Discipline - Faith Fellowship Church

The Hard Part of
the Race
Hebrews 12:1-11
Pastor Jeff Hoy

We are not
alone.
• Throw off everything that
hinders us.
• Throw off the sin that easily
entangles us.
• Run with perseverance the
course marked out for us.

Fix your eyes
on Jesus:
• Author and perfecter of your faith.
• We are able to run with
endurance.
• We are able to scorn the shame.
• We are destined to sit with Jesus.
• We are able to consider Him so
that we will not grow weary or lose
heart.

Hebrews 12
[1] Therefore, since we are
surrounded by such a great cloud of
witnesses, let us throw off everything
that hinders and the sin that so easily
entangles, and let us run with
perseverance the race marked out for
us.

[2] Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the
author and perfecter of our faith, who
for the joy set before him endured the
cross, scorning its shame, and sat
down at the right hand of the throne
of God.

[3] Consider him who endured
such opposition from sinful men, so
that you will not grow weary and lose
heart. [4] In your struggle against
sin, you have not yet resisted to the
point of shedding your blood.

[5] And you have forgotten that word
of encouragement that addresses you
as sons: "My son, do not make light
of the Lord's discipline, and do not
lose heart when he rebukes you, [6]
because the Lord disciplines those he
loves, and he punishes everyone he
accepts as a son."

[7] Endure hardship as discipline;
God is treating you as sons. For what
son is not disciplined by his father
[8] If you are not disciplined (and
everyone undergoes discipline), then
you are illegitimate children and not
true sons.

[9] Moreover, we have all had human
fathers who disciplined us and we
respected them for it. How much
more should we submit to the Father
of our spirits and live!

[10] Our fathers disciplined us for a
little while as they thought best; but
God disciplines us for our good, that
we may share in his holiness. [11] No
discipline seems pleasant at the time,
but painful.

Later on, however, it produces a
harvest of righteousness and peace
for those who have been trained by it.

The race is not
easy.

Pheidippides
[phi-dip-ih-dees]
Consider
the Marathon

Ecclesiastes 7:8
• The end of a matter is better than its
beginning, and patience is better than
pride.
• How we finish the race is much more
important than how we start.
• Patience [or endurance] is better than
pride.
• The race will be hard and finishing is all
that matters.

TRUTH:
There will be hard
parts in any race.
• John 16:33 - "I have told you
these things, so that in me you
may have peace. In this world
you will have trouble. But take
heart! I have overcome the
world."

Acts 14:21-22
They preached the good news in
that city and won a large number of
disciples. Then they returned to
Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, [22]
strengthening the disciples and
encouraging them to remain true to
the faith. "We must go through
many hardships to enter the
kingdom of God," they said.

Romans 8:18
I consider that our present
sufferings are not worth
comparing with the glory
that will be revealed in us.

Endure hardship as
discipline.
• The Writer uses three different
words for discipline.

1 – Discipline
‘paideia’
• [5] And you have forgotten that
word of encouragement that
addresses you as sons: "My
son, do not make light of the
Lord's discipline… [6] because
the Lord disciplines those he
loves,

pahee-di'-ah
• chasten, instruct, tutor, i.e.
education or training;
disciplinary correction,
nurture.
• To guide away from a wrong
path or choice.

Proverbs 3:11-12
My son, do not despise the
LORD's discipline and do not
resent his rebuke, because
the LORD disciplines those
he loves, as a father the son
he delights in.

Word of
Encouragement…
• Discipline should encourage us
because it is intended to make
us better.
• Discipline should also
encourage us because it is a
sign that we are true children
and have not been abandoned
or forsaken.

• God disciplines people he
loves, not those he is
indifferent to.
• Failure to discipline a child is a
mark of rejection of that child
as a son or daughter.

2 – Rebuke
‘elencho’
• [5] … and do not lose heart when he
rebukes you, [6] because the Lord
disciplines those he loves…
• el-eng'-kho - convict, convince, tell a
fault, rebuke, reprove.
• A confrontational verb.
• To verbally confront with a wrong path
or choice.
• Painful rebuke that brings conviction.

