The Foolproof Discipline of God [Part 1]

Allen Wright, pastor, Bible teacher and author of his latest book, the power to bless what you know his heart, and you know how good God is and you know with the sound of the voice of his love is why no.

If there is a loving expression of the discipline of the Lord versus the condemnation of the enemy.

That's Pastor Alan welcome to another message of good news that will help you see your life in a whole new light. Excited for you to hear the teaching today. In the series proof is presented, rebuild the church in North Carolina.

If you're not able to stay with us throughout the entire program. I will make sure you know how to get our special resource. Right now it can be yours for your donation this month to Allen Wright ministries as you listen to the days message go deeper if are happy to send you today's special offer.

Just contact us at pastoralan.org that's Pastor Alan.org or call 877-544-4860 that's 877-544-4860 will have more on this special offer later in the program but now let's get started with today's teaching here is Allen right good news for everyone. In Christ, know this God is mad at you, not ready to punish you.

So if you experience discipline from the Lord. It is a wonderful gift.

If you would correct you about something, it would be a tremendous expression of his love.

When Proverbs in a study called foolproof because the Proverbs are all about making us wise and pointing at the Jesus is a perfect expression of the wisdom of God and today we come to an important theme that is highlighted and Proverbs 12 verse one. Proverbs 12 verse one whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid.

My apologies. Even kids were taught not to say that word it literally. The proverb reads like this in Hebrew lover of discipline, lover of knowledge, hates correction stupid. Proverbs chapter 3 also highlights this, along with many other references, but look over there in verse 11 of Proverbs 3. My son did not despise the Lord's discipline or be weary of his reproof, for the Lord reproved him, he will, as a father the son in whom he delights later, the writer of Hebrews quotes Proverbs 3 and Hebrews chapter 12 and after quoting the proverb says in verse seven is for discipline you have to endure God is treating you as signs for what son is there whom his father does not discipline.

If you left without discipline in which all it participated in your illegitimate children and not signs. Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them, showing not much more be subject to the father of spirits, and live for they disciplined us for a short time it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment. All this, the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by we all know that we've done wrong and there's something inside of us that knows that wrong should be punished at vacation Bible school. Our daughter Abby was helping teach the first grade boys in Clemens on Friday and Saturday night and on the first night Pastor Brandon was teaching in the large group along our theme of ocean explorers, and he was talking about God's love is deeper than the deepest ocean and so he loves you no matter what, and he invited the kids to blurt out some of the things that they might know that if you did in their home. It would not make mom and dad happy so he was inviting them to talk about some of the sand euro in their lives and then make the point that God's love covers even that and so they started calling out things once and not cleaning up your room and in another said hidden your brother and the other calling out these little things but Abby has a first grade boy sit next to her.

They leans over to the other six-year-old next to him and he said what he could kill somebody like six years old and already figure out worst-case scenario where a evening and tender young age we start knowing there's right in there wrong and when you've done wrong. Go there is by default sort of a fear that comes over you that somebody would find out about it and you're going to get in trouble. Some people have such a positive self-esteem that they may not think about it is much like the little girl love that went to our schoolteacher and said ma'am, I don't mean this area, but my daddy said if my grades don't improve somebody's getting a spanking is the feeling we have done wrong so that is going to get punished for this going to be a problem and because of that, as we tend to run from those that would correct this, but we come today to Proverbs 12 wine and we see absolutely different understanding of discipline is not talking about punishment here is talking about a gift that's given to us and I want to show you today. What has become very dear to my understanding of God and instructed by my relationship with God and perhaps it'll be a new paradigm for you to see the correction of God, not as something to be feared but is a wonderful gift from a loving father to be embraced that would draw you near to God and hope, and in greater intimacy with him while helping your life for the better where you be talking about the discipline of the Lord. There's a whole lot. That's at stake here because the Proverbs themselves go over this many times the two words that are used in Proverbs 12 verse one. The first one referring to discipline or translated discipline. Second is reproof are related terms. There are similar and their meaning in between the two of those terms are used 30 times in Proverbs 99 times in the Old Testament is the theme of this is important.

It runs through the Scripture.

Whenever you see an important theme that just keep occurring through Scripture.

It's wise to pay attention to your own. Why is this so important to God. And the reason is so important to God is because he's a loving father and just like any one of us as any parent would know who love their kids you want to go well for them. You want on the head towards life, not towards death and ultimately with God that he sees things in this way that the way that you are responding to correction in your life can either be really life-giving, or can be really destructive to you. It's the difference between receiving instruction from the Lord and knowing it's God and knowing that he's good versus always hearing a voice of condemnation, many examples in the Scripture of stark contrast but none more start than that of Peter and Judas because Peter and Judas had so very much in common. Didn't they.

