The Holy Spirit is the Fire That Ignites Renewal

This is the fourth sermon it the “Renewal of the Church” series.    We need to cooperate with the Father God, so that the church might bear much fruit.

John 15:1‭-‬2 NIV “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.

 I’ve said in this series that the church is in trouble but like I said last week the day of the church is not over.  The church will be renewed as we the believers, who are the church, are renewed.  

The key to renewal is not our plans, our programs, or our techniques; rather, it is the person of the Holy Spirit. Titus 3:5 says that the Holy Spirit both regenerates, through the new birth, and renews the believer.

The church, if we are not careful, can find ourselves in a situation like putting a pile of wood together to warm ourselves and have no way to light the fire.   We don’t have any matches, a lighter, and don’t know how to rub two sticks together to start a fire.  We are just sitting around a pile of wood hoping that it will become a campfire.  The problem is that we have no fire.   The Holy Spirit is that fire.   

For an audio recording of the sermon click the YouTube link at the end of the manuscript.

To see a video of the entire service, click this link https://youtu.be/qKxXmbge8nI

 Scripture

John 14:15‭-‬26 NIV “If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.” Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, “But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?” Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me. “All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

Sermon Scripture:

Romans 12:1‭-‬2 NIV Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Titus 3:1‭-‬5 NIV Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and always to be gentle toward everyone. At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit,

Text: 

Romans 12:2 NIV Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Titus 3:5 NIV he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit,

Introduction

I’ve said in this series that the church is in trouble but like I said last week the day of the church is not over.  The church will be renewed as we the believers, who are the church, are renewed.  

The key to renewal is not our plans, our programs, or our techniques; rather, it is the person of the Holy Spirit. Titus 3:5 says that the Holy Spirit both regenerates, through the new birth,  and renews the believer.

The church, if we are not careful, can find ourselves in a situation like putting a pile of wood together to warm ourselves and have no way to light the fire.   We don’t have any matches, a lighter, and don’t know how to rub two sticks together to start a fire.  We are just sitting around a pile of wood hoping that it will become a campfire.  The problem is that we have no fire.   The Holy Spirit is that fire.  

I So let's talk about the hope of our renewal by the Holy Spirit 

It has been said that the Holy Spirit is the forgotten member of the Godhead. We often forget about the ministry of the Holy Spirit and His importance in the life of the church.  

This is not a sermon on the Trinity,,,but I have to talk about the Trinity just a little because it’s important as we talk today about the Holy Spirit being the fire needed for our renewal and the renewal of the church.

The Holy Spirit is a person equal in every way with God the Father and God the Son. He is the third member of the Godhead or the Trinity.

The Bible is clear in that it says that the Father is God, the Son (Jesus) is God, and the Holy Spirit is God, and they are totally distinct; the Father doesn’t become the Son, the Son doesn’t become the Holy Spirit.  There is within the One being, that is God, three co-equal and co-eternal persons namely the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

"A good friend says it this way “God has Three ways of revealing Himself to humanity.”

1. The Father designed and organized how mankind would be redeemed

Galatians 4:4-5 (HCSB)4  When the time came to completion, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law,5  to redeem those under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.

2. The Son carried out the plan

John 6:38‭-‬40 NIV For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”

He followed the Father's instructions to come to earth, even though that meant He would have to die.

3. The Holy Spirit sees to it that every person feels a call toward God's saving grace

John 16:8-11 (HCSB) 8 When He comes, He will convict the world about sin, righteousness, and judgment:9 About sin, because they do not believe in Me;10  about righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will no longer see Me;11  and about judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.

The Holy Spirit also transforms the lives and hearts of those who receive salvation through Jesus Christ.

Galatians 5:22‭-‬24 NIV But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

The problem is that many believers settle for a two-thirds God. They rely on the Father and the Son but overlook the Holy Spirit. The Bible refers more than a hundred times to the Holy Spirit. Jesus says more about the Holy Spirit than He does about the church or marriage.

What do you know about the Holy Spirit and his ministry in your life? 

There are two basic terms used to describe the ministry of the Spirit to believers; the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and the infilling or as many people say being filled with the Holy Spirit. 

A. Let's first look at the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. 

The Holy Spirit enters the life of a person when he or she is born again. The death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ provide the means of salvation; the Holy Spirit effects, in other words, causes the change resulting in the new birth.

First, He convicts us of our need for salvation

John 16:7‭-‬8 NKJV Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:

Next He regenerates us in salvation

John 3:6‭-‬8 NKJV That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

Then He takes up residence within us at conversion

John 14:15‭-‬17 NKJV “If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.

