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[0:00] Lord, condescending to help, I ask your attention to the 12th chapter in the epistle of Paul to the Hebrews. And I'm going to read by way of text verses 9 to 11.

[0:14] The 9th verse down through to the 11th in the 12th chapter of the epistle of Paul to the Hebrews. Furthermore, we've had fathers of our flesh which corrected us and we gave them reverence.

[0:36] Shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure.

[0:49] But he for our profit that we might be partakers of his holiness. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous but grievous.

[1:04] Nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.

[1:19] Furthermore, furthermore, we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us.

[1:35] My friends, what a benefit can a gracious father be as God uses his gracious spirit in the approach of family, peace and prosperity.

[2:00] Like so many other things in our early years we have not an appreciation of God's mercy in ordaining certain things naturally as well as spiritually.

[2:26] The natural benefit of a father is beyond price as we think in the context of a gracious father as the head of a family.

[2:51] We know that it's not a general benefit, especially in these days when spirituality is so despised.

[3:04] But my friends, I live as a living witness of the lifelong benefit of that instruction and example received from my father in those early and impressionable years.

[3:26] And I believe that part of the benefit was correction. Correction. We're in our youthful years fired by a very limited understanding of actions and their consequences.

[3:52] And in consequence, we need some protection and direction relative to the wise and useful, constructive approach to life.

[4:09] One of the laments of modern times is the fact that the family unit is breaking up before our eyes. And that the responsibility of fatherhood is not generally exercised as so many partnerships or husbands and wives in that relationship, both laboring together for the well-being of their family in a mutual concern.

[4:42] That is just breaking up and that the children are denied the influences that stem or flow through the sanctified wisdom of God in the administration and upbringing of the family.

[5:02] A one-parent family needs much sympathy and much grace to submit to the dealings of God as it pleases God from time to time to remove, in the way of providence, a father from the family, leaving the wife as a widow to bring up the family.

[5:30] And we had a very lively illustration in this fellowship when Mr. Philip Gudgeon was taken in comparative early years and his dear wife was left with the great responsibility of counsel and judgment to a great degree.

[5:55] But when the Lord removes either father or mother, the Lord is still sovereignly sufficient to impart the restraints and the affections that are necessary, as it were, to overcome the devastating consequences of the removal of either parent in that way.

[6:31] But I would say to the young people here, God is very wise in telling us through his word that to take notice of those that have much longer experience of the world than ourselves is a very wise reaction.

[6:56] The tendency of proud youth is to dismiss the wisdom of the counsel of the older and to run on in our own ignorance into various pitfalls, snares that are set before us in life's way.

[7:28] Oh, my friends, it's a good thing when we realize what here is stated. Furthermore, we've had fathers of our flesh which corrected us and we gave them reverence.

[7:48] We respected their authority in that sense, not always with a smile on our face and a happy reaction in our hearts.

[8:00] We bent, as it were, toward obedience to their loving desires and their prayerful good wishes for our profit in time and to eternity.

[8:19] Well, now, what a blessing. And if you've had that blessing, do bless God for the blessing. We have no jurisdiction, no influence at all with reference to the parents to whom we shall be born.

[8:37] And to be born in a godly family in these days is priceless in its benefits, especially when our parents take their responsibilities in the fear of God, wishing for our welfare now and forevermore.

[9:04] Furthermore, we've had fathers of our flesh which corrected us and we gave them reverence. You know, having been through the process of growing up and becoming, as it were, senior, rebellion against authority is a fruit of human pride.

[9:33] Pride goeth before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. Beware. Beware. If you think you're going right and doing right and you're living in obvious contradiction to the wise counsel of parenthood, beware.

[9:59] Because eventually you'll have to reap a harvest for your sowing. And I pass that remark in absolute understanding that we have in us, by nature, an influence of pride and self-sufficiency.

