1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:03,440 Our Scripture reading is Hebrews 12/3 through 13. 2 00:00:04,200 --> 00:00:07,280 For consider him who endured such hostility from sinners 3 00:00:07,280 --> 00:00:10,760 against himself, so that you won't grow weary and give up and 4 00:00:10,760 --> 00:00:13,400 struggling against sin. You have not yet resisted to the 5 00:00:13,400 --> 00:00:15,720 point of shedding your blood, and you have forgotten the 6 00:00:15,720 --> 00:00:18,080 exhortation that addresses you as sons. 7 00:00:18,480 --> 00:00:21,560 My son, do not take the Lord's discipline lightly, or lose 8 00:00:21,560 --> 00:00:23,200 heart when you are reproved by him. 9 00:00:23,560 --> 00:00:26,800 For the Lord disciplines the one he loves and punishes every son 10 00:00:26,800 --> 00:00:29,840 he receives. Endure suffering as discipline. 11 00:00:29,880 --> 00:00:33,400 God is dealing with you as sons. For what son is there that a 12 00:00:33,400 --> 00:00:36,120 father does not discipline? But if you are without 13 00:00:36,120 --> 00:00:38,960 discipline, which all receive, then you are illegitimate 14 00:00:38,960 --> 00:00:42,440 children and not sons. Furthermore, we had human 15 00:00:42,440 --> 00:00:45,000 fathers discipline us and we respected them. 16 00:00:45,280 --> 00:00:48,600 Shouldn't we submit even more to the Father of spirits and live 17 00:00:49,200 --> 00:00:51,920 for they disciplined us for a short time based on what seemed 18 00:00:51,920 --> 00:00:55,000 good to them, but He does it for our benefits so that we can 19 00:00:55,000 --> 00:00:58,260 share His Holiness. No discipline seems enjoyable at 20 00:00:58,260 --> 00:01:01,900 the time, but painful later on. However, it yields the peaceful 21 00:01:01,900 --> 00:01:04,819 fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. 22 00:01:05,260 --> 00:01:08,340 Therefore, strengthen your tired hands and weakened knees, and 23 00:01:08,340 --> 00:01:10,980 make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may 24 00:01:10,980 --> 00:01:13,380 not be dislocated but healed instead. 25 00:01:13,660 --> 00:01:17,740 This is the word of the Lord. Jess stole my opening question. 26 00:01:17,980 --> 00:01:19,500 How many of you started school this week? 27 00:01:19,660 --> 00:01:21,940 Raise your hand, teacher or student? 28 00:01:22,020 --> 00:01:23,540 How many of Y'all started school this week? 29 00:01:23,540 --> 00:01:26,350 All right, cool. How many of you are excited that 30 00:01:26,350 --> 00:01:29,110 school is back in session? Even parents, Some of you guys. 31 00:01:29,110 --> 00:01:30,630 Yes. Yay, nay okay. 32 00:01:31,110 --> 00:01:32,510 How many? Y'all are like bummed out that 33 00:01:32,510 --> 00:01:34,110 school is back? Yeah, some of y'all. 34 00:01:34,110 --> 00:01:36,510 All right, cool. So everything in between, right? 35 00:01:37,110 --> 00:01:40,390 Decatur City Schools is back in session this week. 36 00:01:40,390 --> 00:01:44,230 And so as we did every year, we got our kids ready for the first 37 00:01:44,230 --> 00:01:47,670 day of school with all their new gear and backpacks and school 38 00:01:47,670 --> 00:01:50,030 supplies. And what was unique about this 39 00:01:50,030 --> 00:01:53,550 year as we got to drop all four kids off at the same building. 40 00:01:53,550 --> 00:01:56,270 So we have two years of that. All that Julie Harris 41 00:01:56,270 --> 00:01:58,750 Elementary. And so we're going to appreciate 42 00:01:58,750 --> 00:02:01,070 that. But that is something that it's 43 00:02:01,070 --> 00:02:02,870 just that time of year we're all thinking about. 44 00:02:03,230 --> 00:02:06,670 And if you have kids in here, regardless of your choice of 45 00:02:06,670 --> 00:02:09,150 education for them, whether that be private school, public 46 00:02:09,150 --> 00:02:12,550 school, home school, whatever. Your goal for them and your hope 47 00:02:12,550 --> 00:02:16,510 for them as we enter this fall semester and every year, is that 48 00:02:16,510 --> 00:02:20,190 they continue to grow and be learned and trained and 49 00:02:20,190 --> 00:02:24,360 instructed about certain things. We understand that normal part 50 00:02:24,360 --> 00:02:30,040 of growth for a person requires a form of instruction and 51 00:02:30,040 --> 00:02:32,480 discipline. And this is true for anyone, 52 00:02:32,480 --> 00:02:34,760 right? Not just students, whether it be 53 00:02:34,760 --> 00:02:38,880 in your career, whether it be in your college classes or in 54 00:02:38,880 --> 00:02:41,640 something like your sports that you do. 55 00:02:41,640 --> 00:02:44,880 We understand that any growth requires instruction and 56 00:02:44,880 --> 00:02:48,760 discipline and that sometimes receiving this instruction and 57 00:02:48,760 --> 00:02:54,040 discipline is hard work. But any good teacher or coach or 58 00:02:54,040 --> 00:02:57,920 boss, if they can see the big picture, they are willing to 59 00:02:57,920 --> 00:03:01,160 allow others, those that they are leading to experience 60 00:03:01,480 --> 00:03:04,200 seemingly painful struggles, even sometimes maybe 61 00:03:04,200 --> 00:03:09,240 intentionally, putting people in those struggles for the purpose 62 00:03:09,240 --> 00:03:11,840 of joy and growth in the long run. 63 00:03:12,920 --> 00:03:15,600 In our text today that you just heard, read, The preacher of 64 00:03:15,600 --> 00:03:19,400 Hebrews will encourage us to consider what it means to be 65 00:03:19,400 --> 00:03:23,800 instructed by God. And the beauty of this is, it's 66 00:03:23,800 --> 00:03:27,920 not just God as a teacher or a coach for a semester or a 67 00:03:27,920 --> 00:03:32,240 season, but rather for your entire life and eternity as a 68 00:03:32,280 --> 00:03:36,960 good father who always has our best interest. 69 00:03:37,520 --> 00:03:40,920 And because of this, our call is to simply respond in simple 70 00:03:40,920 --> 00:03:44,640 obedience, to leave the results up to God and trust that His 71 00:03:44,640 --> 00:03:47,840 instruction, His discipline, as it's interpreted in this 72 00:03:47,840 --> 00:03:51,320 translation, is what leads us to life. 73 00:03:51,730 --> 00:03:53,650 And joy. And that is what our text is 74 00:03:53,650 --> 00:03:56,130 about this morning. So good morning again, church. 75 00:03:56,130 --> 00:03:58,050 It is a joy to gather with you all. 76 00:03:58,250 --> 00:03:59,690 If I'm not had the chance to meet you. 77 00:03:59,690 --> 00:04:01,850 My name is Joel. I get to serve here at New Eden 78 00:04:01,850 --> 00:04:04,970 Church, specifically, I get to serve as one of the elders and 79 00:04:04,970 --> 00:04:07,810 one of the the pastor for preaching and oversight. 80 00:04:08,130 --> 00:04:10,650 And so as always, it's just a joy to be with you guys this 81 00:04:10,650 --> 00:04:13,490 morning and to gather, to be reminded of the good news of 82 00:04:13,570 --> 00:04:16,250 Jesus and to just see what God is doing in our midst. 83 00:04:16,649 --> 00:04:19,209 As you can see, we're jumping back into our series through 84 00:04:19,209 --> 00:04:21,170 Hebrews. We kind of stayed in Hebrews 85 00:04:21,170 --> 00:04:22,810 through the summer. But we spent time in Hebrews 86 00:04:22,810 --> 00:04:25,450 Chapter 11, looking at different characters listed there. 87 00:04:25,450 --> 00:04:27,450 And now we're going to continue working our way through the 88 00:04:27,450 --> 00:04:28,850 book. And so we're in Hebrews chapter 89 00:04:28,850 --> 00:04:31,730 12, verse three through 13, as you heard read. 90 00:04:31,730 --> 00:04:33,450 You can follow along however you'd like. 91 00:04:33,530 --> 00:04:35,570 There's Bibles around you on your phone, whatever. 