I Corinthians 6:19 NKJV Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?

And finally, He seals us to the day of redemption. He is our assurance of salvation 

Ephesians 1:13‭-‬14 NKJV In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.

B. We know about the indwelling of the Holy Spirit but what about the infilling of the Holy Spirit, or as some say being filled with the Holy Spirit 

This is a term that refers to the control of the Spirit. 

Ephesians 5:18‭-‬21 NKJV And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of God.

This is not a picture of an empty vessel being filled; rather, it describes the situation that occurs when someone is drunk with alcohol or high on drugs. It means that every part of a person’s body is affected—how he or she walks, talks, thinks, and sees. That’s the idea or point Paul is making here.  We are to be completely controlled by the Holy Spirit. 

Here’s what happens when the Holy Spirit is in control, when we are filled with the Holy Spirit.  

1. He delivers us from being defeated by ourselves. 

Romans 7:21‭-‬25 NIV So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.

2. He develops Christlike qualities in us through the fruit of the Spirit. 

Galatians 5:22‭-‬23 NKJV But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

3. He teaches us

I Corinthians 2:9‭-‬10 NKJV But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.

I Corinthians 2:13‭-‬14 NKJV These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

I Corinthians 2:16 NKJV For “who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

4. He leads us 

Romans 8:14‭-‬15 NKJV For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.”

5. He assures us 

Romans 8:16‭-‬17 NKJV The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.

6. He strengthens us

Ephesians 3:14‭-‬19 NKJV For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

7. He empowers us for witnessing

So we can be bold in proclaiming with we believe because as we said a couple of weeks ago what you believe matters

Acts 1:8 NKJV But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

 

II. So we talked about the hope of renewal now what about the  how of renewal.

There are four things, 4ds, to remember as to how our lives are brought under the Holy Spirit’s control: decision, daily, devotional, and doubtless.

A. Decision. 

We must decide to live a Spirit-filled life. It is an act of our will.  Paul gave a command to be filled by the Holy Spirit.   

Ephesians 5:18 NKJV And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit,

Since it is a command, we can decide to obey or not obey.  

A positive response means that we have the Holy Spirit living inside of us; even more importantly, we allow the Holy Spirit to have us, we allow the Holy Spirit to control us.

B. Daily. 

Being filled is not a one-time event. It is not a spiritual vaccination. Instead, it is a continual experience, we need a booster shot. 

When it says “be filled” in Ephesians 5:18 it means to be continually filled.  It is a daily experience.  

C. Devotional. 

The Spirit-filled life is nurtured by our devotional life. They go hand in hand. We need time with God’s Word and time for prayer if we want to be the spiritual people Christ would have us to be.

Remember we said last week that devotion is an overriding commitment to Christ and His way of doing things. It engages the heart and mind in learning the ways of the Lord and then applying them. Our devotion to God dictates how we will live our lives.

D. Doubtless. 

The Spirit-filled life is a life of faith. We are saved by faith, we live by faith, we walk by faith, and we are filled with the Holy Spirit by faith—not by feelings, but by faith. There is no doubt about it.  

Hebrews 11:1 NKJV Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Conclusion

Let me go back to the very beginning of my sermon.  The church, if we are not careful, can find ourselves in a situation of putting a pile of wood together to warm ourselves and have no way to light the fire.   We don’t have any matches, a lighter, and don’t know how to rub two sticks together to start a fire.  We are just sitting around a pile of wood hoping that it will become a campfire.  The problem is that we have no fire.  And just as it is impossible to have a campfire without fire it is impossible for us as Christians to produce power and Christlike qualities apart from being controlled by the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit is the spark that ignites our renewal.  

Sermon Audio

Renew My Walk

This is the third sermon it the “Renewal of the Church” series.    We need to cooperate with the Father God, so that the church might bear much fruit.

John 15:1‭-‬2 NIV “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.

 The day of the church is not over!  We need renewal but the day of the church is not over! 

Today the church must choose its direction, either the world’s plan or God’s plan, the mold of the world or the mind of God. This is what renewal is, because when the church yields to God’s plan, it is renewed spiritually.

The prayer to “Renew my church,”, which is the title of this series, is a prayer to “Renew our personal walk.” It is God’s plan that the church be renewed in mind, ministry, faith, and walk to a life that is disciplined by Jesus Christ.

A renewed walk involves a disciplined life. I want us to look at  two aspects of a disciplined life today. 