[10:18] We know, and we're not going to be told by anybody what we are to do and where we're not to go. Do pay heed to the goodness of God and be thankful for those influences that are not necessarily associating with our spiritual welfare only, but with our well-being in time also.

[10:51] You know, when we were little and we had open fires in our homes, one of the essential equipment in the family was a guard.

[11:07] We don't often see them today, but there was a guard put round the fire. Because children can stray and hurt themselves by putting their hands in the wrong direction or stumbling and falling into an open fire.

[11:30] The consequences are almost unthinkable. So parents wisely introduced that piece of equipment to protect their children from harm.

[11:43] And it's good when we can think of the spirits of parenthood as it were directed in that particular.

[11:54] It's like putting a guard round a fire lest we should burn ourselves, do harm to ourselves. And when we can look at the do's and don'ts of parents in that context, believing that their purpose is our well-being, then we can begin to thank God that he has given to us the benefit of such parenthood as to counsel us and advise us and influence us in those ways that will not bring trouble and harm to us.

[12:36] Furthermore, we've had fathers of our flesh. I've just used this introduction as an opportunity because obedience today is not a good word, is it?

[12:53] And discipline is out of court in many, many directions. But my friends, loving discipline is a great benefit not only for the present but also for the future as it may rest upon our minds and spirits.

[13:18] Now let us come to this. Furthermore, we've had fathers of our flesh, we gave them reverence. Shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the father of spirits and live?

[13:36] A natural father, imperfect as all of us have been. Imperfect. But there is a sense in which we reflect the responsibility and need of our children.

[13:59] They need us. They need us. They need us. They would have gotten themselves into many complications and difficulties and sorrows and pains had father and mother not shouldered the responsibilities of parenthood and administered in every needful way what they attributed to our care and preservation.

[14:30] Well, now, shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the father of spirits and live?

[14:40] That word, subjection. That word, subjection. We don't like it, do we? Naturally speaking, we don't like it. But subjection is a great blessing.

[14:58] A great blessing. Especially when we see the symbolic application of the subjection of the subjection of children to their parents setting forth in a very imperfect way but necessarily in certain particulars setting forth the fatherhood of God and his care and attention to the need and preservation and well-being of his family here upon the earth.

[15:39] I can't exaggerate the care that God takes with respect to the preservation and well-being of his family here upon the earth.

[15:54] And the apostle is so embracing that he says if we're not the subjects of God's correction we've no right to say we belong to the family.

[16:13] If ye be without chastisement whereof all are partakers then are ye bastards and not sons. You don't belong to the family. If you're not the subject of divine correction and divine correction calls for subjection.

[16:40] Subjection. And we don't like subjection naturally. It doesn't come easy to us, does it? When father or mother say you shouldn't do this or you mustn't do that immediately there's a reaction isn't there?

[17:03] And sometimes to our own detriment a determination nevertheless to pursue the path that's wrong. And my friends we deserve all that comes to us.

[17:16] We think naturally if that is the evil spirit prevailing but how much more how much more in our relationship with the father in heaven.

[17:34] Subjection. It's a wonderful thing to be really spiritually subject to the perfect will of God.

[17:46] The perfect will of God. every discord in your heart and mine to the will of God is our folly.

[17:59] It's the fruit of the Adam fall. It's disastrous if we're left to the final consequence of the spirit.

[18:12] well now shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the father of spirits and live.

[18:25] Those last two words and live and live the father of spirits and live. Rebellion against God God has all the ingredients of banishment from God because we know that that spirit that's antagonistic to the rule of a sovereign God is rebellion against the most high.

