Key #9: Self Control - Father's Day

Have you been watching the hockey?

in case you haven’t heard or been on social media at all lately, the Edmonton Oilers are playing for the Stanley Cup this year. This is a big deal because it has been a long time since a Canadian team won the Stanley Cup. Most people forget that Montreal actually played for the cup during COVID. Didn’t win, but they did play.

For those of you who ever watched professional sports of any kind, have you ever paused and how they got to where they are today? You know, was it their good looks or charm that got them drafted? Was it the amount of money they had and they bought their way to Stanley Cup?

No, no one has ever thought that. Why? Because you know that it takes a lot of time, effort, and money doesn’t hurt, to get them where they are today. It was early mornings as a young kid, practices, games, tournaments, travel, and loads of sacrifice to get them where they are. Each one of those players has had to earn every spot on every team. They have had to bleed to win each game, all with the same goal: to hoist the Stanley Cup. The reason that this cup is so coveted is because it is almost impossible to win. If you take into every consideration every single kid that started playing hockey with the dream of winning the cup, and the number of players that actually have the chance of winning, the number is extremely small!

If you want to win the Stanley Cup, you are going to have to earn it; it is going to take a life of extreme discipline.

Did you know that Scripture says very much the same thing about our life as a follower of Jesus?

1 Corinthians 9:24–27 NLT

Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.

A Life of Discipline

The Apostle Paul tells the church that just like an athlete, the life of a believer needs to be one of discipline because there is a prize that awaits each of us. Jesus talked about storing up treasures in heaven. Paul talks about an eternal prize. The author of Hebrews says that there is a reward for those that live a life that pleases God.

This highlights something really important about biblical discipline. It is goal oriented, and the goal is the same all throughout the Old and New Testament. The goal is to develop godliness and holiness; the goal is to live a life that is pleasing to God and worthy of the eternal crown.

This morning, you are going to see a person from scripture that practiced discipline in his life, and though his eyes were on a life that pleased God, the side effect was a life that was pleasing to the people around him.

We will be in Daniel chapter 1 this morning. We are going to jump to verse 3. For context, Babylon has invaded and taken Judah into exile, and the story picks up in Babylon.

Daniel 1:3–5 NLT

Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, his chief of staff, to bring to the palace some of the young men of Judah’s royal family and other noble families, who had been brought to Babylon as captives. “Select only strong, healthy, and good-looking young men,” he said. “Make sure they are well versed in every branch of learning, are gifted with knowledge and good judgment, and are suited to serve in the royal palace. Train these young men in the language and literature of Babylon.” The king assigned them a daily ration of food and wine from his own kitchens. They were to be trained for three years, and then they would enter the royal service.

nothing unusual here. The king has brought people back from an enemy kingdom, and he wants to get the most out of the best and brightest. If he is going to keep them alive, he wants to know if they can earn their keep.

Daniel 1:6–10 NLT

Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were four of the young men chosen, all from the tribe of Judah. The chief of staff renamed them with these Babylonian names: Daniel was called Belteshazzar. Hananiah was called Shadrach. Mishael was called Meshach. Azariah was called Abednego. But Daniel was determined not to defile himself by eating the food and wine given to them by the king. He asked the chief of staff for permission not to eat these unacceptable foods. Now God had given the chief of staff both respect and affection for Daniel. But he responded, “I am afraid of my lord the king, who has ordered that you eat this food and wine. If you become pale and thin compared to the other youths your age, I am afraid the king will have me beheaded.”

Daniel is taking a risk

Daniel refusing food from the King’s kitchen is no small thing. It was a sign of disrespect. Daniel is essentially telling the chief of staff that he knows better then the king, and the food that the king is supplying isn’t satisfactory. Remember, the king isn’t feeding these young garbage. He wants to get the most out of them so he is going to feed them accordingly. This is the very best food in the kingdom, and for Daniel and his three friends to decide to be picky is not going to go well. Not only is Daniel putting his life on the line, he is putting his friends and the chief of staff’s life at risk.

If you know anything about the life of Daniel, this is common practice of his. He has an inspiring level of trust in God, and is willing to risk it all in order to please his God!

But Daniel has a solution.

