure.

Hebrews 12:7–8 NASB95

7 It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8 But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.

When I was 5 years old we moved to a new house. I quickly made two friends down the street, Brad and Stephen. Within the week we were playing football in Brad’s back yard and we played until dark. I had not told my parents where I was and when I got home, dad got the belt, the one with his name on the back, and whipped me pretty good. In my protest, I asked about why Brad and Stephen weren’t in trouble. My dad said, “They aren’t my kids, you are.”

By disciplining us, God is saying, YOU are who I care about, YOU are who I want to see grow up to be wise and discipline. YOU are mine, and I want you to succeed.

Hebrews 12:9–11 NASB95

9 Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live? 10 For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness. 11 All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.

Sorrowful: NKJV, NIV - painful

The Fruit of God’s discipline

Hebrews 12:12–13 NASB95

12 Therefore, strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble, 13 and make straight paths for your feet, so that the limb which is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed.

Personally : Hands : Helping others

Knees : Worshiping God, and carrying the Gospel.

Make straight: Not stumble, but be strengthened. The longer you walk the straight path, the easier it is to not stray.

What it looks like to walk the straight path.

Hebrews 12:14 NASB95

14 Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord.

Hebrews 12:15 NASB95

15 See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled;

Sanctification: Growing from the discipline.

If you are not on the path of sanctification, you are not likely saved.

See that: Not just for leaders, but everyone...

Comes short of the grace of God: Lags behind…

Root of bitterness......address it quickly.

Five Lessons from Pain

We understand ourselves better.

Where our weakness lies

Where we need help from others and from God

Joseph sold into slavery....Bragging then humble.

We realize our strength in the Lord

Endure

triumph

Paul’s thorn in the flesh....I can do all things....

Pain pushes us to grow.

Pain indicates a deviation from homeostasis.

Pain pushes us to find that peace.

Peter denying Christ 3 times, to becoming a rock of faith in Christ.

Pain helps us connect with others.

Common experience

The blood of the covenant. suffer together grow together.

Pain helps us to realize what really matters.

allows us to let go of the things that cause us pain

prompts us to cling to the things that are most important.

David when confronted by his great sin.

I have sinned against the Lord. Sin separates us from God.

His plea was that God would restore the Joy of His salvation.

Robert Browning Hamilton:

I Walked a mile with Pleasure, She chatted all the way; But left me none the wiser For all she had to say.

I walked a mile with sorrow; And ne’er a word said she; But, oh! The things I learned from her, When sorrow walked with me.

A. W. Towser: “It is doubtful whether God can bless a man greatly until he has hurt him deeply."

Warning

Hebrews 12:16–17 NASB95

16 that there be no immoral or godless person like Esau, who sold his own birthright for a single meal. 17 For you know that even afterwards, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought for it with tears.

Choose your pain

I can either learn from these red marks on my arms, stomach, legs, back, and butt, or I can risk much worse and potentially suffer injury and likely death that would come from real bullets.

The same is true for God’s discipline. accept it and grow, or disregard it and suffer eternal death.

Close

“We must all suffer from one of two pains: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret. The difference is discipline weighs ounces while regret weighs tons.” – Jim Rohn