I Must Lead a Disciplined Life

Introduction

Responsibility of introducing Brother Phil Robertson. Actually, he needs no introduction to most in this audience, for many of you who’ve lived in this area and been members of the church, met and came to know Brother Roberts when he worked with the church, the Sarno Road Church in Melbourne. And at the same time, during that period of six and a half years, he also worked as a representative of our correspondent, shall I say, with the Channel 9 TV station. That’s the ABC affiliate in our area. And you may have seen him most often when a shuttle was about to take off or about to come back home. For Phil would always be the one who would be announcing and telling us what was about to occur. That illustrated to all his talent at communication.

It was about six and a half years ago, though, that his job was about to change, and he had to make a choice. As he talked to us in the Bible class period, we are what we are about, choosing. We are not forced to do what we do in life. He had either the choice of continuing on with TV and corresponding, much better salary, fame in a worldly way, or the choice of preaching the word of God, and helping not only describe how a shuttle can go up, but how all of us can go to heaven. He has great talent. And he chose to use it in preaching the word.

Except that he made it from a spiritual perspective. And I appreciate him greatly. He and his wife Cheryl, their two children, as his daughter, Jill, who’s in the eighth grade, and a son, Gray, in sixth grade, I believe it would be, moved to the Birmingham area and worked with the Heweettown church on the west side of Birmingham for the last six and a half years. Done an outstanding work there. And again, I know that in a personal way, and we know many of the brethren there. And I’ll tell you this that he moved to Gainesville just about three weeks ago, and the brethren in Hewittown regretted seeing him leave. He he was not going to leave till he sold his house, and they had one of the elders tell me, We hope he cannot sell it.

It almost came true, I think, just this last week that finally were able to close on that sale. He’s moved to work with the Glenn Springs Church in Gainesville. And of course, they’re a great opportunity, not only with the brethren in that congregation already, but also because, as you know, University of Florida is in Gainesville, and they want to reach out to the young. And that’s such a great opportunity. I think many times as we get older, we don’t want to make changes. We don’t make choices that are make a great change in our life, and there are many people who will not obey the gospel as they get older. But young people who study, young people who are willing to learn, one people who are willing to make the changes and decisions for life, often are at the time that they are in university.

So I predict that this church in Gainesville is going to do great good for Brother Phil Roberts and there. But we’re going to have a great week. He’s working with us, not only this morning’s lesson. Hope you’ll be back at the five o’clock hour this evening, 7 30 Monday night, Tuesday night, and Wednesday night. We’re so thankful, Brother Phil. God bless you. Well, good morning. Not exactly sure how to follow that, and I’m not exactly sure who he was talking about. I appreciate the Heartwriters of time. It’s good to see Bob and Arlene, the Krills, and it’s good to see everybody. It’s uh kind of like coming back home, and I appreciate that very much. If you would open your Bibles to Judges chapter 14. Judges chapter 14.

While you’re turning there, let me set the stage for you. This story is about a special child. An angel will actually announce his birth, and the angel will tell his parents that he will be a deliverer of Israel. Sound kind of familiar? Well, he’s also to be consecrated for the Lord, because the Lord is telling his parents that he is to be a Nazirite, which means he is not to cut his hair, and he is to adhere to some special things in the law that come with a vow like this. Now his parents are amazed. They’re just overjoyed because not only did they not have a son, they didn’t have any children at all, so they are excited because their child is not only going to be their child, but he’s going to be a special child.

You ever known a parent who didn’t think they had a special child? But this guy’s truly going to be special. He’s going to be one who had the strength of an ox. He’s going to be one who’s going to be able to take on the enemy with simply his own hands. And in one situation, he’s going to use the jawbone of an animal, and he’s going to destroy many of the enemies that surround his people. He will be a redeeming hero. And so a guy like this has to have a big name, don’t you think? I mean, he needs to have the biggest name possible. And you know what his parents named him? Sunlight. Now that doesn’t exactly sound too tough. You probably know him better as Samson.

