- Holy Effort
- We’ve been walking through the book of Exodus
- We just got done with the Face to face series. Getting closer to God- But the closer to get to God the weightier responsibility there is. It is not something to be taken lightly.
- I want to touch back to exodus 24 and connect it to Leviticus 10 this am.
- What I want to show you- is that God’s grace doesn’t cancel out holy effort. Discipline matters
- Tertullian (2nd–3rd Century) “Discipline is the mother of salvation; it keeps us from the enemy’s traps. No soldier goes to war without discipline, nor does the athlete win without training.”
- In these two stories- we see that God invites Moses, Aaron, and Aaron’s two sons—Nadab and Abihu—to come up the mountain. Not everyone gets this kind of access. These men stand in the very presence of God. They see Him. They eat and drink in His presence. They are eyewitnesses to glory. They have an intimate experience with God.
- Let that settle in: these aren’t fringe people. They are leaders. Priestly. Chosen. Privileged.
- But just a few chapters later, in Leviticus 10, those same two men—Nadab and Abihu—are dead on the ground. Burned alive by the fire of God. Not because they turned against Him. Not because they renounced the faith. But because they handled the holy things of God carelessly. They offered what Scripture calls “profane fire,” a form of worship He had not commanded.
- LETS READ Exodus 24:9–11
- READ Leviticus 10:1–2
- Do you see What happened? They had proximity to God without the discipline to walk w Him.
- They had experience with God but lacked reverence for His commands. Undisciplined.
- And in a moment of self-will, they died where others would have feared to tread.
- These stories aren’t just historical footnotes—they’re a mirror. We need to live disciplined lives
- Because if Nadab and Abihu could witness the glory of God, be handpicked for priestly service, and still fall in a moment of undisciplined worship—what makes us think we can coast on spiritual privilege without personal discipline? His grace is sufficient, but /= laziness
- These are guys who stood on the mountain with God and Moses and then are struck down dead. “It wasn’t years later. It was just months. Maybe even weeks. Nadab and Abihu went from feasting in God’s presence to falling under God’s fire—because the longer they stood near holiness, the more accountable they became. Discipline wasn’t optional. It was life or death.
- This message isn’t just about rules. It’s about the weight of God’s holiness, the call to discipline ourselves, and the grace that empowers us to walk faithfully—especially in a world that’s content with shallow, casual religion. We must stay engaged. We must stay in the fight!
- Ignatius of Antioch (1st–2nd Century) “Exercise self-discipline, for you are God’s athlete; the prize is immortality and eternal life.”(Letter to Polycarp, 2)
- We’re not fighting to keep our salvation, we’re fighting because we have salvation! Holy work!
- There’s a big difference! I’m no less married than 27 years ago, but I refuse to be COMPLACENT
- Complacency is the killer of all things good. Relationships, fitness, finances, organizations
- I get it- sometimes people say- ‘when will it be enough’ never! He’s worthy of it all!
2 Corinthians 3:5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God. THIS IS ON GOD! THROUGH US! LETS GO
- What is discipline?
- Discipline is the intentional training of the body, mind, or spirit through structured effort, correction, and self-control in order to align with a higher standard or goal.
- INTENTIONAL- to have discipline, you must be intentional. You must have a pattern of behavior that moves you towards your intended goal. You must be INVOLVED in the process.
- Been watching ‘reacher’ dude is jacked. They only show him eating, never working out-false
- God requires us to be disciplined and have discipline. It’s the mark of a disciple! Holy work
- The connection between discipline and disciple is not just linguistic—it’s deeply theological.
- Both discipline and disciple come from the Latin word discipulus, meaning “learner” or “student.” From this, we also get disciplina, which means “instruction,” “training,” or “education.” At the core, both words are about learning through structured training.
- A disciple is someone who submits to a teacher (Jesus), learns His ways, and commits to ongoing transformation. (Being in military- day one- everything changes- more w JC)
- Discipline is the process that forms the disciple. It’s the training ground.
- Discipline is what turns a believer into a disciple. We don’t just agree- we BECOME
- You can believe in Jesus without discipline. But you can’t follow Him without it.
- Luke 6:40 A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher.
- That’s the goal: Christlikeness through training. Discipline is how the Holy Spirit—and our own surrender—shapes us into that image. Reading, worship, giving, serving, fellowship, TRAINED
- Structured effort- Discipline is the art of having a plan and a structure by which to operate
- 2 Peter 1:5–6 But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness.
- Diligence is having a plan. It’s a road map. A recipe. A budget. It’s game plan.
- Technically speaking, there’s not much of an activity that we produce results that doesn’t plan
- For some reason, we have powerful structured effort in the areas that DON’T matter, but we are remiss in the areas that DO matter. Building, money, business, sports, projects, but spirituality? Get there somehow. It’ll just happen. Every spiritual activity has a practical component.
- We baptize, but you have to find the water. Take communion, but bake the bread. Practical
- Correction: Discipline is CORRECTION- you are constantly self evaluating and submitting yourself to God and others to be redirected into paths of righteousness- “am I doing this correctly”
- Pr 12:1 Whoever loves instruction loves knowledge, But he who hates correction is stupid.
- People who refuse to be corrected are stupid and will never experience full discipleship!
- Here’s the reality- you can’t see yourself in all areas and you need others to show you
- Sports, work, relationships, parenting, Your walk etc. A prideful person rejects correction
- I get it- it’s embarrassing to be shown your shortcomings- but would you rather fail?