1. First the roots of a disciplined life

2. And then the fruits of a disciplined life

For an audio recording of the sermon click the YouTube link at the end of the manuscript.

To see a video of the entire service, click this link https://youtu.be/Yf_k29R8mzc

Scripture Reading:

Romans 12:1‭-‬2 NIV Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

1 John 2:1‭-‬6 NIV My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did

Text: 

Romans 12:2 NIV Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

1 John 2:6 NIV Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.

Introduction

I've started my last two sermons by saying that the church is in trouble and needs to be renewed by each one of us being renewed. Today I start with this statement.  The day of the church is not over!  We need renewal but the day of the church is not over! 

Matthew 16:17‭-‬19 NIV Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

The church belongs to Christ. He is the Head; the church is His body. 

Colossians 1:15‭-‬18 NIV The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.

The life of Christ is the life of the church, and that life can be renewed by Him who is our life.

John 1:1‭-‬5 NIV In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

Today the church must choose its direction, either the world’s plan or God’s plan, the mold of the world or the mind of God. This is what renewal is, because when the church yields to God’s plan, it is renewed spiritually.

The prayer to “Renew my church,”, which is the title of this series, is a prayer to “Renew our personal walk.” It is God’s plan that the church be renewed in mind, ministry, faith, and walk to a life that is disciplined by Jesus Christ.

A renewed walk involves a disciplined life. I want us to look at  two aspects of a disciplined life today. 

1. First the roots of a disciplined life

2. And then the fruits of a disciplined life

I. First the roots of a disciplined life.

A. A disciplined life is a living sacrifice. 

Romans 12:1‭-‬2 NIV Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

The words “living sacrifice” describe the Christian life as a disciplined life in the daily walk. The background of this statement of Paul is found in the sacrificial system in the temple. The word “present” is a technical term for presenting the sacrifice which had to be presented by a priest and it required an altar and a perfect a sacrificial animal.

Today we are not required to offer an animal; we are to present ourselves. As we learned two weeks ago, all believers are priests to God; 

1 Peter 2:4‭-‬5‭, ‬9‭-‬10 NIV As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.‬ 9‭-‬10 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

That means that every believer  now has direct access to God, we have our altar, Jesus Christ; and our lives are the sacrifice. We present ourselves in death; that is, we die to ourselves, our goals, and our conformity to the world.

Luke 9:23‭-‬26 NIV Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self? Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.

That means death to our sinful way of life. Have you built an altar in your life? Have you put yourself on it? Have you put all that you have on it?  The disciplined life does just that!

B. A disciplined life is a living sacrifice and a disciplined life thinks soberly. 

Romans 12:3 NIV For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.

The word “sober” is translated as “self-controlled,” or “disciplined.” A disciplined mind so governs all passions and desires so that the believer becomes conformed to the mind of Christ.

Romans 12:2 NIV Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

We are to think disciplined thoughts about ourselves and not think more highly of ourselves than we ought. We are not to be proud or self-absorbed but sober and disciplined. We are to exhibit a humble, surrendered attitude.

Matthew 5:5 MSG “You’re blessed when you’re content with just who you are—no more, no less. That’s the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can’t be bought.

2 Timothy 1:7 NIV For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline

This is the kind of life we as believers are to live.

C. A disciplined life is also a yoked life. 

Matthew 11:28‭-‬30 NIV “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Disciples are those who learn from their teacher and they believe in and follow the teacher and their teachings. So disciples of Jesus are those who learn from Jesus. They believe in and follow Him and His teachings. They are yoked to Jesus.

A yoke is a symbol of submission; it includes taking on burdens and responsibilities therefore a disciplined life is one submissive to the authority of Jesus Christ. Three words are involved in this kind of submission, control, consent, and completeness.

1. Control. The disciplined life is under Christ’s control. The disciplined person has a meek spirit. The word “meek” is pictured as the taming of a wild horse. When a horse is tamed, it is “broken” by its rider, it's brought under the rider’s control. A disciplined life is controlled by Christ.  

Jesus is our example. His life was perfectly disciplined. He was always under his Father’s control.

John 5:19‭-‬21 NIV Jesus gave them this answer: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, and he will show him even greater works than these, so that you will be amazed. For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it.

John 8:28‭-‬29 NIV So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me. The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him.”

And as Jesus was to his Father, so are we to him! We are to be under his control constantly, our will trained to his will. We must strive to be consistent, disciplined,and trained.

The yoked life is one of Christ’s control over us.

