This lesson was taught at North Christian Church on 3/19/23. The video can be seen at www.nccdighton.org
We should seek God’s perspective always, not man’s.
According to Is 55, the two aren’t even close, remember.
Is 55:8-9
For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Because we’re stuck in the flesh, we like doing things our own way, usually to our own detriment and suffering.
But, if we remember that we are here on this earth for only a few days, we might want to diligently seek HIS perspective, so we accomplish HIS will in our lives while we still have some time.
Eph 5:15-17 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
When we see the Lord in heaven, we will be over the moon if we realize we brought Him some glory with our earthly lives.
We will be ELATED,… honestly, words can’t even describe it right now (try to picture yourself in His Presence, it will help)
So, if we’re intent on seeking God’s perspective, that includes learning to love discipline, because DISCIPLINE IS GOOD.
God’s Perspective? – DISCIPLINE IS GOOD.
This not only includes fatherly discipline, which we all need, but could include SELF discipline, too…. being pleasing to the Father through obedience to His Word.
Think of a part of the fruit of the Spirit called self-control in Gal 5.
Self control is very good, divinely good, even, coming from the Spirit.
Does the flesh like it?? Nope.
But self control is very good in God’s eyes.
Then there’s the discipline we receive from our Heavenly Father, which is also very good.
Do we like it? Is it comfortable? – Usually not, unless we humbly and gratefully receive it.
But we NEED our Father’s discipline so that we grow up spiritually and don’t waste away our lives living for temporary things.
Just imagine dying and meeting the Lord one day soon, face to face, only to discover you wasted most of your life away living for temporary, or temporal, things!!
This is why the apostle John mentions a temporary, but very real, shame for some believers at the Judgment Seat… it will certainly be shame greater than anything you’ve ever experienced on earth…
1 Jn 2:28 And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming.
Apparently, some will be shrinking away from Him at His coming!! I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to be that person.
Our dear Art Morton lived for the Lord. I’m confident he didn’t have to experience this temporary shame, but instead had the other emotion we already mentioned; being over the moon and just elated in the Presence of Christ because he diligently followed and served the Lord.
But, regarding perspective, we must believe in our hearts that Discipline is Good; it’s what we all need to grow up into the image of Christ and bear fruit for His glorious Name.
Ro 8:26 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
We’re still alive as believers to be shaped into His nature, conformed to have His heart, even…
… and that takes some time and molding, or as the blog mentioned, heat and pressure, for sure.
As usual, this all begins with a change of perspective.
Will you go home and resume life as usual, just getting by each day in life, without a willingness to question the way you’re looking at things like discipline and suffering?
Or will you go to God and seek His perspective on things like discipline, even learning to thank Him for it, even to ask Him for it?..
… because you want to be trained up to be a fruitful child of the Most High God!
“What Is Biblical Discipline?” – Blog from 3/3/23
The Bible speaks of discipline in a much grander and profitable way. Discipline in the Bible always presents itself with a clear line of sight to the intended outcome. In other words, unlike our fleshly tendency to think primarily about the pain and suffering associated with discipline, in the Bible it is always presented as a vehicle and/or catalyst to spiritual growth.
Pr 3:11-12
My son, do not despise the LORD’s discipline or be weary of his reproof, for the LORD reproves him whom he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights.
Pr 15:5
A fool despises his father’s instruction, but whoever heeds reproof is prudent.
Learning to love discipline is opposite of the world’s thinking; and that’s one way we know we’re on the right track.
The world says make the most of your life, live for the NOW!
But Jesus said store up your treasures in heaven, not on earth, for example.
The world says live life however you want, and focus on doing whatever you think will make yourself happy.
But is it fair to say that’s a lie when you look at life from God’s perspective??
Aren’t we here with a grander purpose?!!
Learning to Love Discipline
As believers, trusting in our God and Savior, we would be wise to EMBRACE God’s various forms of discipline in our lives. Pr 3:5, 1Co 10:13
He won’t give us more than we can bear, that’s a promise. 1Co 10:13
But, that doesn’t mean you won’t be pushed to your limits, either.
And He’s faithful and always giving us His power to overcome.
So what do we fear??
Is it fear? Is it just selfishness?
Hmmmmmm…….
Why don’t we look forward to discipline that’s going to conform us into the image of Christ; to develop the heart of Christ in us, such as His forgiving heart that we discussed heavily on Thursday night??
Don’t We Want to Become Like Christ??
