87% of Americans own running shoes but don’t run.
One cannot be a disciple without learning discipline!
". . . discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness." ~ 1 Timothy 4:7b (NASB)
If I am going to develop Christ-like character in my life, there are certain disciplines, or habits I need to practice as part of my lifestyle. As the old saying goes:
Sow a thought, reap an act. Sow an act, reap a habit.
Sow a habit, reap a character. Sow a character, reap a destiny.
1 Cor 9:24-27
1. Be discriminating in what we do-v. 25
Paul says that just as an athlete gives priority to habits that will develop him as a champion, a disciple gives priority to habits that develop Christ-like character. As we study the Scriptures, we discover four habits that Jesus told His disciples to make part of their lifestyle.
A. The habit of meditation -
"If you abide in My word [hold fast to My teachings and live in accordance with them], you are truly My disciples." ~ John 8:31 (Amplified)
"And don’t for a minute let this Book of The Revelation be out of mind. Ponder and meditate on it day and night, making sure you practice everything written in it. Then you’ll get where you’re going; then you’ll succeed."
~ Joshua 1:8 (The Message)
B. The habit of prayer -
"If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples." ~ John 15:7-8 (NASB)
Jesus says that prayer is SINCERE because it is to be offered to God. You say, “that’s obvious, isn’t it?”
Then why at times are we so concerned about what others think of our prayer - what words we
use? -how it sounds? Jesus is not saying here that we should not pray in our times of public
worship - I believe that He is saying that the effectiveness of our public prayer is determined by
the SECRET prayer in the closet.
Bob Cook one said that we all have a sort of routine prayer in our system and one we get rid of that, real praying begins.
So the spiritual discipline of prayer is sincere, secret and also SPIRIT PROMPTED! That is what
we read in Romans 8: 26.27 (Look it up later)
We live in a world of INSTANT EVERYTHING
and so we often are looking for INSTANT PRAYER - you know. Big Blessings for Small
Installments. We even feel like we need to have an INSTANT START when we begin to pray.
R.A. Torry once said that we should never utter a single syllable in prayer until we are conscious
that we are in the presence of God and that sometimes requires a “holy pause.” Sometimes that
holy pause requires that we clear the desktop of our lives - we get rid of the clutter and trash that
seems to accumulate through the week. Once to visualize the need I placed a trash can at the
door of the Sanctuary to remind the congregation that it was time to make a deposit of anything
that would interfere with the holy pause that was needed for proper worship and prayer in coming
into the presence of God. Spirit - prompted prayer is of the prevailing variety where there is no
rush to leave the presence of the Lord and where we do not do all the talking but give Him time
to speak with us. Years ago I had a special phone that I bought at a thrift store as a prop and that
I adapted - I hack-sawed off the ear piece as a reminder of the kind of phone we sometimes use to
call heaven - you know the kind where it is impossible to listen and we do all the talking.
Spirit- prompted prayer does not ask for that which is just an Extension of our own ABILITIES
or what we can accomplish We do not ask for PEANUTS when we serve a God who majors in
the impossible.
Prayer that is Spirit - prompted is also prayer that comes from a HEART THAT IS BROKEN by
God. The Spirit makes sure that what breaks the heart of God also breaks our hearts. Sometimes
that means that we come to tears when we pray - we weep - we cry out to God because He has
implanted His heart in ours as we especially pray for those who need the Savior.
C. The habit of giving -
"So then, any of you who does not forsake (renounce, surrender claim to, give up, say good-bye to) all that he has cannot be My disciple." ~ Luke 14:33 (Amplified)
"The purpose of tithing is to teach you to always put God first in your lives." ~ Deuteronomy 14:23 (LB)
Did you know that in the Bible mentions:
• Pray or prayer 289 times,
• Love 363 times, and
• Give or giving 1043 times?
God has put a tremendous emphasis on giving in His word. Why?
