Sunday School Lesson
Introduction: A college professors titled a chapel sermon, “Love.” Many thought the text would be 1 Corinthians 13, or John 3, or even Hosea 11. Instead it was our text for today. Simply put, discipline is love, and Jesus modeled it. Our text today shows that Jesus is the model of endurance, and it is achieved through the rigors of discipline. The Hebrew believers were in danger of coming up short on endurance (Hebrews 10:39). They were in danger of drifting away from their superior salvation in Jesus (2:1). They were in danger of falling away from the faith (6:6). They were in danger of not walking by faith (11:6). Our text is really the climax to Hebrews 11, and in it we find three metaphors of endurance.
Persevering in the Faith
Hebrews12:1-3KJV
1Wherefore 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,
2 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.
3 For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.
Many people modeled endurance in the hall of faith (Hebrews 11), but no one modeled it better than Jesus himself. Jesus ran his race, and we must fix our eyes on him to run ours. The Christian experience is an endurance race—not a sprint. We are helped in this race by doing three things.
First, we must take note of our surroundings. We are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses. Are these the people mentioned in Hebrews 11? Are these faithful believers who have died and now reside in the presence of God as they cheer for us? Are these angelic beings in the spirit world? It is hard to say. But it would seem that others are conscious of our race. Second, we must travel light. We must throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. Are there two thoughts here or one? Could everything that hinders be anything bad or good that hinders, or is it the sin mentioned in the latter phrase? It probably matters little. We do not need anything tripping us up.
Third, we must keep our eyes fixed on Jesus. Jesus’ role, his joy, and his endurance are all mentioned. He is the pioneer (architect) and perfecter (one who brings to completion) of faith. The cross was not a symbol of joy. But Jesus knew that on the other side of the cross was the joy of the empty tomb. He endured (remained under) opposition. Jesus keeps us from growing weary in our race.
Benefiting from God's Discipline
Hebrews 4-13KJV
4 Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.
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?
8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.
9 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?
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.
12 Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees;
13 And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.
The Christian life is not only a race, it is also a struggle. The metaphor means “against agony.” In another passage Paul pictured it as a boxing match (1 Corinthians 9:26). Yes, we must run the race by playing according to the rules (2 Timothy 2:5). Yes, we must run in such a way as to win (1 Corinthians 9:24). But whether running or boxing, the Christian life at times can be agonizing. It is a struggle. Jesus struggled all the way to the point of shedding his blood. For the Hebrew Christians it had yet to get to that point. The largest part of our text illustrates endurance with the father/son metaphor. Dads (and moms) discipline their kids. In fact, only an unloving parent would not discipline a child. The Hebrew writer used Proverbs 3:11, 12 as the biblical basis for the metaphor. God disciplines his children because he loves them, and that teaches the children endurance.
There are three parts to this discipline. 1—It marks out our identity. If we are disciplined by God, and he is our Father, then we must be his children. 2—It does not last forever. (Though the child might think so.) In reality it is only for a little while. God’s goal in this momentary discipline is goodness and holiness. 3—It is not pleasant but painful. That is why it takes endurance. Sin is fun—but only for a season (Hebrews 11:24-26). Discipline is not fun, but it produces a bumper crop of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.
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