Samson. Judges chapter 14. I want to begin reading in verse 1. Now Samson went down to Timnah and saw a woman in Timnah, the daughter of the Philistines. And he went up and he told his father and his mother, saying, I’ve seen a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines. Now, therefore, get her for me. For therefore she will be my wife. Then his father and his mother said to him, Is there no woman among the daughters of your own brethren or among our people that you must go and get a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines? And Samson said to his father, get her for me, for she pleases me well. Now I want you to listen to this guy as he talks. He says, I saw a woman, get her for me.

Does he not sound like a beer commercial? It’s almost as if he’s going to be grunting when he says it. This woman is pretty.

Don’t you want to look to somebody who loves the Lord and is someone who has our values and our desires? He says, No, I want this woman. Why do you want this woman? Because she looks good. Now let me just say right off the bat. When I uh married my wife, I’ll have to confess. She was smoking hot. And we’ve been married now 20 years, and I’m going to tell you, she is still smoking hot.

But that’s all Samson knew about this girl is that she was good looking. Now in Proverbs 28 24, we read, Whoever robs his father and his mother and says it’s not a transgression, the same as the companion of a destroyer, and to some degree, isn’t that applicable to this guy’s lie? But but then you also notice that the only reason he’s looking at this girl is because she looks good. He knows nothing about her. In fact, he doesn’t even call her by name. I saw her get her. A man with an evil eye hastens after riches and does not consider the poverty that will come upon him. Proverbs 28 22. I want you to remember that proverb. A man who hastens with an evil eye after riches and does not consider the poverty that will come upon him.

Let’s read on in the story verse five. So Samson went down to Timna with his father and his mother, and he came to the vineyards of Tinnah, and now to his surprise a young lion came roaring against him, and the spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him, and he tore the lion apart as one who had torn apart or have torn apart a young goat, though he had nothing in his hand. And he did not tell his father and his mother what he had done. And he went down and he talked with a woman. Well, it’s good to know they’ve at least talked before they got married. And she pleased Samson well. And after some time, when he returned to get her, he turned aside to see the carcass of the lion, and behold, a swarm of bees and honey were in the carcass of the lion, and he took some of it in his hands and he went along eating.

And when he came to his father and his mother, he gave some to them. And they also ate. But he did not tell them that he had taken the honey out of the carcass of the lion. Now, you may be thinking to yourself, well, eating honey is no big deal. It’s just honey. God’s law does not say thou shalt not eat honey. But as a Nazarite, and even more importantly, as an Israelite, he has violated the law of God because the law forbid anyone to touch a dead body, much less eat from it. And not only is this a dead animal, it’s an unclean animal. If you’re even familiar at all with the Jewish customs, they had clean animals and unclean animals. Trust me, this lion is in the unclean category, and he goes up and he just takes of this honey.

Maybe to some degree, this is a little bit, well, symbolic of his life in Proverbs 9, verse 7. To the scoffer, stolen water is sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant. Maybe there’s something exciting about that. Nobody’s going to know. I can go ahead and take this honey, and is it going to be fun? But he kicks it up a notch. Because not only is he going to delight in this sinful pleasure of eating this honey, I mean, doesn’t the proverb also tell us that sinners like to entice others? And who does he draw into this scheme? His parents. His parents. He didn’t tell them about the honey. Now, let me just ask you a little question about Samson before we read on. We’ve had just a snippet of his life, just a snippet of his life.

Would you say this guy’s a little out of control? I mean, maybe just a little. Is he one of those guys who just constantly acts on impulse and can’t seem to is he just a little bit like that? Now. What happens next is he gets married. And like any big strong guy, and there’s not many of us out there in the world, but like any strong guy, we want to let people know that we’re not just about brawn, but we got a little brain that goes along with this marvelous body of ours. And so what Samson decides to do is he decides to tell this riddle. And the riddle hinges around this lion and the and the riddle goes like this out of the eater came something to eat, and out of the strong came something sweet.

And what he actually does to all of his new friends of the Philistines at this big wedding party, he says, if you can tell me the meaning of this riddle, if you can tell me what this means, I’m going to give you some wonderful gifts. I’m just going to lay it upon you. And he throws it out there to them. Well, a few days go by, they can’t figure it out. A few more days go by, they can’t figure it out. And so when they can’t figure out this riddle, they decide, well, we’re going to have to try to find this out because we don’t want to let Samson get the best of us. So they start pressuring his new wife. Read in verse 16 now of Judges 14.