3 – Punishment
‘mastigo’
• [6] … and he punishes everyone
he accepts as a son."
• mas-tig-o'-o – scourge, whip or
flogging as punishment. A
disease or plague.
• A contact verb referring to the
sting of whipping as a
consequence of a wrong path or
choice.

A painful
physical consequence.
• There is a stinging
consequence from which we
learn some of our hardest
lessons.
• There is a difference between
temporal punishment and
eternal punishment.

These are the Hardships
of our Race from which
we learn.
• All three are painful times
which encourage us with the
knowledge that we are
children.

How are we to respond

“Endure hardship
as discipline”
• [7] Endure hardship as discipline;
• Endure discipline, instruction or
guidance.
• hoop-om-en'-o - to stay under or
behind, remain in; undergo, bear
(trials), have fortitude, persevere,
abide, endure, take patiently, suffer,
tarry behind.

Use these hard experiences
to build endurance and
strength.
• God is allowing these things for
a purpose.
• Why God is treating you as
sons.

For what son is not
disciplined by his father
• [8] If you are not disciplined (and
everyone undergoes discipline), then
you are illegitimate children and not
true sons.

Discipline is
a sign of sonship.
• As followers of Jesus, we are
children of God.
• God loves us.
• A primary sign of His love is the
willingness to discipline us.

God the Father and Holy
Spirit disciplined Jesus….
• Luke 3:22 The Holy Spirit
descended on him in bodily
form like a dove. And a voice
came from heaven: "You are
my Son, whom I love; with you
I am well pleased."

Luke 4:1
• Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit,
returned from the Jordan and
was led by the Spirit in the
desert, where for forty days he
was tempted by the devil. He
ate nothing during those days,
and at the end of them he was
hungry.

Love and discipline are not
mutually exclusive.
• In fact, love without discipline
may not exist at all.
• And discipline without love may
not either.
• Discipline is a sign of
legitimacy.

If we think about
Human Discipline…
• Some discipline builds respect.
– [9] Moreover, we have all had
human fathers who disciplined us
and we respected them for it.
• There also is discipline that was
“well intended”.
– [10] Our fathers disciplined us for a
little while as they thought best;

Divine Discipline is perfect
discipline—and perfecting
discipline.
• [10b] but God disciplines us for our
good, that we may share in his holiness.
• He is the author and perfecter of our
faith.
• [9b] How much more should we submit
to the Father of our spirits and live!

TRUTH
• [11] No discipline seems
pleasant at the time, but painful.
Later on, however, it produces a
harvest of righteousness and
peace for those who have been
trained by it.
• “painful” - loo-pay – heavy, hard,
sorrowful.

“trained”
• gymnazō - goom-nad'-zo –
exercise or practice naked
or without encumbrance.

The Goal of
Physical Training

Because God
loves you and accepts you…
• He will allow hardship and pain in your life.
• He will instruct you regarding the right path
and to stay clear of the wrong path.
• He will rebuke you when you stray from
the path or the training regimen He has
planned.
• He will punish you as necessary with pain
—with the purpose that you will have less
pain in the future and avoid catastrophe.

Consider
Pheidippides
[phi-dip-ih-dees]
• It was for the joy of that
announcement –
“Nenikékamen” – We have won!

Consider Jesus…
• Who for the joy set before him
endured the cross, scorning its
shame…
• Just before He died made the
announcement—
TETELESTAI - IT IS FINISHED!
• The debt has been paid in full.
• The war is won!

Consider Your Race
• That for the joy set before you—you
run with purpose to announce the
Good News that Jesus passed to you
—IT IS FINISHED.

No discipline seems
pleasant at the time, but
painful. Later on,
however, it produces a
harvest of
righteousness and
peace for those who
have been trained by it.
Hebrews 12:11

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