about making keeping you within. Thou of life, Thou fountain of,
freely let me take of Thee. Spring Thou of within my heart,
Rise to all eternity. As I said, we're happy to have
Brother Marvin and Glenda with us this morning. And my soul
in here, I don't think it does not know this man. Needs no introduction. And I'm giving one, aren't I?
But I just want you to know that we really mean it when we say
we're glad to have you. Turn with me, if you would, to
Hebrews chapter 12. I'm convinced that Truly all
things work together for good to them that love God,
to them who are the called according to His purpose. Now, I realize
something. I truly believe I believe that. And I believe that we're here
today on purpose. I was leaving yesterday afternoon
and driving down the road and decided that I would just call
to check on Brother Scott and see how he was doing. And our
conversation led to something like this. He said, Well, if
it was me, I wouldn't come back right now. stay where I was,
if I were you. And I believed Him. He never told me anything up
until now. So we did. We stayed. And I appreciate
this opportunity to be here with you. I'd like to look at Hebrews
chapter 12. I would begin reading in Well, let's just read the first
six verses. Wherefore, seeing we also are
compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us
lay aside every weight of the sin which doth so easily beset
us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
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 that is set down at the right hand of the throne
of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of
sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your
minds. Ye have not yet resisted unto
blood, striving against 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. For whom the Lord loveth, he
chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth." This
morning I was thinking about this passage of Scripture. And
I truly did, and I know that this has a sound about it of
being very religious. And you understand what I'm talking
about when I tell you about what I'm going to say. I truly, I
sincerely, I began to think about a set of circumstances. that just in the last day happened. Yesterday. And I thought, well,
I'm here. I'm here and I'm not there. And
I truly ask the Lord, would you, would you so direct my heart? Would you give me the message
for your people? We're here. Because this is where
we're supposed to be this morning. Would you so direct me? Sixty-six books here. How do you know? You understand
what I'm saying? How do you know? You believe. Lord, you so move and you direct
and you teach. Would you so instruct me, even
in my frailty? Would you so speak? Speak to me and speak to your
people. I believe there are some folks
here today for whom the Lord Jesus Christ died. That's not
a light thing. You think about that. I'm standing here. pastor, my
dear brother and friend, precious friend. I think about, you know,
the times that he stands here and preaches. He's concerned,
you're concerned. And I wanted to preach this morning,
by God's good pleasure and direction, a message of encouragement to
frail creatures, those that are dependent, upon His power and
grace and mercy, a message of encouragement and hope in days
of uncertainty. I'd like to look today at three
things that I believe are truly worthy of our consideration,
and I'm going to actually be looking At that sixth verse,
for whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth. That's going to be that part
right there that I'd just like to have us think about. And pray truly that the Spirit
of God might take what is said to the honor of the Lord Jesus
Christ and bless it to our hearts. for whom the Lord loveth, he
chasteneth." Now, there are a few things that I know based on Scripture. On that Scripture, for sure,
I know this, that God has a people that he loves for whom the Lord
loveth. How does he reveal his love to
those people? This is what the Word of God
says. We can settle this thing right now. I'm going to settle
it right now. How does the Lord reveal His
love to His people? Well, here it is, Stan. Bottom
line, right here, this is it. Whom the Lord loveth, He chasteneth. Now, that just settled it right
there. I just ended the whole thing. For whom the Lord loveth,
he chasteneth. And then I'd like to look at
what is their attitude toward that divine revelation, because
that's what it is. Number one, the Lord absolutely,
without a doubt, has a people that he loves, for whom the Lord
loved him. Contrary to popular belief, Almighty God does not love, without
any discrimination whatsoever, every single solitary person. Verse 11. Let's turn there a
little. Psalm 711. The Scripture says that God judges
the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day, the
Lord God Himself judgeth." Now, that word right there means,
pronounces the sentence to vindicate. A judge makes a call. All the
evidence is brought before the court, and he makes a judgment
call. That word, judge, right there.
