Faith and Discipline
Have you ever noticed the close relationship between faith and discipline? How could we ever have real genuine faith without the discipline that makes faith? I am in favor of faith without discipline. Discipline is not one of my favorite occurrences. When it comes to discipline I believe that I’m pretty much of a coward. Who in their right mind would choose to go through bad, troubling times so that they will grow in their faith? Yet, without those bad, troubling times how great could our faith actually be?
For an example of faith, let’s take a look at a man whose life represented faith. No matter what life dealt this man his faith in God took him through all the bad times that came his way. This man’s name is Joe. Now everyone in this room knows the story of Joe. You know Joe, don’t you? You know the book of Joe. It’s found in the Old Testament. Okay, Joseph was his full name and his story is found in Genesis. You know that almost 30% of the Book of Genesis was written about Joseph. Why do you think that was? His life was lived in faith for the God that he served.
Joe’s story starts in Genesis 37 and goes to the end of that book. Joe is first mentioned in Genesis as a seventeen year old favored son of Jacob. He was much loved by his father Jacob and his Father in heaven. This however, didn’t sit well with his brothers. They became so jealous of Joe that they began to hate him. This was some really bad sibling rivalry. Jacob didn’t do much to stop the jealousy, as a matter of fact; he made the situation even worse. He gave his favored son a beautiful multi-colored coat. That was the icing on the cake, now they really hated their brother.
I don’t know if Joe was a little bit dense or if he just ignored the hate that his brothers felt for him. He made matters worse yet by telling them his dreams. He told them that he dreamt that one day they would all bow down and worship him. You talk about slapping your enemy in the face and rubbing in that favored status. He just escalated this hate into full-fledged war. Maybe, Joe’s faith in his God was so great he knew no matter what happened, his God would care for him. I really don’t know? He stepped out on a limb by telling his brothers this dream probably because he trusted and loved his God.
Genesis 37, His brothers didn’t waste any time in taking care of their problem concerning Joe. The very next time they found him alone they grabbed him and through him in a cistern and contemplated killing him. God had other plans for Joe. God can change the plans of man. A caravan of travelers happened along and they sold Joe to the voyagers. They sold their own flesh and blood. Their brother. I don’t know about you, but that would have been a very low point of my life. I would have fallen into deep despair and depression. How could anything good come of this? Where was Joe’s God when he needed him? Why did he allow such an event as this?
Did Joe despair? Maybe, a little at first. Was Joe depressed? Maybe, a little at first. How could something this traumatic not impact your live in the negative? Your problems, though, don’t have to keep you down.
How you handle yourself when problems come along will make the difference. You will either grow in faith or give up on God. Joe’s resolve left no doubt that he knew God was in control of his life.
Genesis 39:1-4. When Joe got to Egypt, a wealthy Egyptian bought Joe from the traders. Joe was so sure of God that he did nothing but his very best to please his owner. If Joe was discouraged from his circumstances, he sure didn’t show his displeasure with life. He was dealt a bad hand in life and he was going to make the best out this situation. God saw that Joe’s faith was strong and prospered him even in captivity. We don’t know why Joe was disciplined this way but we see that discipline did not make his faith falter. Here is a valuable lesson, how you handle discipline can affect God’s plans for you.
God wasn’t finished with Joe. He had great plans for Joe. However, Joe was not ready for the ultimate plan. More growth was necessary for Joe before God could use him to accomplish His will. Genesis 39:11-19, Joe found out that being the favored son and now the favored servant wasn’t all that it was meant to be. It seems when Joe stepped out of the frying pan; he was up to his neck in hot oil.
His master’s wife thought he was a hunk. Day after day she chased him around the house trying to seduce him. You talk about stalking; she was one of the first stalkers. He would not let himself be tempted by this woman. Joe knew this was but another test and he would not fall into this trap of temptation. He belonged to God. His true salvation would come through God. If only the men of today who are caught in adulteress affairs could realize that obedience to God should be their foremost duty. If they can’t resist the evil before them, then how can God use them?
This woman might have been beautiful, who knows? One thing I know, she was deceitful, vengeful, dishonest, an adulteress, a very wicked woman. Joe didn’t know how big of a favor he did himself by resisting her advances. I like how Joe did resist temptation. He didn’t stop to think about it and weigh the benefits verse the consequences. When rational thought didn’t work with the woman (Genesis 39:8-9). He fled from evil (Genesis 39:10). When you come up against temptation do you contemplate the evil at hand? Do you consider the what ifs? Do you allow temptation a foot hold in your mind? Do yourself a favor, flee like Joe did and don’t look back!
Joe found himself back in captivity and in greater trouble than before. He reacted to the new situation with even greater resolve. Life was not going to beat him down because God is in control over all situations. Joe was God’s gardener. When life dealt him a turnip; he turned it into a rose. Even though, Joe was in jail; the warden placed him in charge over all the prisoners (Genesis 39:21-23). How unusual was this, that a prisoner was placed in charge over all the wardens’ affairs? Wouldn’t you think a guard should have had that responsibility? Joe used discipline as a means of serving his God to the best of his ability, no matter what situation he found himself. What faith he must have had in his God. Do we have this much faith in our God? After all, isn’t he the same God that Joe worshipped and trusted.
