The Importance Of Discipline In Discipleship
You hardly hear the word today. We just don’t like to use it. It has vacated almost every aspect of our living. We have almost abolished it from our vocabulary. Perhaps it is still used in some circles – such as sports – especially went it comes to Olympians. But in most of our culture it has all but disappeared. The word I am referring to is: “Discipline”.
The word “discipline” is used throughout the Bible though. Thirty six times it is used in the New American Standard version of the Bible. Many of the Proverbs speak of discipline. Verses such as:
“My son, do not reject the discipline of the LORD Or loathe His reproof, For whom the LORD loves He reproves, Even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights.” Proverbs 3:11-12 (NASV)
Proverbs chapter twelve says:
“Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, But he who hates reproof is stupid.” Proverbs 12:1 (NASV)
And Proverbs chapter thirteen says:
“Poverty and shame will come to him who neglects discipline, But he who regards reproof will be honored.” Proverbs 13:18 (NASV)
In the New Testament Paul instructs Timothy to, “Discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness.” 1st Timothy 4:7 (NASV)
This is our focal verse for this series. We are going to be looking at: “Disciplines Of Discipleship – Living A Godly Life”. We as followers of Jesus Christ must realize that discipline for the purpose of godliness should be our way of life. Today we are looking at the Importance Of Discipline In Discipleship.
Donald S. Whitney in his book, “Spiritual Disciplines For The Christian Life” has said:
“Discipline without direction is drudgery.”
He gives an example of a six year old boy named Kevin sitting one afternoon at guitar lessons. Outside are the other boys laughing and running – playing baseball – having fun. For Kevin the guitar lessons are drudgery. Then all of a sudden an angel comes and transports Kevin to Carnegie Hall where a guitar virtuoso is giving a concert. Kevin is amazed how the musician is able to play the guitar with fluidity and grace. Kevin gets excited and is enthralled by the concert. Then the angel tells him – “Kevin that musician is you – years from now.” Kevin says – “Wow!” and the next thing you know he is sitting back at his guitar lesson. The other boys are still outside playing baseball – but something has changed. Kevin now has a vision. He now has a direction. He now has a goal.
Proverbs chapter twenty nine and verse eighteen says:
“Where there is no vision, the people perish.” Proverbs 29:18 (KJV)
Many Christians don’t catch the vision of discipleship. Many don’t understand the importance of discipline in discipleship – they view discipleship as drudgery. But the Bible gives a clear vision as to the importance and purpose of discipleship.
I. The PURPOSE of Discipleship
Look with me at Romans chapter eight and verse twenty nine:
“For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren.” Romans 8:28 (NASV)
Go ahead and circle the phrase “conformed to the image of His Son”. God is in the life change business. He has called us to change us. God became man in order that man could become more godly. We become more godly by becoming more like Jesus. We discipline ourselves to become more like Christ. Look at what First John chapter three verses two and three tell us:
“Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.” I John 3:2-3 (NASV)
Go ahead and circle the word “we will be like Him”. How do we become “like Him”? This verse tells us – we work at purifying ourselves. What this verse is telling us is that discipleship – holiness – godliness – will take effort and work. Purify yourself! Become a disciple of Christ. Discipline yourself in discipleship – in order that you may become more like Jesus – in order that you may be conformed to the image of Christ. Every Christian needs to be conformed to the likeness of Christ. We need to put on Christlikeness. This is the purpose of Discipleship. This is God’s goal you and it should be your goal as too.
I heard a story of a man who became a Christian. He was young and he was wild. His conversion took – it was real. Early on in his walk with Christ – he would pray this prayer. “Lord I want to be just like you – but not quite yet.” There are probably a lot of Christians who are praying that prayer. “O Lord, I want to be just like You – but not quiet yet. I want to live a life of holiness – but not quite yet. I want to live a life of purity – but not quite yet. I want to be Godly – but not quite yet.” Folks we should be praying – “Lord make me Godly now. Lord make me holy now. Lord make me clean now. Lord clean up my act. Lord clean up my life. Purify me – cleanse me – sanctify me – NOW!
II. The PROBLEM of Discipleship
The problem of discipleship is this – IT IS NOT EASY!
We live in a world and a culture that wants things easy. But the truth is – there are things in this world worth having that are not easy to obtain. Discipleship is one of them.
How many of you sitting here today are Olympic athletes? None of you! (You may have some in your congregation – but in all probability – you have none.) Why? Because it is not easy to be an Olympic athlete. If it were easy all of us would be Olympic athletes. It takes time – it takes effort – it takes physical ability – it takes discipline – it just plain takes work. There are many people in the world who have the physical ability to become Olympic athetes but don’t. Why? Because it’s hard work. It is also hard work to be a devoted disciple of Christ. Even Paul thought it was hard to live a life of discipleship. Look at what he says in Romans chapter seven:
“…I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin. For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate…… Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?” Romans 7:14-15; 24 (NASV)
To follow Christ is not easy. Jesus said many times that it would be hard for a person to follow Him. Look at Matthew chapter seven and verse fourteen with me:
“How narrow is the gate and how constricted is the road that leads to life, and few are the people who find it!" Matthew 7:14 (ISV)
Or what about Matthew chapter ten and verse thirty nine? In the Message translation it says:
“If you don’t go all the way with me, through thick and thin, you don’t deserve me. If your first concern is to look after yourself, you’ll never find yourself. But if you forget about yourself and look to me, you’ll find both yourself and me.” Matthew 10:39 (MSG)
Or what about Luke chapter nine verses twenty three and twenty four:
“If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it.” Luke 9:23-24 (NASV)
Jesus has never, never, never said that following Him would be easy. But – it will be life changing. Let’s look at our next point.