Then Samson’s wife wept on him and said, You only hate me. You do not love me. For you have posed a riddle to the sons of my people. And you have not even explained it to me. And yet he said to her, Look, I’ve not even explained it to my father and mother. Why should I explain it to you? And she wept on him the seven days while the feast lasted. And it happened that on the seventh day he told her, because she pressed him so much, and she explained the riddle to the sons of her people. And then the men of the city went down on the seventh day before the sun went down, and they said, What is sweeter than honey, and what is stronger than a lion?

They answered the riddle. And here’s Samson’s reply. He said to them, If you had not plowed my heifer, you would not have solved my riddle. Now I mentioned that earlier this morning. I do a little marriage counseling. Calling your wife a heifer is not a good idea. Even thousands of years ago, it is not a good idea. I mean, you talk about taking the idea that this make me look fat kind of dress scenario. I mean, this guy takes it to an extreme, doesn’t he?

And what you find is you find that this guy is so out of control. The consequences of his actions are this. The wedding feast will last longer than his marriage. He will not only get mad at the Philistines, he will get mad at this new wife that he just had to have because she looks so good, and he’s gonna kick her out, he’s gonna get rid of her, and as you can see in verse 20, he’s just gonna give her to the best man. I don’t want her. Let me ask you, is this guy out of control? Now, Samson. Let me ask you a question there, Samson. Didn’t you have to have her? I mean, wasn’t she the most beautiful thing that you’ve ever seen? Didn’t you have to be satisfied right now?

How’s this working out for you? He whose acons after riches, poverty will come upon him. A few tears, a little discomfort. This guy folds. You know what you find in Samson, and this is really kind of sad. He is a product of his environment. Judges tells us in Judges 21 that everyone did what was right in their own eyes. And although God had given Samson unbelievable strength mentally and spiritually, he’s as wet as a paper bag. He can’t hold his tongue, he can’t hold his feelings, he can’t hold his desires, he can’t control his emotions. His life is unequivocally out of control. Why? Because he has no self-control. He has no discipline. This morning we talked about our need for personal accountability. But if there was one sermon, if there was one sermon that I could stand before a national TV audience and preach besides God’s wonderful plan of salvation through his son, this sermon would be it.

For we live in a world of Samsons, do we not? Don’t we live in a society that has to be satisfied now? That has to be gratified now, that has to get what we want now, and if we don’t get it now, we’re just going to throw a fit? I mean, when you look at our society, have you really thought about why we’re in the situation that we are? Is it the government’s fault? Oh, man. Can you believe what the president did to us? Oh, can you believe what the government did to us? Oh, can you believe what these other nations have? No. Hey, the reason we’re in the big crisis we are now is because we’re just out of control. Isn’t that it? We had to have the bigger one.

We had to have the best one. We had to get it not only the biggest and the best, but we needed to get it with no money down. Because we had no money. And what a shot. We don’t have the money to pay it back. Go figure. I must lead a life of discipline. Now, there’s not one of us here that, as we were reading the story at Samson, probably didn’t go, I can see where this is headed. Well, I know right where this is going. You can see this guy clearly. But we have a tough time seeing ourselves sometimes, don’t we? Let’s kind of psychoanalyze Samson here for a quick moment. What happened to Samson? Where did things fall apart? Where did where did they go wrong?

Was it his parents’ fault? You know, I know a lot of parents today who refuse to discipline their children because their child is special. You know, my dad didn’t exactly have that same philosophy.

I grew up in a time, I kid you not. I grew up in a house where you were presumed guilty until you could prove that you were innocent.

And I’m certainly not standing before you to say I didn’t get what I deserve, but that’s the way it was. You know, sometimes we consider our children to be special, and sometimes we don’t exactly administer discipline, and well, you kind of get these children. But is Samson’s life his parents’ fault? Is it really his parents’ fault that he lived like he did? I want us to see and understand that we can look to blame anybody we want. But if my life is out of control, if my life is even remotely like Samson’s, it’s nobody’s fault but our own. Because we live in a society where self-gratification outweighs self-control. Failures are no longer personal faults. They are due to society’s shortcomings. We want bailouts for bad choices, wages without work.

