By Request - Chastening & Judgment - Living Grace Fellowship

Wednesday 08/10/16

Series: By Request

Message – Chastening & Judgment

‘By Request’ this week, was for the topic of Chastening & Judgment.

Our key text is found in Hebrews 12…and our four clarifying/support scriptures are taken from I Cor. 11:20-34; Hebrews 12; Proverbs 13:24, 19:18 & 2 Tim. 3:16-17 & respectively.

So let’s begin by turning to I Cor. 11:20-34,

“(20) Therefore when you come together in one place, it is not to eat the Lord’s Supper. (21) For in eating, each one takes his own supper ahead of others; and one is hungry and another is drunk. (22) What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and shame those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you in this? I do not praise you. (23) For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; (24) and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” (25) In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” (26) For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes. (27) Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. (28) But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. (29) For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. (30) For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep. (31) For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. (32) But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world. (33) Therefore, my brethren, when you come together to eat, wait for one another. (34) But if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, lest you come together for judgment. And the rest I will set in order when I come.”

Now we began working through Hebrews 12,

When we got to verses 5 & 6 we found that the writer had taken from Job. 5:17 & Prov. 3:11 in order to make his point.

Job. 5:17, 18,

“(17) Behold…Look…observe…see…How happy and full of bliss is the one God corrects – therefore do not spurn, reject or turn away from the warning and instruction of the Almighty God.”

Prov. 3:11, 12,

“(11) My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD, Nor detest His correction; (12) For whom the LORD loves He corrects, Just as a father the son in whom he delights.”

One translation renders the words – “neither be sick of or vexed by it” (like Israel after eating manna for a year).

Looking into the words

• ‘Chastening‘ of the Lord is 3809 – instruction and discipline.

• Rebuked (by Him) = to admonish by telling a fault. To convicted and convince. To bring to a sense of guilt and shame for wrong doing.

• …in whom He delights (to take pleasure in, to accept and treat favorably)

• The word ‘rebuke‘ is similar to the word translated as ‘reproof’ in 2 Tim. 3:16. This word means to charge someone with wrong by manifesting the truthfulness of the charge and the results to be reaped so that the accused is inwardly convicted of its truthfulness of the charge against him.

• Reproof FOR correction…

• Correction – epanorthsis (epi = upon) & (anorthoo = to make straight)

• To convict and convince someone of their wrong doing IN ORDER TO set them right again.

• For instruction (3809) in righteousness (equitable character and actions)

So the goal is a voluntary change of character!

This is the glorious work of the Holy Spirit within the heart of the believer.

Php. 2:12-16, NKJV

“Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; (13) for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. (14) Do all things without complaining and disputing, (15) that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, (16) holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.”

Picking back up in Heb. 12:7-> → →

Prov. 13:24 NKJV

“He who spares his rod hates his son, But he who loves him disciplines him promptly.”

Prov. 19:18 KJV

“Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying.”

Examining – Proverbs 19:18

• Chasten thy son while there is hope,…. meaning as long as corrections can be hoped to be of use; while in a state of infancy thru youth; while under parental government. Before a child’s habits in sin are grown so strong, that they are hardened against any instruction and discipline;

• and let not thy soul spare for his crying; the noise a child makes, the tears he sheds, the entreaties he uses to keep off the rod; It is only foolish pity and over tenderness that prevail against the parent to lay aside correction on that account.

Pastor Mark

View posts by Pastor Mark

Hi my name is Mark and though I am opposed to titles, I am currently the only Pastor (shepherd/elder) serving our assembly right now.

I have been Pastoring in one capacity or another for nearly 30 years now, though never quite like I am today.

Early in 2009 the Lord revealed to me that the way we had structured our assembly (church) was not scriptural in that it was out of sync with what Paul modeled for us in the New Testament. In truth, I (like many pastors I am sure) never even gave this fundamental issue of church structure the first thought. I had always assumed that church structure was largely the same everywhere and had been so from the beginning. While I knew Paul had some very stringent things to say about the local assembly of believers, the point of our gatherings together and who may or may not lead, I never even considered studying these issues but assumed we were all pretty much doing it right...safety in numbers right?! Boy, I couldn't have been more wrong!

So needless to say, my discovery that we had been doing it wrong for nearly two decades was a bit of a shock to me! Now, this "revelation" did not come about all at once but over the course of a few weeks. We were a traditional single pastor led congregation. It was a top-bottom model of ministry which is in part biblical, but not in the form of a monarchy.

The needed change did not come into focus until following 9 very intense months of study and discussions with those who were leaders in our church at the time.

We now understand and believe that the Bible teaches co-leadership with equal authority in each local assembly. Having multiple shepherds with God's heart and equal authority protects both Shepherds and sheep. Equal accountability keeps authority and doctrine in check. Multiple shepherds also provide teaching with various styles and giftings with leadership skills which are both different and complementary.

For a while we had two co-pastors (elders) (myself and one other man) who led the church with equal authority, but different giftings. We both taught in our own ways and styles, and our leadership skills were quite different, but complimentary. We were in complete submission to each other and worked side-by-side in the labor of shepherding the flock.

Our other Pastor has since moved on to other ministry which has left us with just myself. While we currently only have one Pastor/Elder, it is our desire that God, in His faithfulness and timing, may bring us more as we grow in maturity and even in numbers.

As to my home, I have been married since 1995 to my wonderful wife Terissa Woodson who is my closest friend and most trusted ally.

As far as my education goes, I grew up in a Christian home, but questioned everything I was ever taught.

I graduated from Bible college in 1990 and continued to question everything I was ever taught (I do not mention my college in order to avoid being labeled).

Perhaps my greatest preparation for ministry has been life and ministry itself. To quote an author I have come to enjoy namely Fredrick Buechner in his writing entitled, Now and Then, "If God speaks to us at all other than through such official channels as the Bible and the church, then I think that He speaks to us largely through what happens to us...if we keep our hearts open as well as our ears, if we listen with patience and hope, if we remember at all deeply and honestly, then I think we come to recognize beyond all doubt, that, however faintly we may hear Him, He is indeed speaking to us, and that, however little we may understand of it, His word to each of us is both recoverable and precious beyond telling." ~ Fredrick Buechner

Well that is about all there is of interest to tell you about me.

I hope our ministry here is a blessing to you and your family. I also hope that it is only a supplement to a local church where you are committed to other believers in a community of grace.

~God Bless!