92 00:04:35,730 --> 00:04:37,970 We'll also have the verses on the screen when we go through 93 00:04:37,970 --> 00:04:39,890 them. We're in the CSV version, if 94 00:04:39,890 --> 00:04:42,770 you're interested in that. So let's see if you remember 95 00:04:42,770 --> 00:04:46,130 since it's been a minute, I think six or seven weeks since 96 00:04:46,130 --> 00:04:48,570 we've been in Hebrews. So the theme of the book is 97 00:04:48,570 --> 00:04:51,670 what? Oh, that's so weak. 98 00:04:51,830 --> 00:04:54,350 All right, let's try it again. The theme of the book is what? 99 00:04:56,150 --> 00:04:58,750 See, I knew some of y'all snarky people are going to say Jesus is 100 00:04:58,750 --> 00:05:00,750 greater. So yes, it's Jesus is better. 101 00:05:00,750 --> 00:05:04,550 Or if you're snarky and you realize that this actually says 102 00:05:04,670 --> 00:05:06,750 Jesus is greater, you can say that as well. 103 00:05:06,750 --> 00:05:08,430 It means the same thing. So. 104 00:05:09,340 --> 00:05:12,260 But it is true, right? It's what we've seen through the 105 00:05:12,260 --> 00:05:16,100 entire book of Hebrews is that Jesus is better than the Old 106 00:05:16,100 --> 00:05:18,220 Covenant and all that went along with it. 107 00:05:18,220 --> 00:05:20,540 He's better than the angels. He's better than Moses. 108 00:05:20,540 --> 00:05:23,340 He's better than the temple, better than the sacrifices. 109 00:05:23,340 --> 00:05:27,540 Whatever it is, whatever you want to name Jesus is supreme 110 00:05:27,540 --> 00:05:30,660 and superior. And so it's important for us to 111 00:05:30,660 --> 00:05:34,140 remember that this was meant to be delivered as one sermon and 112 00:05:34,140 --> 00:05:38,370 so as we go into our text today. Don't forget that this comes on 113 00:05:38,370 --> 00:05:43,090 the heels of 11 chapters of exposition about the supremacy 114 00:05:43,090 --> 00:05:49,530 of Christ as we are reminded and called to endure suffering. 115 00:05:50,290 --> 00:05:54,170 Don't forget that this is not something we do in isolation or 116 00:05:54,170 --> 00:05:58,890 in our own strength, but rather we endure by gazing deeply on 117 00:05:58,890 --> 00:06:03,170 the one who first endured perfectly for us. 118 00:06:04,120 --> 00:06:06,440 As we work our way through the passage, and as you heard it 119 00:06:06,440 --> 00:06:09,120 read, you're going to hear the word discipline used quite a 120 00:06:09,120 --> 00:06:10,560 bit. You're going to hear it 121 00:06:10,560 --> 00:06:14,480 specifically in conjunction with the way that God relates to us 122 00:06:14,480 --> 00:06:17,840 as sons and daughters. And so I want to kind of just 123 00:06:17,840 --> 00:06:21,320 address this up front before we fully dive in that honestly, 124 00:06:21,320 --> 00:06:24,920 this word might be better translated for us as education 125 00:06:24,920 --> 00:06:28,410 or instruction. When we hear the word discipline 126 00:06:28,410 --> 00:06:30,570 in our context, I mean, that's a faithful translation. 127 00:06:30,570 --> 00:06:34,330 But when we hear it, we hear it as primarily punitive. 128 00:06:34,690 --> 00:06:38,290 You did something wrong and then God is going to punish you, is 129 00:06:38,290 --> 00:06:41,450 what we kind of hear. But in this case, and I'm, you 130 00:06:41,450 --> 00:06:43,850 know, commentators are clear, the context is clear. 131 00:06:44,250 --> 00:06:48,890 This specific instruction in Hebrews 12 is not a punishment 132 00:06:48,890 --> 00:06:52,970 for past sins, but rather a training for future 133 00:06:52,970 --> 00:06:56,510 participation. With Jesus and the glory that 134 00:06:56,510 --> 00:06:59,190 awaits. And so this is an active 135 00:06:59,430 --> 00:07:03,990 education and instruction, A discipline as a disciple. 136 00:07:04,550 --> 00:07:06,510 And so I want to make that clear upfront. 137 00:07:06,990 --> 00:07:09,230 Our big idea for the sermon today is this. 138 00:07:09,230 --> 00:07:11,470 It's a little lengthy, but it's this right here. 139 00:07:11,550 --> 00:07:16,830 Jesus endured in resisting sin to the point of bloodshed, 140 00:07:17,430 --> 00:07:22,070 giving us the privilege of being educated as sons. 141 00:07:22,530 --> 00:07:27,130 And daughters of God, Jesus endured in resisting sin to the 142 00:07:27,130 --> 00:07:30,610 point of bloodshed, giving us the privilege of being educated 143 00:07:30,610 --> 00:07:34,290 as sons and daughters of God. So let's read verse three and 144 00:07:34,290 --> 00:07:37,450 four again. As we begin to unpack this text, 145 00:07:38,210 --> 00:07:42,450 it says For consider him who endured such hostility from 146 00:07:42,450 --> 00:07:47,250 sinners against himself, so that you won't grow weary and give up 147 00:07:47,690 --> 00:07:51,510 in struggling against sin. You have not yet resisted to the 148 00:07:51,510 --> 00:07:59,390 point of shedding your blood. So by calling his hears to 149 00:07:59,390 --> 00:08:02,910 consider the endurance of Jesus, the preacher of Hebrews is 150 00:08:02,910 --> 00:08:06,350 acknowledging a reality of the Christian life. 151 00:08:06,350 --> 00:08:10,470 And it's this, the struggle is real, right? 152 00:08:10,470 --> 00:08:13,310 Some of you guys might have said that when you were finishing up 153 00:08:13,310 --> 00:08:16,510 your masters. Maybe if you were at RI. 154 00:08:17,040 --> 00:08:20,280 Those three people, you know I'm talking about maybe as you were 155 00:08:20,280 --> 00:08:22,640 just trying to get kids to go down for the night, right? 156 00:08:22,880 --> 00:08:26,080 Maybe you're trying to get some certification for your job. 157 00:08:26,080 --> 00:08:28,120 You're just like the struggle is real, right? 158 00:08:28,760 --> 00:08:31,520 And here the preacher acknowledges that the struggle 159 00:08:31,520 --> 00:08:34,080 against sin is real. He doesn't minimize it. 160 00:08:34,640 --> 00:08:37,480 He is encouraging them to not grow weary or give up, which 161 00:08:37,480 --> 00:08:40,919 means that he acknowledges there is a temptation to do so. 162 00:08:41,740 --> 00:08:44,980 He acknowledges that a war is being waged. 163 00:08:44,980 --> 00:08:48,700 There is a real temptation to give in to the pressures of this 164 00:08:48,700 --> 00:08:53,020 age that seek to lure us in the enemy. 165 00:08:53,020 --> 00:08:56,900 He knows how to talk to us. He knows what lies were most 166 00:08:56,980 --> 00:09:01,420 susceptible to believe. He knows how to dress up the way 167 00:09:01,420 --> 00:09:05,540 to death, to deceive us into thinking that it is the way to 168 00:09:05,540 --> 00:09:08,630 life. And in the midst of this 169 00:09:08,630 --> 00:09:11,870 struggle, we need to be strengthened by God. 170 00:09:11,870 --> 00:09:16,350 We need to be reminded and given eyes to see when the enemy seeks 171 00:09:16,350 --> 00:09:19,510 to lie to us. The enemy needs to be exposed 172 00:09:19,510 --> 00:09:23,110 for who he is. On the way to school this week, 173 00:09:23,630 --> 00:09:27,270 some conversation in our car came up that caused my 7 year 174 00:09:27,270 --> 00:09:31,630 old daughter, Everly to inquire of me about Satan's appearance. 175 00:09:31,750 --> 00:09:33,910 She wanted to know what what does Satan look like? 176 00:09:34,750 --> 00:09:36,990 And I told her I was like, well, we we don't know exactly, like 177 00:09:36,990 --> 00:09:40,430 we don't have a picture. But we do know that sometimes he 178 00:09:40,430 --> 00:09:44,030 dresses up real nice to look like this beautiful Angel of 179 00:09:44,030 --> 00:09:48,590 light just to trick people. And like she got this look on 180 00:09:48,590 --> 00:09:55,670 her face like jaw dropped, eyes rolling in disgust and 181 00:09:55,670 --> 00:09:58,150 disbelief. She could not believe the 182 00:09:58,150 --> 00:10:01,430 audacity. That the devil would dress up as 183 00:10:01,430 --> 00:10:04,150 an Angel of light and like as she gets older. 184 00:10:04,150 --> 00:10:07,750 I I want me, I want her, I want us to be able to have the eyes 185 00:10:07,750 --> 00:10:10,870 to see when the enemy is seeking to deceive us and to be 186 00:10:10,870 --> 00:10:14,390 disgusted by that. To be sober minded. 