DARE TO SELF-DISCIPLINE

INTRODUCTION

Proverbs 23:12a “Apply your heart to discipline, and your ears to words of understanding...”

2 Timothy 1:7 NIV “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.”

TITLE Talk about spiritual discipline, personal holiness, faithful obedience.

QUOTE: Timely Truths that Transforms Us.

We have talked doctrine for 6 months - I hope you better believe - 16 pt. church Statement of Faith. We need to know and believe Biblical doctrine. We are a diverse Baptist congregation but we are Bible believing, historically fundamental, conservative orthodox evangelicals. We firmly must hold to our Biblical convictions, because they are true and we must know the truth, and because to protect ourselves from the many threats to truth in our world today.

One big issue is the exclusiveness of Christ, Jesus is the only way of salvation: John 14:6; Acts 4:12. That belief is being threatened again today by politically correct politicians, media moguls, and even churches. Is Jesus the only way to God or are their many roads to heaven? The false doctrine of universalism.

ILLUS: Of politicians, one “I believe there are many paths to the same place, and that is a belief that there is a higher power, a belief that we are connected as a people.” The other candidate is hard to pin down.

Of the media: Oprah advocates whatever feels right to you is true.

Of churches: a funeral while back, preacher only quoted first half John 14:6.

Recent Pew Forum Survey on what people believe about Jesus being the only way. Showed a growing belief of universalism.

If universalism is true, we are wasting our time, missions is a sham, the Bible is a horrible book, stay home...

But...the gospel IS TRUE. There is only one way - Jesus. The Bible makes it perfectly clear. This church affirms that in our doctrine. If I preach anything else I should be fired, and anybody who teaches anything else from this pulpit or in our ministry should be labeled a heretic and kicked out. True Doctrine is absolutely vital to the Christian faith, the life of our church. Thus 6 months on what we believe. I hope you have a stronger believe the truth...

NOW Discipline...

Truths must transform. Doctrine must affect our discipline

We have the laws of Christ, now we need the Lordship of Christ

What we believe determines how we behave

Upon our Biblical convictions, we need Biblical character

Not enough to know truth, you must be changed by truth.

Thus talk about Discipline for a while. Today: self-discipline

Discipline = (Encarta Dictionary) “training to ensure proper behavior, order and control, conscious control over lifestyle”

In other words - training that changes us to be better people. Discipline is obedience to the word and will of God, consistently living an obedient life, with the goal to please God. Are you a disciplined person?

The concept and terms of “discipline” are used in the Bible:

• discipline children - raise them right. A lot of instruction in Proverbs
ILLUS: Dobson’s book Dare to Discipline
• discipline yourself - positively train yourself to be & do what is right
Today’s message
• disciplined by God - negative, God correcting you to be & do right.

Next weeks message from Hebrews 12

As we live the Christian life, we face the temptations to compromise God’s truth, to be lazy in our practice, and to blatantly yield to sin.

Self-discipline says “NO” to temptation and sin, and “Yes” to righteousness. Self-discipline seeks to do the best not just the good. Self-discipline helps us go beyond getting by to striving for excellence. Self-discipline takes us to a higher level of obedience and faith - to be a mature and maturing discipline. “Disciple” and “discipline” have the same root word. Disciples of Jesus Christ are to be disciplined for Jesus Christ.

ILLUS: Think of personal physical discipline - takes work to just walk, eat better. Or to manage your money. How did you spend your economic stimulus? To live well, it takes much personal discipline in our daily life. So must our spiritual life.

In this message I want to show you 4 results of spiritual self-discipline. These are positive. I used the NASV - “discipline” in each text, not true of other translations. There are 4 different Greek words here, but they clearly show us that spiritual self-discipline is to our advantage and it pleases God.

