Sermon Note

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Miracle Grow: Through Discipline By Pastor Jay Henderson July 30, 2017 Hebrews 12:4-13

Good morning. Our scripture this morning is found in Hebrews 12:4-13. It’s found on page 1877 in your Pew Bible. And as you turn there, I will remind you that we are in the middle of our sermon series “Miracle Grow.” And today we’re exploring how God helps us grow through “Discipline.” (Read scripture) The word of God, for the people of God, thanks be to God. Now as we already stated, the subject for today is Discipline. And I’m going to be honest with you, this isn’t exactly a fun subject. How on earth should we talk about receiving discipline from God? Because I’m just going to put this out there – there are a lot of really bad ways to interpret this passage we just read. I think many of us have had that experience during a crisis where we encounter some well-meaning Christian who wants so desperately to say something profound. And they’ll bust out the classic “One-Line Hurtful Statements of Bad Theology.” You know the ones – “Everything happens for a reason” “It’s all part of God’s plan” or “God’s Just Testing You.” I know people are just trying to find meaning in the midst of crisis. And we do believe that our God is all-powerful. But is it really the will of God that your baby dies or your mom gets cancer so that you can, what, grow stronger in your faith? My heavens. I heard this week about an individual who lost an arm in a horrible accident, and somebody in their church told them that it must have happened because of unconfessed sin. Now, sin is nothing to wink at. But that, to me, is a heartbreaking way to interpret a tragedy. However… however… if we’re going to be honest, after reading the passage we just read from Hebrews, can’t you see their train of thought? I can see where they’re picking that up. The author of Hebrews, who is actually quoting Proverbs 3, kind of makes it sound like anytime we’re suffering, it’s because God is punishing us. And apparently God’s punishing us because God loves us? I don’t know about you, but I have a hard time with that. That doesn’t sound like a loving Father. That sounds like a child abuser who is flipping the situation to make it sound like the abuse is the kids fault. So we revisit my earlier question: How on earth should we talk about discipline from God? Well first I think it would be helpful if we break up this conversation by talking about two different kinds of “Godly Discipline.” The first, as we’ve already discussed appears to be punitive in nature. Behavior modification through chastisement or rebuke. But we’ll come back to that one. Because there’s another kind of Discipline too. And that’s what we call the “Spiritual Disciplines.” These are a series of intentional and routine actions that every Christian can and should be doing. Because when we do, we find that God molds us and transforms us into the people God created us to be. You don’t learn to be more charitable unless you’re regularly giving to charity. You don’t learn to serve others unless you’re regularly engaging in service projects. You can’t discern the mind of God unless you’re regularly praying and listening to the

guidance of the Holy Spirit. And you can’t learn more about God unless you’re regularly studying the scriptures. When Jesus was teaching about the Spiritual Disciplines in the Sermon on the Mount, he said: “When you pray, When you give, and When you fast”… Not “if!” If you consider yourself a Christian, it is understood that you will intentionally pattern your life in such a way that God can make you more holy. John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, referred to this as “Sanctifying Grace.” And sanctification, or “becoming more holy” only occurs by leading a “Disciplined” life. We already know this to be true in other areas. If you want to stay healthy and strong, you’ve got to eat right and stay active. If you want to learn about something, you have to study and attend class. If you want a good relationship with somebody, you’ve got to spend time with them and communicate. And if you want to be sanctified, you’ve got to engage the Spiritual Disciplines. I mean, not like this is too profound or anything. We’re supposed to be “Disciples” of Christ, right? Disciples… Discipline. Pretty much the same word. So… do it. You want to be a Disciple of Jesus, then you’ve got to participate in the spiritual disciplines. Mind blowing, I know. So that kind of Discipline isn’t too hard to understand. But now let’s come back to that other one we talked about earlier. Discipline that occurs as a punishment in response to an offense. I think we can all agree that sometimes we need to be put in our place when we get out of bounds. We don’t like it – but it keeps us from running amuck. When we tell our children, “don’t play with knives” and later little Timmy is found throwing a knife right next to his sister’s bare feet, a punishment is clearly in order. We do this not only to teach Timmy to follow the rules, but also because if he doesn’t, he could seriously hurt himself or others. So for the welfare of little Timmy, and all those around him, a sore behind for a few seconds is a small price to pay in order to make sure nobody really gets hurt. It truly comes from a place of love. But taken to an extreme, this line of logic is what led to the Spanish Inquisition, where the church tortured people into confessing Christ as Lord in order to save them from eternal hellfire and damnation. But I really don’t think that’s something Jesus would advocate. So where is the boundary line? What’s the difference between suffering that occurs as a punishment in order to teach us holiness, and a straight up tragedy? Is all suffering punishment? If not, how can we tell the difference? I really wrestled with this passage this week. And here’s where I’ve landed on it. I don’t think the author of Hebrews is providing an overarching, universal theology of suffering here. I do think that sometimes God brings correction. And I do think that sometimes God allows us to undergo hardship in order to make us more holy. The nation of Israel had to wander in the wilderness for 40 years because of their disobedience. And through it, God taught them many valuable lessons. But other times, people have undergone horrifying times of hardship through no fault of their own. But the witness of Christians who have demonstrated love and faithfulness, even in the midst of tragedy and suffering, has inspired and changed countless lives throughout the ages. For example, I want tell you about an Army Chaplain friend of mine, who was actually instrumental in helping me discern my call to ministry. I met CH Everett Franklin when I was in flight school at Ft. Rucker, AL. If ever there were a real disciple of Christ, it was CH Franklin. Just a prince of a man. He had a lovely wife and daughter. But what I learned after getting to know him is that at one time he had two daughters. But one night, his eldest had a seizure while she was in the shower, and she drowned to death. This is a family who had dedicated their entire

life to ministry and serving God. God wasn’t punishing them in order to make them “legitimate children” of God. I asked Everett how he kept his faith after enduring something like that. And he looked at me and he said, “You know, I’ve found it best to just not ask the ‘Why’ question. In the end, I had to decide. Will I trust God?” I refuse to believe that God wanted Everett’s daughter to die. And I certainly don’t think it was God punishing anyone. But it is amazing how God can use even our worst tragedies to extend love. In March of 2007, while I was at flight school, a tornado hit the high school right outside the gates of Ft. Rucker in Enterprise, AL. Eight students were killed. Several of them were children of soldiers on post. And what Chaplain do you think was uniquely qualified to help those families walk through the pain? Not all suffering is a punishment. Not all suffering is the will of God. Maybe sometimes it is. But I don’t think we can write out a prescription for knowing the mind of Christ in every instance. It would be easier to hand you a list of infractions and the exact consequence that God gives. Our God is a just God, but he also extends a lot of grace and forgiveness. Everyone’s walk is different, so I’m afraid that you’ll just have to consult the Lord by discerning God’s will through prayer and discernment by the Holy Spirit. But as Romans 8:28 says, “That in all things God works for the good of those who love him.” In the end, God desires only for our good. And, as CH Franklin said, we have a choice to make. Are we going to trust God? Will we trust that God will shape us into the Disciples we are called to be through the Spiritual Disciplines? And do we trust, do we have faith, that God can bring goodness out of even the most challenging of circumstances? Choice is yours. PRAYER of St. Thomas Aquinas (BOW 530): Give us, O Lord, steadfast hearts, which no unworthy thought can drag downward, unconquered hearts, which no tribulation can wear out, upright hearts, which no unworthy purpose may tempt aside. Bestow upon us also, O Lord our God, understanding to know you, diligence to seek you, wisdom to find you, and a faithfulness that may finally embrace you; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.