187 00:10:14,390 --> 00:10:17,950 The scriptures don't sugarcoat the struggle against sin. 188 00:10:18,480 --> 00:10:21,600 First, Peter 5/8 and nine. Be sober minded. 189 00:10:21,600 --> 00:10:24,200 This is a call to the church. Be alert. 190 00:10:24,400 --> 00:10:28,920 Your adversary, the devil, is prowling around like a roaring 191 00:10:28,920 --> 00:10:32,240 lion looking for anyone he can devour. 192 00:10:32,920 --> 00:10:37,280 Resist him, firm in the faith, knowing that the same kind of 193 00:10:37,280 --> 00:10:41,080 sufferings are being experienced by your fellow believers 194 00:10:41,080 --> 00:10:43,880 throughout the world. I love how we're placed in this 195 00:10:43,880 --> 00:10:47,680 like global context as we live in a local context. 196 00:10:48,530 --> 00:10:51,330 And what's important to understand that not only is 197 00:10:51,330 --> 00:10:54,650 there a struggle against sin and it's real that it's actually a 198 00:10:54,650 --> 00:10:58,450 type of suffering. Peter labels it that Hebrews 199 00:10:58,450 --> 00:11:01,610 talks about resisting sanity labels it as suffering. 200 00:11:02,370 --> 00:11:06,290 This can include the temptation to give in to personal sin that 201 00:11:06,290 --> 00:11:08,090 is attacking you and tempting you. 202 00:11:08,370 --> 00:11:11,410 But it also and probably in Hebrews more is talking about. 203 00:11:11,640 --> 00:11:15,360 Just the cultural pressures on the church, this tension that we 204 00:11:15,360 --> 00:11:20,040 constantly live in, to give up on God, to reject Jesus, to walk 205 00:11:20,040 --> 00:11:23,600 away so that things seemingly might be easier. 206 00:11:23,800 --> 00:11:26,200 Because reality is you might have got sold a pipe dream that 207 00:11:26,200 --> 00:11:28,360 if you follow Jesus, your life is just going to be go happy. 208 00:11:28,360 --> 00:11:30,120 You're going to get the job you want, the money you want, the 209 00:11:30,120 --> 00:11:32,120 house you want. That's not reality. 210 00:11:32,200 --> 00:11:36,880 That's not the scriptures. Following Jesus is is not always 211 00:11:36,880 --> 00:11:40,350 easy. The temptation is to adjust what 212 00:11:40,350 --> 00:11:43,870 we believe to fit in the rooms we most want to be a part of. 213 00:11:43,870 --> 00:11:46,390 And I don't know what rooms those are for you. 214 00:11:46,390 --> 00:11:48,310 I don't know what political party that is for you. 215 00:11:48,310 --> 00:11:51,430 I don't know what theological camp that is for you. 216 00:11:52,870 --> 00:11:56,830 But there is a temptation, and you feel this tension a lot. 217 00:11:56,830 --> 00:11:59,070 If you're following The ethics of God's Kingdom, maybe you're 218 00:11:59,070 --> 00:12:01,830 at work with the group of men and you hear them either 219 00:12:01,830 --> 00:12:07,000 objectifying or demeaning women. But we believe those lies as 220 00:12:07,000 --> 00:12:10,600 well, begin to be sucked into that because it's humorous or we 221 00:12:10,600 --> 00:12:12,240 want to be accepted by the group. 222 00:12:13,360 --> 00:12:16,200 Maybe we we feel the temptation. This is one I I struggle with, 223 00:12:16,200 --> 00:12:19,240 to believe the lies of the culture that says as a parent, 224 00:12:19,240 --> 00:12:23,200 you bear the entire weight of your child's future on your 225 00:12:23,200 --> 00:12:25,760 shoulders. So if you miss out on this or 226 00:12:25,760 --> 00:12:29,560 that education opportunity, this or that sports opportunity, he's 227 00:12:29,560 --> 00:12:31,560 going to be screwed. She's going to be screwed. 228 00:12:32,970 --> 00:12:35,570 You're less than as a parent if you're not involved in this or 229 00:12:35,570 --> 00:12:37,930 that. Maybe you sit under the 230 00:12:37,930 --> 00:12:40,610 pressures of the world's expectation that says maybe 231 00:12:40,610 --> 00:12:43,010 you're behind in life because you didn't get the degree when 232 00:12:43,050 --> 00:12:44,410 when the world said you should have. 233 00:12:44,410 --> 00:12:46,530 Or you didn't tie the knot. Or you didn't get the career in 234 00:12:46,530 --> 00:12:50,170 the white picket fence, as if that's what life is about. 235 00:12:51,620 --> 00:12:54,180 We feel those pressures and those are just a few examples. 236 00:12:54,220 --> 00:12:57,340 I I don't know what it is for you, but if we live a life 237 00:12:57,340 --> 00:13:01,500 through the lens of a Kingdom ethic, we will be living in a 238 00:13:01,500 --> 00:13:04,500 state of of constant tension and pressure. 239 00:13:04,740 --> 00:13:08,580 There will be no singular room we can fully fit into because 240 00:13:08,580 --> 00:13:12,180 the only place that we will fully belong is being prepared 241 00:13:12,180 --> 00:13:15,540 for us by Jesus. As CS Lewis said, if we're not 242 00:13:15,540 --> 00:13:18,380 at home, maybe it's because we were made for another world. 243 00:13:19,900 --> 00:13:23,860 And that constant tension and struggle is an actual form of 244 00:13:23,860 --> 00:13:26,100 suffering. If you've lived it. 245 00:13:26,100 --> 00:13:29,140 It's it's hard. We need to acknowledge that 246 00:13:29,140 --> 00:13:32,860 following as a disciple of Jesus, submitting to his rule 247 00:13:32,860 --> 00:13:35,260 the reign even when we don't fully understand trusting that 248 00:13:35,340 --> 00:13:38,860 what you say leads to life. I'm following that. 249 00:13:38,900 --> 00:13:41,620 It's literally in the scriptures referred to as suffering because 250 00:13:41,620 --> 00:13:45,500 it is an attack on us. In fact, it's guaranteed for the 251 00:13:45,500 --> 00:13:47,140 one who has given their life to Jesus. 252 00:13:47,380 --> 00:13:51,220 Paul told Timothy and Second Timothy 2-3 that he was to share 253 00:13:51,220 --> 00:13:54,820 in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 254 00:13:54,820 --> 00:13:57,820 The next chapter he says, in fact, all who wants to live a 255 00:13:57,820 --> 00:14:03,460 godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, not will be 256 00:14:03,460 --> 00:14:06,060 blessed abundantly with earthly blessings, and a good father 257 00:14:06,060 --> 00:14:10,060 will sometimes give us that. I'm not saying that we can't ask 258 00:14:10,060 --> 00:14:14,340 for that and he will take care of his own, but persecution is 259 00:14:14,340 --> 00:14:17,900 guaranteed. There are principalities and 260 00:14:17,900 --> 00:14:22,580 powers at work seeking to come and destroy the good reign of 261 00:14:22,660 --> 00:14:25,220 Jesus, both in our lives and in the world around us. 262 00:14:26,060 --> 00:14:31,420 This is a reality. But he also offers them a bigger 263 00:14:31,420 --> 00:14:34,980 perspective. Now, I don't know if you've ever 264 00:14:34,980 --> 00:14:37,660 been in a situation where you're struggling with something as 265 00:14:37,660 --> 00:14:39,540 someone's, like, you know, maybe you're hungry and someone's 266 00:14:39,540 --> 00:14:41,180 like, well, imagine starving kids. 267 00:14:41,300 --> 00:14:43,620 You know, wherever, right? You're like, shut up. 268 00:14:43,620 --> 00:14:45,020 I don't want perspective right now, right? 269 00:14:46,280 --> 00:14:48,800 But there is the reality of a perspective. 270 00:14:49,400 --> 00:14:51,920 Even though their struggle is real, what he tells them is 271 00:14:51,920 --> 00:14:53,920 you've not resisted to the point of shedding blood. 272 00:14:53,920 --> 00:14:56,240 You have not had to face martyrdom. 273 00:14:56,680 --> 00:15:00,600 And this is relevant for us. We should acknowledge that the 274 00:15:00,600 --> 00:15:02,880 struggle is real, but let's let's put it in a perspective. 