[19:01] It's a sin and a sin which must be punished and my friends the wise teaching of scripture is subjection bowing submitting appreciating that the profitable way is God's way that this is the way that leads to eternal life antagonist antagonism to this principle leads to eternal death sin wages of sin is death the sin the person that sinneth shall surely die well now what wisdom there is in the good instruction shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the father of spirits and live

[20:11] I believe when God by his spirit and grace begins to manifest his choice of a person in respect to their eternal safety their inclusion in the family of God they will very soon realise the displeasure of God made manifest in correction in correction which calls for submission and that situation can be very constructive in the learning of the truth about ourselves as well as the learning of the truth that

[21:23] God is a father of his people he is a very perfect father in relation to his dealings with each and all of his children individually personally now rebellion rebellion oh how quickly in the family context does rebellion against authority begin to show itself how easily we come to the conclusion that the thing that hurts in family discipline is when mother says no I remember hearing the ministry of our dear late friend

[22:26] Mr. Herbert Dawson of Beatherson he was a choice minister to my soul but he said this in one of his sermons he said the first taste that a child has of discipline is when mother says no you know all of you have had sufficient experience to know the reaction when mother's wishes cross your path and stop you doing what you intend to do oh my friends but what about our heavenly father what about the will revealed to us as to that which is right that which is wrong that which is good and profitable and that which is harmful do you know the lord reveals his will to us in scripture none of us can say in any of the consequences that we find very hard to receive that we're uninformed and therefore did it in our total ignorance my friends the lord has revealed everything that we need to know the holy bible from genesis to revelation has in its content that which is sufficient to instruct us guide us and teach us whoever we are whatever position we occupy whatever context we're in whether it be a little one children teenager or in the responsibilities and commitments of adult life we can never say

[24:34] God didn't inform us because God's word is comprehensive it's full of profitable instruction and we're as it were leaving ourselves exposed to all sorts of dangers and pitfalls if we do not take knowledge of what the Bible says or I would say read your Bible saturate yourself as it were in the will of God it is a wonderful wonderful benefit and saves from much pain and sorrow in this world let alone in the world to come chastening chastening chastening we read of our parents for they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure but he for our profit the discipline of God is lovingly directed toward the profit of our souls absolutely not as natural parents they sometimes said no because it was inconvenient to them to interpose their authority and prevent us from doing what we wanted to do it wasn't necessarily focused upon our profit so much as their pleasure but with

[26:25] God his pleasure is our profit his pleasure is our profit and my friends I say this with some measure of experience to rebel against divine directives is to go under chastisement which invariably brings much sorrow and sadness in consequence but he for our profit that we might be partakers of his holiness God's discipline has in it the purpose of our sanctification our holiness in that sense and anything that directs us away from sin to holiness is constructive both in time in time and to eternity because there's nothing better in the world than to feel in your very soul that the

[27:48] Lord loves you and the Lord looks upon you with a goodly measure of pleasure the smile of God in the heart and mind of a believer is a blessing that the world can never aspire to never know anything really about let me use the scripture I sat down under his shadow with great delight and his fruit was sweet to my taste my friends there's a few spots and places along the journey of life when we wouldn't have changed place with anybody for anything for anything because there's nothing that's more pleasurable and profitable than to have the smile of God resting upon us the approval of the most high shed abroad in our hearts by the

[28:55] Holy Ghost now but he for our profit oh the Lord's discipline is it's profitable it's constructive it's beneficial in time as well as into eternity I can't commend it with more zeal and I know the two sides I know the two sides I know what it is to be chastened I know what it is to feel God has forsaken me the devil says God's forsaken you persecute and take him for there is none to deliver him and sometimes it seems in God's chastening he so withdraws the influence of his spirit your heart is hard and prayerless and your spirit you can't change it you can't improve it and it may be you look back to the time when you rebelled against

[30:04] God and refused to submit to his will and way and he left you to harden to prove the wrong of your spirit and the awful consequence of the withdrawing of the Holy Spirit from you well now now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous but grievous the loss of things or the ignorance of things is very trying to a living soul one of God's family we sing sometimes don't we where is the blessedness

