Choose Your Hard
Part 1 of the Lenten Message Series entitled “Grounding”
5 And have you forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you as God’s children? God said, “My child, don’t make light of the Lord’s discipline, and don’t give up when the Lord corrects you. 6 For the Lord disciplines those He loves, and He disciplines each one He accepts as His child.” 7 As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father? 8 If God doesn’t discipline you as He does all of His children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really His children at all. 9 Since we respected our earthly fathers who disciplined us, shouldn’t we submit even more to the discipline of the Father of our spirits, and live forever? 10 For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in God’s holiness.11 No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way. – Hebrews 12:5-11 (NLT)
The BIG Idea
Defeating sin in our lives and living for God requires us to patiently endure the discipline of God. In the daily struggle against sin, we should learn to love God’s discipline because it produces a holy life as we choose to follow Jesus.
◦ A rejection of God’s discipline will cause regrets.
For I do not understand what I am doing; for I am not practicing what I want to do, but I do the very thing I hate. – Romans 7:15 (NASB)
For I know that good does not dwell in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. – Romans 7:18-19 (NASB)
Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin. – Romans 7:24-25 (NASB)
“Choose the pain of discipline and sacrifice or you will get the pain of regret. There are no victories at bargain prices.” – Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890-1969)
7 But stay away from worthless stories that are typical of old women. Rather, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness; 8 for bodily training is just slightly beneficial, but godliness is beneficial for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. 9 It is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance. 10 For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have set our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all mankind, especially of believers. 11 Prescribe and teach these things.- I Timothy 4:7-11 (NASB)
“Observe how he spoke first of his own sins, and then of the sins of his people. And he extols the righteousness of God, and gives praise to God for this, that He visits even His saints with the rod, not unjustly, but because of their sins. If, therefore, this be the language of men who by reason of their eminent sanctity found even encompassing flames and lions harmless, what language would befit men standing on a level so low as we occupy, seeing that, whatever righteousness we may seem to practice, we are very far from being worthy of comparison with them.” – Augustine of Hippo, “Letter of Saint Augustine,” (354 AD-430 AD)
Questions for Reflection
What does the author of Hebrews think we should learn from the suffering of Jesus?
How does developing endurance in our spiritual lives build our faith?
How can we use this season of Lent to learn to love God’s discipline in our lives?
What emotions rise within you when you hear the words “endurance” and “temptation?”
What should we learn from Daniel’s prayer of confession?
Why is confession so good for us spiritually, physically, and emotionally?
How does knowing the character of God give us the freedom to confess our sins to God?
The BIG Idea
Defeating sin in our lives and living for God requires us to patiently endure the discipline of God. In the daily struggle against sin, we should learn to love God’s discipline because it produces a holy life as we choose to follow Jesus.
- Jesus endured hardship and this assures us that He will see us through as well.
- We must embrace discipline or we will experience regret.
◦ A rejection of God’s discipline will cause regrets.
For I do not understand what I am doing; for I am not practicing what I want to do, but I do the very thing I hate. – Romans 7:15 (NASB)
For I know that good does not dwell in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. – Romans 7:18-19 (NASB)
Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin. – Romans 7:24-25 (NASB)
“Choose the pain of discipline and sacrifice or you will get the pain of regret. There are no victories at bargain prices.” – Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890-1969)
- Discipline does not drive us away from God. Discipline drives us to a deeper relationship with God.
- Discipline is one of God’s primary means of leading us into holy lives as we become disciples and followers of Jesus.
7 But stay away from worthless stories that are typical of old women. Rather, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness; 8 for bodily training is just slightly beneficial, but godliness is beneficial for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. 9 It is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance. 10 For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have set our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all mankind, especially of believers. 11 Prescribe and teach these things.- I Timothy 4:7-11 (NASB)
- God’s discipline will get us where we need to be.
- We need people in our lives to challenge us to live a holy life.
- When we look to Jesus, we are motivated to a struggle because we know our pain is nothing compared to the pain He suffered for us.
- Only after the Lord is praised and sin confessed is the follower of Jesus qualified to offer requests to a holy God. (Daniel 9:3-19)
“Observe how he spoke first of his own sins, and then of the sins of his people. And he extols the righteousness of God, and gives praise to God for this, that He visits even His saints with the rod, not unjustly, but because of their sins. If, therefore, this be the language of men who by reason of their eminent sanctity found even encompassing flames and lions harmless, what language would befit men standing on a level so low as we occupy, seeing that, whatever righteousness we may seem to practice, we are very far from being worthy of comparison with them.” – Augustine of Hippo, “Letter of Saint Augustine,” (354 AD-430 AD)
Questions for Reflection
What does the author of Hebrews think we should learn from the suffering of Jesus?
How does developing endurance in our spiritual lives build our faith?
How can we use this season of Lent to learn to love God’s discipline in our lives?
What emotions rise within you when you hear the words “endurance” and “temptation?”
What should we learn from Daniel’s prayer of confession?
Why is confession so good for us spiritually, physically, and emotionally?
How does knowing the character of God give us the freedom to confess our sins to God?