If we were to read chapters 40 and 41, we find that the king of Egypt makes Joe the second in command of the entire country. This precedent must have been unheard of, to make a former slave the vice-president of their country and a foreigner at that. He was placed in charge of all the affairs of the king. Would you have that much faith in an ex-con? God can use us in great things if we obey and accept his will for our lives. It makes me think, what if Joe when in jail fell into great despair and gave up on God? Who would have been the savior of Israel? God must have had faith in Joe and his abilities. Everything Joe touched seemed to turn into gold.
Let’s take a look at Hebrews 11, verse 22. We find that Joe’s faith mentioned is toward the end of his life. You would think that of all the things that happened to Joe, one of the prominent events, which cast him into power, would have been mentioned. He was sold by his brothers; he was thrown into prison for something he didn’t do; he interpreted dreams which came true; he became second in power of a foreign country; and he was the savior of his people. Why was the end of his life more important than all the situations, which arose during his life?
Joe was a devoted man. He was devoted to his God throughout his life. God became Joe’s reason to live. No matter what situation arose, Joe’s faith was built on a solid foundation of trust and service. Joe accepted any situation as an opportunity to grow under the discipline of God. Nothing was ever too small or insignificant for his God. He trusted without falter or complaint. If there was ever a symbol of faith, Joe is that symbol. However, his faith was something that was built over a lifetime of trusting the God he continually served. He accepted discipline as a tool for building his character and faith. I wish that when trouble comes my way that my first thoughts would be “this is happening because God wants to build my faith”.
So what about discipline and faith, lets read Hebrews 12:1-11. Notice in verse 2 “let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith”. When Joe ran into problems and he had more than his share, he kept his eyes, thoughts and heart fixed on the one he knew that controlled all events. When trouble came his way he didn’t know why he had to experience these situations in his life. He just knew that God’s will was a perfect and pleasing presence to be a part of. He kept his life focused on the one true God. God’s plans aren’t man’s plans and who was he to question God’s authority over the events that plagued him.
When the events in Joe’s life got tough, Joe didn’t get down and out, he got up and about, serving God. His strength came from his God. Joe called on the name of his God when things were tough. When the enemy encamps round about and threatens from all directions, yet will you lean on God? When you falter on the front lines and nearly faint from the deadly blows of frustration and apprehension, yet will your God fight for you. When the enemy shoots his poisoned arrows of despair that pierce your very soul, yet will his shield of content deflect those harrowing shafts? When the enemy hurls his boulders of discouragement threatening to entomb you, yet will your God fight by your side. When the iron chariots of the enemy charge and attempt to trample your life, yet will your God spare your life? Ephesians 6:10-18.
“Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the Devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on your full armor of God, so that when the day of evil come, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.”
He shall never leave nor forsake you as you walk in his ways. Your God is a loving and caring God who will never leave your side. He is your protector and guardian and to him will you turn when trouble comes your way. Your God is an awesome God. Verse 3, “consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart”. I can rest my weary, scared life in him that has claimed victory over the enemy.
Verse 7, “Endure hardship as discipline”. Joe knew that life wasn’t fair and that he would have his share of adversity but he clung to the promises of his God. “For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you…”.
Verse 11, “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it”. Joe knew that God’s hand was on his life to do with as he pleased. Even when things were the bleakest and death iminent he trusted God for deliverance. God had a plan for Joe and it was not his position to question God’s supreme will.
This is why at the end of his life his, faith was in God for the deliverance of his people. He believed in God and his promises to build a nation from his sons. Joe’s faith in God was indisputable. His faith was credited to him because of his constant will to obey God in all things. He followed God with all his heart, with his entire entire mind and with all his soul.
What troubles or tribulation are you facing today? Do you sometimes feel God just doesn’t care? Do you wonder if sometimes God has gone on vacation and forgotten about you? Psalm 144.
“Praise be to the Lord my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle. He is my loving God and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield, in whom I take refuge, who subdues peoples under me…Part your heavens, O Lord, and come down; touch the mountains, so that they smoke. Send forth lightning and scatter the enemies; shoot your arrows and rout them. Reach down your hand from on high; deliver me and rescue me from the mighty waters, from the hands of foreigners, whose mouths are full of lies, whose right hands are deceitful…Blessed are the people of whom this is true; blessed are the people whose God is the Lord”.
When you find yourself battered around by the storms of life, when the sea bellows flood your life with problems and when the raging tempest has blown your confidence away, remember you are right where God wants you to be. You are still in God’s will and the storm will past. God disciplines those he loves. This is a time for spiritual growth and maturity. Never lose hope in the God that loves you.
If there are those that are here today, who feel trampled on by the hidden enemy of man; whose lives are battered about such as a ship during a storm; has despair and discouragement been your constant companion; do you need relieve from the onslaught of advancing battlements; then come to this haven of rescue at the front of the church and let those that know the power of prayer and faith in our bleeding Lord pray with you for victory from within. As the music softly plays come forward and give your cares to the loving God that knows your distress. Give your worries to God, he is the only source of salvation from the evil one. Come forward and pray. Come forward today.