275 00:15:02,880 --> 00:15:05,760 Sometimes I hear someone complain about their coworking 276 00:15:05,760 --> 00:15:08,480 coworker cussing or something, and they're like, man, it's just 277 00:15:08,480 --> 00:15:10,400 really hard. They cuss a lot at my job and 278 00:15:10,400 --> 00:15:14,020 I'm like, OK. You know, or like man, I had to 279 00:15:14,020 --> 00:15:16,260 talk to my kids about something they learn in school or I had to 280 00:15:16,260 --> 00:15:18,580 sit through a presentation at work that I disagreed with. 281 00:15:18,580 --> 00:15:21,020 And and again, I'm not saying that those constant pressures 282 00:15:21,020 --> 00:15:22,900 like a constant drip, they they are real struggles. 283 00:15:22,900 --> 00:15:25,580 We just talked about that. But but let's put things in a 284 00:15:25,580 --> 00:15:30,260 perspective We have not yet resisted unto blood like in 285 00:15:30,260 --> 00:15:33,460 Alabama following Jesus. Maybe we'll make you have to 286 00:15:33,460 --> 00:15:36,900 have an awkward conversation if you speak up when someone's 287 00:15:36,900 --> 00:15:39,060 talking about women in a certain way, right. 288 00:15:39,540 --> 00:15:41,140 It's not going to cost you your life. 289 00:15:42,040 --> 00:15:44,200 In Alabama, it's not even going to cost you your job. 290 00:15:45,000 --> 00:15:47,000 And like, like sometimes you're worried about things happening 291 00:15:47,000 --> 00:15:49,600 around the world or over even like in another state. 292 00:15:49,600 --> 00:15:52,040 And like, maybe we're called to just have that awkward 293 00:15:52,040 --> 00:15:56,640 conversation, right? Like in our context where you 294 00:15:56,640 --> 00:15:59,480 attend church can actually be thrown on your teacher bio and 295 00:15:59,480 --> 00:16:01,760 it's like, whoo social status points, that person goes to 296 00:16:01,760 --> 00:16:03,640 church, they must be a better teacher, right? 297 00:16:03,640 --> 00:16:04,800 As if that has something to do with it. 298 00:16:04,800 --> 00:16:07,280 But, and yeah, anyways, I'm not going to. 299 00:16:08,040 --> 00:16:12,320 Here's the point. As we face cultural pressures, 300 00:16:12,560 --> 00:16:14,120 let's let's put it in perspective. 301 00:16:15,200 --> 00:16:20,520 We have friends of ours who are heading to serve in places where 302 00:16:20,520 --> 00:16:24,520 they could eventually be required to shed their blood as 303 00:16:24,520 --> 00:16:28,720 they resist sin simply by sharing the good news of Jesus. 304 00:16:29,800 --> 00:16:32,720 We just read in Hebrews about people who had been imprisoned, 305 00:16:32,720 --> 00:16:37,800 beheaded, sawn and two for their faith, whipped, beaten, hanged. 306 00:16:39,240 --> 00:16:43,040 And that still goes on today in many parts of the world. 307 00:16:43,960 --> 00:16:47,200 And So what that does, it doesn't cause us to just demean. 308 00:16:47,200 --> 00:16:48,480 Well, this isn't really a struggle. 309 00:16:48,480 --> 00:16:49,880 Why are you getting upset about that? 310 00:16:50,000 --> 00:16:53,160 What it does is it puts it in perspective and allows us to 311 00:16:53,160 --> 00:16:57,080 lock arms with people around the world who are facing kinds of 312 00:16:57,080 --> 00:17:01,240 suffering and it encourages us and spurs us on depressed on in 313 00:17:01,240 --> 00:17:03,240 the midst of our culture pressures. 314 00:17:03,810 --> 00:17:07,329 And to respond not in hate, not by waging cultural battles. 315 00:17:07,329 --> 00:17:09,730 I got to win this. I got to go up and protest this, 316 00:17:09,730 --> 00:17:12,130 but rather by loving our enemies. 317 00:17:12,569 --> 00:17:15,450 That's what Jesus did on the cross when he was resisting sin. 318 00:17:15,650 --> 00:17:19,250 He resisted sin by loving them. Steven being stoned, Father, 319 00:17:19,369 --> 00:17:20,930 forgive them. They don't know what they're 320 00:17:20,930 --> 00:17:23,569 doing. Our battle is not against flesh 321 00:17:23,569 --> 00:17:26,849 and blood, but principalities and powers of darkness in the 322 00:17:26,849 --> 00:17:33,370 world around us. And so, yes, the struggle is. 323 00:17:33,740 --> 00:17:38,020 Real But the question is, when we're faced with this struggle, 324 00:17:38,180 --> 00:17:44,660 how will we respond? And verse five, he quotes from 325 00:17:44,660 --> 00:17:49,260 Proverbs Chapter 3, and he addresses the two unhealthy 326 00:17:49,260 --> 00:17:53,140 responses that we could have when we are faced with God's 327 00:17:53,140 --> 00:17:55,980 instruction through the struggle and suffering in our life. 328 00:17:56,180 --> 00:18:00,180 One response is to he says take it lightly, which means to 329 00:18:00,180 --> 00:18:01,900 ignore it. I'm gonna ignore it. 330 00:18:02,020 --> 00:18:04,690 No big deal. The other response is to lose 331 00:18:04,690 --> 00:18:08,570 heart, to be crushed by it, to be so discouraged that we want 332 00:18:08,570 --> 00:18:11,970 to just give up. When I coach sports, and if 333 00:18:11,970 --> 00:18:15,210 you've you've taught kids at all, there's two responses that 334 00:18:15,370 --> 00:18:18,130 take place that tell me immediately that the young man 335 00:18:18,130 --> 00:18:21,090 or woman is probably going to lose out on an opportunity to 336 00:18:21,090 --> 00:18:22,330 grow. And it's when they respond in 337 00:18:22,330 --> 00:18:24,850 this way, neither ignore the instruction. 338 00:18:24,850 --> 00:18:26,410 It's no big deal. Why do you tell me I got to run 339 00:18:26,410 --> 00:18:27,690 past the line? It's just a foot. 340 00:18:27,690 --> 00:18:31,290 It's no big deal, right? They ignore it. 341 00:18:31,630 --> 00:18:33,390 They think it's pointless. Or maybe they think they know 342 00:18:33,390 --> 00:18:36,390 better, or they get really down on themselves, right? 343 00:18:36,390 --> 00:18:38,270 You get on to some kids. They're like, absolutely 344 00:18:38,270 --> 00:18:40,230 crushed. Like, Oh my gosh, it's the end 345 00:18:40,230 --> 00:18:42,470 of the world. Like I'm somehow attacking them 346 00:18:42,470 --> 00:18:46,550 or I'm against them, right? And the preacher exhorts us to 347 00:18:46,550 --> 00:18:50,710 avoid these two ditches, and instead to think soberly and 348 00:18:50,710 --> 00:18:53,710 rightly about the struggles in her life and how God might be 349 00:18:53,710 --> 00:18:58,750 using them to form and shape us into His image, because instead 350 00:18:58,750 --> 00:19:02,560 of losing heart. The opposite effect can actually 351 00:19:02,560 --> 00:19:05,200 happen, and it takes the very spirit of God on our lives. 352 00:19:05,400 --> 00:19:08,320 But we can actually be encouraged if we get an insight 353 00:19:08,320 --> 00:19:11,680 into what God is doing. Yes, the struggle is real, but 354 00:19:11,680 --> 00:19:14,840 the struggle can also be encouraging, and this is what 355 00:19:14,840 --> 00:19:17,000 the preacher continues to address. 356 00:19:17,720 --> 00:19:21,080 He tells us that the struggle against sin, which he now begins 357 00:19:21,080 --> 00:19:24,120 to talk about in the lens of suffering and discipline. 358 00:19:24,120 --> 00:19:27,680 In verse seven, he tells us that it's there for our benefit to 359 00:19:27,680 --> 00:19:31,370 instruct and train us. Now I want to be clear, Does 360 00:19:31,370 --> 00:19:36,250 this mean that all suffering we face in life is because God just 361 00:19:36,250 --> 00:19:38,690 has some specific lesson he's trying to teach us? 362 00:19:39,850 --> 00:19:42,570 Some. Some of that can't happen, so. 363 00:19:42,570 --> 00:19:44,010 So there's nothing wrong with asking that question. 