Wisdom in Receiving Instruction and Inheritance

Recording:

Summary:## The Significance and Blessings of Divine Discipline

Heb 12:5 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: Heb 12:6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. Heb 12:7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? Heb 12:8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. Heb 12:9 Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? Heb 12:10 For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. Heb 12:11 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.

1 Today's topic: True sons and bastards!
Today, we will delve into the theme of “Bastards and True Sons.” I am not referring to fleshly bastards. To speak from a carnal perspective would be to engage in mere gossip. I am building upon last Sunday's message, “The Life of Inheritance.” Inheritance, as discussed last Sunday, is a key element of life. However, beyond inheritance, there is another even more critical factor: instruction. Today, when I speak of bastards and true sons, I am not speaking in the physical sense. The physical cannot achieve life. I am speaking of spiritual life. Those who receive instruction are true sons; those who do not are bastards. Some sons, though born of one's own flesh, are like bastards. Conversely, some children may be adopted, yet are true sons. This all hinges on one crucial element: whether one is receptive to instruction.

I thank my God. In the gospel of Jesus Christ, I have fathered so many children. They are all children who are receptive to instruction. In Jesus Christ, they are all intelligent individuals. People fall into two categories: the intelligent and the foolish. Those who do not inherit are foolish. Those who inherit are intelligent. Those who do not receive instruction are even more foolish, while those who do are even more intelligent! Inheritance coupled with instruction makes one the most intelligent among the intelligent.

There was a sister whom I spent a great deal of time ministering to. However, she was very receptive to instruction. This was because she had many flaws. Without teaching and rebuke, she truly could not change. Each time was a difficult undertaking. She would often leave in tears, and I thought it was over. But after a while, she would return, saying, “Pastor, please rebuke me.” I thank God that on several occasions, this sister wanted to leave the church but did not. Today, I thank God, she has a heart that is receptive to instruction and has become a core member of the church, serving diligently. She also shines for the Lord in her workplace, doing commendable work. These are the true children I have brought forth in the gospel. I thank God that, though I did not physically beget you, I have gained so many true children! These are intelligent children, unlike some who cannot be spoken to or rebuked. They are laden with flaws, watching themselves decay and defile others, yet they do not allow any correction. Rebuke them, and they act as if they have suffered a great injustice. They stubbornly refuse to repent. These are bastards, not true sons. I have decided that there cannot be bastards in the church, meaning those who are not receptive to instruction.

The Power of Instruction and Inheritance

I thank God that He has made me a person receptive to instruction. Among the five siblings born to my parents, some were receptive to instruction, while others were not; some inherited, while others did not. I have observed that those who were receptive to instruction and inherited have all lived well. Those who were not receptive and did not inherit have lived miserably. Who are the intelligent? They are those who are both receptive to instruction and inherit. Every time I recall my father using his belt on me, I am filled with gratitude! I am grateful for the belt, but also for the receptive heart within me. At the time, it was certainly unpleasant. No one enjoys being beaten. If my attitude then had been, “You hit me? How could you do that? I will report you for domestic violence. I will run away. You are no longer my father. I will sever ties with you,” then, though I was biologically his son, my heart would have been that of a bastard.

My childhood environment was not ideal. The place I lived was called Six Hundred Households, because that area had six hundred families. There were many bad children around. I observed that, among the children who grew up with me in that compound, those who were receptive to instruction and were true sons at home grew up to be successful people. However, many of those who were rascals from a young age and did not receive instruction have either been imprisoned or have died—stabbed to death, killed in fights, you name it.

Inheritance coupled with discipline—of course, a receptive heart is crucial—will bring about a glorious life! How you live today is largely attributable to these two factors: either you are receptive to instruction, or you are not; either you inherit, or you do not; either you are wise, or you are foolish.

Tell the person next to you: You must be wise!

2 Today’s Scripture: Hebrews 12:5-11
Heb 12:5 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: Heb 12:6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. Heb 12:7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? Heb 12:8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.

3 Prayer – A Teachable Heart!
(Impromptu prayer)! In the name of the Lord Jesus, Amen!

4 The rod of discipline can drive away foolishness
Have you ever seen a square watermelon? I have. It's quite novel. I wondered, how can a watermelon grow like that? If you tried to force a fully grown watermelon into a square shape, it would likely burst and spill its juice. The answer is that, when the watermelon is still small, it is placed in a square container, and it grows into that shape.

People become what they are molded to be from a young age. Without shaping, if people develop according to their own inclinations, the chance of becoming successful is slim. To become useful to family, society, and oneself, one must undergo shaping.

I have observed that children naturally learn bad habits without being taught. It's as if they pick it up from somewhere. Cursing, acting spoiled, throwing tantrums, lying on the ground and acting unreasonably, being selfish, trying to control parents, using all sorts of tricks to manipulate parents—all without being taught. Once, a child was crying desperately, covering his face with his hands but peeking through his fingers to observe his parents' reactions, and continuing to cry until he got what he wanted. Later, many bad habits developed, leading to a corrupted life and becoming societal dregs and burdens. No one taught him, so where did he learn it? It’s strange how people are born with evil inclinations.