He absolutely sets down and pronounces to vindicate the righteous. God judgeth the righteous, and
God is angry with the wicked every day. Angry, enraged with
the wicked all the time, every day. Romans 9 and 13 says, Jacob
have I loved, but Esau Have I hated?" And that word means just exactly,
detest. He's angry. Turn with me now to Genesis 25. Genesis 25. Jacob, he said, I've
loved, he saw, I've hated. Genesis 25. Verse 21, where I'd
like to believe. These two boys, we just quoted
a scripture, Romans 9, 13, Jacob have I loved, Esau have I hated.
These two boys, based on the Word of God, represent one or
the other of all mankind. He's not just talking. He did
name two men, Jacob and Esau. Now, let me tell you what the
Lord said about those two men. Genesis 25-21, and Isaac entreated the Lord
for his wife because she was barren, and the Lord was entreated
of him. And Rebekah, his wife, conceived,
and the children struggled together within her. And she said, If
it be so, why am I thus? And she went to inquire of the
Lord, and the Lord said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb,
and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels,
and the one people shall be stronger than the other people, and the
elder shall serve the younger." There's two manner of people
in you, two nations in you. And here's the way that the Lord
said He summed up His attitude. toward them. Jacob have I loved,
I have set my affection on him, and Esau I have hated." Here again, that ended it, right
there. Those that the Lord loves, how
long has He loved them? Well, Jeremiah 31.3 says, I have
loved thee with an everlasting love, therefore with lovingkindness
have I drawn thee." Almighty God, He said, I change not. Therefore, you sons of Jacob
are not consumed. Almighty God has a people, and
God commendeth His love toward us in that while we were yet
sinners, Christ died for us. The Lord has a people. that he
loves. And in time, those that have
been everlastingly loved by Almighty God, redeemed by the blood of
the Lord Jesus Christ, they shall be called out effectually by
the Spirit of God, irresistibly. Thy people shall be willing in
the day of thy power, in your power, God's going to call out
his people. And the sheep, those that the
Lord has everlastingly loved, chosen from the foundation of
the world in the Lord Jesus, consider them in him their surety. He will call them out, and they
shall come. They will come. God Almighty
has a people. that he loves. Secondly, how does he reveal
his love? Well, we looked at it a moment
ago and said that whom the Lord loveth continually, whom the
Lord loveth and loveth and loveth, whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth
Now that word right there is a very, very comforting word. Once I looked it up, now let
me tell you what my, this is the way I would always hear that
in this way, I'd surmise it. Whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth. And I thought to myself, I just
read that, just read it. You know how we are, we just
read it. And that means, well, What I've done, I'm going to
pay for. Whom the Lord loveth, I'm going
to pay. I'm going to have to go
through some stuff. I've, you know, I've messed up. Chasteneth. Chasteneth. I'm going
to have to go through some tough times. Well, let me tell you
what that word means. It means trains up. and educates. That's what that
word means. It means to train up and to educate. Whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth
and scourgeth. That means to flog, to spank. That's what that word means. whom he receiveth, accepts in
the Lord Jesus Christ. Every person for whom the Lord
loveth, and God's got a people he loves, he chasteneth, he trains,
and scourgeth every one. You know, a parent does the same
thing. And as a parent, now this is one thing that we truly begin
to realize as a parent. You know, children are different, difficult at times. And you really want to believe
that you know just exactly the right thing to do every time,
every situation. Those of you that are parents
and those of you that will be. You know, hindsight is 20-20,
always. But you begin to raise a child. Let me ask you this, those of
you that are parents. Do you love that child? You do. Do you want the best for that
child? Absolutely. Whom the Lord loveth, He trains,
educates, you know. Now there's times that I would
find myself, I've got three of my children that are sitting
here this morning. I thought I was going to have
four, but one of them is trying to get ahead of the weather and
going back to Tennessee. But I've got three of my children
that are here. And I look back over the years
that my kids were in the house. You know this. You know, you
try to train up. And there's times, ask any of
them, there was times that there was a, Don, we're going to have
to go to that middle bedroom. You know, there was a place they
knew. If you go to that bedroom right
there, And every time that we went there, there was—we had
a talk, you know, and then after the talk, there was going to
come a spanking. They knew that. If you went there,
that—but you know that there was times, too, that there was
a chastening. There was a teaching. And it
may be a time when I would say something, or maybe I'd look.
