Training Put to Use (Part A)

It is tying in what was just said about God chastening and discouraging when necessary is Pete, but that the emphasis is not on the scourge that stands out was because we don't want the chastening is the education in Christ do something with what God is doing and has done and will do when you talk about him being yesterday today and forever. Well now, so are we belonging to him.

This is cross reference radio with our pastor and teacher Rick Gaston. Rick is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville. Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the book of Hebrews.

Please stay with us after today's message to hear more information about cross reference radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching, but for now let's join Pastor Rick in the book of Hebrews chapter 12 as he begins his message training put to use.

Please open to Hebrews 12 verse 12 and will take verses 12 through 17, I'm reading from the new King James version. If you are visiting and you have a different version that account for some of the different words but not the meaning meaning should be the same.

Therefore, verse 12 strengthen the hands which hang down in the feeble knees and make straight paths for your feet so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed. Pursue peace with all people in holiness without which no one will see the Lord. Looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God, less any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble and by this many become defiled, lest there be any fornicator or profane person like Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright for you know that afterword when he wanted to inherit the blessing. He was rejected for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently with tears. Well the direction I like to go in this morning with this paragraph. This passage from Hebrews is training put to use. If you remember last session in Hebrews last the previous paragraph, we spoke of the chastening of the Lord and we we took apart a little bit and explained that from there that chastening in the Greek is used originally in writing of this letter to the Hebrews who received it is not always that of of of harshness. It is, it involves education and information training, discipline, then the scourge can be used also to bring back those who are little bit more hardheaded than the rest of us at the moment but these are the methods of God with his people to educate them. What would you do it that education is just okay got trained me okay God's ministering to me, God spoke to me why while make me feel good. Why L that's what he's going to address. Now what you do with your training training is to be put to use. It's not what I got the certificate I've hung on the wall and now everybody shall respect me. The purpose of training is to put it into action when it is called for in this is the Christian life and to do so out of highlight this point I like to make a reference from the book of Judges. In the Old Testament there was a book called judges, and these are not men with long robes of sitting over presiding over court case necessarily, they did preside over court cases but they were the leaders in ancient Israel before there was a king and they settled many matters, matters, and they raised armies and fort against those who invaded the land at the time that the parents of Samson when his mother and father. His mother being barren at that time before Samson was born the angel of the Lord appeared to both of them first to the mother of Samson and then to the father Manoa by name and after he had announced that the mother would conceive and bring forth a son, and that he would be a Nazirite from birth. That means he would be dead separated to God from birth. He was, not to take of the fine others not to cut his hair. The father asked the critical question is a question that he asked then that should be echoed throughout the land of the righteous in all ages. The question is found in verse 13 chapter 13 verse 12 of the book of Judges. This is the father Manoa asking the angel of the Lord. What will be the boys rule of life and his work.

What a wonderful question. The father was right there.

What is this lad's life going to be about which direction are we going to raise him in. In addition to all the things that you and been put in of instilling a child manners and and and discipline in all the other things that go with that. Where is this going. This is a question again for all ages for all give their lives in Christ we have work to do. There is a direction for us to go and yes we are to perform the gospel. We are to live out the good news is given to us in the Scriptures that takes everything we have, especially in those areas where we are weak, the work is not automatic. It involves us directly. We ought to encourage those in our lives who are strong strong Christians need encouragement.

You know, stay strong, they're going to draw fire from the enemy for being strong we are to strengthen the week wherever we come in contact with them in the door opens to us and we are permitted to strengthen those who are not so strong.

Maybe they were strong yesterday in the not today, maybe they'll be strong tomorrow but they're not right now. Maybe they've never been strong, then we ought to share the truth with the loss whenever permitted, not by them. Although that is part of it, but by the Holy Spirit when he opens the door and move circumstances to that place in our lives and the lives of the one were preaching to to share Christ. And so is God works in you that a more thrill you with this question comes back, what will be your rule of life and work. What is it for you in Christ. What does it mean for me to live in Christ is to what so to put to use the training that we got in the last section.

Verse 12 now if Hebrews 12 therefore, strengthen the hands which hang down and the feeble knees. The word therefore is there for a reason. It is tying in what was just said about God chastening and scourging when necessary his people, but that the emphasis is not on the scourge that stands out to us because we don't want, but the chastening is the education in Christ do something with what God is doing and has done and will do and you we talk about him being yesterday today and forever.

Well now, so are we belonging to him. We have a yesterday not an eternal past as he does, but it is the yesterday.

Nonetheless, we have it today in the tomorrow training in the faith is never-ending does not stop in this life. It is critical it is not something small to be dismissed every age of Christian in the sanctuary understand what I'm talking about. You might not like it. You might not want it. Maybe a spiritually lazy. Maybe you're not.