We want good health without good diets. We want success without sacrifice. We want instant gratification.

If there is anything in your life that you’re seeking to blame on somebody else, it’s time to stop. And it’s time to recognize if physically, mentally, and spiritually, you are not where you want to be, your problem is not society’s problem. Your problem is a discipline issue. Turn in your Bibles, if you would, to Hebrews chapter 12. The Bible actually speaks a lot about discipline. And I’m going to read it this morning from the English Standard Version. So if you have the English Standard Version, you’ll hear this word by word. Because the English Standard Version is actually going to take a word that is used often in Scripture, the word chastening or instruction, and define it as discipline. And that’s what discipline means. Discipline actually implies instruction or chain or training or chastening, the idea to educate or even punish.

And what you find in Hebrews chapter 12, following this great chapter of unbelievable faith, if you have this reading, especially from the English Standard Version, you’ll understand and see that what made Abraham a great man of faith, what made Noah a great man of faith, what made all these wonderful characters that you read in Hebrews chapter 11 such great men and women of faith is that they had discipline. The first few verses of Hebrews 12 implore us all to look to the cross, the founder and the perfecter of our faith. And verse 3 to consider him. But here’s the way it reads, verse 3 consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you yourselves may not grow weary or faint hearted. And that you struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your own blood, and you have for not you have not forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons.

My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when you are reproved by him for whom the Lord disciplines. This is the one he loves and chastens every son whom he receives. Is it for discipline that you have endured? God is treating you as sons. For what son is there that a father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which you have all participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this, we have earthly fathers who have disciplined us, and we respected them. Should we not much more be subject to the Father of Spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them. But he disciplines us for our own good, that we may share in his holiness.

For the moment all discipline seems to be painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields a peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who are trained by it. Do you hear what the Hebrew writer is imploring all of us to hear? Here’s what discipline gives you. Just out of curiosity, I probably should ask this question. I told you this morning I kind of got a tickle out of you that I was disciplined as a kid. I want to see a show of hands. All right. Seriously. I want to see a show of hands from everybody here who this morning got a spanking growing up. Now, wait before your hand goes up. This needs a little qualifier. I have two kids now, a 13 and 11 year old.

And when they go to my parents’ house, they’re not in the same home that I grew up in. You see, my kids not only get the chocolatey cocoa crispy cereal that we could never have as a kid, they get that cereal with Snickers chopped up in it. And they get ice cream any time of day. I’m like, mom, what are you doing to my kids? She goes, Well, they’re healthy bars. Healthy bars, and they got milk in them, don’t they? No. It’s not milk. It’s just a white substance. It came through a machine. Well, they’re my grandchildren. And so when I get my kids back from my parents, there’s two weeks of detox. Now they get in a little trouble every now and then when they go home to my parents.

But it’s not the same. All right. I want to know if your spanking was something in which somebody really laid the wood to you. And I mean, put the hammer down. Now, now that we’ve qualified this, have you had a spanking? Alright. Now, kids. Kids. This is the first time ever in church, and this will probably be the only time that you are allowed to look around. Okay? Even if you’re up front, we’ll let you turn and look to the back, and you won’t have to worry about anything coming upside your head. Raise your hands again if somebody really laid the wood to you. Isn’t that something? Now here’s where it really gets good, kids. How many of you got exactly what you deserved? Yeah. Now, how many of you who raised your hand are glad your parents loved you enough to do that.

It hurt, didn’t it? You see, the Hebrew writer is telling us a simple analogy that we all understand. But for some reason, as we get older and we quote, outgrow the spanking. Sadly, we kind of outgrow our need for discipline. Not that we should be doing that, but we no longer seek it. The Hebrew writer is telling us discipline offers to us endurance. It offers to us an ability to avoid sin. It offers to us also the opportunity to receive God’s love. It offers for us family blessings. It offers for us goodness. It offers us holiness, and it offers us a fruitfulness under righteousness. You see, self-discipline, self discipline is not denying our inner drives and desires, but it’s simply submitting them to the will and the timing of God.