Yes, but we don’t want to pay the price. We don’t want to give Him our time, even. The flesh must suffer if we want to grow up into His Spirit and experience His peace and love and forgiveness.
If you really want His heart, it’s going to take stripping away self and its desires.
And God helps us along through various forms of discipline, even when we don’t understand the connection.
So today, let’s talk about learning to love discipline, and along with that looking forward to its fruit in our lives, according to God’s promises.
Good fruit is just that, good fruit!!
And while any fruit takes time to grow, its beauty and sweetness is well worth the wait!!
Have you ever had a piece of the sweetest cantaloupe??
Or how about a mid-summer watermelon??
Nothing like it when it’s hot out, right?!
Learning to Love Discipline
We should learn to love discipline because of the good fruit that results; both for our benefit and to God’s glory.
God is not shy to reward those who live for Him, both in this life and in eternity, remember.
Holy Scripture is full of such promises.
Some of these magnificent promises are found in the wonderful book of Hebrews, given to a congregation suffering for Christ’s name, but also for discipline’s sake!
Heb 6:10-12 For God is not so unjust as to overlook your work and the love that you showed for his sake in serving the saints, as you still do. 11 And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end, 12 so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
Then there’s the peaceful fruit of righteousness He promises us; which we’ve spent a lot of time on in the past…
… but this time we’re also going to pull a couple other gems out of this popular passage on discipline.
Heb 12:7-14
It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8 If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. 9 Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live?
10 For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. 11 For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
And now the Spirit gets into transferring God’s discipline into our own self-discipline, if you will…
12 Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, 13 and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed. 14 Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.
There’s our part in growing up and taking advantage of the training God allows in our lives.
There’s peace in our conscience when we live for God, including when we embrace His discipline as necessary training from a loving Father who cares for us.
As came up in Thursday’s lesson: we should start looking at sufferings that God allows in our lives as NECESSARY for our sanctification, and that’s that. (either we trust Him or we don’t)
Imagine going through some attacks from other people and honestly being able to say from the heart what Jesus did from the Cross.
Lk 23:33-34a
And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”
Imagine the glory to God, in front of the myriads of observing angels.
But, this takes learning to love discipline, because we can’t get there without it, and we won’t get there overnight.
So, what do you want your life to be filled with???
There’s a “rubber meets the road” question.
Do you want your will or God’s??
If you say you want God’s, that requires a change in perspective and priorities for most of us.
Now, there’s something that God has provided that helps us keep our eyes on the big picture…
… and on eternal things instead of temporal things.
Let the eternal rewards of God motivate you, also!
Eternal Rewards
Love for God should be our primary motivation.
But as we’re going through various kinds of pain and suffering, God purposely gives us hope of eternal blessings; blessings that stagger the human imagination, to help us (we’re weak, remember) endure sufferings with faith and joy, even. Ac 5:40-42, 1Co 2:9-10
I mean, how and why did the disciples have joy after being BEATEN by the religious Pharisees??
Can we explain this, other than the fact that they had faith in something better to come??
Ac 5:40-42
and when they had called in the apostles, they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. 41 Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name. 42 And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.
My friends, we must trust God at His Word!
1 Cor 2:9-10 But, as it is written,
“What no eye has seen, nor ear heard,
nor the heart of man imagined,
what God has prepared for those who love him”—
10 these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God.
Eternal Rewards
If you think about it, looking towards the eternal reward is us living by faith…. we are literally trusting God that His rewards will be there in the next life, and therefore we accept the sufferings and losses we go through for His Name, by faith.
If we didn’t have faith, we’d run from the sufferings, believing the true rewards were in this life.
But by grace, through faith, we trust God will reward us beyond our imaginations one day; to His joy as our Heavenly Father.
Think about what Jesus said to the apostles before it was His time…
John 14:1-3 “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.
The Good Fruit of Discipline
Think of the verses in the Bible about going through suffering and trials and notice they have a good result or blessing that’s promised afterwards! (Good fruit!) 1Pe 1:7,4:13-14, Jas 1:12, Rev 2:8
Hebrews mentions the peaceful fruit of righteousness, which comes as a fruit or reward for going through discipline.
Peter talks about fiery ordeals and how they end up with good produced in our lives/for God.
1 Pe 1:6-7 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
1 Pe 4:12-19 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. 14 If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. 15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. 16 Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name. 17 For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18 And
“If the righteous is scarcely saved,
what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”
19 Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.
Jesus in Revelation tells us about suffering for Him, even in prison, but promising us a crown in heaven that lasts forever and ever.
