HPE 3 - CHASTENING and REWARDS
Reference:
Stanford, R. (1999). Handbook of Personal Evangelism.
Free Downloads of Book (Handbook of Personal Evangelism) at the following site: http://www.eph289.com/
CHAPTER 3 - CHASTENING and REWARDS
God deals with His children in two ways: (1) when you respond to and obey the Lord’s leading in your life, God’s discipline for you will be mainly one of guidance, encouragement, and further instruction; (2) when you rebel against God’s leading, He will deal with you in however strong a measure it takes for you to obey Him.
People are motivated by two things: fear and love. God uses each in a perfect blend that is just right for each Christian.
“My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord; neither be weary of his correction: For whom the Lord loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth” (Proverbs 3:11-12 KJV).
“Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty” (Job 5:17 KJV).
When a Christian disobeys God, he should confess it right away.
Every time you sin, you should confess it. Every time you confess your sin, you will be forgiven.
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (I John 1:9 KJV).
Please notice two things about I John 1:9: (1) God does not guarantee restoration of fellowship on the basis of confession of sin. (I disagree with the author on this point. I believe fellowship is immediately restored when one confesses sin unto the Lord. David confesses and immediately back into fellowship in II Samuel 12:13 KJV) Fellowship with the Lord comes when a Christian disciplines his so that he has “things in common” with the Lord; (2) God does not guarantee restoration of damage resulting form sin on the basis of confession of sin.
A Christian can do wrong things, but he cannot escape the consequences of doing wrong things. The Lord uses His discretion in every instance. You will receive “personalized” attention. People often want to know “what God will do to them.” When God chastens you, it will not be pleasant.
“Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby” (Hebrews 12:11 KJV).
A disobedient child is never happy. Continued sin often brings weakness and sickness into your life. If you refuse to respond to God’s dealing with you, God can take you home earlier than He would have otherwise.
"For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world" (I Corinthians 11:30-32 KJV).
"If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it. All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death" (I John 5:16-17 KJV).
After a person trusts Christ for salvation he should heed Romans 12:1-2.
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Romans 12:1-2 KJV).
A life of service for the Lord will be richly rewarded both now and later. When you obey God’s Word and let the Lord run your life, you will have love, joy, and peace in your life.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith” (Galatians 5:22 KJV).
“If they obey and serve him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures” (Job 36:11 KJV).
“The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” (John 10:10 KJV).
The secret to “Christian Victory” is no more or less than obeying God.
“If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour” (John 12:26 KJV).
You might sometimes think disciplining your life to serve the Lord is difficult. What you want to do will often be the opposite of what God wants you to do, but the reward is great and have you considered what it will cost you if you do not serve the Lord?
“He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength: who hath hardened himself against him, and hath prospered” (Job 9:4 KJV)?
“Because thou servedst not the Lord thy God with joyfulness, and with gladness of heart, for the abundance of all things; Therefore shalt thou serve thine enemies which the Lord shall send against thee, in hunger, and in thirst, and in nakedness, and in want of all things: and he shall put a yoke of iron upon thy neck, until he have destroyed thee” (Deuteronomy 28:47-48 KJV).
“Woe to the rebellious children, saith the Lord, that take counsel, but not of me; and that cover with a covering, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin” (Isaiah 30:1 KJV).
Satan will always give you the best excuses why you should not obey God. But the decision as to what you will do with your life is completely up to you. (salvation is voluntary, service is voluntary)
Perhaps you may feel you have no particular “talent” to give to the Lord. God says the greatest ABILITY in Christian work is DEPENDABILITY. It is required of stewards that a man be faithful.
“Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful” (I Corinthians 4:2 KJV).
It is not required that you are (1) popular, (2) wealthy), (3) successful, (4) educated, and (5) influential. God honors the believer who faithfully does his best for the Lord each day.
The reason God put Paul in the ministry was not that God just “chose” him for some intangible, vague reason. Paul had proven to be a faithful servant already, and God put him into the ministry because he could be counted upon to continue to be faithful.
“And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry” (I Timothy 1:12 KJV).