Satan’s, I mean, Samson’s mistake was not finding the woman attractive. There is nothing wrong with that. Where he made his mistake was failing to submit this physical desire to the Lord and allow God’s will and God’s timing and God’s desires to outweigh his own. You see, God wants every single one of us to have a rich, purposeful, meaningful life. And that’s only going to take place when I refuse to walk in the sins of the flesh, but instead put my desires under the control of the spirit. You see, we often make excuses for our lack of discipline. We often make excuses for being out of control. And frankly, we can find multiple excuses. I’m too busy. Oh, I would love to love to be involved more with the work of the church.

I would love to be involved in the Bible class program. Oh, I would love to do more events, but you don’t understand. I’m just so busy right now. Well, who isn’t busy? Who isn’t busy? Have you ever met the person to actually raise their hand and go, I’ve actually got nothing going on? What am I going to do today? There aren’t many of us out there like that. We assume the preacher is, don’t we? I mean, what else does the guy do? But that’s just an excuse. Do you realize what you’re saying when you say that? Do we truly recognize what we’re saying when I say I don’t have time? We’re saying I’m out of control. Because who has more time than anybody else? Who has the 25 hour day?

Who gets lucky that for two hours every day the whole world freezes and they get to do whatever they want for two hours to get caught up? Nobody. No one. Absolutely no one. Have you ever heard the analogy? If you want something done, give it to the busiest guy. You know why that is? Not because he has more time, but because he or she is more disciplined. You see, when we lack control, we lack discipline, period. That’s it. And there’s a great irony here. There is a huge irony here. And we see it in the life of Samson. Instant gratification rarely satisfies. Failing to discipline ourselves rarely ever satisfies. In fact, I think you could make a strong argument that there will be greater pain and greater dissatisfaction in the long run.

Proverbs 5 verse 23. A man dies for a lack of a disciplined life. Because great folly will lead him astray. You know, sometimes my preaching is often defined as simple. Well, this morning, I want to make the simple simple. Because we have to see this. I want to leave you with four take homes with respect to how to lead a disciplined life. For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching is a light, and the reproofs of discipline are the way of life, says Proverbs 6.23. I want us to leave here this morning with not only a greater desire to live with more discipline in our life, but I want to give you four simple tools. Four simple tools straight from Scripture about how to lead a life of self-control.

1. Seek Constant Discipline

Number one, seek constant discipline. You see, we’ve got to recognize when I have no time, or I have no money, or I have all these other great issues in life, we really need to grasp and understand that more often than not, it’s a discipline problem. And we need to repent. And we need to change our mind regarding our need for instruction and discipline. The word disciple, isn’t this interesting? Does it look a little familiar there? Does it kind of? It’s very similar to the word discipline. What is a disciple? A disciple is actually a disciplined learner or follower of our Lord. A disciple does not set the rules. A disciple follows the rules. Look back to the Bereans. What did the Bereans do daily? Daily they examined the scriptures.

Daily they sought God’s instruction and guidance. In Acts chapter 2 and in verse 42, what was one of the four? What was one of the four constant needs of the early church? They devoted themselves earnestly to the apostles’s doctrine. Proverbs 1, verse 5. The wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands will obtain guidance. We need to be those who are constantly seeking guidance. To constantly seek to learn. And more importantly, to constantly seek to learn the Lord’s will. Folks, there is a valuable resource that God has given every single one of us. But one of the greatest challenges in our lives is actually to sit down and read it. I mean, I’ll read runners’ world much quicker than I’ll read God’s word.

And you know what? I really don’t like to run. I get into it as kind of a personal hobby of something to do and something that I want to try to do to get more in shape. But you know, I never met a person yet who just loves the pain that comes from physical activity. Now, there are some weirdos out there, I understand. But we’ll discipline ourselves for so many things that really in the long run don’t have the greatest amount of, well, don’t have the greatest amount of value in the world. But here’s something that’ll lead us to heaven. Here’s something that speaks to eternity. Here’s something that instructs us how to lead our children to be a good father, to be a good servant, and we don’t get into it.

You know why? You know why? Because we know that often when we read God’s word, we go, oh, that hurt. Oh, I’m a little out of control. And you know what you typically do with somebody or something that is constantly pointing out your failures and your needs? You avoid it.

