3 Reasons To Discipline Yourself Series

Series: Discipline – Week 1

Scripture: Hebrews 12:1-2

Title: 3 Reasons to Discipline Yourself

Focus: Establishment of Spiritual Disciplines

2 Questions every teenager asks when to the topic of discipline:

1. Are you serious, why discipline?

2. I accepted Christ, I know I’m going to heaven, isn’t that enough?

Read: Hebrews 12:1 - The writer of Hebrews (author unknown) already stated in chapter 11 over 10 examples of people who lived by faith (called the “great cloud of witnesses”) These men and women were disciplined in their faith which helped them do amazing things for the kingdom of God. According to Hebrews 12, we learn three reasons to discipline ourselves:

1. Spiritual Discipline helps lays aside the weight of any personal sin you carry

2. Spiritual Discipline helps us mature (grow) in our faith

3. Spiritual Discipline helps increase joy

If we commit to discipline ourselves in the faith, we will establish a firm foundation in our faith just as the men and women of God did before us.

Point #1: (A preparation for discipline)

• Explanation: The writer of Hebrews tells us to “Lay aside every weight, and the sin which clings so closely” When the writer talks about this, we need to view it as a preparation for discipline. e view this as a preparation, that is, all inordinate affection and concern for the body, and the present life and world. Inordinate care for the present life, or fondness for it, is a dead weight upon the soul, that pulls it down when it should ascend upwards, and pulls it back when it should press forward; it makes duty and difficulties harder and heavier than they would be. 2. The sin that doth so easily beset us; the sin that has the greatest advantage against us, by the circumstances we are in, our constitution, our company. This may mean either the damning sin of unbelief or rather the darling sin of the Jews, an over-fondne

• Illustration:

• Application:

Point 2:

Therefore, we are told a couple of things will happen in preparing for our race (our life) because of what we know from those “great cloud of witnesses”.

1. The race has to be run with perseverance (or with a purpose).

2. We have to set aside every weight and sin (things that hold us back).

3. The race has to be run with endurance (bearing pain and hardships).

4. We must always look at Jesus who makes our faith perfect. He is the example to follow because He already ran the race (lived the perfect life and showed us how to “run”). He died on the cross, going through shame, dying, and rose again from the dead to sit at the right hand of the throne of God.