The Wisdom and Blessings of Discipline

The human heart is a spiritual world. Proverbs 22:15 Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him. A spirit of foolishness often comes to bind the hearts of children, that is, the hearts of those who are immature. The only way to deal with such children is not through lecturing, but through discipline. The rod of discipline can drive away the spirit of foolishness! If you don’t discipline them when they are young, you won’t be able to control them when they grow up. Like that watermelon, once it has grown round, you cannot make it square, unless you cut it into a square with a knife. That would be very painful.

I believe that if the parents of the bad children in my neighborhood had known from a young age that the rod of discipline could drive away the spirit of foolishness, those children would have become good children. But the parents passed down foolishness, so how could the children not be foolish? Back then, my parents disciplined us very strictly, while the parents of the neighbors indulged their children. I have found that many parents are strange. When their children come home and tell them, I beat someone up, the parents not only do not discipline them, but they also cheer, Good job! Not long ago, I saw a video online of a father instructing his child on how to fight and beat up another child. A passerby recorded it and posted it online. I thought, that child is finished, ruined by his father.

When children are young and do not understand, reasoning is useless. To develop good habits, discipline is essential. The rod of discipline can drive away foolishness and demonic deception! Do not pity the child’s flesh, for those who indulge the child’s flesh will be controlled by demons, and the child will be corrupted in the future.

Of course, children who understand will listen when you tell them something. You do not need the rod. But children who do not understand will not listen to reason.

When I was young, we would go to school together. I had a classmate. When I went to find him in the morning, I found his father making him kneel on a washboard, holding a rolling pin in his hands. I learned that he had stolen money from his father. Later, he and I both got into university. In my case, it was a belt; in his case, it was a washboard and a rolling pin. The principle is the same: discipline is necessary!

Now that you know this, brothers and sisters, if you have children, do you know what to do?

When my son was young, he would wake up at three in the morning to play, exhausting my wife and me. We had to get up in the middle of the night to accompany him. He wouldn't sleep no matter what we tried. Later, I turned him over and spanked him hard on his bottom! The next day, at three o'clock, he didn't wake up. How can you reason with him? I later found that the rod of discipline is very effective in disciplining children.

In fact, it is the same with disciplining spiritual children! That is why the Bible says: 2Ti 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.

Pro 23:13 Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die.

Pro 23:14 Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell.

Pro 19:18 Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying.

Pro 13:24 He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.

To those who are going to be parents, I will give you a piece of advice: buy a rattan cane! Not a belt, not a washboard and rolling pin. A rattan cane will not harm the child, and the effect is the best! Forming good habits from a young age is the best blessing for children!

The Importance of Early Education

A mother contacted a wise man, seeking to learn from him how to properly educate her children. The man set a date for her to come. Upon meeting him, the mother was led to a garden planted with several trees, and she was asked to pull them out. The first tree was a freshly planted sapling. Did the mother pull it out? It was easily done. The second tree had been planted for a few days and had some roots, but it was still easy to pull out. The third tree had been planted for a year, but she still managed to pull it out with some effort. However, the next tree had been planted for five years and had deep roots; the mother strained with all her might, but the tree would not budge. She said, sweating profusely, Teacher, I cannot pull this one out. The teacher said, The education of children is like this. When they are young and tender, their character is easily changed. After some time, it is still relatively easy. But after five or ten years, the habits and personality become deeply rooted and can no longer be pulled out. The mother learned a great lesson here. Time shapes our habits. Early childhood is the best time to form character; by the time they enter elementary school, it is already difficult to change. By high school and college, who will listen to their parents? Discipline from a young age is very important! That is love!

I thank God that He often disciplines me. If you ask me how I became who I am today, besides my father's belt when I was young, the most important thing is the discipline of my Heavenly Father!

If you ask me, do you know that God loves you? I tell you, I know, I often receive His discipline! I carry many marks of discipline on my body. The Lord Jesus loves me, the Lord Jesus loves me, the Lord Jesus loves me, because discipline tells me so! When you sing this song again, sing it this way.

5 To have a teachable heart is to receive God's love.
The preceding passage speaks of parents knowing to discipline their children. Discipline is love; without discipline, there is no love! When I was young, I heard a story. A child stole something from someone, and the mother said, Good. Later, he stole more, and the mother said, Better. Eventually, the child was arrested and imprisoned. His mother went to see him, and he said, Mother, I'll tell you a secret. He leaned close to his mother's ear and bit off her ear. The child then told his mother, You are the reason I am like this today. If you had disciplined me from the beginning, I would not be like this!

Being a steward is one thing, but children should not be discouraged when they are disciplined. Our God is a God who loves us, so He often disciplines us. Know that the Lord disciplines those He loves. A true son knows that it is love, but an illegitimate son does not know that it is love!

The most obvious characteristic of an illegitimate child is doubting the father's love! Once the foundation of love is shaken, everything else becomes distorted. Why didn't I run away from home when my father beat me? Because I knew my father loved me. Why didn't I resent my father when he beat me? Instead, I was grateful because I knew my father loved me. But not all children have such a heart. Many children doubt their parents' love, and as a result, many problems arise. The problem lies in the fact that people's hearts are often deceived.