You avoid it. But the person with control doesn’t. In Titus 2, verse 6, the older Christians are encouraged to teach the younger. In fact, here’s the way it reads. Titus 2, 6, encourage the young men, and I think this would also apply to women, to encourage the young men to be self-controlled. Tom and Dot Moss. Lil and Buzz Brewer. John and Becky Haley. Those names probably mean nothing to you, do they?

And today I still seek their wisdom and their guidance. And you know why I love them so much?

Because they loved me and they wanted me to be a better person. I can tell you exactly where I was standing the day Tom Moss pulled me aside. We were in a courthouse at a trial. One of the brothers there in the church was going through some challenges and just so happened to be a recess, and I walked out in the hall just minding my own business. And Tom goes, Phil, you got a second? I said, sure. He practically put me up against the wall and chew on me. Because he saw a failure in my character. And at the time I didn’t enjoy it. I was frankly a little embarrassed.

But he did it because he loved me.

2. I Need to Take Care of Myself

We need to be people who understand. That not only do we need discipline, but as Proverbs 12 1 tells us, whoever loves discipline loves knowledge. But he who hates reproof, and Mamas, this is not my word, this is actually in the Bible. But he who hates reproof is stupid. Secondly, what do I need to do to lead a disciplined life? I need to take care of myself. I need to take care of myself physically, financially, and more importantly, spiritually. Do you recognize that most people who have self-esteem issues have self-esteem issues due to their body image or personal situations? You know how you handle a lot of that? Discipline yourself. Take care of yourself first. Don’t let these things just pass. If you are dealing with physical health and you are dealing with physical problems that your doctor has told you over and over and over you need to address, address it.

Do it. You wonder why you can’t help other people. It’s because you can’t take care of yourself. And what we find in Scripture is we need to love others as much as we love ourselves. And maybe sometimes the reason we’re not what we should be in our service to the Lord is because we haven’t looked to our own needs. I’ve always been amazed with Daniel. Daniel had a life of self-control and discipline. He lived with a life of purpose, purity, and practice in prayer. And you know what? He lived in a very challenging situation. And what did he do in this challenging situation? He determined he was going to discipline himself. He prayed three times a day. He made up his mind he was going to follow God’s dietary plans and not the meal plan that came from the palace.

No excuses. Amazing. He recognized a need for boundaries. Seek first the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you. It speaks to us about priorities individually. We’ve got to take care of ourselves first. Or we’re going to be of no value to our children, no value to our spouses, no value to our brethren, and no value to the lost souls in our community. You ever wondered why employers? You ever know here if you’ve gone to a job? How’d you dress? You ever know us? I remember my first sacking job. Working for a grocery store. I had the interview coming up. I was a little nervous about it, you know. Here I was about 15 years old. I was 16 because I just got my car and now I had to pay for it.

So I go apply for the sacking job, and I remember I’m going to be sacking groceries, right? You know how I showed up? Like this. You all think I caught some eyes walking through there? Hey, who’s this guy? What’s he applying for? I want to be a sucker. And you know, every single employer, the first thing they’re going to do is size you up. You know that. And therefore you dress up. Why? Because if you can’t take care of yourself, how are you going to take care of the needs of this employer? If you’re not seeking to at least put forth a good show on the very first time you get up there, then how in the world are we going to expect any good? We understand that principle.

But what we need to understand is that our need to be disciplined, our need to put a best foot forward, our need to show that we’re in control doesn’t stop there. And I need to take care of some things. He who is disciplined shows the way of life, but whoever ignores correction will lead others astray. Moms, can I speak to you? I know you’re busy. You’ve got to take care of your husband, a guy who can’t even match two socks together. You’ve got to take care of your children who are constantly spilling and in needs and things going on. You’re trying to teach a class, you’re trying to do these other things. Can I give you just a little wisdom from God’s word? Take care of yourself.

