The Discipline Factor Pt 2”
(The Fatherhood of God Pt 12)
(Supplementary to Notes of September 9th)
Introduction
What is the most important agenda our heavenly Father desires for His kids?
What does He want for our life on this earth more than anything else?
Success? Greatness? Comfort? A good time? Happiness? World peace? Health? Wealth?
These things top our list of pursuits and dreams. Our heavenly father focuses on something different. I have come to believe everything about life on this earth in this age aims toward one thing. Everything we encounter; the struggles, the trials, the challenges, the setbacks move toward a specific goal. The people we encounter, the events, the defeats as well as the victories all become the curriculum for our development as a kingdom kid.
God created us to function in a particular way. He made us in his image. He is life. The wonder of his life has to do with how he lives it. God is holy. That means God is infinitely separated from all that is contrary to his way of doing things; His nature. In order to experience life as God intended we must live the way God designed. We must reestablish the good works God preordained that we should walk in. When Satan entered the picture and suggested another way of living, life in this world turned ugly and miserable. We call it a marred, fallen and fractured world. God's kingdom is all about living God's way. All those who enter God's kingdom by God's invitation enter God restoration process. God declared that we shall be holy as He is holy because He wants to restore life on this earth as originally created. In order to fully experience life as God intended we must live free from sin as He is sinless. We must be holy. The whole story of salvation is how God turns sinful people into holy and blameless people through the redemptive work of His perfect and sinless son Jesus Christ. All of life on this earth becomes a classroom Titus 2:11-14
Every moment on this temporal earth prepares us in some way for life in His eternal kingdom.
I. The Discipline and Training Factor
A. What is discipline?
The core concept of discipline has to do with training and development; education, growth.
Discipline employs every means necessary to produce maturity in the young paiduan; learner.
Instruction - Character building - Correction and reproof
These three aspects are fundamental to any discipline whether it be a trade, sports, the arts or any other valuable skill. Instruction, character building, and correction are essential elements.
Paul reminded Timothy of the Scripture’s value in the training and maturity process. All Scripture is profitable for teaching, reproof, correction, instruction in righteousness.
These serve to equip and mature every believer for every good work. The Father is passionate about training His children. Most every section of the Bible records the Father seeking to restore lost and fallen children. Whether it be the children of Israel or sons adopted into His family through the work of Jesus Christ, God's primary purpose for us in this life is preparation for the next.
B. Who receives discipline?
The writer of Hebrews called the struggling Christians to evaluate the intensity of their own resolve to walk faithful. God is in the business of training faithful sons of the kingdom.
C. What is God’s purpose for discipline? Hebrews 12:9-11
The reason for training, correction, instruction is the enjoyment of life, holiness, peace. God wants us to personally share His holiness. When we live holy, we live in peace.
The fruit of righteousness is peace. We experience life as God originally intended when we live as God intended. All the events of life serve an eternal purpose in the hands of a loving Father.
We error by believing life on this earth is meant for happiness, pleasure or material goods. Life here is the father’s training program for something grander than we could even imagine. How bad do we want holiness?
D. How does God discipline?
A review of God's discipline throughout Scripture reveals a multitude of actions God may take to bring about the goal of maturity in his kids. Whether it is discipline of a nation or a church or individual children, God's goal remains the same. God seeks our spiritual maturity. God seeks to train his kids to live in his kingdom. He will use whatever means necessary to instruct us in healthy thinking and living. He will use whatever means necessary to develop our character through experience and trial. He will allow whatever trial necessary to increase our capacity to serve Him. He will use whatever means necessary to reprove and correct destructive behaviors.
God’s training program may ask us to do something hard. He may need to make us completely uncomfortable before we can become fully useable.
1. The Agents or teachers God uses to train us
a) The words of truth Hebrews 5:11-14
b) The encouragement of the Holy Spirit
c) The words of people Proverbs 6:20-23
He used Nathan to confront David. Much of Paul's writings to the various churches focused on correcting ungodly behavior. He urges the body to encourage one another daily. Heb12:12-17
He charges leaders to deal with unruly members. Heb 13:17
d) The events of life
e) The reproofs of life
2. The Means of training
a). Groups
God included clear warnings in His instructions and the corrective consequences for rejecting His ways. Deuteronomy 28 outlines the blessing for obedience and the consequence for not.
Calamity, hunger, struggle, confusion, futility, pestilence, sickness, war, draught, defeat, physical diseases, bewilderment of heart, poverty, oppression, robbery, sexual violation, broken families, wayward children, hard labor, despair, incurable diseases and ailments, debt.