364 00:19:44,010 --> 00:19:46,370 But I've seen people get, as Kevin would say, wrapped around 365 00:19:46,370 --> 00:19:48,730 the axle, axle, the phrase I've stolen from them. 366 00:19:49,330 --> 00:19:51,850 Just trying to figure out like what is God teaching me in that 367 00:19:52,050 --> 00:19:55,210 sometimes life sucks, sometimes the world's broken and sometimes 368 00:19:55,210 --> 00:19:57,570 you just got a flat tire because you got a flat tire. 369 00:19:58,370 --> 00:20:00,730 Right. Like in it and OK, like, it can 370 00:20:00,730 --> 00:20:04,610 remind us that the world is broken, that come quickly, 371 00:20:04,610 --> 00:20:06,930 Jesus, fix the mass. But it's not like he's 372 00:20:06,930 --> 00:20:09,090 specifically like, well, you did this, and so let me teach you 373 00:20:09,090 --> 00:20:12,370 this lesson. See, there are many forms of 374 00:20:12,370 --> 00:20:16,690 suffering that the Christian faces, and we have to be careful 375 00:20:16,690 --> 00:20:19,530 to not, like, put all suffering in the same category. 376 00:20:19,650 --> 00:20:22,210 There are times where God will use things to kind of get our 377 00:20:22,210 --> 00:20:24,530 attention. But but in this specific 378 00:20:24,530 --> 00:20:27,370 instance, he's talking about just training and the suffering 379 00:20:27,370 --> 00:20:29,730 that we face as pressures from the world. 380 00:20:30,450 --> 00:20:33,770 See, the reason behind all suffering is not the same. 381 00:20:35,090 --> 00:20:38,810 But by God's grace, we can be confident that the result of all 382 00:20:38,810 --> 00:20:43,970 suffering is the same, which is our good and God's glory. 383 00:20:44,410 --> 00:20:47,880 We can trust him with that. And so in this passage, as we 384 00:20:47,880 --> 00:20:50,920 talk about the resistance against sin, the pressures we 385 00:20:50,920 --> 00:20:54,520 face, the temptations we wage, war against, the attacks from 386 00:20:54,520 --> 00:20:57,480 the enemy on ourselves or our friends or our family. 387 00:20:57,600 --> 00:21:01,520 Our preacher is saying, hey, that suffering you're resisting. 388 00:21:01,520 --> 00:21:05,160 The tension that you feel you live in, It is not meaningless. 389 00:21:05,520 --> 00:21:10,240 It is a form of instruction, and it actually has eternal value. 390 00:21:11,520 --> 00:21:14,760 It's this idea of a trainer putting an athlete through a 391 00:21:14,760 --> 00:21:18,120 grueling workout so they can be more prepared on game day. 392 00:21:18,880 --> 00:21:22,280 It is the picture of a teacher giving out homework or a pop 393 00:21:22,280 --> 00:21:26,080 quiz so the student can be prepared for the upcoming test. 394 00:21:27,160 --> 00:21:32,080 Every single bit of suffering in your life is promised to not be 395 00:21:32,280 --> 00:21:35,960 wasted. And this specific type of 396 00:21:35,960 --> 00:21:41,220 suffering is promised to train us and educate us for our 397 00:21:41,220 --> 00:21:47,340 benefit so that we might be more like Christ, sharing in His 398 00:21:47,340 --> 00:21:50,940 Holiness this, this progressive sanctification as we are 399 00:21:50,940 --> 00:21:53,180 transformed from 1 degree of glory to another. 400 00:21:53,180 --> 00:21:56,260 We say sin begins to fall off because we say our eyes have 401 00:21:56,260 --> 00:21:57,700 been open. That is the way to death. 402 00:21:57,700 --> 00:22:00,340 This is the way to life. It's not just like oh don't do 403 00:22:00,340 --> 00:22:01,620 that. I really want to, but I can't. 404 00:22:01,620 --> 00:22:03,260 But rather like no, that's death. 405 00:22:03,420 --> 00:22:10,770 This is life, and we are formed and instructed as we endure and 406 00:22:10,770 --> 00:22:13,570 trust God. It's what the Apostle Paul tells 407 00:22:13,570 --> 00:22:17,930 us in his letter to Titus. He says for the grace of God has 408 00:22:17,930 --> 00:22:18,930 appeared. What does it do? 409 00:22:18,930 --> 00:22:21,250 It brings salvation for all people. 410 00:22:21,570 --> 00:22:24,010 And what does it then do? It instructs us to deny 411 00:22:24,010 --> 00:22:26,810 godlessness and worldly lust and to live. 412 00:22:27,050 --> 00:22:31,650 Isn't this a beautiful life in a sensible, righteous and godly 413 00:22:31,650 --> 00:22:34,730 way? In the present age, while we 414 00:22:34,730 --> 00:22:40,030 wait for the blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our 415 00:22:40,030 --> 00:22:44,310 great God and Savior Jesus Christ, He gave himself. 416 00:22:44,310 --> 00:22:48,790 He sacrificed for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and it 417 00:22:48,790 --> 00:22:51,790 cleanse for himself. Listen to this identity of 418 00:22:51,790 --> 00:22:56,070 people for his own possession, eager, flowing from who we are 419 00:22:56,070 --> 00:23:01,670 to do good works. So this struggle encourages us 420 00:23:01,670 --> 00:23:05,070 because it trains us. It has value, but that's just a 421 00:23:05,070 --> 00:23:07,830 piece of it. If that's all that was, we would 422 00:23:07,830 --> 00:23:10,630 just get tired and burn out. I promise you, I've tried to 423 00:23:10,630 --> 00:23:13,310 live where I'm just going to do big things for God. 424 00:23:14,790 --> 00:23:17,550 The author of Hebrews gives a much greater reason, and what he 425 00:23:17,550 --> 00:23:21,590 spends more time on is why our struggle can be encouraging, has 426 00:23:21,590 --> 00:23:27,030 less to do with our activity and more to do with our identity, he 427 00:23:27,030 --> 00:23:29,510 says. The reason we can be encouraged 428 00:23:29,870 --> 00:23:35,130 in the midst of our struggle is that it is evidence that we are 429 00:23:35,130 --> 00:23:40,290 God's sons and daughters. Culturally. 430 00:23:40,290 --> 00:23:43,890 In the time this was written, fathers only took time to 431 00:23:43,890 --> 00:23:48,210 educate their legitimate sons. They were the ones seen to have 432 00:23:48,210 --> 00:23:51,370 value, to carry the family name, and so that's how it was done. 433 00:23:52,850 --> 00:23:55,970 But what he does is he he's not. The preacher is not excusing 434 00:23:55,970 --> 00:24:00,050 this practice, but he is using it as an example to make his 435 00:24:00,050 --> 00:24:02,780 point. Because for a child to be 436 00:24:02,780 --> 00:24:07,500 educated was a privilege that was only reserved for the men, 437 00:24:07,500 --> 00:24:10,700 the boys of society and the legitimate boys, the ones that 438 00:24:10,700 --> 00:24:13,380 the father wants to. And he says, under the gospel 439 00:24:13,380 --> 00:24:18,460 ends, everyone through Christ has a privilege to be educated 440 00:24:18,620 --> 00:24:24,210 as a son and as a daughter. You get that right For a child 441 00:24:24,210 --> 00:24:28,810 not to be educated, not to be given the time and energy to to 442 00:24:28,810 --> 00:24:31,130 just to be discipled and instructed and trained, which 443 00:24:31,130 --> 00:24:33,730 takes a lot of work. That was evidence that they were 444 00:24:33,730 --> 00:24:35,690 illegitimate. You could literally, in this 445 00:24:35,690 --> 00:24:38,650 culture look at a kid and say we know he's not really his because 446 00:24:38,650 --> 00:24:40,690 that father just kind of ignores them. 447 00:24:40,690 --> 00:24:43,690 Maybe he was born by some slave or something like that. 448 00:24:44,770 --> 00:24:46,690 And even today we understand this right? 449 00:24:46,690 --> 00:24:48,890 It might not be that extreme, but I'm not going to get onto 450 00:24:48,890 --> 00:24:50,370 your kid the same way I get on my own. 451 00:24:50,800 --> 00:24:52,840 And if you get onto my kid the same way you get onto your own, 452 00:24:52,840 --> 00:24:54,880 I'm going to be a little upset. Like let's be real. 453 00:24:54,880 --> 00:24:56,520 The other day someone was running on their communion 454 00:24:56,520 --> 00:24:58,640 table. One of our kids that just and 455 00:24:58,800 --> 00:25:01,640 about, like, grabbed it was like, hey, and then I was like, 456 00:25:01,640 --> 00:25:03,760 oh, that's not mine. All right, back up. 457 00:25:03,880 --> 00:25:07,360 Hey, you wanna let's let's get away from that. 458 00:25:07,360 --> 00:25:10,680 Right. Like, we recognize that because 459 00:25:10,680 --> 00:25:13,040 I've I've earned the trust. And again this isn't excusing. 