Because we are naturally selfish and stingy so giving is hard for us, - But God challenges us to give
• Give of our time,
• Give of our finances
• Give our talents
As we do, we increase the kingdom of God here on this earth and receive material, spiritual and emotional blessings in our lives.
Is Your Seed Still In the Barn?
What rational farmer would say:
“I can’t sow my seed that I have in my barn, because then I would not have any seed any more. What would happen if I needed this seed?”
• Any farmer or gardener knows that if they want a crop, they have to sow their seed.
It doesn’t benefit him to stuff his pockets full, neither does it do any good to pray,
“Oh God, please give me a crop. I not sure I can sow any seed, but God I am trusting you to get involved. I am believing you to give me a crop, but I am holding onto my seed.”
• The logical, wise thing to do is to sow financial seed in giving to the work of the Lord.
What Are You Afraid Of?
I call this principle The Fear Factor –
Milton Scott story, Fields of Gold, Andy Stanley ppg 24-26 - read
When you were hearing Milton Scott’s story, how did you feel?
• For most of us, giving outlandish portions of our money elicits a sense of fear.
• When challenged with the idea of giving or giving more, most experience fear.
What if God challenged you to give beyond your comfort level. Would you be afraid?
What if he challenged you to give 15% of your income?
• 20%?
• 40%?
Would you try to explain it away or dismiss it as impractical?
In the process of explaining it away, you would miss out on a harvest opportunity for which God has prospered you for in the first place
• Sowing in faith results in an eternal crop. Cowering in fear yields empty fields
What’s In Your Wallet?
When we give, we invite God’s involvement in our finances
When give to God’s purposes, the Almighty God gets personally involved with our every day financial dealings,
2 Cor 9:10-11
• Now, if God can get involved in your finances, then the converse it true:
We can keep God out of being involved in our finances.
• God can be on the sidelines, watching you struggle financially or be actively involved as your financial partner
Your finances are a area of your life in which you can begin to experience an interactive relationship with your heavenly Father.
• You have to invite him in. I think you already believe this.
• You believe that God can intervene directly to change your financial picture.
Conclusion
Is the Seed In The Barn?
• The Law of the Harvest applies to your finances
What Are You Afraid Of?
• Our primary fear should be facing our financial future without our heavenly Father being involved.
What’s in your Wallet? –
• We are partners with God in our finances
D. The habit of fellowship -
"Let me give you a new command: Love one another. In the same way I loved you, you love one another. This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples--when they see the love you have for each other."
~ John 13:34-35 (The Message)
A disciple is one who disciplines himself to do the right things!
Love God but not my brother = no love for God at all.
2. Be deliberate in what we do-v. 26
A runner who is competing in a marathon will not expend all his energy in the first portion of the race. He will pace himself, and wait until the right time to make his move, as he pushes toward the finish line. Likewise, a boxer doesn’t just throw his punches indiscriminately, he carefully studies his opponent and follows a strategy to defeat him.
(Ali vs. Foreman- "Thrilla in Manilla" -"Rope-a-Dope" strategy)
Likewise, it is not enough for a disciple to involve themselves in the disciplines of study, prayer, giving, and fellowship. They need to always be learning how to do these things more effectively.
A disciple is one who disciplines himself to do the right things, the right way!
The Habit of The Word
Enhance Prayer and Word = Fasting
First realize that as a spiritual discipline, fasting is NOT AN END IN ITSELF but rather a means
to a greater end as it precedes either the spiritual discipline that Gus talked about last Sunday -
that of studying the Word of God or the spiritual discipline that we will talk about in a few
minutes - that of prayer. Fasting is not just an exercise in self0denial but rather a re-investment of
time and energy into time spent with the Lord in either prayer or Bible Study. The bottom line is
that fasting ENRICHES our time spent with the Lord.