Or maybe I would, you know, just do something, and they'd know
there was a time of training and instruction. And it may not
be an exact time that I maybe had to take off my belt, you
know. But there would be a time, and
usually that time was a continual time, that because of my love
for There was a training period. There was a time, you know. No,
no, that's not. Maybe I didn't have to raise
my voice. Maybe I did. Maybe I, you know. But I did
what I did because I loved him. Whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth
and scourgeth. You notice there's two words
there. Chasteneth and scourgeth. Chastening. It means to train
up, to educate. Now, that's not the way you do
that. Now, that's not, no, this, you know, my time. This is my
question. Whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth. How? How is that? How does he do that? How is it that we must stop and
admit that one unmeasurably wise unmeasurably loving, deals with
his own in ways that they themselves might never come to completely
understand. They don't. I don't know. Why do certain things happen?
Why? Whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth,
he trains, he educates. His ways are not our ways. Now,
I know that those for whom the Lord Jesus Christ died, I know
this, there is therefore now, right now, no condemnation to
them that be in Christ Jesus. So what I'm talking about right
here this morning is not divine judgment. I'm not speaking of
judgment in the sense that I'm going to pay. whom the Lord loveth,
he chasteneth. And there are some times, I'm
going to be real honest with you, spiritually speaking, there
are some painful times. They're painful. Divine judgment speaks of condemnation. Who shall lay anything to the
charge of God's elect? It's God that's justified. It's
God that justifies. who could lay any charge. Who is he that condemneth? It
is Christ that died, yea, rather that is risen again, who is even
at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for
us. Judgment, divine judgment, is
reserved for those for whom the Lord Jesus Christ has not died. whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth."
I am talking about a loving father. Loving. Whom the Lord loveth,
he loves. He loves. Many, Psalm 34, 19
says, are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivereth
him out of them all. And these afflictions, as parental
love, may take a form accomplish His purpose for reasons known
only to Him. If you as a parent absolutely
had the wisdom and the power to order all things for the good
of those that you love, wouldn't you do it? God does. For whom the Lord loveth,
he chasteneth, he scourgeth. Sometimes, I'm talking about
divine chastisement. For whom the Lord loveth. Now,
we all go through stuff. And we are this morning. And
there's some folks here this morning. And I, being one of
them, need some encouragement. For whom the Lord loveth, he
loveth. He loveth, he chasteneth, he
teaches. And as I said a moment ago, I'm
talking about some things that can be painful. There are times that Almighty
God so orders providentially events in the lives of His people,
and does so for the prevention of things that we would do if
Almighty God did not intervene. Now, I don't know what's going
to happen tomorrow. I don't know what's getting ready to happen
this afternoon, and you don't either. But I'm going to give
you a Scripture that backs up what I just said. Almighty God
so orders things in our lives, chastening. and scourgings, for
whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth and scourgeth things that happen,
that are painful, that hurt." The Scripture says in II Corinthians
12.7, Paul the Apostle says, "...unless I should be exalted
above measure through the abundance of the revelations There was
given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan, to buffet
me, lest I should be exalted above measure." Something, whatever
it was, I have heard men speculate. I don't know what it was. But
whatever it was, I know this about it. The Lord said, My grace
is sufficient. He said, I besought the Lord. But lest I should be exalted
above measure, Almighty God, Paul said, sent a messenger of
Satan to buffet me. And evidently, it was something
that caused him great discomfort, pain, spiritually speaking. And
the Lord said, after Paul asked him to remove it, the Lord said,
My grace is sufficient. God Almighty allowed something
for that man to go through. Something happened. Something
was there. But Almighty God, who had everlastingly
loved him, chastened him, taught him, kept him, kept him. The Lord raises up a pastor, teaches Now, I think I'm right
on this, Paul. By and large, you'll find that
most of the time, within a body of believers, where the Lord
