Whom the Lord Loves

Isaiah 30:1-33; Hebrews 12:1-14 / Revelation 1:1-20

Dr. Edwin P. Elliott

 

I. Consider the Standard Set for Christians

 

        A. God calls Christians into a great historical movement filled with examples of people who accomplished wonderful things by patiently entering into their callings.  “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,” (Hebrews 12:1)

 

        B. The greatest example for Christians is Christ Who went to the cross and through hell to the throne of Heaven.  “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2)

 

        C. Jesus did not let the opposition determine either His attitude toward life or His approach to His work. “For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.” (Hebrews 12:3)

 

        D. Jesus was killed in the service of eternity and believers still reading Scripture and listening to sermons have not been killed.  “Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.” (Hebrews 12:4)

II. God Trains People He Loves

 

        A. As a parent or a coach, God trains His children; good instructors are demanding and generally difficult. “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:” (Hebrews 12:5)

 

        B. A coach trains His own team; without God’s discipline people remain permanent amateurs in the only eternally important game. “For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.” (Hebrews 12:6)

 

        1. It is a deadly mistake to skip practice. “Woe to the rebellious children, saith the LORD, that take counsel, but not of me; and that cover with a covering, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin: That walk to go down into Egypt, and have not asked at my mouth; to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, and to trust in the shadow of Egypt! Therefore shall the strength of Pharaoh be your shame, and the trust in the shadow of Egypt your confusion.” (Isaiah 30:1-3)

 

        2. Rejecting the practice means rejecting the coach and it leads to skill at losing. “Now go, write it before them in a table, and note it in a book, that it may be for the time to come for ever and ever: That this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the LORD: Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits: Get you out of the way, turn aside out of the path, cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us.” (Isaiah 30:8-11)

 

        C. Fathers and coaches make hard times for those they educate; outsiders make their own hard times. “If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?” (Hebrews 12:7)

 

        D. Get a clear picture of what it means never to be drilled in life; benchwarmers are not really players.  “But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.” (Hebrews 12:8)

 

        E. Human parents push children to excel and children eventually appreciate the investment parents make in them. “Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?” (Hebrews 12:9)

 

        F. Training for sports, business, and life is for temporary things but the training from God will last for eternity. “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.” (Hebrews 12:10)

 

        G. Training seems hard during the process, but when the time for application arrives it makes a big difference. “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.” (Hebrews 12:11)

 

III. Enter into the Spirit of What God Is Doing

 

        A. Teammates encourage each other in practice so that they can encourage each other automatically when the game begins.  “Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees;” (Hebrews 12:12)

 

        B. Practice wisely; even injuries can be instructive. “And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.” (Hebrews 12:13)

 

        C. Christian virtues are the critical drills in the game of life. “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:” (Hebrews 12:14)

 

        D. It is too late to practice when the game starts. “Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.” (Revelation 1:3)