[31:05] I knew when first I saw the Lord remember the days of your first love or was there a happier person in the world than you at that particular time when the son of righteousness seemed to pour out the sweet beams of his grace into your soul and you felt nothing in the world to compare with it there's nobody could be more happy than you I remember on occasion and I want to speak this to the glory of God I remember being with my friend Philip Stone at Coventry and we just walked over the crown of a hill walking toward our home and the Lord so filled my heart with a sense of his love and grace that I said to Philip I said Phil I fear life more than death I fear life more than death my friend

[32:10] I felt so assured that if the Lord took me from that moment of time into eternity I should be in heaven I haven't got a doubt about it at that particular time but I haven't stayed there I haven't stayed there but those sweet moments when the Lord by his spirit and grace fills our souls with those rich treasures from on high that the world knows nothing about well now that we may be partakers of its own no no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous have you lost something and are you saying why why things are not with you as formerly and there is a cause the curse causeless cannot come there's a reason there's a reason if you're in darkness and coldness and you seem to deteriorate into what I might term religious habits you wouldn't stop saying your prayers you wouldn't neglect reading the

[33:39] Bible it wouldn't be generally your practice not to come to the house of God when the people of God gather together now your ways continue shall I say in the form of religious habit but oh you're as cold as ice inside you're like a rock and there seems to be nothing to move you and your circumstances may be such that you think well surely surely this great trial is sufficient to break my heart my friends there's nothing nothing nothing less than the grace of God poured out from on high can make a hard heart soft you can read your

[34:41] Bible chapter after chapter Old Testament New Testament you can turn over the pages as many times as you like and it leaves you as it finds you but let the Lord the Spirit come with the word of his truth only one little portion a verse into your soul and the whole situation you know it's it's like a transformation from the dead of winter to the comfort of a summer's day it can take place quicker than I can express it to you but the Lord chastens his people by withholding the influences of his spirit and truth from them they feel as they look at themselves am I any different from the world I seem to be absolutely possessed of that spirit and my friend you in consequence of the chastening you're brought to realize you can't keep alive your own soul you can't give rise to profitable meditation and you can't read the scriptures or pray with any feeling no it's your negative and you're suffering this negative because the

[36:08] Lord in his discipline as a father is withholding the influence of his spirit that you may appreciate your absolute dependency and the benefit of the correction nevertheless afterward chastening yieldeth the peaceable fruits of righteousness can you look back on some of your trials and troubles when the Lord chastened you and thank God for them painful crucifying as they were now I must hasten to the amen mustn't I now no chastening for the present seemeth to be grievous oh my friends examine yourselves look within so much so much discipline is the consequence of personal neglect we've got carried away with something we've got set up an idol perhaps become proud and think that we're good

[37:28]  Christians and everybody appreciates and admires us all those things that God will not have in his family and he comes out of his place to chasten the subject of them that they may be restored that they may be renewed that they may again enter into those aspects of the family of God which are priceless priceless and now just to conclude nevertheless afterward afterward when the chastening has done its work when the divine father has brought home to you the cause and reason of his displeasure he doesn't delight in your tears he delights in your restoration he rejoices in the consequence of his profitable discipline that you're now like clay in the hand of the potter you're now ready to do his will you're ready to go his way you're ready to take up your cross you're ready to do anything that is revealed in scripture as consistent with his pleasure and there's nothing in scripture that's consistent with his pleasure that's without profit it yielded the peaceable fruit of righteousness oh and that peace between the will of god and our own will the way of god and our own way when as it were we're ready to take up our cross daily and to follow him nevertheless said christ in the penultimate influence of his grace he says nevertheless not my will but thine be done total subjection and my friends there is in the spirit of christ made known in the hearts of believers from time to time a readiness to submit to the will of god whatever that will may be i hope my few remarks may be of some prophet god's family is a disciplined family discipline is prophet naturally and spiritually may god help us to humble ourselves under his mighty hand and may he show to us the two sides the sorrow that rebellion and sin brings in its wake and the restoring peace that is known when the lord renews and revives his work once more to our comfort within may the lord forgive anything i miss amen