Sermon: Zucht [zyxt]
by Chris Cumming                                               printer-friendly     MP3

I want to begin today with some personal questions for you.  As I do, there is no need for you to furnish me with your answers.  Rather furnish yourself with the answers.

1] Have you ever gone to the food store with a short shopping list; the total of which should have come to twenty or thirty dollars, but came home with several bags and a receipt showing $98 or even more?

2] Have you ever been given a set of instructions and/or procedures for a new product you have just purchased only to set them aside to proceed by your own devices and thinking?

3] Have you ever developed a well thought out and detailed plan of action, only to end up taking shortcuts and neglecting the details you knew would bring you success?  Did you not then feel guilty when your actions failed?

4] Have you ever resolved to break a negative or even harmful habit only to return to doing the very thing you hate?

If you answered, “Yes” to any, or dare I say it, all of these questions, then just possibly what is lacking in your life is something called, Discipline.”  The purpose of my sermon today is to encourage all of us to invoke more discipline in our lives.

Invoke Discipline

The title of today’s sermon is, “Zucht” which is the German word for, “discipline.”  I love the sound of that word as it seems abundantly more forceful than the word, “Discipline.”  I am encouraging all of use to invoke Zucht in our lives.

If you take a close look into scripture and even some of our doctrinal statements and booklets, you will discover that God has much to say about personal discipline.  In fact, a great deal of your life and action in the Salvation Process is all about discipline.  Discipline is a fruit of the Spirit.  In Galatians 5:22-23, discipline is called by the name, “Temperance.”  More about temperance in a moment.

God has given us a multitude of elements within the Salvation Process which can only be addressed with personal discipline by the power of the Holy Spirit in us.  Discipline molds our character to those elements.  God’s Law cannot truly be kept without discipline.  We cannot overcome sin and bad habits without personal discipline.  One cannot overcome the World without Zucht.  You and I are referred to in the Bible as soldiers in the army of Christ.  No army can be successful without discipline.  Indeed, no plan or action can end in success without Godly discipline.  You are being tested in your discipline in this life for both your salvation and reward in the next life.  Notice a discipline parable.  Turn to Luke 16.

Luke 16:1-13
1 And he said also unto his disciples, There was a certain rich man, which had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods.
2 And he called him, and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee? give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward.
3 Then the steward said within himself, What shall I do? for my lord taketh away from me the stewardship: I cannot dig; to beg I am ashamed.
4 I am resolved what to do, that, when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.
5 So he called every one of his lord's debtors unto him, and said unto the first, How much owest thou unto my lord?
6 And he said, An hundred measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and sit down quickly, and write fifty.
7 Then said he to another, And how much owest thou? And he said, An hundred measures of wheat. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and write fourscore.
8 And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.
9 And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations.
10 He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.
11 If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?
12 And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man's, who shall give you that which is your own?
13 No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

Cannot you see that this is a parable about personal discipline?  It is right there in the first verse: the man in question is a steward.  He is one who exercises and deals with stewardship.  Clearly the righteous steward invokes discipline while the unrighteous steward neglects or even runs from discipline.

Verse 9 is the encouragement and admonition to practice discipline in all things physical, emotional and mental here on earth now and when “ye fail”; that is die, God will receive you into the Kingdom of God.

Another discipline parable you are quite familiar with is the parable of the Pounds or Talents which is found in Luke 19.  When one of the servants says to the Lord that he has turned one talent into an additional ten, the Lord says in verse 17:

Luke 19:17 
And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities.

If we can succeed in discipline now with the elements of this life, we will have the character we need for our place in the Kingdom of God.

Let us take a look at the dictionary meanings for the word, “Discipline”:

Meanings of discipline
--A systematic method to obtain obedience:
--A set of rules or methods, as those regulating the practice of a church
--To impart knowledge and skill to: coach, educate, instruct, school, teach, train, tutor

Definition
--The term "discipline" comes from the Latin word "disciplinare," which means "to teach." Many people, however, associate the word with punishment, which falls short of the full meaning of the word. Discipline, properly practiced, uses a multifaceted approach, including models, rewards, and punishments that teach and reinforce desired behavior. Through discipline, children are able to learn self-control, self-direction, competence, and a sense of caring.