2. A submitted life is one we consent to. We become disciplined when we consent.  We agree to be disciplined. 

Back to;

Romans 12:1 NIV Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.

We present ourselves as a living sacrifice by coming to Jesus and we take his yoke and learn more about him. No one forces us to do these things. If we are to walk as he walked, we must yield ourselves to him.

3. Our submission must be complete. This word involves all of life under Christ’s control. It is the total discipline he demands. 

We are to bring all our thoughts into the obedience of Christ.

2 Corinthians 10:4‭-‬5 NIV The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

We are to give thanks in all circumstances not for all but in all circumstances.

1 Thessalonians 5:16‭-‬18 NIV Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

So all of life is to be under Christ’s control. He is to be the center of all our goals, our single focus.

As Paul wrote.

Philippians 3:12‭-‬14 NIV Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

II. OK we talked about the roots of a disciplined life which is a living sacrifice, it is a life that thinks soberly, and it is a life that is yoked or submitted.  Now let’s talk about the fruits of a disciplined life.

The roots of a disciplined life will be evidenced in the fruits of such a life. Ask yourself these questions.

A. How disciplined is your attitude toward yourself, God, and others? Do you have love for the Lord and for your neighbor?

Matthew 22:34‭-‬40 NIV Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

B. How disciplined are your words? 

Proverbs 18:21 NIV The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.

Psalms 19:14 NIV May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.

C. How disciplined are your morals? 

Philippians 4:8‭-‬9 NIV Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

Ephesians 5:3‭-‬5 NIV But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a person is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.

Mark 7:20‭-‬23 NIV He went on: “What comes out of a person is what defiles them. For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and defile a person.”

We are to seek the most thorough moral purity.

1 Peter 1:13‭-‬16 NIV Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”

D. How disciplined is your worship? 

John 4:23‭-‬24 NIV Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”

Psalms 100:4‭-‬5 NIV Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Hebrews 10:24‭-‬25 NIV And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

E. How disciplined are you in the grace of giving? 

Is giving a grace that you experience or a task that you endure? I am not talking about money right now I’m talking about forgiveness which is what Jesus was talking about in 

Luke 6:37‭-‬38 NIV “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

F. How disciplined are you in your devotional life? There is no mastery in the Christian life apart from a disciplined devotional life of Bible reading and prayer. 

Disciplined prayer is personal, honest, specific, and consistent. 

1 Thessalonians 5:16‭-‬18 NIV Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6‭-‬7 NIV Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

We are to read the Bible expectantly, submissively, and regularly.

Psalms 119:105 NIV Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.

Read the entire 119th Psalm it is all about the Word of God.

G. One Final question.  How disciplined are you in your ministry? God has given a ministry to every believer. Two weeks ago we talked about tnat. What we said was  that every believer has been given gifts and abilities and has a ministry.  Our individual ministry is both a privilege and a responsibility.

 

Conclusion

I want to end with a man named Jehoshaphat.  You can read about him in  2 Chronicles 18-20.  Jehoshaphat was one of Judah’s good kings and he was both disciplined and devoted. 

2 Chronicles 17:6 NIV His heart was devoted to the ways of the Lord; furthermore, he removed the high places and the Asherah poles from Judah.

What is the difference between devotion and discipline? Is one more valuable than the other? 

Discipline is the ability to stay focused on the task at hand. It finishes the assignment or completes the course. A disciplined person trains to improve their strength and self-control. They are religious at carrying out routines, fulfilling checklists, and getting things done. Discipline is designed to grow your faith with regular readings from God’s Word and engaging prayers of praise, thanksgiving, confession, and repentance.

Devotion is an overriding commitment to Christ and His way of doing things. It engages the heart and mind in learning the ways of the Lord and then applying them. 

Devotion must be the driving force behind a disciple’s faith for them to persevere in Christ’s call on their life. Your devotion to God dictates how you will live your life.

Make sure your discipline is driven by your devotion, or you may become judgmental and insensitive. Devotion to Christ first keeps your heart of faith full of grace and truth. Discipline without devotion is like a cloud that gives no refreshing rain. It can become so rigid in its rules that it causes decent and devoted people to flee. 

Romans 12:10‭-‬13 NIV Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

Your devotion to Christ determines your discipline over the long term. Keep devotion as your motivation, and discipline will follow. A heart devoted to the Lord’s ways does not stray.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I pray my devotion to Christ precedes and energizes my discipline to walk with You. In Jesus’ name, amen.

 Sermon Audio