They both in a very vile way, betrayed and denied the Lord Jesus. Just think about this for a moment.

Both were privileged to be amongst the 12 both of them heard the every question and answer series with Jesus amongst the people were there for the sermon on the Mount were there. When Jesus healed people in touch people. They both Judas and Peter spent three years of their lives with the Messiah and saw it all. And for both of them.

Jesus predicted their betrayal, their diabolical acts.

He said in Matthew 26 of Judas, one of you will betray me and he said, quite frankly to Judas in John 13.

What you're going to do do quickly, but he also predicted it to Peter and Luke chapter 22 Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat but I pray for you that your faith may not fail when you've turned again, strengthen your brothers. Peter said to him, Lord, I'm ready to go with you both the prison and a death and Jesus and I tell you, Peter. The rooster will not crow this day, until you deny three times that you know me both of them were utterly selfish in the moment of temptation they were looking out for their own interests and Luke 22 verse three says the devil entered Judas, and on one occasion Jesus actually turned to Peter and said get behind me Satan. Both Judas and Peter had envisioned Jesus as being this earthly political ruler of an earthly king. They were wrong about that. Both of them.

Both the rejections or genus Jesus were so heinous though rejection that an betrayal of Judas led to Jesus's crucifixion. But most people never think about how bad Peter. His words were most scholars when Peter was denied use. Most scholars agree the language there in Greek is conveying that Peter cursed the used the Lord's name in vain. Probably he essentially said when he denied Jesus the third time. I don't know the blankety-blank man. They were both awful and here's another thing they both had a real remorse things and people forget this about about Judas. How much remorse he had. We know that Peter did Matthew 26 Peter remembered the saying of Jesus before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times and he went out and wept bitterly. But you know that Judas was even more remorseful.

Judas according to Matthew 27 three. His betrayer saw that Jesus was condemned, he changed his mind and on that text as he changed his mind and he brought back the 30 pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders thing of sin by betraying innocent blood. And I said what's at, say to yourself, and throwing down the piece of silver into the temple, he departed so he gave back the money he was an abject remorse. But then, here's where the difference came Judas after I'm trying to make amends and they wouldn't take the silverback and he couldn't do anything he experienced a mental torment and he hated himself he condemned himself and he killed himself, but Peter, who had in a very similar way betrayed Jesus, Peter was awakened by love. Something happened inside of Peter Ware when he wept in remorse. It did not become to him a worldly sorrow that led to death, but a godly sorrow that led to repentance and John 21, and a beautiful way. Jesus reinstates Peter and is so beautiful after the resurrection that when Jesus speaks to the women and tells him to go tell the disciples that is raised from the den. He highlights Peter he says tell the disciples and Peter is very excited for Peter to know that Jesus was alive, is very excited to see the manhood betrayed him three times denied him three times.

There such a difference.

You see between discipline and punishment, and is important for any parent to understand this, I will have time today to really talk about the skills of discipline and parenting, but I think you can extrapolate from what I'm saying some really important principles for your own parenting but were talking about God and the way he interacts with us. Discipline comes from the root word that is also the root of disciple.

So you see disciple inside of discipline.

Remember that in a disciple in the New Testament, a disciple, the word for it. In Greek means a learner. The word just discipline itself comes from the word for pupil so discipline is about teaching talent right will have more teaching moment from today's important series. Something is holding you back if you can important see what could change everything. Is there someone you refuse and stack them out what's missing. Blessing on Basingstoke and over I learned you can learn how to embrace who practice a blessing to Pastor Alan writes new blood, which quickly became an Amazon number one bestseller after 370s until now the hardcover book has only been available through retail sales this month right ministries once send you the I thank you for your demo send this not only received the best-selling but also receive a free session video place in which Pastor Alan teaches how to blast and covers content not found in about the video course includes a detailed study guide perfect for personal growth or small group discussion. Make your gift today discovered the power to blast 877-544-4860 877-544-4861 come to our website pastor at Gatwick today's teaching now continues you once again is Alan writing discipline is about teaching. It's about instruction.

Discipline is therefore an expression of love.

But punishment is an expression of justice.

Discipline is about giving a gift to the one receiving it, but punishment is about taking something from the one who is being punished.

Punishment is about the need of the one administering the punishment but discipline is not about the need of the one who is giving the discipline. Discipline is about the need of the one who is receiving sometimes a parent might need to cool often to step away for a little while back in the wisdom of God is never like that God never loses self-control. And here's another thing about punishment versus discipline is very important understand punishment mandates penance and what penance is, is the demand for the one who is being punished to do some things to help balance the scales of justice do some things to prove yourself worthy of any measure of grace that you might receive, or to at least stave off further worse punishment, but discipline does not look for penance. Discipline is not looking for someone to prove themselves.