Daniel 1:11–16 NLT

Daniel spoke with the attendant who had been appointed by the chief of staff to look after Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. “Please test us for ten days on a diet of vegetables and water,” Daniel said. “At the end of the ten days, see how we look compared to the other young men who are eating the king’s food. Then make your decision in light of what you see.” The attendant agreed to Daniel’s suggestion and tested them for ten days. At the end of the ten days, Daniel and his three friends looked healthier and better nourished than the young men who had been eating the food assigned by the king. So after that, the attendant fed them only vegetables instead of the food and wine provided for the others.

Rewarded for his discipline

Daniel’s discipline is rewarded. But I want to unpack somethng that might be getting missed. When it talks about Daniel and his friends getting vegetables and water at the meals, its not like they were secluded to a special room. They had to sit with the other young men, as they ate some of the finest foods in all the world. It would be like 10 of us going to a Gordon Ramsey level restaurant, all expenses paid, you can order anything off the menu, and I decide to order the house salad. I woud have to sit there, smelling all the amazing smells, watching everyone else eat these gourmet meals, and I get to choke down my lettuce...

What the scriptures don’t tell us is how many other people were in the room, and it doesn’t even tell us if Daniel and his friends were the only Jews. There could have been more, and they saw the opportunity to indulge and took it.

Daniel is exercising a level of self-discipline that is extraordinary.

Now before we go any further, I want to clarify something. I am not promoting a vegetarian diet. Happy Father’s Day, you need to stop eating meat. I can see it now, where did all the guys go? Where’s Pastor Matt? If this church goes vegan, I’m leaving with everyone else.

Daniel didn’t even go vegan his whole life. In this moment, he didn’t know what the meat was or where it came from, so he did the one thing that he knew was safe; there were no dietary laws about fruits and veggies, so let’s eat those.

Daniel erred on the side of caution, and that is the lesson for us today. If we are going to err, err on the side of godliness and righteousness.

But this is where self-control comes in. Self-control, when you take the Greek history into account, is simply to have power over oneself and be able to hold oneself in. Someone without self-control are powerless, overwhelmed by the passions that tug at and control them.

Someone without self-control is a slave. Someone with self-control has power over their life.

Self-disciple is the dedicated training through the study of scripture, prayer, and self-control to lead a life that is pleasing to God.

Biblical self-disciple transforms the whole person. It will transform your thoughts 2 Cor 10:5

2 Corinthians 10:5 NLT

We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ.

It transforms your speech Ps 141:3

Psalm 141:3 NLT

Take control of what I say, O Lord, and guard my lips.

it transforms your behavior Rom 14:20-21

Romans 14:20–21 NLT

Don’t tear apart the work of God over what you eat. Remember, all foods are acceptable, but it is wrong to eat something if it makes another person stumble. It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything else if it might cause another believer to stumble.

it transforms your body 1 Cor 9:27

1 Corinthians 9:27 NLT

I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.

What does discipline look like?

How do you grow in self-discipline? Well here is the easiest way to do it. Go back over the last 8 weeks, and prayerfully pick one of the keys that we’ve gone over. Then commit to grow in that key for the next week. Rewatch the sermon, study your bible, do whatever you need to, but put it into practice. Self-discipline comes in as you intentionally seek to grow in these areas.

Better to be self-disciplined

but this is why self-discipline really matters. If you are hearing my voice, and you believe yourself to be a follower of Jesus Christ, I need you to hear me. There are two ways that a believer is disciplined. Either by yourself, or by God. 1 Cor 11:31-32

1 Corinthians 11:31–32 NLT

But if we would examine ourselves, we would not be judged by God in this way. Yet when we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned along with the world.

Hebrews 12:5–11 NLT

And have you forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you as his children? He said, “My child, don’t make light of the Lord’s discipline, and don’t give up when he corrects you. For the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child.” As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father? If God doesn’t discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children at all. Since we respected our earthly fathers who disciplined us, shouldn’t we submit even more to the discipline of the Father of our spirits, and live forever? For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness. No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.

God’s will for your life is that you would grow in godliness and share in His holiness. If you are a child of God, there are two ways in which this growth happens. Either you discipline yourself, and seek to grow in the ways the Spirit leads you, OR, your heavenly Father will discipline you, in order that you might grow in the person He has called you to be.

Although neither maybe overly pleasant, I encourage you that

Let’s Pray

Discussion Questions

1. What stood out from the message?

2. Take time to pray at your table. What does God want you to grow in this week?

3. Discuss at your table. What are some practical ways you can grow in the area the Holy Spirit led you to?