1. Self-Discipline provides us with a stable faith. Colossians 2:5:

• Consistently living an obedient life helps us have a stable faith, a faith firm and steadfast, a faith that doesn’t waver or get caught in falsehoods.
QUOTE: Adam Clark: ”The whole verse shows that this Church was sound in doctrine, and strict in discipline. They had steadfast faith in Christ, and regular order or discipline among themselves.”



• Greek word for “discipline” = “order, orderly” a military term, a line of soldiers that is unbroken, a force that is battle ready.



• Personal spiritual discipline keeps us stable, we live an orderly life, our faith thus firm, we are battle ready. We are not wishy washy, we don’t get caught in extremes, or false doctrines, or sin practices - we stay rock solid, firmly grounded. Know what we believe and faithfully practice it!
ILLUS: There is a lot of unstable stuff out there: universalism, dangers in the emerging church theology, open theism, questioning accuracy of the Bible, making Christianity a feel good religion where experience is final truth. Liberalism is at the door of evangelical churches.



• Is your faith in Christ stable, firm? If not - you need self-discipline!

2. Self-Discipline prepares us for godliness. 1 Timothy 4:7

• Consistently living an obedient life prepares us for living a godly life. Godliness leads to more godliness.



• Greek word is an athletic term “exercise,” word for “gymnasium.” regular exercise keeps bodies fit, regular spiritual exercise keeps souls fit.
ILLUS: What regular spiritual exercises does you do? prayer, Bible reading, church attendance, Christian reading, radio. Always fear when people stop regular Christian activities, or move away from a circle of Christians.



• Do you have spiritual daily and weekly routines? Do they draw you closer to God, you are pleased that you are pleasing God?

3. Self-Discipline promotes us to service. 1 Corinthians 9:27

• Consistently living an obedient life where we discipline our body so we are qualified to be promoted to serve the Lord.



• Loving God is first - then we can serve God. Obedience in the little things first, then obedience to the larger things.



• Greek word is another athletic term = “bruise, even severely treat”



• We do some/many hard things, resist those temptations that easily draw us away, even deny liberties so we can broaden our ministry.



• Old NASV “I buffet my body” Two ways to pronounce the word.



• We must control our bodies and make them serve us, not let them control us. Our passions, appetites and drives are reigned in.
ILLUS: Like a powerful horse is controlled by the reigns



• Do you put your body under discipline so you can simply serve God?



• Without spiritual self-discipline we are disqualified, benched, cast aside, no use to the Kingdom. Please, finish well!! We can provide plenty of opportunities for service.

4. Self-Discipline presents us with boldness 2 Tim. 1:7

• Consistently living an obedient life gives us boldness in our witness. We are secure in our faith, living a godly life, already serving the Lord, and He provides opportunities for us to boldly proclaim Jesus’ name.



• Our natural tendency is to shy away from expressing our faith, discipline helps us watch for and seize opportunities. They are readily around us.



• Notice, it is not us doing the self-discipline it is God working in us. Let go and let God concept here.



• Spirituality is a both/and - God is at work, and we are to respond. Do you respond by boldly witnessing when opportunities arise???

CONCLUSION

The Christian life is hard work, temptation is always at the door, in fact the closer you get to God the more Satan tries to stop you. Great men and women of the kingdom have fallen because they didn’t stay disciplined and yielded to temptation. PTL many great men and women have finished well.

ILLUS: Reading life of Dr. Jim Cook, Conservative Baptist missionary/pastor. Friend of my Uncle John Ahlquist, got book from cousin Denise. Uncle John finished well, and Jim Cook is finishing well.

Military takes a lot of discipline. Going to school. Doing best at your job. Staying loyal to spouse. Caring for your children/parents. To not spend more than you make. To manage this ministry (voluntary organization) effectively in the midst of increasingly busy and more expensive lives.

Any part of your life need better discipline? Prayer, Bible, Church, witness, what you read and watch, your language, your attitude, any bad habits? Make a covenant to let God work in you to give you self-discipline. Move a step...

#366 “I Surrender All” (Not “I Surrender Some”)