The real reason why many people do wrong and think they can actually get away with it, even in the sight of God, is found in Ecclesiastes 8:11.
“Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil” (Ecclesiastes 8:11 KJV).
People forget there is a time lapse between planting and reaping. What you plant in your life will always come up. If you sow to the flesh, you will have nothing but heartache. Worldly pleasures are (1) trouble to get, (2) they do not satisfy you when you do get them, and (3) there is great sorrow when they are lost.
Happiness is not found in pleasure, money, laughter, fame, or getting what you think you want, but is a by-product of a Spirit-controlled, useful life for the Lord Jesus Christ.
Your future is being determined by what you do TODAY. If you want to accomplish great things for the Lord in the future, you must accomplish something for the Lord today.
Even the unsaved ministers, doctors, and psychiatrists know the best advice they can give a depressed and unhappy person is to help someone else -to go and be of service. This brings joy.
The Lord, our Great Physician, knows that serving Him brings the highest joy possible.
The Lord is looking for individuals to serve Him.
“For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars” (II Chronicles 16:9 KJV).
God wants to do things for His children, but He cannot reward evil.
When you serve Him, He will do all things for you.
God will give His children rewards:
“By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward” (Hebrews 11:24-26 KJV).
“For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works” (Matthew 16:27 KJV).
“His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord” (Matthew 25:21 KJV).
“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad” (II Corinthians 5:10 KJV).
Make it very clear that this person at the Judgment Seat of Christ is not in a judgment to determine if he will go to Heaven or Hell. That was determined while the person was still living on earth, on the basis of whether or not he had received Christ as his Savior.
The Judgment Seat of Christ if for believers only, to determine whether or not they will have rewards during the thousand-year reign of Christ on earth.
A person must build upon the foundation of the Lord Jesus Christ.
“For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ” (I Corinthians 3:11 KJV).
Let it be known that a person's labor for the Lord is not in vain.
“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord” (I Corinthians 15:58 KJV).
INSTRUCTIONS FOR A NEW CHRISTIAN
STUDY YOUR BIBLE
Study your bible.
“As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby” (I Peter 2:2).
A person strengthens their faith by studying the Word of God, believes the Word of God, and obeys the Word of God.
“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17 KJV).
The only way to understand the Word of God is study it.
“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (II Timothy 2:15 KJV).
“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works” (II Timothy 3:16-17 KJV).
PRAY
God is our Daddy in Heaven. Make the prayer personable.
“For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father” (Romans 8:15 KJV).
“And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father” (Galatians 4:6 KJV).
“Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not” (Jeremiah 33:3 KJV).
“Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you” (I Peter 5:7 KJV).
Pray often every day.
MEET TOGETHER WITH OTHER BELIEVERS
Your love for the Lord, for Christians, and for the unsaved will be greatly increased as you meet with believers and have fellowship with them. The NT believers gathered together often for prayer, Bible study, and to encourage one another in their witnessing and comfort one another in their testings.
“And when they were come, and had gathered the church together, they rehearsed all that God had done with them, and how he had opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles” (Acts 14:27 KJV).
“Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching” (Hebrews 10:25 KJV).
“And when they were come to Jerusalem, they were received of the church, and of the apostles and elders, and they declared all things that God had done with them” (Acts 15:4 KJV).
“And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight” (Acts 20:7 KJV).
“And the day following Paul went in with us unto James; and all the elders were present. And when he had saluted them, he declared particularly what things God had wrought among the Gentiles by his ministry. And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord, and said unto him, Thou seest, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are which believe; and they are all zealous of the law” (Acts 21:18-20 KJV).
“Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:1-2 KJV).
TELL OTHERS HOW TO BE SAVED
It is a privilege for us that God would actually put US in trust with His wonderful Gospel message.
“But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts” (I Thessalonians 2:4 KJV).
The Holy Spirit lives in all Christians, He works in us and gives us a desire to witness for Him that is all but impossible to ignore.
“Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay” (Jeremiah 20:9 KJV).
All believers are HIS AMBASSADORS.
“And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God” (II Corinthians 5:18-20 KJV).
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