Chico Alliance Church
Pastor David Welch
“A Disciplined Life”
Review
Essential perspectives for the New Year.
1. Life is not what it seems or feels
Daniel thought that God had ignored his prayer. Zachariah and Elizabeth had resigned themselves to the fact that God said, “NO!” to their request for a child.
Life is more than what we see with our physical eyes. Paul prayed that God would open the eyes of our hearts to see as God sees. In fact, the things that contribute to genuine life are mostly unseen. Love, character, the spiritual dimension, the overall plan, the future fruit which requires present pain. God orchestrates everything for ultimate good to those who love God and are the called according to His purpose. The things we see are temporal. The things we don’t see are eternal. The things of this earth are not where life is found.
When the flesh cries for satisfaction and the Spirit longs for meaning we need to decidedly inform the flesh, “Request denied.” Life is not always what it seems of feels.
2. I am not what I seem or feel.
Paul over and over again urges us to see ourselves as God sees. Reality is not based on how I feel or what I perceive but what God says.
• I may feel like a sinner. God calls me a saint.
• I may feel like I am worthless but God calls me His beloved child.
• I may feel helpless, but in Christ who empowers by His Spirit, I can do all things.
• I may feel hopeless but God has never reneged on a promise yet.
• I may feel clueless but I have been given the mind of Christ in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
• I may feel like I have no eternal impact but God gifts us to touch eternity.
• I may feel no one sees but God says even the angels learn from watching the saints.
Paul did not pray that we would become but that we would realize who we already are.
See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. 1 Jo 3:1-3
3. A bloody battle rages around me and against me to keep me from effectively perceiving those two facts.
Our battle is not against humanity but demonic forces bent on our destruction. If they cannot prevent people from embracing Christ he will try to keep them from experiencing their true nature. It is a battle for perception. Perception generates emotions which engage the will which produces behavior. You cannot change behavior without renewing thinking regarding God’s truth. With these perceptions in focus we are prepared to engage in unseen eternal purposes.
• We are motivated to cultivate deeper relationship with Him.
• We are motivated to pursued meaningful connection with people through ministry.
• We are motivated to resist evil and restore good.
I. Reproof for fleshly behavior 1-6
A. A divided church 1-4
B. A defiled church 5
Beginning in chapter six, we pick up the first of ten questions that we should ask when contemplating the direction of our life. All of life hinges on good choices. What determines whether it is a good choice or a bad choice? How do we know whether it is a good choice or even the best choice? Ten questions beginning in Chapter six help us evaluate ANY life choice.
C. A defeated church 6
“Will it actually benefit me or others?” 6:12a
“Will it control me or become additive?” 6:12b
“Will it violate God’s design?” 6:13-20
II. Responses to specific inquiries
A. Concerning marriage 7
“Will it distract me from full devotion to God?”
B. Concerning the limitation of Christian liberty 8-11:1
Will I assert my rights or will I limit my rights and freedom for the greater good?
That is the issue from here on through the end of chapter ten. Paul provides five reasons why we should choose to limit our rights rather than contend for them.
1. Avoid ruining a weaker brother 8:1-13
“Will it adversely affect those around me?” 8
2. Advance the gospel 1-23
a) Limit liberty to impede fewer from the Gospel 1-18
“Will it be a stumbling block to the gospel?”
b) Limit liberty to invite more to Christ 19-23
“Will it be a stepping stone to the gospel?”
3. To avoid losing heavenly reward 24-27
“Will it jeopardize my heavenly prize?”
a) The disciplined athlete
Here is another “do you not know” section. Paul introduces the idea of spiritual discipline.
Spiritual discipline involves not only practicing the things that enable us to function more effectively but to avoid the things that would displease God and hinder our development. Not only join the gym but cut out the gravy. The rest of the chapter talks about training and discipline to win the race. Chapter ten urges us to avoid those things that not only hinder our race but displease God.
Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things.
• Athletes enter and run the race
• Athletes run to win the prize
• Athletes train to win the prize
• Athletes must play by the rules to win the prize.
If anyone competes as an athlete, he does not win the prize unless he competes according to the rules. 2 Tim. 2:1-7
b) The disciplined disciple
They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified. 1 Cor. 9:24-27
Paul applied the principles of the Olympic athletes to how he viewed his walk with Christ. He saw the disciple as in a race that required discipline and offered a prize. He entered and ran the race. He ran for an imperishable prize; an eternal prize.
