The Disciplined Well-Pleasing Life Series

Chico Alliance Church

Pastor David Welch

“A Disciplined Life”

Review

Question to ask about my lifestyle.

“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

“Will it distract me from full devotion to God?” 7

I. Reproof for fleshly behavior 1-6

A. A divided church 1-4

B. A defiled church 5

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

1. To avoid ruining a weaker brother 8:1-13

“Will it adversely affect those around me?” 8

2. To advance the gospel 9:1-23

“Will it be a stumbling block to the gospel?”

“Will it be a stepping stone to the gospel?”

3. To avoid losing heavenly reward 9:24-27

“Will it jeopardize my heavenly reward?”

? Run with purpose

What drives our life?

• Power driven life

• People driven life

• Possession driven life

• Pleasure driven life

• Pain driven life

• Past driven life

• Run to cultivate dynamic relationship with Him.

• Run to pursue meaningful connection with His people.

• Run to resist evil and restore good.

• Run to declared the excellencies of Christ through life and lip

? Train to finish the race well – discipline the body and soul

? Loose the encumbrances – deal with the sin and distractions

? Run with faith and endurance by focusing on Christ

? Run to finish well and win the prize

Introduction

Discipline involves two aspects. We must train by stretching our capacities and building endurance. We must deal with things that distract and weigh us down. Paul did both. Paul lived his whole life to please God.

4. To avoid displeasing God 10:1-13

“Will it displease God?”

Eph 5:6-12

By Israel’s example we will learn just what does not please God and moves him to anger.

a) Israel’s Experience 1-5

For I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea; and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea; and all ate the same spiritual food; and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them; and the rock was Christ. 1 Cor. 10:1-4

Paul tied this section with the previous with the connector “for”. The previous topic was a disciplined life so as to avoid jeopardizing heavenly reward. In this chapter, Paul appeals to the story of the Israelites in the wilderness as an example of those who lost their earthly reward because they lived a self-indulgent life. Paul did not want them to miss the lessons from the wilderness experience. The Old Testament remains a goldmine of lessons and insight into our walk and relationship with God. Don’t miss it!

(1) Israel enjoyed God’s spiritual blessing.1-4

Paul called them “our fathers”. Paul then detailed the blessing and advantage that every one of them enjoyed in the desert.

? All enjoyed God’s specific direction through Moses and the ever-present “Cloud”.

? All enjoyed God’s supernatural deliverance through the Red Sea.

? All enjoyed God’s supernatural provisions of abundant food and water.

? All enjoyed Christ’s continual presence and protection.

They were on their way to the Promised Land; a land filled with milk and honey. They were free from the harsh treatment of the Egyptians who tried to strangle their babies. They had all witnessed ten phenomenal catastrophes against the gods of their enemies. They all acquired the treasures of their Egyptian neighbors as they left Egypt. What a glorious deliverance and exciting journey ahead of them. With bondage and grief behind them and a new life ahead of them they sang God’s praises. God even spared them immediate warfare by directing them another way. This should have been enough to endear them to the one true God FOREVER. This should have bolstered them to unshakable faith.

“Nevertheless”

(2) God didn’t enjoy Israel’s sinful behavior 5

Nevertheless, with most of them God was not well-pleased; for they were laid low in the wilderness.

Ouch!! What a horrible indictment.

“most of them” = much, many, largely, plenteous

Not just a few of them, but most of them. The majority of them God did not please God. Including Moses and Aaron! God disqualified most of them. They forfeited blessing because of their unbelief.

“Not well-pleased” = to think well, to be well pleased, take pleasure

To put it bluntly, God did not enjoy the experience. It brought pain more than pleasure. It was like dragging five toddlers on a cross country trip. By the time we arrive, with most of them we are not well pleased. We did not enjoy the trip.