CHASTENING MAY SEEM GREVIOUS?
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
TEXT:
Proverbs 3:11 My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction:
Hebrews 12:5 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: 6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. 7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?
Hebrews 12:10 For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. 11 Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.
CAN WE UNDERSTAND OUR DEEPEST PROBLEMS ARE NOT ALL EXTERNAL, MOST ARE PROBLEMS GROW FROM INTERNAL ISSUES? OFTEN ARE EXTERNAL TRIALS AND PROBLEMS COME FROM DEEP ROOTED INTERNAL ISSUES THAT HAVE NEVER BEEN CORRECTED?
TWO KINDS OF DISCIPLINE:
DISCIPLINE: instruction, training that corrects, molds, or perfects the mental faculties or moral character, good discipline also trains by rewards and punishment and or penalize failure, control that is gained by requiring rules or orders be obeyed and punishing bad attiitudes or behavior, a way of behaving that shows a willingness to obey rules or orders, behavior that is judged by how well it follows a set of rules or orders…
God’s perfect plan realizes as IMMATURE CHILDREN we begin life as NO! NO! NO! But as we grow and develop there must be a PARADIGM SHIFT, A PATTERN CHANGE. There is a better plan than MOMMA CORRECTION!
1. DISCIPLINE BY OTHERS… EXTERNAL DISCIPLINE…
2. SELF DISCIPLINE… INTERNAL CORRECTION… self-control,
GOD’S HAS A PLAN, LET THE HOLY SPIRIT AND YOU LEARN TO BE SENSITIVE TO CORRECT YOURSELF ON THE INSIDE AND YOU WILL NOT HAVE TO BE CORRECT BY OTHERS…
One of Jesus’s last lessons left to his students dealt with THE GARDENER ABOUT THE ROLE OF DISCIPLINE. We need to be pruned and chastened.
HIDDEN SIN? GOD OFTEN HAS TO CORRECT HIS CHILREN, TO MOVE US FORWARD… WE MAY BE GOING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, BUT WE HAVE AN ATTITUDE THAT BECOMES AN OBSTACLE…
Psalm 44:21 Shall not God search this out? for he knoweth the secrets of the heart.
Psalm 44:21 (MSG) Wouldn't God have figured this out? We can't hide things from him.
Have you ever walked with a dog on a leash? You are really enjoying your walk. You and your dog are walking in the same direction. As you walk you come upon a telephone post, the dog goes around one side, and you are walking around the other side. Your walk comes to a sudden stop. While you are going the same direction the obstacle has brought you to a halt. THERE HAS TO BE A CORRECTION. One is going to have to back up? Or you will have to pull the leash --- BUT THE CORRECTION WILL HAVE TO PUT YOU ON THE SAME SIDE OF THE POLE, TOGETHER. It is not just you are going the same direction, you must remove the obstacle that has come between…
WE UNDERSTAND WE MUST WALK THE SAME DIRECTION WITH GOD, BUT WE MUST UNDERSTAND THE PULL ON OUR HEART STRING THAT TO PROCEED ON WITH GOD’S PLAN WE MUST LEARN THE TUG MAY SEEM TO JERK US BACKWARD TO CORRECT AND OVER COME THE OBSTACLE BETWEEN US? God’s plan and tug in our heart and spirit will not only keep us moving in the right direction, but we may have to move in a direction contrary to our expectation to keep us moving forward with Jesus.
IT TAKES MORE THAN LOVING PLANTS TO BE A GOOD GARDENER… YOU MUST HATE WEEDS AND YOU MUST UNDERSTAND PRUNING…
Jesus will soon be hanging and dying on the cross, his students just could not accept the plan of suffering. So Jesus teaches a new lesson that farmers understood… WE MUST GROW AND GROW TO BE MORE LIKE JESUS… BUT RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF HIS LESSON, JESSUS SHIFTS GEARS AND TAUGHT A LESSON ON PRUNING… IF WE ARE GOING TO BEAR MUCH FRUIT WE HAVE TO BE CORRECTED… WILD GROWTH WILL LIMIT FRUITFULNESS… We have to submit to pruning to have the BEST FRUIT PRODUCTION…
John 15:1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. 2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. 3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. 5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. 6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. 8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. 9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. 10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.
DO WE REALLY UNDERSTAND THE ROLE OF LOVE IN RELATIONSHIP TO DISCIPLINE, PRUNING AND CORRECTION? WILL WE INVITE THE HOLY SPIRIT TO CORRECT US?
Psalm 139:23 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: 24 And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
Psalm 139:23 (MSG) Investigate my life, O God, find out everything about me; Cross-examine and test me, get a clear picture of what I'm about; 24 See for yourself whether I've done anything wrong— then guide me on the road to eternal life.
CONCLUSION: The role of PRUNING? Can we understand the beauty of the rod of correction: NO FRUIT, FRUIT, MORE FRUIT, MUCH FRUIT. (John 15) IN LOVE THE LORD DEALS WITH US… CORRECTION TAKES TOTAL SUBMISSION, STRENGTHENING. THERE ARE ETERNAL BENEFITS TO SELF-DISCIPLINE THAT WILL LIFT THE SPIRIT AND RENEW YOUR MIND TO CREATE A NEW HEART AND MIND…
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
Romans 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