Athletes ran for the glory of a wreath that would dry up and lose its glory.
Paul ran for a prize that would bring meaning throughout eternity.
He trained to finish well. Actually he trained to avoid jeopardizing his heavenly reward. He trained for the prize. What drove Paul? Paul disciplined himself for a purpose. Paul ran for a reason. Paul fought real opponents. Paul disciplined himself to avoid losing his reward. We have been talking about a purpose driven life. What drives your life? What directs the decision you make in life? We said earlier, life is about choices. Unless we have a life directed and driven and motivated by eternal purposes we will never experience a reward.
This passage IS NOT about entering heaven. This passage is clearly about reward. Paul did not fear disqualification from heaven he worried about loosing reward.
1. Run with purpose
First of all, we must enter and run the race. Don’t run without aim. Know why you run. If you don’t know why you are running this Christian life you will be easily sidetracked. Run for the right reasons. Run the right race. Let God’s purposes drive your life. We all expend our time, energy and resources for a reason. We make choices base on pay off based on purpose. In one sense we are all purpose driven. We all make choices based on some conscious or unconscious objective.
What else drives a life?
• Power driven life
• People driven life
• Possession driven life
• Pleasure driven life
• Pain driven life
• Past driven life
Only when we aim for God’s purpose will we find meaning and joy in life. Run for the right reason (eternal purposes)
• Run to cultivate dynamic relationship with Him.
• Run to pursue meaningful connection with His people.
• Run to resist evil and restore good.
2. Train to finish the race well
Exercise self control in all things. Discipline the body. Train the soul. Renew the mind.
Meditation on Scripture brings success because trains the soul for life decisions. All Scripture is for teaching (right course) reproof (where we get off course) correction (how to get back on the course) and instruction in righteousness (how to stay the course) so that we may become mature and finish the race well.
Hear AND obey. Hebrews 5:11-14
Determine to finish well. It is not those who start with a flurry but those who finish with faithfulness that will enjoy the reward.
3. Loose the encumbrances. Hebrews 12:1a
The writer urges us to run the race like those in Hebrews 11 hall of faith. Run without the encumbrances, weights, bulk and the failure to reach the marks (sin) that so easily encircles us and prevent us from running well.
4. Run with faith and endurance focusing on Christ Hebrews 12:2-3
Jesus ran well. The Father declared, “This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased.”
Jesus’ life was purpose driven. “I came to do the will of my Father.” “My food is to do the will of my Father.”
We can run with endurance by focusing on Him. We can endure suffering by His example. He entrusted His soul to a faithful Creator. He suffered for the purpose of bringing joy to others. It is as we fix our eyes on Jesus trust him to bring us through. Literally the word means “to continually look away from all else but Him.”
Run to win the prize
Run to win the imperishable prize. Run to finish well. This is not a medal that hangs on our wall whose meaning and impact fades with time. This is a prize that is imperishable and undiminished and impacts eternity. It is the “Well done good and faithful servant.”
It is the crown that represents a well run race. It is the upward call. It is all that God has in store for those who embrace His purpose. Run to win the prize.
Paul’s testimony
• Paul ran with purpose
Paul ran with purpose He considered the value of knowing Christ beyond anything else.
The goal of winning Christ.
The goal of living by faith in Him
Know the power of His resurrection
Know the fellowship of His sufferings.
A fellowship of those who voluntarily chose suffered for someone else’s joy.
Attain (experience face to face) the resurrected life - genuine life -- eternal life.
He knew he had not yet arrived but continued the race and pressed on.
He faithfully pressed on toward the goal. Philip. 3:7-14
Forget last year’s gains or losses. Reach to new levels of the resurrected life of Christ this year. Make pursuing Christ your goal.
• Trained to finish well.
• Dropped the encumbrances.
• Ran with faith and endurance focusing on Jesus.
• Won the prize. 2 Tim. 4:6-8
Jesus is coming and all of us will give account for what we did down here. Many will receive honor. Many will rejoice with exultation at his coming. Some will lose everything when the choices of our life are tested with fire. Some will shrink in shame away at His coming. We will grieve at the revelation of what we could have accomplished in light of what we actually did.
How is your race going? Have you dropped out of the race? Are you injured? Are you encircled with the things of this world? Are you still on the right course? What drive’s your life? What holds you back? Will you stand among the fellowship of those who suffered for Christ? What will you do?
