Message Notes

(I) DIFFICULTIES FACED IN DISCIPLINE OF THE BODY

1. Creature comforts

a) Tasting of comfort

b) Desire of comfort

2. Lifestyle habits

a) A love for comfort is habit-forming

b) Habits become a lifestyle

3. Influence of the sin-principle

a) The enslaving power of sin         Romans 6:16-19

b) Fruit of sin- Death!        Romans 6:21, 23

(II) DISCIPLINE OF THE BODY

1. Finding motivation

“I do it for the Gospel’s sake”  1 Corinthians 9:23

a) Necessity of motivation

b) Power of motivation

c) Many motivations possible

2. Challenging Life-Examples

a) Successful sportsmen

b) Drawing parallels

i) “They do it for a perishable crown”         1 Corinthians 9:25

ii) “We do it for an imperishable crown”       1 Corinthians 9:25

(III) DISCIPLINE METHODS

1. Self-Control

“And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things” 1 Corinthians 9:25

2. Training

“Therefore I run thus…”  1 Corinthians 9:26

“Thus I fight…”  1 Corinthians 9:26

3. No pain, No gain

“But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection…” 1 Corinthians 9:27

a) “Discipline”

“To beat black and blue” – (Literal lexical suggestion- Thayer)

b) “Bring it into subjection”

“To make it my slave…”  (NASB)

THE SHAPING OF A DISCIPLE

When God wants to drill a man,

And thrill a man, and skill a man,

When God wants to mold a man

To play for Him the noblest part,

When He yearns with all His heart

To build so great and bold a man

That all the world shall stand amazed,

Then watch God’s methods, watch His ways!

How He ruthlessly perfects

Whom He royally elects;

How He hammers him and hurts him,

And with mighty blows converts him,

Making shapes and forms which only

God Himself can understand,

Even while His man is crying,

Lifting  a beseeching hand…

Yet God bends but never breaks

When man’s good He undertakes;

When He uses whom He chooses,

And with every purpose fuses

Man to act, and act to man,

As it was when He began;

When God tries His splendor out,

Man will know what He’s about!

– Dale Martin Stone –