Hebrews chapter 12 part 2

SLIDE 1 “LONG HAUL CHRISTIANITY”

chapter 12 can also be known as “reminders of faith”

goes with our slide title for this chapter

the 1st word of chapter 12 is “therefore” / and its just coming off chapter 11 with all the background of all those who have gone before us “in faith”

In the first 11 verses of chapter 12 what we have seen

SLIDE 2

LONG HAUL CHRISTIANITY

1) surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses (lay aside weight and sin / run with endurance)

they are bearing witness to us that God will see us through. God bore witness to them and now they are bearing witness to us now.

SLIDE 3

LONG HAUL CHRISTIANITY

1) surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses (lay aside weight and sin / run with endurance)

2) fix our eyes on Jesus (author and perfecter of our faith)

looking unto Jesus describes an attitude of faith not a single act of faith

Jesus is our exemplar and enabler

SLIDE 4

LONG HAUL CHRISTIANITY

1) surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses (lay aside weight and sin / run with endurance)

2) fix our eyes on Jesus (author and perfecter of our faith)

3) Jesus endured hostility by sinners (don’t grow weary or loose heart)

we were not able to shed our own blood for this, Jesus did it for us, only His perfect blood can cover us.

SLIDE 5

LONG HAUL CHRISTIANITY

1) surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses (lay aside weight and sin / run with endurance)

2) fix our eyes on Jesus (author and perfecter of our faith)

3) Jesus endured hostility by sinners (don’t grow weary or loose heart)

4) we are disciplined by the Lord (He loves us / shows we are His children)

verses 5-7 about the discipline of the Lord (discipline used 8 times)

the exhortation for us through discipline is that we are “sons”

discipline of the Lord is not the same as discipline of our earthly fathers

the passage here really proves the work of the Holy Spirit is within us

This is where the word of God stirs me and excites as only He can do this in Spirit and in truth. Let’s take a look through these verses

SLIDE 6

Hebrews 12:4–5 (NASB95)

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

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;

SLIDE 7

Hebrews 12:6 (NASB95)

6 For those whom the Lord loves He disciplines,

And He scourges every son whom He receives.”

Important thing to remember is no matter how the Lord chooses to chasten or correct He always does it in love and through His love for us.

the word scourge there does mean punish (wood shed type even)

That “receives” word means accepted not rejected

But lets continue on and see the beauty of how His discipline works, again the Holy Spirit at work in us.

Look in these two next verses 7-8 as we see the Lord’s discipline and earthly father discipline. Spelled the same in our English language but different in the Greek

SLIDE 8

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.

remember the leading verses into all this (verses 4-5) is exhortation because we are sons. It also tells us because we can’t resist sin to the point of shedding blood. Jesus did that for us, He went to the Father so Holy Spirit could come, Holy Spirit in us brings about a true form of discipline that is different form our earthly father.

SLIDE 9

EARTHLY FATHER DISCIPLINE

Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon (3811 παιδεύω)

[paideuo /pahee·dyoo·o/]

to train children, to be taught or to be trained, punish for improved behavior

SLIDE 10

HEAVENLY FATHER DISCIPLINE

Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon (3809 παιδεία)

[paideia /pahee·di·ah/]

whole training, relates to cultivation of mind and morals, new commands,admonitions and reproofs, cultivates the soul by correcting mistakes and curbing passions, instruction which aims at increasing virtue.

we have cross references that help confirm this. Paul, Peter, John and others many times brought even old testament passage into new testament teaching to bring about cultivation of mind and morals, to cultivate the soul and increase virtue.

Look at some of these really cool cross references to give us more encouragement in how the Lord so wonderfully trains and disciplines us

SLIDE 11

2 Timothy 3:14–15 (NASB95)

14 You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them,

15 and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

SLIDE 12

2 Timothy 3:16–17 (NASB95)

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

17 so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

remember to keep in mind the Holy Spirit within us brings about the discipline the Lord desires to take place in us

remember verse 8 tells in Hebrew 12 tells us if we are without discipline from the Lord we are illegitimate children and not sons

Another cross reference to show the beauty of being His sons and His discipline works in this

SLIDE 13

Romans 8:15–16 (NASB95)

15 For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!”

16 The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God,

this whole chapter covers Spirit should be over flesh, that though our body is dead because of sin, the spirit is alive because of righteousness, the mind on the flesh is hostile to God, the Spirit of God at work in us proves we are His children

Check this out, so Israel was given the commands and laws of God, they failed and could not keep them. Even they said “all the Lord has said we will do” It was to show the desperate need of a savior, one to intercede, one to cover in us in His righteousness. All this the Lord works out in His many forms of discipline brough about by Holy Spirit within us.

Look at this passage here in Corinthians

SLIDE 14

2 Corinthians 3:5–6 (NASB95)

5 Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God,

6 who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

Now let’s bring in the rest of these Hebrews verses on discipline of the Lord and it should just bring us so much life and encouragement of the Holy Spirit’s work in us

SLIDE 15

Hebrews 12:9 (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?

subject here in this passage is huppotasso - yield to one’s admonition or advise, giving in and cooperating

SLIDE 16

Hebrews 12:10 (NASB95)

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.

would it be the Lord’s discipline if it weren’t done through the Holy Spirit?

SLIDE 17

Hebrews 12:11 (NASB95)

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.

Now look at the NLT on this same verse

SLIDE 18

Hebrews 12:11 (NLT)

11 No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.

so what is main point the Lord is trying to get us absolutely convinced of here?

Heroes of the faith bear witness God will bring us through, keep focused on Jesus the author and perfecter of our faith, absolutely no better way to live and have true life than to be taught and trained by the Lord.

And now we can more see and understand more the next verses we are fixing to get hit with

SLIDE 19

Hebrews 12:12–13 (NLT)

12 So take a new grip with your tired hands and strengthen your weak knees. 13 Mark out a straight path for your feet so that those who are weak and lame will not fall but become strong.

don’t give up and quit, that is the wrong attitude, God’s chastening is meant to help us grow not beat us down

Punishment is the work of a judge, chastening is the work of a Father

His chastening and discipline makes it so that we share in His holiness. “I am holy so you shall be holy”

SLIDE 20

Hebrews 12:14–15 (NLT)

14 Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord. 15 Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many.

without the constant teaching and training of the Lord (through Holy Spirit within us) we will fail in the flesh in what these two verses tell us

SLIDE 21

Hebrews 12:16–17 (NLT)

16 Make sure that no one is immoral or godless like Esau, who traded his birthright as the firstborn son for a single meal. 17 You know that afterward, when he wanted his father’s blessing, he was rejected. It was too late for repentance, even though he begged with bitter tears.

what are these last two verses telling us? Esau never came under the discipline and instruction of the Lord did he? He totally lost his way from always giving in to the desire of the flesh

SLIDE 22 “LONG HAUL CHRISTIANITY”

Close / Prayer