Discipline is looking to help someone grow, change become better in advance. It's all the world of difference. And sometimes we get confused about the two because they at least have this in common. Both discipline and punishment carry with it some stink of pain and beloved pain in and of itself is a good thing nobody wants to feel pain but is a good thing. We can feel pain. I was out working in the yard this week and I was sweaty and and so human all of a sudden I felt some staying in the fire out of my back right through my shirt. I did the old ripped the shirt off, you know what is going on and I had gotten stung by a wasp Army bad Army for three days. I went is big, big, welcome back. It was all scratchy and itchy hated feeling the sting, the loss, but the only thing worse than not feeling the sting of a loss would be the fumes they was would be did not feel it because what I found out was a wasp nest nearby. If I hadn't felt it staying in me, then I would probably just continued on gotten stung a lot more time Hansen's disease, commonly known as leprosy is so often thought of his being disease were people become dismembered and disfigured, but most all of that is because part of the problem of Hansen's disease leprosy is that you can lose sensation and not experience pain, especially on your skin so you can have infections and not knowing pain itself is a good thing you touch a hot stove and pains that don't do that again. So yes, there can be pain in the discipline that we experience from the Lord, but it is not the kind of pain that we think of when we think of abusive parents and unjust laws and frustrations and anger in the world. All of that that we experience.

Sometimes we we we transpose those feelings onto God as if he is that way and he's not 11. I can't give you a list and say will hear are the things it would be like punishment in here the things that might be the discipline of the Lord can't really give you a list like that because we walk in a unique relationship with God.

What I want you to see instead is the nature of God in the way that God speaks to us and what his heart is like and what you know his heart, and you know how good God is and you know with the sound of the voice of his love is like you can know if there is a loving expression of the discipline of the Lord versus the condemnation of the enemy may just be plain about this. I think sometimes people just because they experience something difficult in this world immediately start blaming God for it. I think God doesn't doesn't discipline in ways that even an earthly sinful parent wouldn't think of when you give my child cancer are destroying his life or do something that permanently hurt a child would do such a thing is that I just be honest with you and tell you candidly that I found over the years of walking with God. I'm almost hesitant to even say this because it's tender to me. And I'm also embarrassed to say that the time for the Lord is discipline may see a pattern to and it has been that the Lord is particularly mindful to help me and correct me if I ever miss use my words and this is increased in my life. You know there's some scriptures about the Lord holding teachers higher accountability and some of what I really feel this with my words and has not been just one time that this is happened to me just give you a recent example that I think was a discipline of the Lord and again it's unvarnished and I'm sorry you have to share. But I think I want you to know what discipline feels like I rarely do this but I was texting someone and we talked about another person in the tax, which is a terrible idea in the first place, unless it's something lovely that you're saying about, but I was sort of feeling egged on and some frustration, and so I sent back a text. It wasn't. It didn't have her saying it wasn't awful. Don't think the worst of the about it, but it was still something negative about the person and I don't have any idea how this happened. I have no idea.

I sent the tax and I look down and I hadn't sent it to the person I was gossiping with and send it to the person himself and was anything to do except just feel immediate severe pain in my soul, right today's teaching on the foolproof discipline of God is from the series foolproof and stay with us. Alan is back your the studio sharing a parting good news thought for the day.

Just a moment feel like something is holding you back if you lack an important scene that could change everything.

Is there someone you love, peace and stack them out what's missing. Blessing on faith filled vision spoken over you can learn how to embrace who practice a blessing to Pastor Alan writes new blood, which completely became an Amazon number one bestseller after 370s until now the hardcover book has only been available through retail sales this month right ministries once send you the I thank you for your donation this night will not only receive the best-selling but also receive a free session video place in which Pastor Alan teaches how to blast and covers content not found in the video course includes a detailed study guide perfect for personal growth or small group discussion gift today discovered the power to blast Collison 877-544-4861 come to our website pastor at work back here in the studio. We will parting good news thought for the day you're placing a bookmark in the conclusion of our teaching on the foolproof discipline of God continues with the next broadcast when the Lord disciplines. It is for the purpose of teaching the word discipline like the word disciple comes from the word for teach for student and so God doesn't. For the Christian God doesn't punish your sin has been punished on the cross of Jesus Christ.

So what discipline therefore is about is about God giving you instruction in a loving way.

There are times they know is I was just describing today's broadcasts are times in which you have great remorse. Maybe because of folly in your life.

Maybe because of some big mistake but that remorse God doesn't want it to lead you into what Paul calls worldly grief but into godly grief which draws you to him. So that's what we're learning that the comparison here is will see tomorrow is really between Judas. Both were very very sorry for their sin with Judas led to his own death Peter that led to him becoming the pretrip pentacles. What a difference how you look, the mistakes today's good news message is a listener supported production Allen right ministries