Jesus' Lover

THEME: LEARNING FROM THE ROD OF GOD

TOPIC: THE PAIN OF CHASTISEMENT LEADING TO…

TITLE: GOD’S INTENTION VS. MAN’S DECISION

TEXT: HEBREWS 12

INTRODUCTION:

Heroes of Faith who have endured the rod of God ending up gloriously.

DEFINITION OF TERMS:

Chastening versus Trials

Chastening is to have someone undergo correction, instruction and discipline, when chastening is given an offense has been committed. On the other hand, trials is different, trials is given even when there is no offense involve.

	Purpose	Goal
Chastening/ Rod of God	To discipline To execute judgment To learn the instruction And follow it	To become partakers of God’s glorious appearing, to become holy and worthy of God’s inheritance
Trials	To strengthen the faith To perfect the faith

i. Who receive God’s rod?

VERSE 5-6 – Legal son and or children: the heavenly Father favored His children so much the reason why it is God’s desire that every child of His must receive the rod in order for Him to bring them up righteously.

ii. Reason of God’s rod? VERSE 6 AND 10

a. The love of God is God’s first and foremost reason why He allowed us to experience His rod, it is important that as children we must see why we are being corrected not the pain we are experiencing.

b. When God received us into His family, we enjoy the privilege of son ship and at the same time the right of the Father to correct us and as His children receives the correction.

c. He wants us to be partakers of His holiness – as a member of God’s family, the rod of God is one of His means to lead us to holiness, it is not for His sake but for our own profit. A person who commits mistakes but never receives correction will never realize the consequence of the sins committed, he will learn to live without conviction and so sin becomes natural in him.

INSIGHT: God’s rod never go against His character, He doesn’t chasten just for the sake of fun, He doesn’t chasten because He just want to, He doesn’t chasten because He is angry, He doesn’t chasten because He favors the one and hated the other. God’s character is far different from that of human.

GOD’S ATTRIBUTES

MERCIFUL	FAITHFUL	RIGHTEOUS
FORGIVING	KIND	JUST
DOES NOT KEEP A RECORD OF WRONG

iii. What is God’s rod? Verse 11

a. Painful but promised a reward in the future – correction and discipline are indeed painful, it is the reality that encompasses in the “child – parent” relationship. A mistake will never be learned when we will never feel the pain of our own offense. Let’s look at Jesus, when the sins of the world were on HIS SHOULDER THE PAIN IS TOO GREAT TO BEAR, YET HE ENDURED IT. When Jesus endured the cross the future glory awaits Him and those who will endure with Him.

b. Leads a peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have trained by it – this is the ultimate goal of Christ: for us to become partakers of this righteousness because this is the ultimate goal of Jesus on His way to Calvary that all who will receive the righteous work of Christ may become righteous.

INSIGHT: God’s rod is to train and discipline those who are His, His rod doesn’t punish us for His enjoyment. He does not delight to see us suffer but He wants us to know realize every bit of mistakes so we can correct them ourselves.

iv. Two Kinds of Rod of God:

A. Child correction and training –

a. the purpose of this is for God’s children to learn the way of righteousness

b. To submit before the authority of God

c. For God’s children to learn God’s instruction and carry it over until fully accomplished.

B. Punishment upon rebels – this is a simple law of sowing and reaping, what you sow, you will reap the consequence. This applies to those who willfully disobey and reject God as stated in Leviticus 26.

INSIGHT: Remember there is blessing to those who obey and curse for those who disobey.

God’s intention is perfect; however the result is based on man’s decision.

GOD’S ROD MAY BE A FORM OF
LOSS – financial and material	OFFENSE	GOD’S ROD	LESSONS LEARNED
SAMSON Judges 16	Intermarry a non-Jew – he’s a Nazirite	Loss of strength, eyesight and his position	He acknowledged his strength was from the Lord, he was humbled to the point of death
PERSECUTIONS
JONAH Jonah	Disobedience to preach in Nineveh	Tempest, Swallowed by a big fish and stayed there for 3 days and 3 night Gourd that comforted him died	He knew that God is merciful, loving and just, but the Book of Jonah doesn’t have a clear ending as to Jonah’s acceptance of God’s correction, the book ends with God in His final words to JONAH

GOD’S ROD MAY BE A FORM OF
JUDGMENTS	OFFENSE	GOD’S ROD	LESSONS LEARNED
DAVID 2nd Samuel 11-12	Murder and adultery	Judgment on his entire family, death of David’s child with Bathsheba, wife taken from him, rebellion in his house	Confession of sins, accepted the judgment of God in his entire family, yet he considered it a blessing to suffer in God’s hands than from someone else.

v. EFFECTS OF LEARNING THE ROD OF GOD

a. Healing and restoration – verse 13 if we have accepted the rod of God, the bond of our connection is firmly established, we will be strengthened and healed by our infirmities because we have allowed God to mold us and shape us into something best than what we are settling in.

b. Behold the King of glory – verse 14 the rod of God which purges us to holiness is our means to behold and be with God.

c. A Christian under chastening must ask grace and strength from God in order to help him focus not on the pain but on the purpose and goal why God has allowed him to experience such rod.

d. Jesus Himself experienced the rod of God on our behalf, this rod was intended for mankind, but He endured the pain of the rod in order to accomplish the goal so that He and all who will partake in that rod will have a glorious reward.

vi. EFFECTS TO THOSE WHO REFUSE

a. Fall of the grace of God – we may not be able to meet the requirements set by God, it is important to follow the directions and instructions of God for living if not we are not in the right course.

b. Trouble – we will be in trouble with our relationship with God and with other people.

c. Defilement – our Robe of righteousness will be ruined because of our refusal to correction.

d. There are people who have experienced the rod of God but they never learned the lessons behind it, they are either too stubborn to obey or too proud to admit.

INSIGHT:

1. People are suffering because of their sins yet it’s so sad they still refuse to obey God.

2. Stubbornness will separate us from God, the same way the Israelites who died in the wilderness.

3. The rod of God is one way of showing His love towards His children the same way, His forgiveness, compassion and mercy.

4. The rod of God is His instrument to lead us to Him

5. There is blessing in learning from the rod of God and curse for those who reject its purpose.

6. In Psalms 23: 4, David said that, “Thy rod and thy staff comfort him,” David must’ve reached the level of faith and maturity which enables him to say that the mere presence of God’s rod comforts him. It’s better for him to experience the rod of God than suffer in the hands of humans for he has learned the lesson of God’s rod.