You have to answer that question would you understand training in the faith, getting strong in the faith in doing something with it cannot be neglected, not without consequence.

If you neglect what God's work in you. You will step backwards you will miss out. You know John Mark in the Scripture, the one that went out on the mission field all excited and then got away from it is crazy good defeated, went back home. You know that man kicked himself for years doesn't have to say that the Scripture put yourself in his sandals and utility say why did I do that so we read about him later.

Of course, brought back into the ministry being very useful to the great apostle Paul get John Mark and bring him, for he is useful to me for the gospel. But in between that time of leaving the service of the Lord and then being useful again, old man, you know, the chastening's of the Lord was on that young man you know the scourge was upon him, but he recovers, he flies out of it gives us the book of Mark, the gospel according to Mark. Hebrews chapter 5. Solid food belongs to those who are full of age.

That is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. He sang the mature Christians who have been trained and did something with that training. That's always talking about. They put it to use. They've exercised that which God has worked in them or purpose serving is never-ending. Don't don't be afraid of that. But this doesn't mean it's unpleasant.

If you think it's unpleasant to serve the Lord. Likely won't serve you won't serve long or you won't serve well. Sure there are things in it that are not pleasant, but overall, Paul said it was the end of his life.

I thank God, who counted me faithful, putting me into ministry.

Have you been in ministry and pastoral ministry meets serving the people of God. If you've been in it for any length of time you begin to think about that first little bit differently than when you first started before must thank God, putting me in the ministry who, though I was unworthy. I he put me counted me faithful then years later.

Thank God put me in ministry to how do you get me out and then you recover your back in it again because that's what it takes because Satan is looking to break your will to resist him is looking to destroy your will to wage war that you can't break his but you can make him sorry he got out of bed.

You can fight back you can continue.

You can keep from letting him break your will. This is given to us in the spirit. It is not handed to us is going to be a struggle mortise and that all development in a moment but look again now in verse 12 where he says, strengthen the hands which hang down in the feeble knees whose hands I can strengthen somebody else's hand is easy just take ought be stronger.

What about you though your hands and if you've never been.

If you've never sensed a weakness in the faith, you're in for an edge of location you will find out what it's like to need your hand strengthen what he saying here.

Therefore, because Christ is work filled in your life, strengthen your hands when they're hanging down he's getting this from Isaiah 35 in the feeble knees so nervous, so scared you can hardly stand ready to collapse under the pressure of the weight of whatever you're facing. So he says don't give up make an effort to stand up right and be ready second Chronicles King Ace lobular we were doing Chronicles Wednesday nights and I'm looking forward to some of these kings, Asa is one is a disappointing ending up with a brilliant start and that's a little spooky for all of us. It should be. Anybody can start well and do well in the beginning. Can you make it all the way to the finish line. Can you say I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I've kept the faith. Finally has a crown laid up for me that's where we're going and so it Asa Asa, the prophet comes to him and says, but you be strong. Do not let your hands be weak for your work shall be rewarded.

What stands out to you about that verse I read it again, but you be strong and do not let your hands be weak for your work shall be rewarded well just now reading that what stood out for me was, but you get to what stood out to me, but I just singled out.

All of a sudden, reading the verse put you is not for you it's for you know the believer. Be strong. Well, if you feel weak now okay you that might stand out. But what stood out to me was for your work shall be rewarded. God's not just using you up, and that's the end of the game. There is a reward at the end. There's a reason to be strong is not just an exercise in holiness and faith in religion is great purpose and all that God has you go through whatever it is you're facing troubles from someone else troubles from within a temptation trial whatever fear, loneliness, you name it. God has purpose and those things many times of nothing else to show you how much work you have to do that you maybe you're not all those things you thought you were may be that you just need to be full fully blown your dependence on him blown out full-blown dependence. That way, first Corinthians 16 Paul echoes this writing to the church at Corinth. He says watch stand fast that Ms. don't let the feeble knees cause you to collapse or flee.

Stand fast in the faith. Remember unbelievers. Those without Christ, they have courage to they can stand fast, but not in Christ, not in the faith. That should put a lot of meaning on what we are doing or not. Watch stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong, that all that you do be done with love love so easy to talk about is all you know I love them when you don't really mean it or you can love them and not like, but you better treat them like you love. When God says to me I want you to be strong.

Your work will be rewarded. I take courage and that then I faced some monster could be a little one, I could just be a temptation something that I want that I don't need to have. Or maybe I should not have. I have to face it anyway find that I'm struggling. Okay, what if you face that bogeyman and you lose that round. What is in God's goodness that you going to call your weasel right, of course not. God is going to come back again say be strong. Your work will be rewarded. He doesn't change it keeps coming back is long-suffering with the righteous, as well as with the sinner who is not. Sadie comes back and he says don't crumble. Don't allow the enemy to steal your will to fight. Just because you been hurt, listen, there was no such thing as getting hurt could be no need for encouragements the Bible would have maybe one or two for when you're in the mood bad mood, but they're all over the Scripture because this is what it takes, so you go to a great Bible study or you have your devotional time in the word minister you will you will do it that now what happens to you is a just going to be. While that was impressive, and then you go and do everything in the opposite direction for the rest of the day.

