Discipline From Three Perspectives

Discipline

by Joe M. Cherry

I. Introduction – Discipline from Three Different Angles

A. Text: Heb. 12:1-13

1. Preface text with Chapter 11 overview.

a. It is the Chapter of faith

b. It chronicles a list of Biblical Who’s Who and how they relied on faith in hard and unknowing times.

2. Paraphrase the text.

B. Three Angles/Perspectives

1. Discipline that is punishment.

2. Discipline that is Self-imposed.

3. Discipline that is not punishment but hurts just the same.

C. Why is discipline necessary?

1. It is a fact of life; we need direction/discipline throughout our walk in life.

2. It is a deterrent for improper actions

a. Things that would hurt ourselves, including the loss of our soul.

b. Things that would hurt others, including their soul to be lost.

3. Heb. 12:10 – it is for our profit so that we may be partakers of His holiness.

4. It also produces strength through faith.

II. Lesson

A. Discipline - Punishment/Chastisement

1. We all understand that don’t we?

a. Time out – go to your room (with your video games and cell phones) and don’t come out for one hour! Terrible, right? Time out for those of us over 50 was measured in stages, not minutes.

i. Stage 1 started at the point of contact and ended when you regained consciousness on the floor.

ii. Stage 2 started with checking to make sure you still had all your teeth and ended when the feeling had returned to your jaw.

iii. Time spent in time out varied but averaged about 15-20 minutes.

b. Momma was the head disciplinarian at my house. I believe she was an executioner in a previous live, she could cut your head off with one look. She usually used the Tennis Approach coupled with the Time Out Method I just mentioned.

i. Sharp forehand to the left cheek

ii. Smashing backhand to the right cheek

iii. Then Time out started.

2. The day that will go down in infamy was the first day of my sophomore year in High School. I wouldn’t get up and she beat me out of bed with a tennis shoe. I had a vinyl alligator pattern bed cover. Sounded like a helicopter taking off. The silver lining to this story is that in the same closet she got the tennis shoe there were also size 10 cowboy boots and steel spiked baseball cleats.

a. Spare the rod and spoil the child is a quote from a 17th century poet named Samuel Butler and though it’s scriptural it is not scripture. It’s like “cleanliness is next to godliness”.

b. Prov. 13:24- “He who spares the rod, hates his child.”

3. Even as adults we receive discipline because we invariably will sin.

a. Prov. 3:12 – “For whom the Lord loves, He chastens.

b. Heb. 12:8 echoes the same sentiment. If we are not chastened/disciplined, then we are as illegitimate children and not God’s.

i. Many times, God chastised His Children for sins they committed. Adam and Eve – banished from Paradise.

ii. David – God gave him three choices when he counted his army. They were three years of famine, three months of running, or three days of plague. 70,000 died because of the plague. II Sam. 24

iii. Manasseh – he was led away by hooks that were buried in his skin by the Assyrians. God restored him to his kingdom after he committed unthinkable atrocities. II Kings 21 and II Chron. 33.

c. We must trust God’s hand on the paddle and know that His intentions are not to destroy us but to make us better/stronger Christians. The text tells us:

i. Vs 5 – we are commanded to not grow faint

ii. Heb.12:12-13 – Therefore strengthen the hands that hang down and the feeble knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that which is lame may not be dislocated, but rather healed.

d. We can limit this kind of discipline by focusing on disciplining ourselves.

B. Discipline as Self Discipline

1. Every athlete has a training regimen/discipline that includes:

a. Diet is important.

b. Exercise/Lift weights so muscle tissue is broken down and come back stronger.

c. Increase cardio workout to increase stamina.

d. Running longer and longer distances helps develop endurance.

e. None of these are easy if one is training correctly.

2. To become stronger or better, we must continually push ourselves.

a. I Cor. 9:24-27 – Read

b. The New Living Translation reads in vs 26, “I disciple my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should…”

c. Training is the key word to me in this passage.

d. In the American Standard Version, Paul says he buffets his body. No pain/no gain

3. As Christians we are expected to grow and strengthen our “Christian” muscles.