- Self Control: the act of being involved in the process of controlling yourself
- Pro 25:28 Whoever has no rule over his own spirit is like a city broken down, without walls.
- The bible actually has a lot to say about self control. It’s a fruit
- It is commanded and pursued – We are expected to grow in it through grace-fueled effort.
2 Peter 1:5–6 Giving all diligence, add to your faith… self-control… - It is essential in spiritual warfare – Self-control guards us against being overtaken by sin or the enemy. 1 Pe 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant… your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion.
- It is part of living a godly life in a godless world Grace teaches us to deny worldly desires and live with self-control. Titus 2:11–12 – “Teaching us that… we should live soberly (self-controlled),
- People love the “grace” message bc it feeds into laziness– grace is real- not at expense of Disc.
2. discipline comes from God
- It is a fruit of the Spirit It is not merely human willpower; it is Spirit-produced.
- Galatians 5:22–23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
- Self-control is not a personality trait fruit that grows only when the Spirit is present and active.
- The word promises that it will be the spirit himself that produces self-control in our lives
- Like a seed planted in the ground- the seed eventually produces- you cant make it grow, but you can give it the best possible circumstances to help it do what it needs to do.
- If you struggle with discipline- you need to get this in your spirit- God will produce this in me
- We’ll get the practical components of this- but internalize this- GOD WILL DO IT IN ME-PRAY IT
- Eph 3:20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.
- 1 Cor 3:16 Do you not know……. that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
- 2 Cor 4:7 that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.
- John 14:17 The Spirit of truth… you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.
- It is Spirit-empowered – It comes from God, not just from within.
- This isn’t the effort show- this is the submission show– we submit, receive power, and thrive!
- Ezekiel 36:27 I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them. (story of Guy at gym not wanting to talk – light shine)
- God causing us to walk in his judgments is a powerful thing because it’s the SPIRIT that does it
- Isaiah 30:21 Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,”
Whenever you turn to the right hand Or whenever you turn to the left. - When you come to Jesus- he changes you. He changes your desires, heart and inclination
- You become NEW and BORN AGAIN. The OLD MAN DIES and the NEW MAN LIVES
- And that NEW man desires the things of God– he desires to be set free. To walk in his ways!
- The flesh will not let you win! It will fight you at every turn! HOLY WORK is SUBMISSION
- Gala 5:17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh… so that you do not do the things that you wish.
- You get a new man with a new spirit and new calling, but you don’t get a new address
- The sin that so easily entangles does everything it can to pull you back to destruction
- Paul knew it! He knew people can be pulled away!
- 2 Corinthians 11:3 But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
- This is why we’re instructed to put on the whole armor of God! Disciplined in our defenses
- Ephesians 6:11–12 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities… against spiritual hosts of wickedness…
- There’s a fight for your soul and its not going to be easy- You’ve been redeemed but the devil wants you to retreat- He’s working full time to pull you back to destruction
- But it’s not all on you! Don’t get it wrong. You work WITH God to walk in HIS Ways
- Philippians 2:13 For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.
Even the desire and the follow-through come from God working inside us.
3. Stay in the fight.
- You have to live differently- Discipline is the grace-empowered habit of doing what honors God, even when your flesh wants something else. This is the HOLY WORK
- You draw on the spirits power when you are faced with being disciplined or undisciplined.
- Titus 2:11–12 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age.
- Grace doesn’t just save—it trains us to live with self-control. Discipline is a result of grace at work, not just grit. I can’t have self control on my own- it is the spirit of God IN ME
- Origen (3rd Century) “A man becomes spiritual through much labor and discipline of the soul. No one is born spiritual; we become so through grace and struggle.”
- The Bible and early church fathers agree. We’re in a fight with the forces of darkness to be spiritual and its not an easy fight at all. – Its an all day every day fight.
- We live in the best time possible with the easiest lives that are the hardest. The most technology and the least freedom. Hard mind work. Difficult to provide and flourish.
- And we’ve been sold to believe we need so much more than we have. There’s nothing you can’t have that isn’t within a few minutes of your house. Food, gambling, sex, drugs, electronics, toys
- Advertisers pull on the basal instincts of your inadequacies and you’re made to feel if you aren’t something or have something then you are nothing, so you purchase and indulge in it all.
- Here’s what the grace of God that brings salvation- teaches us
- Deny ungodliness and worldly lusts– things and items and activities that we should not do
- Cyprian of Carthage (3rd Century) “Let no one deceive himself. If we are not willing to discipline our flesh and renounce the pleasures of the world, we cannot claim the reward of the kingdom.”
- Live soberly and Live righteously and godly
- Athanasius (4th C) The life of the Christian is one of constant training. The Word did not become flesh so we might remain idle, but that we might become like Him through struggle and grace.
- Charles Spurgeon “Discipline is not legalism. Discipline is the fruit of grace.”
- Col 1:29 To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily.
- John 15:5 He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
- Matt 26:41 Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation.
- Ro 13:14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.
- Ephesians 4:22 That you put off, concerning your former conduct
- How to Be Disciplined 1. Call on God in all things to help you be disciplined.
- 2. Set your self up for success by removing what draws you away- kill it
- 3. Have a plan on how to stay disciplined- write it down- post it somewhere
- 4. Have a schedule- How you do anything is how you do everything.
- 5. Become a person of HABIT- Habits are disciplines- brings freedom- same routines
- 6. Always remind yourself the WHY- Honor God, live righteously, get/lose something.
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