James 1:12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.
Rev 2:8 Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.
As we’ve recently learned, all forms of suffering are types of discipline allowed in our lives for our ultimate benefit, and for God’s glory.
It doesn’t matter where it comes from, or why, necessarily, just that God apparently sees it as necessary to conform us to the image of Christ’s heart.
And as we saw on Thursday, Paul writes about momentary suffering now producing for us an ETERNAL weight of glory far beyond being worthy of comparison.
2 Cor 4:16-18 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. 17 For this slight momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.
Good fruit; there’s nothing like divinely good fruit.
There’s nothing like the peaceful fruit of righteousness being possessed in our souls.
The Good Fruit of Discipline
A tree must go through times of patient growth, difficult storms, and painful pruning by the Gardener, BEFORE it produces such wonderful fruits. But it’s all worth it, especially the eternal fruits that we’ll enjoy forever with our Lord and Savior.
Think of the most delicious, sweet piece of fruit you’ve even eaten, especially when you were hungry.
Now imagine that type of sweetness in your soul; that true peace and love that you desire to possess every day.
Now imagine having that for all eternity in Heaven forever with your Creator and Savior in a perfect state of glory!
As I’ve said in the past, God gave us imaginations for a reason.
To meditate on the goodness of God and His promises can be very helpful to encouraging us to live for God’s glory while we still have the chance.
There are a lot of reasons we should learn to love discipline.
And the greatest reason is that it will result in us bringing glory to the One who created us, and saved us!
Now let’s get practical as we close…
Not only are we talking about learning to love God’s discipline, but also learning to love SELF discipline.
Here’s another quote from Pastor’s recent blog:
“What Is Biblical Discipline?” – Blog from 3/3/23
The point is that God’s discipline is for sanctification’s sake, so that His children become disciplined (like athletes) in His ways. That’s what holiness is, fundamentally, after all – we are set aside for God’s purposes.
If we learn to HAVE discipline, on our own, we may need less discipline from our heavenly Father.
In real life, will we give in to our lusts and need to learn the hard way by reaping what we sow, and God’s discipline upon us??
Or will we discipline ourselves (have self-control by relying on the power of the Spirit)?
This is what God’s faithful discipline does for us; it brings us along and teaches us to become disciplined, per the point on the board.
i.e.- There’s money lust (which you can have even if you don’t have a lot of money).
Will you persist in that lust and require God to take away material blessings to wake you up??
Or will you humble yourself like Agur in Proverbs 30 and ask for just enough in your life??
And listen to the prayer the Lord taught us; “give us our daily bread”; that’s enough for us?
Any lust that we persist in, by our own choice, has negative repercussions!
Sexual lust vs. choosing to wait on God’s timing for a spouse.
Lust for food vs. learning to eat to live, not live to eat.
Lust for chemical stimulation through alcohol or drugs; legal or illegal.
Lust to be constantly entertained.
Lust for instant gratification, instead of waiting on God’s timing for true blessings that will last.
Here’s a good example of self-discipline from the apostle Paul and the perspective the Spirit gave him on things like this:
1Co 6:12 “All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be dominated by anything. 13 “Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food”-and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.
While God would like us to choose self-discipline, God has also decreed sanctification through suffering, and we are called to receive His will for our lives.
Even Jesus, the perfect Son of God, learned obedience through the things that He suffered. Heb 5:8
By faith, we must choose to trust God’s ways are better than the world’s ways.
The world’s happiness is empty; just ask anyone who’d lived long enough and pursued these lusts.
But God’s happiness has real substance; it doesn’t rely on outside stimuli for success.
And then there’s forgiveness, or lack thereof.
Will you humble yourself before the Lord and obey His call for us to forgive those who wrong us, just like He forgave you on the Cross??
“Father, forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us!” – also from the Lord’s prayer!
And then we have the stark warning that Jesus stated after the prayer He taught His disciples, encouraging us with the truth.
Mt 6:9-15 Pray then like this:
“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.10 Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.11 Give us this day our daily bread,12 and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, 15 but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
And as we learned last week, God will allow various forms of suffering in our lives, even those that seem unfair, to show us if we don’t have Christ’s heart in this area of forgiveness.
We are not as righteous as we like to think, and we often have to learn the hard way, or we’ll never see His grace and truth in our souls.
And so, the message from the Spirit today is very simply:
Learn to Love Discipline
It’s for our own ultimate good and for the eternal glory of God. “Trust the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding” (Pr 3:5)