460 00:25:13,040 --> 00:25:15,080 Like I there's times I have to apologize to my kids because 461 00:25:15,080 --> 00:25:16,760 it's not. I'm not instructing them 462 00:25:16,760 --> 00:25:18,040 rightly. I don't always have good 463 00:25:18,040 --> 00:25:22,640 motives. But there should be a care and 464 00:25:22,640 --> 00:25:26,000 sincerity and energy with which I instruct my own sons and 465 00:25:26,000 --> 00:25:28,840 daughters. God has given them to me to do 466 00:25:28,840 --> 00:25:31,440 that. And the author uses this earthly 467 00:25:31,440 --> 00:25:34,720 example to remind us that the reason your your struggle and 468 00:25:34,720 --> 00:25:37,280 your suffering can be encouraging is that it is 469 00:25:37,320 --> 00:25:39,160 evidence you have a new identity. 470 00:25:39,840 --> 00:25:45,320 Being educated by the Creator of the universe is a privilege, not 471 00:25:45,320 --> 00:25:48,720 a negative thing. Through Christ you've received 472 00:25:48,720 --> 00:25:52,280 the right to be heirs, sons and daughters of God, receiving all 473 00:25:52,280 --> 00:25:54,680 the privileges therein, including the privilege of 474 00:25:54,680 --> 00:25:58,360 learning obedience through suffering, like Christ did. 475 00:25:58,640 --> 00:26:01,880 The privilege of being parented and instructed by a perfectly 476 00:26:01,880 --> 00:26:03,600 good parent. Because when we talk about 477 00:26:03,600 --> 00:26:06,600 discipline of parents, the reason sometimes we struggle 478 00:26:06,600 --> 00:26:10,040 with this thought is because we might have had over, we might 479 00:26:10,040 --> 00:26:12,350 have had the abuse of discipline, we might have had 480 00:26:12,350 --> 00:26:13,670 parents that didn't do this right. 481 00:26:13,670 --> 00:26:16,990 And he acknowledges this. He says earthly parents instruct 482 00:26:16,990 --> 00:26:20,510 for a short time based on what seems good to them. 483 00:26:21,030 --> 00:26:24,150 And sometimes what what seems good to a parent in the moment 484 00:26:24,150 --> 00:26:25,350 is. You're getting on my nerves and 485 00:26:25,350 --> 00:26:28,230 I'm just going to yell at you. But that's not necessarily good 486 00:26:28,230 --> 00:26:31,830 for the child. But in Christ, through God the 487 00:26:31,830 --> 00:26:35,310 Father, we are parented by a perfect parent for our benefit, 488 00:26:35,310 --> 00:26:38,460 with perfect motives. He says, for your benefit so you 489 00:26:38,460 --> 00:26:43,020 can share in my holiness. That's wild, guys. 490 00:26:43,900 --> 00:26:48,260 We don't deserve that. God's motives are always 491 00:26:48,260 --> 00:26:50,700 perfect. He's never instructing you 492 00:26:50,700 --> 00:26:54,020 because you get on his nerves because you got out of bed for 493 00:26:54,020 --> 00:26:56,460 the 20th time. That's not God. 494 00:26:56,460 --> 00:26:58,900 He's not getting on to you because he's petty and you 495 00:26:58,900 --> 00:27:01,060 showed out in front of his friends, and so he wants to let 496 00:27:01,060 --> 00:27:02,940 his friends know that I really am a disciplinarian. 497 00:27:03,060 --> 00:27:06,420 So let me chew my kid out. That's not God. 498 00:27:06,420 --> 00:27:10,820 He's not petty like that. He's a perfectly good father who 499 00:27:10,820 --> 00:27:15,060 has promised to work all things together for our good, even when 500 00:27:15,060 --> 00:27:19,820 it seems painful in the moment. You might remember back in 501 00:27:19,820 --> 00:27:23,900 chapter 5, the preacher of Hebrews told us that Jesus 502 00:27:23,900 --> 00:27:29,820 himself as God's Son in a sense learned obedience through what 503 00:27:29,820 --> 00:27:34,100 he suffered became complete and we are invited into the same 504 00:27:34,100 --> 00:27:37,390 privilege. Just as a child receives all the 505 00:27:37,390 --> 00:27:40,630 privileges of family when they are adopted into a family, 506 00:27:40,630 --> 00:27:43,830 including the privilege of being guided, instructed and 507 00:27:43,830 --> 00:27:47,150 disciplined, so too do we receive these privileges when we 508 00:27:47,150 --> 00:27:48,750 are welcomed into the family of God. 509 00:27:49,830 --> 00:27:53,070 And it's not always enjoyable in the moment, actually, he says no 510 00:27:53,070 --> 00:27:55,030 discipline is enjoyable in the moment. 511 00:27:55,390 --> 00:27:56,950 The scriptures are honest about it. 512 00:27:57,930 --> 00:28:00,250 He even uses the word. It says punishes. 513 00:28:00,250 --> 00:28:03,770 In the CSB. The root word there is scourge. 514 00:28:03,770 --> 00:28:05,770 OK? It's not that God is physically 515 00:28:05,770 --> 00:28:07,130 beating us or that's the attitude. 516 00:28:07,370 --> 00:28:11,610 It's this idea of cutting deep into the recesses of our hearts 517 00:28:11,970 --> 00:28:14,690 that only a father could see what's really going on. 518 00:28:15,370 --> 00:28:17,650 Maybe you said that someone pointed out a blind spot in your 519 00:28:17,650 --> 00:28:20,890 life and you're like, ooh, that cut deep, right? 520 00:28:20,890 --> 00:28:23,690 Like you got me there. But you're grateful for that. 521 00:28:24,500 --> 00:28:27,780 He's looking deep into our soul and and forming and shaping us 522 00:28:27,780 --> 00:28:31,940 because he loves you too much to let you run to what can hurt 523 00:28:31,940 --> 00:28:34,740 you. And the reason we're grateful is 524 00:28:34,740 --> 00:28:39,060 in the end, all of this works to produce the fruit of peace that 525 00:28:39,060 --> 00:28:43,820 comes from righteousness. We can't fully understand all of 526 00:28:43,820 --> 00:28:46,980 this like you can. You can go all day trying to 527 00:28:46,980 --> 00:28:48,540 figure out why is this suffering happening? 528 00:28:48,620 --> 00:28:50,300 What is the reason for this And not? 529 00:28:50,300 --> 00:28:52,570 And I don't even think we're called that. 530 00:28:52,570 --> 00:28:56,050 We're called to trust that our struggles against sin and 531 00:28:56,050 --> 00:28:59,890 suffering in this life, as we seek to remain faithful, will 532 00:28:59,890 --> 00:29:05,770 only serve to bring about us a peace that passes understanding. 533 00:29:06,690 --> 00:29:08,370 And yes, this means it takes time. 534 00:29:08,370 --> 00:29:13,970 There's a reason the analogy here is fruit takes time. 535 00:29:14,370 --> 00:29:18,010 Fruit is not grown overnight. In fact, much of what prepares 536 00:29:18,010 --> 00:29:22,970 the way for fruit to be born is invisible to the naked eye, most 537 00:29:22,970 --> 00:29:25,890 of its roots burying deep underground that God might be 538 00:29:25,890 --> 00:29:30,250 doing in your life. But like a football team working 539 00:29:30,250 --> 00:29:35,730 out for results they won't see for months, like a friend 540 00:29:35,730 --> 00:29:40,090 disciplining someone over coffee over the course of years, like a 541 00:29:40,090 --> 00:29:44,130 teacher investing into a new, wideeyed classroom of students, 542 00:29:44,290 --> 00:29:48,330 eventually Fruit fruit will come forth. 543 00:29:48,650 --> 00:29:51,260 And when it does, it's beautiful. 544 00:29:52,100 --> 00:29:54,940 This is the way Peter talks about it In First, Peter won six 545 00:29:54,940 --> 00:29:57,220 and seven. He says, you rejoice in this, 546 00:29:57,220 --> 00:30:00,820 even though now, for a short time if necessary, you suffer 547 00:30:00,820 --> 00:30:05,100 grief in various trials so that the proven character of your 548 00:30:05,100 --> 00:30:08,460 faith more valuable than gold, which though perishable is 549 00:30:08,460 --> 00:30:12,820 refined by fire, may result in praise, glory and honor at the 550 00:30:12,820 --> 00:30:18,330 revelation of Jesus Christ. And when I I get the privilege 551 00:30:18,370 --> 00:30:23,610 of of sitting back and watching someone who has been matured 552 00:30:23,610 --> 00:30:28,290 through suffering and in the midst of trials, they experience 553 00:30:28,370 --> 00:30:32,330 a peace and a trust that I don't mean it's always pretty. 