III. The POWER of Discipleship
In the New Testament there is story after story after story of how a person’s life is changed when Jesus appears. There are people in the Bible whose lives were changed forever by the presence of Jesus – and we don’t even know the person’s name. People like – the woman at the well or the man born blind – are just two of many that we don’t even know their names - but whose lives were changed by the presence of Jesus. Their stories will live for eternity – be told to generation - because they are written in the pages of the Bible. But there are some whose lives were changed forever – and many of them – we know their names. Names like: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, Paul and Peter, Mary, Martha and Lazarus – and who could forget Zaccheus? You know his story because you know his song:
Zaccheus was a wee little man – and a wee little man was he.
He climbed up in a sycamore tree for the Lord he wanted to see.
And as my Savior passed that way – He looked up in the tree – and He said:
Zaccheus you come down – for I’m going to your house today – for I’m going to your house today.
It’s a cute little song – about a cute little man – but that’s not the whole story. Zaccheus’ life was anything but cute. He lived in Jericho. He was short. He was a tax collector. He was rich. He was a sinner. He was lost. He was a thief. No he did not rob anyone at gun point – he did not break into people’s homes and steal their belongings. But he was still a thief. He was involved in what we would call today as “white collar crime”. When he would collect taxes – he would take a little extra to pad his own pockets. He stole from people and they knew it! They called him a thief – they called him a “sinner”. (Luke 19:7)
But things changed that day – the day Jesus came into his house. Zaccheus gave half of his money to the poor – that day. That day his life was changed forever. And Zaccheus said – “If I have cheated anyone of anything I will give back four times what I took from them.” (Luke 19:8) Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house…For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost." Zaccheus you were a thief – Zaccheus you were lost – Zaccheus now you are found.
God is in the life change business.
God can find that which is lost. He can fix that which is broken. He can mend that which is torn. He can straighten that which is bent. He can buff out the scratches. He can clothe the naked. He can feed the hungry. He can give water to the thirsty. He can bring dry bones back to life. He can take a heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. He can change a person’s life! That is what He does. God is in the life change business – and He is good at it. If you give your life to Him – if you place yourself in His hands – if you decide to follow Him – if you discipline yourself in discipleship – God will change you. That is the power of discipleship – that is the power of God! The saying is true - God loves you just the way you are – but He loves you too much to leave you that way. God can take a lump of clay and make it into a work of art. He can take a painting and make it into a masterpiece. He can take whatever you offer Him and change it into something beautiful. That is what God does. He is in the life change business. Look with me at Ephesians chapter two and verse ten:
“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10 (NASV)
I love how the International Standard Version translates this verse. Look at it with me:
“For we are his masterpiece, created in Christ Jesus for good works that God prepared long ago to be our way of life.” Ephesians 2:10 (ISV)
Go ahead and circle “to be our way of life”. God has a plan for your life. God has a purpose for your life. You are His masterpiece and He is not finished with you yet. He is making you into the image of His son Jesus Christ and He will not stop until it is finished. But that brings us to the last point today – God wants you involved in the process. God wants to partnership with you in making you into the image of His son.
IV. The PARTNERSHIP of Discipleship
Look with me at Philippians chapter two and verses twelve and thirteen - they say:
“…work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.” Philippians 2:12-13 (NASV)
Did you catch what is going on in this verse? Both you and God are in the life change business – together! You work out your salvation - for God is at work in you. Folks many of us talk as though we have already been saved – that salvation is something that has happened in the past. If you have accepted Jesus as your Savior – this is a true fact – but it is also true that the Bible pictures salvation as a process. In other words – I have been saved – I am being saved – I will be saved. Salvation involves my past – my present – and my future. From the moment that I accepted Jesus as my Savior – something changed. Today something is changing. Tomorrow something will be changed. God is in the life change business and I can be involved in it with Him. I can partnership with God in the process of changing my life. Let me illustrate what I am talking about:
Let’s say there is a river that runs right by your house. It is wide and the water flows slow and steady. All the water is flowing to the ocean. It has a definite course and a definite destination in mind. The ocean is its final destination. Sitting on the bank of the river is a little rowboat - so you decide to get in the rowboat and paddle out into the middle of the river. Now once you get there you can do one of three things. You can:
1. Paddle against the current.
2. Sit in the rowboat and go with the flow.
3. Paddle with the current.
Which one of the three options will get you to the ocean sooner?
Folks - God has a plan and a purpose for you in mind. He has a destination that He wants to take you to. He wants to change you into the image of His son – Jesus Christ. He is in the life change business. You have a choice. You can fight against the process – you can sit back and do nothing – or you can work together with Him in the process of becoming more Godly – of becoming more like Jesus. It takes work – it takes effort – it takes discipline. Remember what Paul told Timothy? “Discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness.” (1st Timothy 4:7)
I don’t know about you – but I know my heart – and I need to be more like Jesus. I need to discipline myself for the purpose of godliness. Don’t you? Will you partnership with God today – to become more like Him? Will you disciple yourself for discipleship?