Description
The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests that an effective discipline system must contain three elements. If these three aspects are all present in a program of discipline, the result generally is improved child behavior. The elements are:

1] a learning environment characterized by positive, supportive parent-child relationships
2] a proactive strategy for systematic teaching and strengthening of desired behaviors
3] a reactive strategy for decreasing or eliminating undesired behaviors

Definition: regimen, training
Antonyms: chaos, confusion, disorder, disorganization, neglect, negligence, permissiveness

World English Dictionary
Discipline  
1.  training or conditions imposed for the improvement of physical powers, self-control, etc. 
2.  systematic training in obedience to regulations and authority 
3.  the state of improved behaviour, etc., resulting from such training or conditions 
4.  punishment or chastisement 
5.  a system of rules for behaviour, methods of practice, etc. 
6.  a branch of learning or instruction 
7.  the laws governing members of a Church 
8.  a scourge of knotted cords 

Answers.com definition:
Discipline is:

1) learn self control
2) recognition of acceptable limit
3) learning where to stop.

I really like this last definition, “Learning where to stop.”  Combined with some of the other definitions we have God putting us into a systematic training program where He teaches us where and how to go and where to stop.  Our journey through the Salvation Process is often likened to traveling down a path.  We are instructed to stay on the path and not to swerve off from it.  We are given the admonition that as we go down the path and see temptation off to the right or left, that we are not to take even one step toward it.  1 Timothy 1:6 is Paul informing Timothy that some in the church have already swerved off into vain jangling.

Let us go back to one of those questions I asked at the beginning of this sermon.  Have you ever gone to the food store expecting to spend twenty to thirty dollars but come home with ninety to a hundred dollars in goods?  If so, and I know this has been me a number of times, then discipline is indicated.  When we go shopping, we need to know “where to stop.”

Jesus is Disciplined
We see this in Matthew 4.

Verse 1:
Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.

Verse 4:
It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

Verse 7:
It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.

Verse 10:
Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

Philippians 2:8
And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross [stake].

Hebrews 5:8-9
8 Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;
9 And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;

Matthew 26:39 ...the night Jesus died
And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.

Paul was Disciplined
1 Corinthians 9:27
But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

Other versions of the text read, “But I discipline my body and keep it under control.”  This clearly indicates that one’s mind is disciplined.

Discipline is a Fruit of the Spirit
Galatians 5:22-23
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

Here is what the commentaries have on the word, “temperance”:

Temperance - Continence, self-government, or moderation, principally with regard to sensual or animal appetites. Moderation in eating, drinking, sleeping, etc. ~Adam Clarke

Temperance - The word used here, (egkrateia), means properly “self-control, continence.” It is derived from en and kratos, “strength,” and has reference to the power or ascendancy which we have over exciting and evil passions of all kinds. It denotes the self-rule which a man has over the evil propensities of his nature. ~Barnes Notes

Temperance - The word means self-control, holding in hand the passions and desires. ~Vincent's Word Studies

Temperance — The Greek root implies self-restraint as to one’s desires and lusts. ~Jamieson, Fausset, Brown

1 Corinthians 9:24-27
24 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.
25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.
26 I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:
27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

Proverbs 25:28
He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls.

Titus 2:11-14
11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;
13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

Proverbs 13:18
Poverty and shame shall be to him that refuseth instruction: but he that regardeth reproof shall be honoured.

Question: "What does the Bible say about self-discipline?"

Answer:  Self-discipline is essentially the same as self-control, one of the nine fruits of the Spirit listed by Paul in Galatians 5:22-23. The KJV translation uses the word temperance in place of “self-control” which, like self-discipline, generally refers to our ability to control or restrain ourselves from all kinds of feelings, impulses, and desires, which includes the desire for physical and material comfort. Now, even though self-control is the last of the spiritual fruits mentioned by Paul, and even though it is a term not used extensively in the Bible, self-control is clearly an indispensable attribute of the Christian life, especially as our unredeemed flesh sometimes causes us to succumb to the persistent tug of our sinful desires.

The apostle Paul calls us to “purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God” (2 Corinthians 7:1). And in his letter to the Romans, he exhorts us to “offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God,” and not to be conformed to the pattern of this world (Romans 12:1-2). Yet most Christians would agree that subordinating the constant pull of these worldly desires in order to please our Lord is not always an easy thing to do. Paul discusses his own inner conflict and struggle with sin in his letter to the Romans, “What I want to do I do not do…the evil I do not want to do – this I keep on doing…it is sin living in me that does it” (Romans 7:15-20).

Quoted verses:
2 Corinthians 7:1 
Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

Romans 12:1-2
1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.  [see sermon: “Your Reasonable Service”]
2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

It is clear that our seemingly insatiable human appetites and needs can easily lead to sinful excesses if not controlled. Especially in affluent societies, the lack of self-discipline is rampant, as evidenced by the number of obese people and the extensive use of stimulants, depressants and over-the-counter medications. Further, the enticements of the material world have caused many to yearn for and acquire material goods far beyond their needs and their ability to pay for them. Indeed, the nations of the world have fallen into the same trap, borrowing trillions of dollars to finance bloated budgets that result from the inability to exercise self-discipline. For Christians, without self-discipline, our appetites for comforts and pleasures can easily become our master and lead us into sin or otherwise hinder us in our spiritual walk. If the spiritual does not govern the physical, we can become easy targets for Satan due to our lack of self-control.