3. Start With the Simple Things

Your private time, your prayer time, your study time, your emotional needs time, your personal health time. That’s where it’s got to begin. Thirdly, you say, well, you don’t understand. My life is so out of control. I don’t know if I’m coming or if I’m going. Where do I start? Well, start with the simple things. A couple of surveys out, real popular list, how to improve yourselves. You know what’s number one on all these lists? Be on time. Now, forgive me if you came in late this morning. I didn’t even turn around and look. But just being on time. Just being on time is the beginning of self control. Because what we’re saying when we’re not on time, we’re saying we don’t have the discipline to get there at a set hour.

And it’s a snowball effect that carries on to the rest of our lives. Learn to plan your day. Learn to take care of the simple tasks. In Ephesians 5, verse 16, here’s what Paul tells all of us. Redeem the time. Why? Because the days are evil. We need to get our time back. And we need to take care of things and especially the simple things first. I was on the board at the Y in Bessemer where we used to live. And every year, at the very first of the year, you want to guess what it was like at the Y? It was packed. I mean, it was packed. And I would get so excited because you knew a lot of people were there because their doctors had been hounding them.

They were diabetics or this, that, and the other. And so I’d be in there on the treadmills and I’d be patting people on the back, getting to know you, introducing myself, and this, that, and the other. Oh, God, let’s stay at there, stay after. Boy, it’s so good to have you, guys. So good to have you. And I went up to our director closer to the end of the month, and I said, Hey, hey, Rob, here’s what we need to do. We need to put up these big billboards and encourage people to stay at it. We need to set up these little dietary things, and we need to play some promotional videos and motivational videos. We need to do all this, that, and the other. And he just he just listened to my whole rambling, and then he finally put his arm around me and he said, Phil, it’s January.

He said, Do you really think that if we did all that, that would make any difference at all by the end of February when they’re all gone? He said, You know what my dad used to always say? He said, My dad was a preacher. He said, Most people’s lives are like rivers. They’re three miles wide, but only half an inch deep. And what he simply meant by that was this our hands are in every pie. But there aren’t many things that we’re truly committed to wholeheartedly. And isn’t that us? Isn’t that us? Can I share something just very simple with you this morning? If it is your number one earnest desire to go to heaven. Let’s start with the simple. Don’t miss an assembly of the Lord’s people.

4. Show Some Restraint

Simple things. Simple things. Buy your time back. Redeem it. Because the days are evil. There’s so many things that we feel. You know, one of my greatest uh great one of my figures in the Bible that I greatly admire is a fellow by the name of Joshua. And here’s what it said at Joshua in Joshua 11 15. Just as the Lord had commanded Moses his servant, so Moses commanded Joshua, and Joshua did, and he left nothing undone of all that the Lord commanded. Why? Discipline. Discipline. And then fourthly, just show some restraint. Show some restraint. Do you recognize that 66% of all the things that we buy are impulse vibes? 66%. You know why all those things are up there around the cash register? Because they’re going to suck you in.

How many of us don’t have a box this big of double A batteries? Every time I say, I gotta have more batteries. Well, I just need there they are. Boom! Batteries. And I get home going, I’ve got batteries. Or you’ll buy a magazine. You know you shouldn’t have spent any money on. I mean, do you recognize that the star and the National Inquirer are put there on the checkout stand to make us buy them? Because they know we’re gonna be standing in line waiting for a couple of seconds to go, oh, look at Brittany. Oh, I gotta have that. And then we get home and go, why am I reading this?

You ever wondered why the desserts are the very first style?

Same thing. You gotta go all the way to the back to get the milk you came in for. Why? Because you’re gonna pass a lot of stuff going back there and coming back, and the loaf of bread or the gallon of milk is now a $42 purchase. Why? Because I have no self-control. Here’s what Paul said. Paul said he would actually buffet his body, bring it into subjection. I know it sounds extreme. In the Greek, it actually implies the idea to strike the eye. But Paul said, I’ve got to show restraint. One of the fruits of the Spirit in Galatians 5 22 is self-control. If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off, says the Lord. For it’s better for you to lose one of your members than your whole body to go to hell.