554 00:30:32,690 --> 00:30:34,890 I don't mean it's like, yeah, God's gonna work this out. 555 00:30:34,890 --> 00:30:35,970 And like, we don't even really mean it. 556 00:30:35,970 --> 00:30:39,130 We're trying to commit, but like this, this deep rooted in their 557 00:30:39,130 --> 00:30:43,600 bones, like this, trust joy on their face. 558 00:30:43,600 --> 00:30:48,280 Because fruit has been born and in the struggle against sin, God 559 00:30:48,280 --> 00:30:52,520 has kept and sustained them. And if you ever get the 560 00:30:52,520 --> 00:30:55,840 privilege to talk to these people, what's incredible is 561 00:30:55,840 --> 00:30:59,280 you're not going to hear about a story of someone who figured out 562 00:30:59,280 --> 00:31:02,960 life, who had enough discipline and who kind of just got it all 563 00:31:02,960 --> 00:31:05,480 right and checked all the boxes and now made it to the end 564 00:31:05,480 --> 00:31:09,280 unscathed. That is not the story you hear 565 00:31:09,280 --> 00:31:12,000 of someone who has deep peace in the midst of trials. 566 00:31:13,370 --> 00:31:16,810 You'll hear story of men and women who tell you it's grace 567 00:31:17,290 --> 00:31:22,370 upon grace upon grace. I've got knocked down, I've got 568 00:31:22,370 --> 00:31:26,970 beat up, and all I could do was lift my weary head to the one 569 00:31:26,970 --> 00:31:31,170 who won the battle for me, which is what spurs us to press on, 570 00:31:31,170 --> 00:31:33,250 not in our own strength, but in his. 571 00:31:34,090 --> 00:31:36,810 And even when we do grow weary and we do give up, which 572 00:31:36,810 --> 00:31:41,010 happens, Jesus picks us back up and carries us back on the path. 573 00:31:42,220 --> 00:31:43,820 This is the point of the passage anyways. 574 00:31:44,300 --> 00:31:46,300 It's not about you figuring it out and having enough 575 00:31:46,300 --> 00:31:48,580 discipline. I promise you, it is all about 576 00:31:48,660 --> 00:31:51,500 Jesus. He's the one we're told to look 577 00:31:51,500 --> 00:31:54,380 to, the one to consider. He's the Prince of peace, the 578 00:31:54,380 --> 00:31:57,340 son of righteousness who has risen with healing in his wings. 579 00:31:57,340 --> 00:31:59,580 That's why you hear about joints that are knocked out of place 580 00:31:59,580 --> 00:32:02,700 like it's this cross sometimes. And it is looking to him because 581 00:32:02,700 --> 00:32:06,300 healing will come. He will care for us and bind us 582 00:32:06,300 --> 00:32:07,900 up in the midst of our struggles. 583 00:32:08,620 --> 00:32:11,540 He's not aloof. He's not like someone who's off 584 00:32:11,540 --> 00:32:15,620 to the side and doesn't get it. He left a a throne of perfection 585 00:32:15,740 --> 00:32:20,100 and entered into our struggle, took on flesh, took on humanity. 586 00:32:20,300 --> 00:32:23,700 Fully God, yet fully human, surrendering to His Father's 587 00:32:23,700 --> 00:32:27,140 will. And unlike us, he never grew 588 00:32:27,140 --> 00:32:30,980 weary. He never gave up in the 589 00:32:30,980 --> 00:32:33,420 wilderness, facing the temptation against sin. 590 00:32:33,540 --> 00:32:35,100 Bow to me, I'll give you everything. 591 00:32:35,100 --> 00:32:39,120 The world at his feet. And as the better Adam and the 592 00:32:39,120 --> 00:32:43,520 better Israel, he stays faithful all the way, even to death. 593 00:32:44,560 --> 00:32:48,680 The enemy was attacking him. He became the true son, who was 594 00:32:48,880 --> 00:32:52,720 punished for our iniquities, who actually was scourged and and 595 00:32:52,720 --> 00:32:56,160 bore our transgressions, who was physically cut deep. 596 00:32:56,920 --> 00:33:00,240 And it's through his stripes that we receive healing for our 597 00:33:00,240 --> 00:33:06,680 tired hands and our weak knees. And when all was said and done, 598 00:33:07,960 --> 00:33:14,120 when sin had done its worst with the God man, Christ Jesus, what 599 00:33:14,120 --> 00:33:15,560 does he do? He gives up his life. 600 00:33:16,760 --> 00:33:18,680 He trusts. He doesn't try to fix it. 601 00:33:18,680 --> 00:33:21,440 He says, You know what? Into your hands, Father. 602 00:33:22,360 --> 00:33:27,760 I give you my spirits. And he prays and he trusts God 603 00:33:27,760 --> 00:33:31,920 to complete the work. He obeys, just leaves the 604 00:33:31,920 --> 00:33:36,240 results, knowing that his suffering would not be wasted, 605 00:33:36,920 --> 00:33:40,320 that his resistance against sin, even to the point of shedding 606 00:33:40,320 --> 00:33:45,640 blood, would change the course of humanity, and he laid in a 607 00:33:45,640 --> 00:33:49,360 tomb for three days resting in peace. 608 00:33:50,640 --> 00:33:54,440 But in that tomb of death, God was laying down the roots 609 00:33:54,440 --> 00:33:57,560 necessary to bring forth the fruit of life. 610 00:33:58,760 --> 00:34:02,080 And even though his journey was painful, the joy set before him, 611 00:34:02,080 --> 00:34:04,920 he endured the cross. It was an endurance. 612 00:34:05,300 --> 00:34:08,420 Even though he entered into our suffering on that Sunday 613 00:34:08,420 --> 00:34:11,460 morning, the earth gives way to resurrection hope. 614 00:34:12,139 --> 00:34:14,739 His surrender to suffering produces the fruit of 615 00:34:14,739 --> 00:34:17,820 righteousness in you if you trust in his life, death, 616 00:34:17,820 --> 00:34:21,179 burial, and resurrection. And the empty tomb stands to 617 00:34:21,179 --> 00:34:24,540 serve as a witness. That suffering may endure for a 618 00:34:24,540 --> 00:34:30,179 night, and it might seem like a long night, but joy comes in the 619 00:34:30,179 --> 00:34:34,219 morning. This is the one we look to. 620 00:34:34,380 --> 00:34:37,500 This is the good news. It's all we have to offer as 621 00:34:37,500 --> 00:34:39,940 Christians. It's not about measuring up. 622 00:34:39,940 --> 00:34:42,580 It's looking to the life, death, barrel, and resurrection of 623 00:34:42,659 --> 00:34:45,820 Jesus. And that is what begins to 624 00:34:45,820 --> 00:34:50,300 produce in us. Peace in the midst of suffering, 625 00:34:52,020 --> 00:34:55,150 looking to him. The one who started your faith, 626 00:34:55,150 --> 00:34:57,630 The Founder, the one who's gonna finish it. 627 00:34:57,630 --> 00:35:01,750 You can't do it on your own. The one who who did not call us 628 00:35:01,750 --> 00:35:05,350 to a struggle against sin without first facing it himself 629 00:35:05,470 --> 00:35:10,590 and beating sin and it is gazing upon him, is what actually 630 00:35:10,710 --> 00:35:15,630 transforms us to be a people who began to appreciate the 631 00:35:15,630 --> 00:35:18,230 instruction and discipline of God in our lives. 632 00:35:20,230 --> 00:35:24,240 This is why he ends all of this with a call to the Church, to 633 00:35:24,240 --> 00:35:29,040 care for each other. He calls us to strengthen tired 634 00:35:29,040 --> 00:35:34,480 hands and weakened knees, to walk in straight paths as we 635 00:35:34,480 --> 00:35:40,560 await final healing. And it's not like someone 636 00:35:40,560 --> 00:35:43,080 flippantly telling you when life has knocked you down, like, hey, 637 00:35:43,080 --> 00:35:44,840 keep your head up, son. You'll be fine. 638 00:35:45,440 --> 00:35:47,080 Like, you even know what I'm walking through right now. 639 00:35:47,080 --> 00:35:50,620 Like, that's not it. It's more like the old battle 640 00:35:50,620 --> 00:35:55,260 scarred warrior with bruises and scars still on their body coming 641 00:35:55,260 --> 00:35:59,180 to you and your weakness. You look them in the eyes and 642 00:35:59,180 --> 00:36:02,220 you can tell they know what you're going through, she says. 643 00:36:02,220 --> 00:36:07,140 Hey, hope awaits. Healing is coming, so take 644 00:36:07,140 --> 00:36:11,260 heart, take heart. These verses here, they are a 645 00:36:11,260 --> 00:36:14,580 communal corporate call. We love to interpret everything 646 00:36:14,580 --> 00:36:17,100 through the lens of individuals because we're Americans. 