A father imparts love, while a master imparts knowledge.

The Power of Faith and Obedience

When I read the Book of Exodus, I wondered what these Israelites were thinking. As soon as they encountered difficulties, they said terrible things, that Jehovah God wanted to kill them in the wilderness. Did we not have graves in Egypt, that we had to die in this wilderness? I wondered what kind of brains they had. They had just eaten the manna provided by God, how could they say that God wanted to kill them, that God wanted to destroy them in the wilderness? Later, we understood that these people were all illegitimate children. They all had the mentality of illegitimate children, that God is not a God who loves me, that God does not want to set me free. This mentality is called paranoid personality disorder!

Heb 3:7 So, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you hear his voice,

Heb 3:8 do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the wilderness,

Heb 3:9 where your ancestors tested and tried me, though for forty years they saw what I did.

Heb 3:10 That is why I was angry with that generation; I said, ‘Their hearts are always going astray, and they have not known my ways.’

Heb 3:11 So I declared on oath in my anger, ‘They shall never enter my rest.’”

Heb 3:12 See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God.

Heb 3:13 But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.

Heb 3:14 We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end.

Heb 3:15 As it is said: “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion.”

Heb 3:16 Who were they who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt?

Heb 3:17 And with whom was he angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies perished in the wilderness?

Heb 3:18 And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest? Was it not to those who disobeyed?

Heb 3:19 So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief.

If people do not believe that God is a God who loves us, a thousand good things can be undone by one bad thing. It is because they do not believe that God is a God who loves us! If you believe that God is a God who loves us, you will see God's love in discipline, obey God's discipline, and receive more grace! Be a grateful person, seeing grace even in discipline!

Today, everyone must know that our God is a God who loves us! Without this foundation, you cannot withstand any discipline.

What is a hardened heart? It is a heart that is unwilling to receive God's love!

Pro 13:18 Whoever disregards discipline comes to poverty and shame, but whoever heeds correction is honored.

Pro 12:1 Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but whoever hates correction is stupid.

Pro 15:33 Wisdom’s instruction is to fear the Lord, and humility comes before honor.

Pro 15:5 A fool spurns a parent’s discipline, but whoever heeds correction shows prudence.

Pro 3:11 My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline, or resent his rebuke,

Pro 3:12 because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.

A Teachable Heart and Spiritual Growth

Yesterday, my mother decided to buy a pinyin chart. She is determined to learn how to type. My mother is really smart. If she had the opportunity to go to school and be educated when she was young, she would be a talent. I am very grateful to see her so eager to learn. From a physical perspective, she is my mother, but from a spiritual perspective, she is my spiritual child. I often correct her carnal and erroneous thoughts, and I also reprimand her secular ideas without reservation. Thank God, my mother has a teachable heart. No matter what we say to her, she knows that we love her and do not want to harm her, so she puts down her false pride and receives grace from God!

Conversely, when we prayed for my father-in-law who had lung cancer, we taught and instructed him, but he would not accept it, and thought we wanted to harm him. I was saddened. What is in this person's heart? Why, after suffering so much, does he still not know that he has gone down the wrong path?

Brothers and sisters, having a teachable heart is wisdom!

Pro 15:31 Whoever heeds life-giving correction will be at home among the wise.

Pro 15:32 Those who disregard discipline despise themselves, but those who heed correction gain understanding.

6 A teachable heart determines whether we are true sons, the mark of God's children – discipline
Discipline and a teachable heart are a sign. It signifies the relationship between us and our relationship with our Heavenly Father. If it is a loving relationship, a relationship between father and children, we bear the mark of discipline. Discipline brings reverence, and reverence is a good motivation. Reverence can help us develop good habits! The most effective way to grow in life is through discipline, not preaching! Discipline brings reverence, and reverence will not lead to licentiousness; reverence is a motivation.

If you make a mistake, and the pastor and his wife do not speak to you or care about you, you should know that you are an outsider in the church. My wife and I do not speak to or care about outsiders. But if you are a member of God's family, we will definitely speak to you when we see you make a mistake. God not only directly disciplines you, but also disciplines you through your pastor.

Later, I learned how to build a church! It is through discipline. Those who can be disciplined will stay, and those who cannot be disciplined will leave; I cannot shepherd them. Keep the children and let the illegitimate children leave. Keep those who are teachable and let those who are not teachable leave. Then the church will be clean.

Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? Heb 12:8 If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are illegitimate children and not true sons.

You need to carefully examine whether you have the mentality of an illegitimate child in you. A sister once told me, because I didn't dare to criticize her, Pastor, if I have any problems, just tell me! I know this sister is a very smart sister. She knows that it is better to be a child than an illegitimate child. I think she will receive more grace!

7 Conclusion - Be teachable children!
Heb 12:5 And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says, “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, Heb 12:6 because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.” Heb 12:7 Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? Heb 12:8 If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. Heb 12:9 Furthermore, 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! Heb 12:10 Our human fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. Heb 12:11 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.