Conclusion

Show some restraint. Now I want to truly conclude with a friend of mine. Somebody’s thinking to themselves, yeah, but preacher. You just don’t understand what I’m dealing with. You don’t understand my husband. You don’t understand my wife. You don’t understand my kids, my boss, and blah, blah, blah. Well, I want to introduce you to a fellow by the name of Mark Denton. Mark Denton is a friend who lives up near Huntsville, Alabama. You can see he’s in a wheelchair in this picture. When he was five years old, he and his mother were in a car accident. It took her life and left him paralyzed from the chest down. Today, Mark spends every day, most every day in bed, unless it’s one of those good days that he can get up in his wheelchair and move about.

But although he is paralyzed from the chest down and has been that way since the age of five, you will never ever hear him complain. And to really show you what kind of a person he is, he has not taken one cent of disability in his entire life. He goes to work every day. He actually works for NASA from his home, and he is on his computer, even when he’s laying in his waterbed, having to turn from side to side to fight the bed sores that can often plague his body. Called Mark, and I said, Mark, can I uh treat you like a reporter, Patrita interviewed? He said, Sure. I said, I want to ask you a few questions. Question one, what’s your life like? Mark says, My life is great.

I have a loving and supportive friend base and family. I have faith in God and a spiritual family who edifies me and showers me with love every day. I have a great job, even though the world is living in poverty, and I was born into a nation of great wealth, and my health exceeds my expectations every day. Life is good. Mark, have you ever considered not working? No. No. He said, I’ve actually worried that one day I might have to give up my job, but I’ve always wanted my independence, and I knew a job was the way to have it. Disability income would have meant giving up or settling for less. And I knew I had the ability. Don’t get me wrong, he says, I know there are folks out there who need it and must rely upon it.

But I believe if there is a will, there is a way mentality in my mind, I will find a will in a way most every time.

Well, Mark, what would you say to folks who think their life is hard? He said, Well, first of all, I would tell them to keep God number one in their life. He is truly the comforter, the provider, and the way, and we are nothing without him. And you need to pray more. Pray it up, he says. Secondly, I would say, well, I’m sorry for the hardships in their lives, but frankly, folks, life is hard. Life is hard. We need to realize that we are truly blessed. And if I’ll spend more time focusing upon the other person, I won’t feel sorry for myself. When I can’t reach something from my wheelchair, I think of the person who can’t move because they have no arms at all. Mark, what part does discipline play in your life?

He says, Discipline is my life. As I develop major ulcers and pressure sores. I’ve had to have numerous surgeries. I’ve spent months in the hospital, months in my bed, unable to get out of my bed. But now I’m able to hopefully get up in my chair, at least for a few hours in the day. But I know that when I do, I can’t be a slacker. I gotta watch what I eat. I gotta watch how I spend my time. I need to recognize that there are no small issues here. In fact, I got to drink tons of water every day just to avoid kidney infections. You see, with a spinal cord injury, come multiple things that can go wrong. I have to be disciplined. Mark, what’s your favorite verse in the Bible or favorite story?

He says, Well, it has to be Romans 8. For we know all things work together for good for those who love the Lord, for those who are called according to His purpose. Mark says, my life has purpose. Anything else you want to add? He said, I would tell folks to trust God. Live for the day. Tomorrow’s just another day. Now let me ask you. How bad you got it? How bad do you have it? Do you recognize our Heavenly Father can take a soul like this and mold him into a beautiful instrument through his own hands? So that his life will shout to us. Not only there is a God, but there is a God who loves us. In Revelation 3.19, God says, Those whom I love, I reprove and I discipline.

Therefore be zealous and repent.

Discipline. Discipline implies turning my life over to God. It’s more than just saying, I believe. It’s saying, all my desires, all my ambitions, all my wants, all my needs, all my pursuits, all in my life belongs to you, God. Mold me, shape me. Create in me a clean heart. Teach me your ways. Lead me down paths of righteousness. Lead me beside the still waters. Create in me good works, O God. And I believe in a God who will do just that for anyone who will turn, seek Him so they can live. This morning, do you need some discipline? Is your life out of control? Well, now’s the time to come back. Now is the time to seek the Lord. The Lord said, Be holy, for I am holy.

Is that possible? Yes, it is. Through the blood of His Son. This morning, if you need to repent and come back to your Lord, your Lord is waiting for you to create in you what He wants you to be, if you will but seek Him. If we can help you in any way, won’t you come while we stand and sing?