- SERMON
癤?
Discipline
Hebrews 12:5-13 (NIV)
Introduction: Success and prosperity have become the sole aim of educating our children these days. The days are gone when it was considered that the goal of education was to help children build honorable character. School education has become so commercially-oriented that teachers are no more than sellers of knowledge, who no longer care about building student character. Students have turned out to be mere consumers of goods. They simply buy knowledge in school with the tuition they pay. Students need discipline to help them build character, but no one trains them with the discipline they need?봢ither at home or at school. That is why our children become more and more humane and heartless without morals, although they are more highly educated than ever before.
Our God works in a different way. He educates His children to help them grow in faith in Him, so that His children measure up to the standards of heavenly citizenship. In order to fulfill this purpose, God spares no punishment or discipline in the education of His children. Worldly success and prosperity are transient and will soon vanish. That is why God educates us to set our life goal toward heaven and live our lives on earth according to that goal.
1. The faith and discipline of Abraham, our father of faith.
1) By faith Abraham obeyed and set out from the Chaldeans to go to Canaan (Ge 12:1-2).
??2) Incomplete obedience caused discipline.
?? ??A famine in Canaan?봦e lost everything (Ge 12:10).
?? ??Abraham went down to Egypt at his own will?봳he calamities in his lifetime.
??3) Abraham was changed.
??When he disputed with Lot about the land, Abraham had no greed (Ge 13:8-9).
?? He put his trust in God?봆od?셲 blessings (Ge 13:14-15).
2. When we receive discipline.
??1) When we cannot give up the world (the old self) (1Jn 2:15-16).
??2) When we disobey (Isa 1:2-5).
??3) When we become lazy and reluctant, deserting the passion to live as a new person.
?? ??Try our best to live as a new person (Pr 13:24; Job 5:17-18).
??4) When we are confused with the purpose of life.
????God faithfully disciplines us because we are His children (no discipline for an illegitimate child)
?? (Heb 12:7-8).
??
3. Our attitude when receiving discipline.
??1) Receive discipline faithfully and repent (Pr 3:11-12; Rev 3:19).
??2) In the time of trouble, do not lose heart. Do not complain to God with a negative attitude
?? (Heb 12:5-6).
??3) Honor God all the more (Heb 12:9-10).
??4) Be changed.
????Fix your wrong lifestyle (Pr 20:30).
????Be righteous, godly, trustworthy, humble, and generous (Eph 4:23-24).
??5) Set a clear-cut goal (Heb 12:11-13).
??
Conclusion: Receiving discipline is sad and painful. No one likes the rod of discipline. However, discipline helps us grow and change. Accepting proper discipline will help us grow more righteous and stay in peace and in a closer relationship with God, and it will also help us participate in His holiness.