Discipline

At Induction next week

Prayer

I havebeen shareing the values I have when I go for a bushwalk under the banner of Blue Gum Pilgrim.

To listen to the voice from the wilderness, prepare away.

To Connect with God, those with us and those that have gone before us

While on the walk I want to be open to transformation, to cooperate with the growth God wants to make in me.

Finally, I want to come away from the experience to do something about it. To have discipline and new habits.

Discipline - Not a word we like to hear, particularly if it more aligns with correction.

Like the song at the induction service

However, in the bible, it is mostly referred to in the sense of moral training.

correction and Instruction

In Proverbs, a lot is said about receiving discipline with humility as wisdom and living a satisfying life.

Proverbs 10:17 “Whoever heeds discipline shows the way to life, but whoever ignores correction leads others astray.”

One I really like this one

Proverbs 25:12 “Like an earring of gold or an ornament of fine gold is the rebuke of a wise judge to a listening ear.”

Got Questions? Bible Questions Answered (What Are the Spiritual Disciplines?)

Discipline is defined as “training expected to produce a specific character or pattern of behavior.”

We should never fear discipline but embrace the instruction and humble ourselves when needing correction.

The Bible actually has a lot more to say about the topic

but I want to today hone in on the elements of self and spiritual discipline in our daily lives.

Self-Disciplines

I figured doing a talk on self-disciplines on the last Sunday of January would be a good test for those that set new year resolutions.

Indication of anyone having new year resolutions

I like to try and reset and have themes for the year, prayer, preaching and pastoring are the area’s I want to grow in this year.

Does anyone have watch more Sports?

Last year we had the summer Olympics in winter and next month the winter Olympics are here for Summer.

I am sure, once again we will get invested in the stories and commitment of our Australian athletes

In 49 to 51 AD when Paul was writing to the Corinth church about self-disciplines

The First Letter to the Corinthians a. Athletes Who Lack Self-Restraint Do Not Receive the Prize, 9:24–27

Isthmian games were one of the four major Greek athletics competitions, the others being the Olympic, Pythian, and Nemean games.

1 Corinthians 9:24-27 “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.”

The emphesis is on the training, the central theme self control

There are many distractions around us, tasks, advertising, algorithms trying to get our attention, peoples needs and our own wants.

we can wish for simpler times

But just like in pauls day we as Christians need to keep our eye on the bigger picture and live a life that only helps make us stronger and more steadfast in resolve.

Almost nothing of any significance in our lives can be achieved without discipline.

What is of significance, What is the prize, the bigger picture that we are to run lifes race for?

1. Eternal life is part of that answer

We live as those existing during the inbetween time of the “already” and the “not-yet”; We inhabit the world over which Christ already reigns as people who will be rewarded by the king at the end of the age. with, well done good and faithful servant.

The prize being eternal in nature, is of such value that it should affect the way we live in the present.

The point here is not the competition between brothers and sisters, that some could beat others to this prize, or by doing greater works.

That is what is so amazing about the grace we recieve. there is nothing we can do to make God love us more and nothing we can do that would make him love us less. God is always willing to love us and shower us with grace but we must be willing to enter and stick with the race.

That may sound like a contridiction to what I just said but it is like the discription I gave last week.

Transformation is effected by God, which believers must cooperate with in order for it to take place.

God allows us to decide if we want to trust his word if we want to accept His grace and accept his love. Sounds simple. but there are so many distractions out there, so many competing voices and competing agendas that want to take your focus from God and on other idols, other prizes that have no value.

Jesus, God incartnated lived a life of self-discipline, Jesus knew when he needed to get away from the crowds and reteat to a quiet place to pray and seek His fathers will and plan for His life.

Mark 1:35–38 NIV

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. Simon and his companions went to look for him, and when they found him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!” Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.”

It was that resolve that lead to the Garden of Gethsemane, the night before the cross, before he knew he would be betrayed, beaten and humilitated. Yet he walked into it to finish the race, to not only reach the prize but to set it.