has graciously sent them a faithful pastor, that pastor goes through
stuff. And God teaches that pastor first. And gives that man, teaches him
through experience, some things that that man right there, might
stand up and have something to say from experience. The Lord
uses, teaches, takes His Word, and He's gone through something,
and He understands. I would encourage you to be sensitive
to this man. I'll say this because, you know,
it would be harder for him to say it than me, but I would tell
you this. Be sensitive to this man. Sensitive your pastor. Be careful. Don't let him, don't let him
find himself in situations, whether it be financial or any other
way. Be sensitive. Take care of him. He's got needs
just like anybody else. But Almighty God is going to
teach a man that God, that he's raised up, is going to teach
him something about chastening. And that man will learn. by experience,
whom the Lord loved. He besought the Lord thrice,
and he said, My grace is sufficient. It may be, secondly, that trials
are sent for the strengthening and proving of the graces that
the Lord has given him. Maybe the Lord has given a man,
called a man out of darkness into his marvelous In James chapter
1, May he said, My brethren, you count it all joy when you
fall into divers temptations, knowing that the trying of your
faith worketh patience. The trying of your faith, the
trying of your faith worketh patience. Paul dealt with this
just a moment ago. What is that? The trying of your
faith, the chastening of the Lord, trials, scourgings. Almighty God is going to teach
His people, as a loving Father, to teach His people to wait. Wait. a saying, and it was this, we're
going to do something today that's wrong. You know, that sounds
normal, but we're going to do something right now. Not going
to, you know, to have no activity, but to wait on the Lord spiritually. Almighty God was seeing chastenings,
scourgings that teaches people Sometimes God's people are called
upon to endure persecution for a confirmation of the testimony
to the truth. Acts 5.41 says, And they departed
from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted
worthy to suffer shame for his name. Now, you think about this.
Now, I'm sure in a congregation this size, there are some folks
probably sitting here this morning that are probably within your
family. I don't doubt it. I'm not looking
at anybody right now, so if you think I'm looking at you, I don't
know enough about the family side. But I would not doubt that
there's been some tough times within your family, within your
circles, where you deal. Almighty God was sent. and use others to do just exactly
what they want to do in making and saying reproachful things
toward you, toward the Lord that you love, and allow them to do
just exactly what they wanted to do for your good. Confirmation to the keeping,
establishing, holding. He said, I'll never leave you,
I'll never forsake you, and allow these things to happen for your
good and for His glory. All the trials that Almighty
God's people endure, all of them, all of them, all of them are
necessary. The trials of His choosing are
for our profit. He has allowed you the privilege
to go through right now. It's for your good and for His
glory. And you say, this is painful.
I know it. I know it is. You say, this hurts. I know it does. You say, I don't
know how much longer I can do this. His grace is sufficient. What does it do but cause you
to cast yourself upon Him afresh? Right now. Right now. Lord, without
You, truly, I can do nothing. You said that. Lord, You give
me a heart to believe it. We are in no position to conclude
The exact reasons for God's loving chastisement to say, though,
that it is for his honor and glory and for our good is to
be brought to that place where we will bow, worship. We are incompetent to diagnose
our own lot and certainly to pronounce judgment concerning
his ways. But before I leave this second
point and close with the third, I want to ask myself and I ask
you this question. You think about this. For whom
the Lord loveth, he chasteneth. Now, whether that be monetary
problems or family problems or business problems or work problems
or whatever, what's the difference? For whom the Lord loveth, he
chasteneth. We always think about trials, things, stuff. We go through trials. What's the difference in what
you go through as a believer and what your neighbor goes through?
You get sick, they get sick. You have family problems, they
have family problems. Money's tight for you, money's
tight for them. What's the difference? What's the difference? For whom
the Lord loveth, He chasteneth. Is there any place at which we
find a difference between a believer and an unbeliever in what they're
going through? How do you know the difference?