Paul discusses self-discipline in his letter to the Corinthian church. As the Greeks had the Olympic games and the Isthmian games, they were very familiar with the rigors of athletic training, especially if one wanted to win the “prize” or the “crown.” Paul analogizes living a disciplined Christian life to an athlete in training: “Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training” (1 Corinthians 9:25). When Paul says “I beat my body and make it my slave,” he is saying that his body is under the dominion and control of his mind, not the other way around. Paul is showing us how self-control is needed to win the race that is before us and to live the life that is “holy and pleasing to God.” For Paul, the “race” was winning souls for Christ, a goal which he states four times in verses 19-22 [1 Corinthians 9 discussed above].

It is important to understand that self-control is a work of the Holy Spirit, not a work of the individual. After all, Galatians 5:22-23 lists the fruit of the Spirit, not the fruit of the Christian. As we are merely the branches upon which the Vine (Christ) hangs the fruit He produces in and through us (John 15:1-8 - "I am the vine and you are the branches."), it is the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit that gives Christians the power and ability to exercise self-control so that we will not be mastered by the “cravings of sinful man.” As Paul said, “God did not give us a Spirit of timidity, but a Spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline” (2 Timothy 1:7). Indeed, Christians are controlled not by the sinful nature, but by the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:9), which helps us in our weakness (v.26), which makes us able to say “no” to sin.

Quoted verse:
2 Timothy 1:7
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

Commentary:
A sound mind - The Greek implies more than this (better, ‘discipline’). ~Popular commentary

And of a sound mind - The Greek word denotes one of sober mind; a man of prudence and discretion. ~Barnes Notes

And of a sound mind - in the principles and doctrines of the Gospel; and which shows itself in a prudent conduct and behaviour; in sobriety, moderation, temperance, purity, and honesty; all which may be signified by the word here used: and these who have such dispositions and qualities from God, will not easily give way to the enemies of religion, or decline their duty for fear of them. ~John Gill

The Robertson's Word Pictures renders, "sound mind" as "discipline."

Now finishing up the original commentary:

The wise King Solomon wrote many proverbs for the purpose of helping us to live a “disciplined” and prudent life (Proverbs 1:3). Certainly, we will be more victorious in our Christian walk when we exercise our Spirit-created self-control, which helps us respond in obedience to the commands of Scripture and allows us to grow in our spiritual life.

Quoted verse and I will read verse 2 as well:
Proverbs 1:2-3
2 To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding;
3 To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity.

Invoke Discipline

Excerpt from our booklet, "Betrayal and Forgiveness"

Prayer, after all, is the most private conversation possible. It is time for confidentiality’s, secrets, confessions, admissions, requests, urgent, heartfelt appeals. It is more intimate than writing in a diary, more personal than sharing secrets with a dear friend. Therefore, it is necessary to know Who we are addressing—really KNOW.

The next time you pray, go through a mental check list. Have you repented of your sins? Are you approaching God as a little child? Do you envision Him as the perfect kind of Father; the absolutely ideal, kind, generous, loving, forgiving, father you may never have had? Do you see Him, at the same time, as of awesome power and ability, able to punish and exact the consequences for sin, as well as able to be generous with His gifts? Do you hold Him in wondrous AWE, having that Godly fear (not terror) that a small child might have for a father who not only loves, but disciplines?

God expects you to claim His promises, to come to Him as His loving, humble child. If you truly believe that He is your Spiritual Father; if you are as eager to confide in Him as you were to crawl into your father's arms as a little child—then go to Him—let Him know how you feel—call Him "Father" each time you pray, for that way, you'll always know He is listening! ~end quote from the booklet

Notice the admonition from Mr. Armstrong, “Next time you pray, go through a mental check list.”  Here is a mental check list for yourself and God.  Take the following list of subjects and grade yourself “A” through “F” to see where you stand on the subject of Discipline in these areas.

This check list is only for you and God.  No one else, save possibly your spouse, if you are married, needs to see it.  This is a list you may have with you in prayer before the throne of God.  With it you can be specific in where you need help from God.  With it, you will know where you must invoke the Zucht.

Understand that the list I am providing is not all-inclusive.  Take it.  Enhance it.  Fashion it to your own unique life and situation.  Add to it and subtract anything that does not apply to you directly.  Change the wording where appropriate.  Make this your list.

My Discipline Checklist: 

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