I hope not. So in verse 13 he continues going to continue throughout the section to make this point and make straight paths for your feet so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather healed clear the lifestyle clear the clutter thinking out of the way brother be no progress in Christ is a fundamental a very basic concept.

If you do not make the path straight for you to travel. That's what your feet will be doing on that path, then you won't travel challenging yes possessed with the spirit needs because the flesh will strip you of a motivation to go forward in Christ clear the lifestyle you know you can have as a Christian, a relatively moral lifestyle and be doing nothing for the kingdom that you don't send you not robbing banks what you want to you so you don't send you can you know what I you know what I mean, you're not committing moral crimes against the kingdom, but you also not doing anything.

I'm not singling you out. This is the way it is belongs to our faith is no sidestepping it and not my intention to make you feel small or uncomfortable, it is my intention to preach the word in season and out of season to convict to rebuke to exhort with all long-suffering in teaching for the time will come when they will no longer endure sound doctrine. Because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers turn aside from the truth. Well, I don't want to give you any of that turning aside from the truth. Tickling of the ears or many clever things a pastor can write and say that sounds so you know that's cute but you can call upon it. When you're in trouble.

What you need is something to jar you. We need that something to shake us to move us sometimes it moves us in a jolly way.

Sometimes in a very serious way, sometimes in a very painful way, but it moves us to improvement not destruction. So your lifestyle if it is set around you, your family, your life, your career, whatever it may be and you're not doing anything for the king you don't have a straight path need to get out of your pajamas need to get into work clothes and serve the Lord. It takes nerve.

It takes faith and it takes action and without that nothing gets done so, move away from the self life to the Jesus life take little steps in the beginning. If you are not able to take the big ones.

This is what we are discussing this morning because this is what the Holy Spirit is giving us he says so that what is lame may not be dislocated just injured so that what is already not working well may not be further damage matters would not worsen for you. Stumbling blocks are hazards you get hurt with them. You know, I know in the past that were traveling down is no mention whether it's illuminated or not.

Sometimes it is sometimes you can see the stumbling block. That doesn't mean they're easy to move.

Other times, you can't see them.

So you've got to travel a little bit more cautiously those times, the obstacles that interfere stumbling blocks that are hazards to cause injury obstacles that interfere with your walk slow down the progress and hurt the work from going forward. All you've got to learn how to blast some things out of the way bold goals even others hurdle some come up with different ways to deal with whatever is in front of you and the debris of this life that piles up around us has to be routinely demolished. I'm the one in my family that takes the stuff to the dump. I don't like it too much, especially in the summer was yellow jackets. They could be a little fierce but anyway this routine. The alternative is unacceptable, then your house becomes the dump the debris piles up there and so it is spiritually says, but rather be healed be made better be restored. Do something that's progressive now of course he's not emphasizing here the physical healing. This is spiritually talking about spiritual matters at this point, the attitude of the head and the heart together.

Not one without the other. If I get in any head or heart trouble. I'm not going to the world for solution. I'm going to Christ to bed Christ did have a psychologist Timothy apostle didn't have them to help them out better. They did not have the. The psychologist world world of the psychologist attended to come up with some disorder for them why they were serving well or suffering.

Whatever it is you didn't even then we don't need them now. I'm going anybody's going to be the people of God. God's word prayer and study endurance. Now that does not mean, for one moment that God is going to appear like a genie out of a Bible and somehow just sweep it all away make you better, does not mean that if if that is true. That's how it works for you all the time. I want to know about because I'm doing something wrong, what I have found is that when the Bible says, endure afflictions, it's not joking. God is saying. Take, you can find out also that I don't have a choice many times while their self-inflicted wounds. I have a choice doublet will avoid those but I have to face and he'll face them with me imitating this is irritating about God, don't tell him I said this I can't force them to do anything. I can't move his hand backwards forward Siebel tables when he's good and ready. That's what makes him God move you've been listening to cross reference radio the daily radio ministry of Pastor Rick asked Calvary Chapel in Mechanicsville, Virginia. As we mentioned at the beginning of today's broadcast. Today's teaching is available free of charge at our website. Simply log on to cross reference radio.com that's cross reference radio.com would also like to encourage you to subscribe to the cross reference radio podcast subscribing ensures that you stay current with all the latest teachings from Pastor Rick, you can subscribe cross reference radio.com or simply search for cross reference radio your favorite podcast to the next time as Pastor Rick continues teaching through the book of Hebrews right here on cross reference radio