What is it? Well, surely the difference must be
And it is in the attitude that a believer has toward his Lord. And this is what I mean. He realizes
that what he's going through, first of all, is much less than
he deserves. Whatever I'm going through is
much less. And he beholds the trials to
be that which surely is from the hand of him who absolutely
definitely will do me good. I know that. Do you think about
it? What's the difference? An unbeliever
goes through something, a believer goes through something, basically
the same thing. What's the difference in the
attitude? The believer will say, It's the Lord. It's the Lord. Let him do what seems right to
him. An unbeliever will say, I've
just had bad luck. Though a believer is within his own nature, I know
this, and it's still there, tempted to do so. time shall reveal that
believer will not charge God foolishly. He won't do it. He
will not do it. The peace of Almighty God rules
the heart, though that believer, because of the presence of sin,
struggles with doubt, strife, back and forth. But the greatest
trial, this is where the rubber meets the road right here, what's
the difference? Whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth.
What is the greatest trial for a believer? What is his greatest,
where is that point? Is it sickness? Is that the greatest
trial? You know, is sickness unto death?
Is that the greatest trial, really? Is it whether or not you're going
to be able to pay your bill? What is the greatest trial, struggle
for a believer whom the Lord loveth? He chastened us. What
is the greatest? I'll tell you what I believe
it is. I believe it is when those times come when the Lord, by
His good pleasure, by His wisdom, by His wisdom, it is when Almighty
God seems or appears to look from a distance, and the distressed
saint perceives something of an apparent loss of his presence. It is when Almighty God, in His
infinite wisdom, appears to the believer. He said, I will never
leave you. I will never forsake you. But
I'll tell you the greatest struggle for a believer. Psalm 10.1, David said, Why standest
thou afar off, O Lord? Why hidest thou thyself in times
of trouble? Turn with me to Job. I want to
read you something that just absolutely. Job chapter 23. Job 23. Verse
8. I believe, I honestly believe,
I told you a while ago about God allows his people to go through
some stuff to teach them. I honestly believe this to be so. Job 23, verse
8, Behold, I go forward, but he's not there, and backward
but I cannot perceive him. On the left hand, where he doth
work, but I cannot behold him. He hideth himself on the right
hand, that I cannot see him, but he knoweth the way that I
take. When he hath tried me, I shall
come forth as gold." I tell you the struggle. If a believer is
sensitive to his presence. If he's there, and he allows
me that privilege to behold, to sense by faith his presence,
if I can, like Jacob, holding on to the man. He said, let me
go. Jacob said, I can't, I can't,
I can't. I just can't. I'm telling you, the greatest
struggle, trial, what does this loving chastisement do for the
believer? Turn with me to Song of Solomon,
chapter 3. Song of Solomon, right after
Ecclesiastes, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon 3, beginning in verse 1, by night,
by night, in the time of my night, and that's spiritual. Sun may
be noon, but I tell you this, when Almighty God has in His
good providence, his wisdom, immeasurable wisdom. When he
has allowed his presence, though he's there, if he withdraws himself,
the awareness of himself from me, what am I going to do about
it? What can I do about it? But in the night, during that
time, to me, when I detect a seeming darkness. By night on my bed
I sought him whom my soul loveth. I sought him, but I found him
not. I will rise now and go about
the city and the streets, and in the broad ways I will seek
him whom my soul loveth." And a believer knows that he loves
him. He knows it. He has a heart that God's given
him to love it, to love it. But I'll tell you this, a believer
will not even leave that decision to his own fickle nature. You
remember when the Lord asked Peter, he said, Peter, lovest
thou me? He asked him the third time.
I'll just skip for time's sake. He asked him the third time,
Peter, lovest thou me? What did Peter say? Lord, you
know all things. A believer won't even leave to
himself. You ask a person, a religious,
you know, you love the Lord. Oh, yeah, I love the Lord. I
love the Lord. Oh, I've always loved Him. A
believer, you ask a believer, you love the Lord, and I'm telling
you, I don't know what he'll come out and how he'll try to
verse it and stammer around some of it, but inside, this is what
he says, Lord, you know. I don't love you as I ought.