647 00:36:17,530 --> 00:36:20,690 But the reality is this is to the church together. 648 00:36:20,690 --> 00:36:22,890 Y'all strengthen your tired hands. 649 00:36:22,890 --> 00:36:26,130 Y'all strengthen your weary knees. 650 00:36:26,730 --> 00:36:30,410 We can't do this alone. We need each other to remind us 651 00:36:30,410 --> 00:36:34,090 of the good news of Jesus. He's actually quoting from 652 00:36:34,210 --> 00:36:37,120 Isaiah 35. I'm going to read the passage. 653 00:36:37,120 --> 00:36:38,720 It's a little bit lengthy, but look at it with me. 654 00:36:38,720 --> 00:36:40,440 Isaiah 35. It'll be on the screens. 655 00:36:40,440 --> 00:36:44,160 It says strengthen the weak hands, steady the shaking knees. 656 00:36:44,360 --> 00:36:47,040 Say to the cowardly, be strong, Do not fear. 657 00:36:47,080 --> 00:36:50,520 Why? Here is your God. 658 00:36:51,040 --> 00:36:54,760 Vengeance is coming. God's retribution is coming. 659 00:36:54,800 --> 00:36:57,280 We normally see this negative. He's like, yo, hey, he's going 660 00:36:57,280 --> 00:36:59,600 to put all things to right. He's going to end it. 661 00:36:59,720 --> 00:37:02,440 He will save you. Look at the vision. 662 00:37:02,440 --> 00:37:05,320 Then the eyes of the blind will be open, the ears of the deaf 663 00:37:05,520 --> 00:37:08,160 unstopped. The lame will leap like a deer. 664 00:37:08,160 --> 00:37:10,280 The tongue of the mute will sing for joy. 665 00:37:10,440 --> 00:37:13,400 Water will gush in the wilderness and streams in the 666 00:37:13,400 --> 00:37:16,680 desert. A road will be there and away it 667 00:37:16,680 --> 00:37:20,640 will be called the Holy Way. We get to share in His Holiness. 668 00:37:21,320 --> 00:37:24,720 The unclean will not travel on it, but it will be for the one 669 00:37:24,720 --> 00:37:27,320 who walks the path. Fools will not wonder on it. 670 00:37:27,440 --> 00:37:30,850 There will be no lie in there. We do not have to be sober 671 00:37:30,850 --> 00:37:32,530 minded. We can rest. 672 00:37:33,010 --> 00:37:35,050 No vicious beast will go up on it. 673 00:37:35,250 --> 00:37:37,650 They will not be found there. But who will be on it? 674 00:37:37,770 --> 00:37:42,330 The redeemed will walk on it and the ransom that the Lord will 675 00:37:42,330 --> 00:37:47,010 return and come to Zion with singing crowned with unending 676 00:37:47,130 --> 00:37:49,530 joy. I love this line right here. 677 00:37:49,530 --> 00:37:52,490 Joy and gladness will just overtake them. 678 00:37:53,220 --> 00:37:55,180 You can't like just let me be happy. 679 00:37:55,180 --> 00:37:59,460 Like no just overtakes us. And sorrow and sighing will 680 00:37:59,460 --> 00:38:02,620 flee. When you walk in at the end of 681 00:38:02,620 --> 00:38:07,500 the day and you're just like, oh, you feel the deep sorrow 682 00:38:07,500 --> 00:38:10,860 because there's pain or grief or death or whatever you're walking 683 00:38:10,860 --> 00:38:14,940 through. Just those deep size of longing. 684 00:38:14,940 --> 00:38:18,740 They will flee and run because there's no room for them. 685 00:38:19,600 --> 00:38:24,920 And you're suffering, no matter how big, no matter how small, in 686 00:38:24,920 --> 00:38:27,120 ways that you could never see or know. 687 00:38:27,120 --> 00:38:31,520 It is working. A weight of glory that cannot be 688 00:38:31,520 --> 00:38:33,560 compared with the depths of your suffering. 689 00:38:34,640 --> 00:38:37,080 And as I've said, that doesn't minimize the depths of your 690 00:38:37,080 --> 00:38:39,760 suffering. It maximizes the height of 691 00:38:39,760 --> 00:38:42,480 glory. Healing will come. 692 00:38:42,600 --> 00:38:47,080 Hope does await. We are awaiting to return to the 693 00:38:47,080 --> 00:38:52,140 city of the Living God that has been designed for us, where 694 00:38:52,140 --> 00:38:56,140 we'll walk in the holy way, made righteous by Christ alone. 695 00:38:56,420 --> 00:38:59,580 Singing songs that sometimes you come here and you're like, I 696 00:38:59,580 --> 00:39:01,180 don't feel like singing today. That's OK. 697 00:39:01,380 --> 00:39:04,300 But then we will sing. We will be crowned with an 698 00:39:04,300 --> 00:39:10,820 ending joy. So yes, sometimes the Christian 699 00:39:10,820 --> 00:39:14,260 life feels a lot less like winning a first round knockout 700 00:39:14,260 --> 00:39:17,250 victory and more like Rocky, right? 701 00:39:17,250 --> 00:39:19,970 Just trying to go 12 rounds. Like getting beat up left and 702 00:39:19,970 --> 00:39:22,010 right, just trying to stay in it. 703 00:39:22,330 --> 00:39:24,290 Survive. Is it 1512? 704 00:39:24,290 --> 00:39:27,970 I don't know. But strengthen your tired hands 705 00:39:27,970 --> 00:39:32,530 and weaken knees, because Jesus has won the fight against sin. 706 00:39:33,610 --> 00:39:37,370 You are God's sons and daughters and he will bring you to the 707 00:39:37,370 --> 00:39:44,700 finish line. Joy comes in the morning as we 708 00:39:44,700 --> 00:39:47,060 closed band. You can start making your way up 709 00:39:47,060 --> 00:39:49,420 or whoever's coming up to sing and play. 710 00:39:50,180 --> 00:39:52,820 I'm going to read for us right before we go into communion from 711 00:39:52,820 --> 00:39:56,260 2nd Corinthians 4, seven through 18. 712 00:39:56,260 --> 00:40:00,700 And I just want you to to receive this and says, now we 713 00:40:00,700 --> 00:40:05,620 have this treasure in clay jars so that this extraordinary power 714 00:40:05,620 --> 00:40:11,020 may be from God and not from us. We are afflicted in every way, 715 00:40:11,700 --> 00:40:16,250 but not crushed. We are perplexed, but not in 716 00:40:16,250 --> 00:40:20,530 despair. We are persecuted, but not 717 00:40:20,530 --> 00:40:24,370 abandoned. We are struck down, but not 718 00:40:24,370 --> 00:40:27,810 destroyed. We always carry the death of 719 00:40:27,890 --> 00:40:33,250 Jesus in our body, so that the life of Jesus may also be 720 00:40:33,250 --> 00:40:37,610 displayed in our body. For we who live us are always 721 00:40:37,610 --> 00:40:41,320 being given over to death for Jesus's sake, so that Jesus's 722 00:40:41,320 --> 00:40:44,480 life may also be displayed in our mortal flesh. 723 00:40:44,480 --> 00:40:48,440 So then, death is at work in us, but life in you. 724 00:40:49,480 --> 00:40:52,280 And since we have the same spirit of faith in keeping with 725 00:40:52,280 --> 00:40:55,040 what is written, I believed, therefore I spoke. 726 00:40:55,040 --> 00:40:57,200 We also believe and therefore speak. 727 00:40:58,040 --> 00:41:01,040 Listen to this, for we know that the one who raised the Lord 728 00:41:01,040 --> 00:41:06,120 Jesus will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you. 729 00:41:07,240 --> 00:41:11,070 Indeed, everything is for your benefit, so that as grace 730 00:41:11,070 --> 00:41:14,310 extends through more and more people, this is bigger than just 731 00:41:14,310 --> 00:41:16,270 us. It may cause Thanksgiving to 732 00:41:16,270 --> 00:41:20,190 increase to the glory of God. Therefore, because of what God 733 00:41:20,190 --> 00:41:23,110 is doing in the world, we do not give up. 734 00:41:24,070 --> 00:41:27,270 Even though our outer person is being destroyed, our inner 735 00:41:27,270 --> 00:41:33,390 person is being renewed day by day, for our momentary light 736 00:41:33,510 --> 00:41:39,560 affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable 737 00:41:39,600 --> 00:41:44,680 eternal weight of glory. So we do not focus on what is 738 00:41:44,680 --> 00:41:48,560 seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, 739 00:41:48,560 --> 00:41:51,080 but what is unseen is eternal.