After generations of rebellion and idolatry, God ultimately allowed an extended national calamity and captivity. First the Northern tribes were defeated taken captive by Assyria.
Then the Southern tribe of Judah was crushed and taken captive by Babylon.
After 70 years of captivity they finally forsook their addiction to the idols of other nations.
b). The church
Rev 1-3 is all about discipline of specific churches that represent churches throughout all subsequent generations. Jesus both encourages their positive behavior and reproves their destructive behavior.
c). Individuals
God disciplines individuals with correction, reproof, but also instruction and character building opportunities through hardship and trials.
God provided the truth of His scripture for our continual training as well as correction.
God gifts teachers and pastors and prophets to proclaim His word and expose our wayward ways. God encourages the body to come along side each others and build one another up.
God’s corrective discipline comes in many forms and intensities. It is serious business!
God is not mocked there is a harvest connected to sinful behavior.
1 Corinthians 11 revealed the reason for this dress among some church members. Some were partaking in a most serious declaration of loyalty and connection with God while their lives told a different story. 1 Cor 11:27-32
Weak – sick – dead or asleep.
God brings these things or allows the things in our lives for a purpose. As his children, he longs for us to become more like Christ. In fact He is determined that we be like Christ; it is our destiny. For the more were like Christ, the more we will experience life as God intended; the more we will share in His holiness.
E. Our Response to God’s training
1. Don't discount or deny it
Don’t regard God's discipline lightly. When God brings something into your life to train you, don't dismiss it. Everything God does, has a specific purpose designed to deal with an area of our life that needs attention. The struggles of our life should cause us to question the possible training value for godliness. He may be trying to get our attention so that we will hear His instruction. He may be trying to get us to change a destructive behavior. He may be in building our endurance for some vital task or assignment in the future. The writer of Hebrews was urging them to endure for the purpose of growth. Sometimes perspective makes all the difference in the world. If we really believed that everything in life that comes our way has a positive purpose with eternal implications, we might not be so quick to dismiss it or discount it or put our whole focus on trying to get rid of it. We will never develop that character until we learn to respond to life with God's perspective. Don't deny or discount God's discipline.
Don’t forget His loving purpose to make us like Him.
2. Don’t despise or decline it
On the other end of the spectrum, don't despise it either. Don't become bitter at God. It makes no sense to despise the very training that will enable us to realize our deepest desires. Sure discipline hurts. Sure discipline stretches us. Reproof and correction are never comfortable.
Yet God has eternal purpose for everything that comes into our life. God works all things according to his purpose and for our good. Stop fighting it. Rather than ask, “Why me?” We should be asking, “What do you want me to learn or do?"
3. Embrace it
Rather than ignore God and His discipline or become bitter, we need to respect him and submit to him. We need to embrace His training as training from a loving father who knows what is best and wants what is best and longs for us to share the very glory of His own nature with us.
“If it be that all my life is parental discipline, and that God makes no mistakes, then I can embrace whatever comes to me, and be sure that in it I shall find that which will be for my good.” McClaren
We need to learn to love discipline. Prov 12:1; 19:20 Psalms 119:65-68, 71
Only a holy life enables us to really SEE or perceive the Lord.
God’s discipline is the means to that end; gratefully embrace it as a gift from a loving father.
APPLICATION FOR TODAY
How do I embrace God’s discipline?
1. Rejoice always
You’re God’s kid. God loves you. God seeks your growth and holiness.
Count is all joy knowing that tribulation ultimately brings maturity.
Be grateful for the privilege of being God’s kid and object of His attention.
2. Reflect
Examine your heart.
Have I sinned? Is there a character issue? Is He building my character? Is He exposing a weakness? What is my true goal in life? Comfortable or usable? Holy or happy?
3. Repent
Jesus called the churches of Revelation to repent
Lay aide every encumbrance and the sin that entangles.
4. Renew
Renew your thinking. Renew your focus on Christ and your resolve to live holy. 1 Peter 1:13-19
Fix your eyes on Jesus. Consider what He endured for you so that you don’t grow weary and lose heart enduring for Him.
5. Return
Get back in the race. Get back to the gym. Get back in training. Don’t refuse Him when He speaks. Don’t run from His discipline. Embrace it! You are not bleeding yet in your efforts to resist sin. Discipline is serious business. We are training for eternity. We are training to be productive citizens in a glorious kingdom. We are the children of the living and holy God.
Hebrews 12:18-29