Second, there is also a sense in which food dulls our spirits and the absence of food quickens our
spirits. You know how after a large meal you feel kind of content comfortable and perhaps even
lethargic? Think of that as kind of being DRUNK OR LOGGY WITH FOOD. Fasting then is a
way in which our spirits are SUPER-CHARGED for the very presence of God. It is like prayer
and our time in the Word being similar to driving a car and then when you add fasting, it is like
adding a super-charger under the hood and you experience a whole new driving excitement.
Fasting serves like the practice before the big “prayer game,” or like the bullpen before you take
the pitcher’s mound.
Third, Fasting CLEARS AWAY THE DISTRACTIONS and allows us to clearly hear the voice
of the Lord for DIRECTION in our lives through the Word of God or Prayer.
3. Be determined in what we do-v. 27
Paul understood the level of commitment that Jesus requires of those who would be a true disciple. Jesus expressed the nature of the commit He requires in graphic terms:
"Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: ‘If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters--yes, even his own life--he cannot be my disciple. And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.’" ~ Luke 14:25-27 (NIV)
"Now huge crowds were going along with [Jesus], and He turned and said to them, ‘If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his [own] father and mother [in the sense of indifference to or relative disregard for them in comparison with his attitude toward God] and [likewise] his wife and children and brothers and sisters--[yes] and even his own life also--he cannot be My disciple. Whoever does not persevere and carry his own cross and come after (follow) Me cannot be My disciple.’" ~ Luke 14:25-27 (Amplified)
A certain level of commitment is required if we are to separate from the crowd and be a true disciple of Jesus Christ. Jesus made it clear that the nature of the commitment required of a disciple is two-fold:
A. My supreme delight must be my relationship with Jesus-v. 26
Paul says that since he was spiritually alive, he was not going to allow his flesh to determine the course of his life. Paul was going to make sure that his body was the servant, and his inner man was the master. The desires of his body were not going to rule over himself!
B. My supreme desire must be to become like Jesus-v. 27 (Luke 9:23)
Paul expresses this commitment when he declares that he was determined not to be "disqualified for the prize." What prize is he referring to? The same prize he refers to in Philippians 3:14: "I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." Paul was committed to win today, the prize that awaited him in heaven one day-the prize of being just like Jesus.
We can almost hear the urgency in Paul’s voice as he declares his determination to practice the disciplined habits that constitute being a real disciple of Jesus Christ. He understood well what Jesus said just after what He told to crowd in Luke 14: "Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be seasoned? It is neither fit for the land, nor yet for the dunghill; but men cast it out. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear." ~ Luke 14:34-35 (KJV)
In Jesus’ day, the salt people used came from pillars dug out from the Dead Sea. Usually, it was salt mixed with other substances. They used it to preserve food and for fertilizer in the soil and manure. Many times they’d stack these pillars of salt outside for several months at a time. If it rained, occasionally the salt would leach out of the substance, leaving only white outer material. This stuff was useless. It was good for nothing, not even the manure pile. All you could do was throw it out.
The point Jesus made is the one Paul understood; and it is one we need to understand. A life not spent following Him is worthless. It has no purpose. It has no meaning.
Yes, it requires us to learn disciplined habits. But these habits result in our life having eternal significance and meaning, as we fulfill our destiny of becoming just like Jesus. Haddon Robinson said, "You’ll give your life for something or you’ll throw it away on nothing." What are you doing with yours?
Scripture
2 Tim 3:16
Praise and Worship
Sunday morning
Way of life.
Immediately went to song – but only time in scripture when singing to you was when they were living in harmony with your life.
The Reward
The Prize
Paul says we are running to win a prize.
“They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.” I Corinthians 9:25b(NIV)
Physical races give prizes that never last.
The winners of the ancient games were given wreaths made out of celery plants. Even today’s Olympians have fame that is fleeting and medals that will eventually perish.
The spiritual race of life produces an eternal reward.
“Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those that love him.” James 1:12 (NIV)
“And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.”
I Peter 5:4(NIV)
