I delivered a Mini-Sermon at ICCJ today because the bulk of the service consisted of a powerful testimony from a Jakarta businessman. He shared about his process of salvation which included getting free from a 15 year affair in which he even provided a house and car for the "other woman", how he stopped cheating on taxes and bribing government officials in business, and how the Lord restored his health, his family and his wealth. As a matter of fact, he has gone from bankruptcy procedings, oweing more then 35 million US dollars just 2 years ago to literally making 1 million dollars per month now that he has dedicated his life to the Lord Jesus and has eliminated corruption and sin from his life (of course as with all of us this is still on-going). When I booked this man of God to share today, the Lord immediately gave me this message to go with the testimony. I pray that this teaching outline will be a blessing to you!
Proverbs 29:1 (NIV) “A man who remains stiff-necked after many rebukes will suddenly be destroyed—without remedy.”
Reasons why a person would stiffen their neck or their neck would become stiff:
· Brace themselves for a crash
· Hold their head high (sometimes arrogance?)
· Sleeping in the wrong position or sleeping too long (laziness?)
· Brace themselves to receive a beating (this is the main reason)
One of the tragedies of life is that when a drunk driver hits another car, causing a crash, if one dies and one survives, it is usually the drunk person who survives. The reason for this is that their body is relaxed in its drunken state. The sober and alert person, perceiving the danger and stiffening their body up is less likely to be able to handle the beating and more damage is done.
Interestingly, the scripture reminds us to be alert and sober, but also to be drunk by the Holy Spirit (Eph. 5:18 & Acts 2). Alert to navigate but drunk and un-worried enough (at peace) to be able to withstand the crashes and challenges of life.
This is not only true in a car crash but in interpersonal relationships as well. An uptight or a controlling person is not able to handle conflict as well as an easygoing or less forceful person. The emotions of a stubborn person are more likely to crash (anger, depression, revenge, etc) when they don’t get their own way. Their happiness is based on coming out ahead of other people… life is a competition to them. One of their main objectives in life is to always look good in front of other people or even to always look better then others. What a stressful way to live!
One of the main reasons that a person will not make changes (remain stiff-necked) for the better is pride. They never want to admit that they are wrong. At the least, they want to be right more of the time then other people.
Proverbs 27:5-7 (NKJV) “5Open rebuke is better Than love carefully concealed. 6Faithful are the wounds of a friend, But the kisses of an enemy are deceitful. 7A satisfied soul loathes the honeycomb, But to a hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.”
Hebrews 12:5-7 (NIV) “5And 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, 6because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son." 7Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?
Wounds and Discipline are necessary… but so are Friends and Love
Balanced Ingredients… 2 & 2
Role-play with me for a moment: “Jesus, my spouse won’t listen to me and I know I’m speaking the truth and they need to change or they will end up like the stiff-necked person and they will be destroyed.”
How Jesus Might Answer: “Did you wound them like a Friend would? Did you treat them (discipline) like someone who you deeply Love?”
If you need to Wound your Friend or your Family Member, do it the way that a doctor or a dentist would do it. The doctor most likely will need to inflict pain in order to deliver the cure, but it will be very specific and as gentle as possible.
Think of it in the form of an injection of medicine.
Use the right dosage.
Put it in the right place and leave the rest alone.
We have now covered both sides of this issue:
We need to accept the blows that come our way because if we remain stiff-necked, we will be destroyed.
Proverbs 20:30 (N IV) “Blows and wounds cleanse away evil, and beatings purge the inmost being.”
We also need to strike blows in a godly way… as Jesus, the Great Physician (Luke 5:32) would do it.
If we don’t admonish and warn those in our lives in a loving way (to dissuade --- opposite of persuade), then their blood will be on our hands.
Ezekiel 3:17-19 (NIV) "Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. 18 When I say to a wicked man, 'You will surely die,' and you do not warn him or speak out to dissuade him from his evil ways in order to save his life, that wicked man will die for his sin, and I will hold you accountable for his blood. 19 But if you do warn the wicked man and he does not turn from his wickedness or from his evil ways, he will die for his sin; but you will have saved yourself.”