I know I don't. And I surely admit, if you were
to look upon me and my attitude and my actions and my this, that,
and the other, it sure doesn't look like it. Lord, but you know
all things. The believer will cast himself
upon the good judgment of Almighty God. Lord, you know. You know
I love you. I will arise, verse 2 in the
Song of Solomon 3, and go now and go about the city, the streets,
and the broad ways. I will seek him whom my soul
loveth. I sought him, but I found him
not. The watchman that go about the city found me, to whom I
say, Saw ye him? whom my soul loveth, it was but
a little that I passed from them, but I found him whom my soul
loveth, I held him. And I would not let him go until
I had brought him into my mother's house, into the chamber of her
that conceived me." I'm telling you, the greatest trial that
a believer endures is when God Almighty is pleased to lovingly
withdraw the apparent presence. He's there, but if I cannot perceive
Him, if He withdraws, I mean, you sit and you'll listen. Your
pastor will come and prepare a message and you hear it and
you think, I should have I should have entered into that, you know,
and it just seems to be gray, and it's just, and you think,
Lord, Lord, if You withdraw Yourself from me, if You were to take
Your presence from me, I'd just be out there. My brother Maurice
Montgomery made a statement to me one day, and he said this,
sometimes God will set a man or a woman out on a limb and
make them think He's going to leave them there. I'm going to
tell you something. That, that, that's chastening. Whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth
and teaches and instructs them. And he knows, he knows how to
draw his people to himself. How to cause them to come to
him. My sheep here, my boys, they
follow me. How do they follow? He knows.
He knows how. Sometimes this way, sometimes
that way, but always His way. Recall how you felt when the
Lord was apparently tearing up your little cozy nest, overturning
your cherished plans to do this or that. And lastly, what's the attitude? that a believer
shall have. What's his attitude back in Hebrews
12? And I'll just close right here.
Hebrews 12. Look about the middle part of
verse 5. Hebrews 12. 5. My son, despise
not thou the chastening of the Lord, or think, when thou art
rebuked of him, despise him not. It's easy to hear. You know,
these things seem so easy, so pleasant when the Lord has us
in a place right now. But right now, you know, all
is well. I was sitting last week or so
ago there in study, and I was reading. And all of a sudden
I thought about this. I thought, you know, what if all of a sudden I just didn't
have a heart to read this? What if the Lord would just not
show me himself in the scripture. Right now, think about it. What
would happen if Almighty God were to just leave you to yourself?
I've heard a few cards just pass by, thinking to myself, what
if he'd just leave me to just justify everything that I would
think that was disrespectful to him? And in my mind, I would. I'd justify it. It'd be fine. My son, despise not thou the
chastening of the Lord. I know that for a season, for
a while, it seems so tough. This is hard. Despise not. Knowing His love for His own
is the reason in this, by divine revelation, to not despise it. Ask of Him. Remind me. David said, Lord,
you've dealt well with me. Yeah, but these times are tough.
Yes, but He didn't leave me to myself. Yeah, but this is hard. This hurts. What if He left you
alone? Let not your heart be troubled. Isaiah, let me just read this
to you, Isaiah 43, 3 says, When thou passest through the waters, now listen to this, I will be
with thee. When you pass through, I'll be
with you. Whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth,
I'll be with you. And when you pass through the
rivers, they shall not overflow thee. Lord, would you just remind
me of that. When I am where you are pleased
to put me. Remind me of this. Lord, if you
remind me of it, I can endure it. Because you said you'll never
leave me. You said you'll never forsake
me. When thou walkest through the
fire, thou shalt not be burned." Lord, would you bring that back
to my memory? In that time, in that moment,
in that second, in that day, would you remind me of that?
Neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. Whom the Lord loveth,
he instructs, he chasteneth, teaches. And he knows just exactly
how to do it. He's got a loving people. He's
got a people that he loves. And he knows just exactly how
to deal with them, how to instruct them.