Intro: Have you ever wondered whether it was talent or sustained systematic training that makes athletes so good. When this question comes to mind, how do those so called athletes get to a point of being good at what they do?.
Well the reason why so many are good at what they do comes down to how much self-discipline they put themselves through in order to become better in their talents.
Have you ever thought about what Olympic athletes need to have in order to succeed? In sports and in life, or the ability to accomplish things that can attract remarkable opportunities to you because you see them succeeding. Like I just said, this is not a given to them, but it all starts with self-discipline.
Self-discipline puts you on the driving seat. It’s what keeps you focused on your purpose. Like a camera lens zooming into a single object. The details and distractions around it dissipate as you zoom in. From athletic performance to life achievements, accomplishing something important is not easy. But it can be simple.
So as an athlete works hard to excel at a particular sport. Every step forward in their athletic development is the result of choices. Sometimes those choices require that they tell themselves "no" when they want to enjoy junk food, hang out with friends, or sleep in. Because each sport requires them to improve individual skills, an athlete has a specific workout and diet
Now for us Christians it's not like spirituality is a muscle that we can work until it's big and strong—Or Is it? Can we train ourselves to be godly? Can we also use Discipline in our lives to become better in who we are as a Christian? Or is that a given? What would be your answer?
To many of us we should answer yes, because if we do not discipline ourselves into learning more of God, how will our walk look like to others who are on the outside looking in. Even as athletes train and discipline themselves to better at what they do, we as Christians should be doing the same.
Now with that out of the way, what would be the meaning of a spiritual discipline in a Christians life?
Simple, A spiritual discipline is the regular or full-time performance of actions and activities undertaken for the purpose of inducing spiritual experiences and cultivating spiritual development. A common metaphor used in the spiritual traditions of the world's great religions is that of walking a path.
Some spiritual disciplines are personal, inward exercises that are practiced alone; others require interpersonal relationships and are practiced in community.
Throughout time, many philosophers, theologians, and writers have proposed a number of practices that might be considered spiritual disciplines.
These include: Meditation, Prayer, Fasting, Simplicity, Fellowship, Chastity, Stewardship, Submission/Obedience, Study, Contemplation, Self-Examination just to name a few.
Reading: Heb. 13:9 - Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, which have not benefited those devoted to them.
Prayer….
Title Spiritual Discipline
The spiritual disciplines are those practices found in Scripture that promote spiritual growth among believers in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
They are habits of devotion, habits of experiential Christianity that have been practiced by God’s people since biblical times
Spiritual disciplines are habits, practices, and experiences that are designed to develop, grow, and strengthen certain qualities of spirit — to build the “muscles” of one's character and expand the breadth of one's inner life. They structure the “workouts” which train the soul.
The Bible prescribes both personal and interpersonal spiritual disciplines. There are those spiritual disciplines that we practice alone and those that we practice with other Christians. But this is something each of us should be working on in a daily basis in our lives.
In this message were going to cover a few ways we should consider how we should discipline ourselves to be strong in our Christian walk with the Lord.
1. Way For Spiritual Discipline is: Discipline Your Devotions
1 Timothy 2:8 says - I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling;
What happens, many fail in the Christian life. They do not discipline themselves when it comes to their daily devotions. Folks we must make time for God—to read, to pray, and to meditate on God’s Word each day, giving Him first place in our lives Why?
Well in Matthew 6:33 tells us - But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
So the more we Discipline our Devotions to serving him, as in accordance to his words, the more that’s added to us in doing so.
2. Way For Spiritual Discipline is: Discipline Your Doubts
Matthew 21:21 says - And Jesus answered them, “Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen.
Sadly some people nurture negative thoughts and doubts. This causes discouragement and failure. We must discipline our thinking, refusing to allow doubts to linger too long. We drive away doubts by replacing them with thoughts of faith.
Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me. Do not let Doubt master you and your thoughts, Let Jesus master them instead.
3. Way For Spiritual Discipline is: Discipline Your Desires
Colossians 3:2 says - Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.
Reason why we must Discipline our Desires, we live in a materialistic society. The souls of millions have been captured by affluent living. They pursue selfish, sensual, and sinful goals.
Bottom line they pursue the things of the word to gratify themselves and the enemy himself will use those things of the world to draw you away from staying close to God and to use these things to entice you and cause you to fall away. So to fend off these things we must discipline our desires.
Christians must continually discipline themselves to focus on eternal realities, instead of the temporal realities of this earth. A Christian’s life is no longer dictated by this world but is hidden with Christ.
This is why we must do as James instructs us to do in, James 4:7-8 - Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
Here James is telling us 4 ways we are to do this and they are 1. Humble yourselves before God, 2. Resist the devil, 3. Wash your hands . . . purify your hearts” (that is, lead a pure life), 4. Let there be tears for what you have done, Meaning Godly sorrow produces repentance. Where 2 Corinthians 7:10 says - For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.
So when we humble ourselves before the Lord, he will lift you up in honor. When we do all these things, we discipline our desires for the things of this world and more of Heaven.
4. Way For Spiritual Discipline is: Discipline Your Duties
First, we have a Christian duty to serve each other. The Bible says, in 1 Peter 4:10 - As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace:
Friends, It is in our service that all will see God's grace in our actions as we demonstrate our faith, because a lack of discipline causes many to waste time or spend it selfishly. They neglect church attendance and fail to accomplish God’s work. They fail to live like Jesus.
We must be faithful to God, allowing and making time for His work. We must witness to the lost and seek to bring them to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ including you who are called by Christ Jesus. Don’t waste what he has given you folks.
In closing……
Despite what we occasionally might think, we're not spirit beings trapped in physical bodies. God designed us as a vital mixture of body, soul (will), and spirit.
But when we try to figure out where one ends and the other starts, we run into problems. They're dynamically linked, and the posture or health of one has a direct influence on the others.
While we'll never be perfect on this side of eternity, God is at work spiritually transforming us. Paul addresses this with the Galatians, in Galatians 4:19 - my little children, for whom I am again in the anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in you!
So the number one reason these exercises are important is also the most compelling. Jesus was the only perfect person ever to live, and he still practiced spiritual disciplines. If Jesus thought spiritual disciplines were critical for himself, then they're even more important for us today.
It's easy for us to think that our responsibilities as children of God are to avoid bad behavior. And while denying ourselves and making intentional sacrifices is important, we grow when we see that Christian spirituality is an invitation to an intentional life.
We're not simply called to avoid bad behavior, but to pursue God's will.
And through spiritual exercises, we embrace the activity of faith. As we train ourselves to be godly, we develop a faith that's diligent and dynamic.
Like athletes that train themselves to exceed their physical limits, spiritual exercises enable us to do what we're unable do by our own effort. As we invest our energy into developing spiritual disciplines, we partner with God in our growth and transformation.
Then we can grow in his grace and produce good fruit.
Amen