“Love, not anger, brought Jesus to the cross. Golgotha came as a result of God’s great desire to forgive, not his reluctance. Jesus knew that by his vicarious suffering he could actually absorb all the evil of humanity and so heal it, forgive it, redeem it.” Richard Foster

The greatest example of Love for others, that God himself would die for our sins, (sins - the actions that we take that distance us from God and his holiness, actions that hurt others and dishonor God)

Yet grace is there to renew and transform.

Skylah getting a new running top. Jesus covering to enter the race.

Self-discipline - God’s discipline, we invite God to point out the areas in our life that we don’t even know are areas that need correction.

Encourage you to read Hebrews 12:5-11 which outlines the blessings of God’s discipline which leads to holiness and right living for those he counts as His children.

Like a coach training and teaching you the right action or technique. So God as our heavenly father trains and teaches right from wrong.

A Discipline God confronted me on was to face conflict.

[1]Tim Dyer, Session delivered 2018, Melbourne, Arrow Residential 3: Conflict Management.

The Transformation - “imagine if the secular world came to the church to be counselled on conflict management because our churches demonstrated the values of unity, peace and love”[1]. The irony is that many churches do desire to have these qualities modelled by the early church in Acts 2:44-47 of a diverse and growing church, yet do not prepare for the conflict that is inevitable with such a community.

I had to discipline myself to see conflict as a benefit, that facing it in a humble and open-hearted way builds up relationships while avoiding it creates rifts.

that is the case for all self-discpline. we need to remember the benefits.

2. The Second reason we need to be disciplined in running the race, is the witness and inspiration that comes from it.

what about the joy and inspiration of seeing some run sparks in you

David Hosking loving his running, other preformances

Are there people in your life that lived a life of faith and love that inspired you to know God more intimately?

Are you that person to someone else?

Philippians 3:15–21 NIV

All of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. Only let us live up to what we have already attained. Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do. For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.

Paul is telling the congregation in Philippi to follow his example, to not get distracted. He expresses with emotion here when he sees people not diciplined to run the race or unable to resist worthless pursuits that lead to death.

We need Jesus power and example, sometimes we recieve it through others, most of the time His power and wisdom recides in practices of reading scripture and prayer.

Spiritual Disciplines

Got Questions? Bible Questions Answered (What Are the Spiritual Disciplines?)

Spiritual disciplines are the behaviours that multiply our spiritual growth and enable us to grow in spiritual maturity. This process of spiritual growth and development begins to take place the moment a person encounters the risen Jesus.

We spoke last week of the process of transformation, taking time. road works on our lives. Spiritual disciplines is like the workers that can see the transformation and implement a rhythm towards it happening. Spiritual disciplines help turn the change you are feeling on the inside into patterns and behavours on the outside.

Richard Foster, Dallas Willard, John Ortberg and others describe different disciplines.

The Celebration of Discipline

The inward disciplines - Meditation, Prayer, Fasting and Study

The outward disciplines (inward realities resulting in outward lifestyles) - Simplicity, Solitude, Submission, Service

The corporate disciplines - Confession , Worship, Guidance and Celebration

“Spiritual disciplines can do nothing. They can only get us to the place where something can be done.” Richard Foster

To close. I have been referring to the Isaiah passage of prepare the way in the wildness to the Lord. well I want to encourage you with what Isaiah says a couple of chapters later.

Isaiah 43:18-19 ““Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”

Action Points

If there is a place that you go to connect with God and inspires transformation can I encourge you to increase your discipline in going to that place.

If you already have good discipline and are running the race well, encourage more to watch and see what doors might open.

Prayer

God, you are worthy to be praised! When we look around us, we see hints of Your glory everywhere. When we look at the sky, we are in awe of Your greatness. And when we listen to nature, we are amazed at your creativity. Nothing compares to You, and there is no one like You. Thank you for giving us glimpses of your splendour! May we be steadfast in our discipline for your glory. In Jesus Name, Amen.