Yesterday you’ll remember we talked about the Lord’s discipline. I’m just throwing out an idea here. What if, instead of waiting for everything to fall apart, we discipline ourselves now. Boom! Mind. blown.
I have never been what anyone would consider “athletic.” But when I was in grade school I did enjoy cross country, mostly because my friends were doing it and I like talking. I was always a strong competitor for last place. Apparently chatting it up with your friends isn’t the kind of training technique that wins races. My brother, Tom, on the other hand, is a great runner. When we were growing up and he was in high school I remember he had these sand bags things that he strapped to his ankles. It seemed silly because clearly you would run slower that way, but as you might guess the weights were a great training technique to strengthen his leg muscles. When race time came he set the leg weights aside and ran like the wind. Two things from this passage in Hebrews that will really rock our world. First, you might have some baggage you need to get rid of. “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up.” Sometimes it’s a bad habit. Sometimes it’s not a bad thing, but the thing consumes way too much of our time, energy and attention. Like when I was in High School and had an addiction to online chat. It’s not as bad as it sounds, I swear. I spent a whole lot of time messaging people all over the country (back in the day when that was a thing). I realized when I woke up in the morning that was the first thing I thought about and the one thing I wanted to do all day long (again with the talking?). Not a healthy life habit. What in your life is holding you back right now, keeping you from spiritually running strong? Second, we need to pump up our level of spiritual training. I think of spiritual discipline as like strength conditioning for your spiritual will power. You start by making good decisions and little by little you realize in the face of temptation that you got this! Yeah, there are tough times, but you are strong enough to handle them because you know that you are a child of God. How do you know that? Because every day you were reminded through scripture, prayer, Christian fellowship and so on. “And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.” (Cue rocky theme… Duh-na-nah… Duh na nah… na-na-na-na nuh nuh nuh… ) “So take a new grip with your tired hands and strengthen your weak knees. Mark out a straight path for your feet so that those who are weak and lame will not fall but become strong.” That’s Advent 101. How do you get ready to celebrate the birth of our Messiah? Train hard, run strong and keep moving forward. (And also read the passage below. It’s a good one) Hebrews 12.1-13 [NLT] 1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. 3 Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up. 4 After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin. 5 And have you forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you as his children? He said, “My child, don’t make light of the Lord’s discipline, and don’t give up when he corrects you. 6 For the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes 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 his 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. 12 So take a new grip with your tired hands and strengthen your weak knees. 13 Mark out a straight path for your feet so that those who are weak and lame will not fall but become strong.
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AuthorThe Pastors of Cornerstone Wesleyan Church Archives
July 2017
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