DISCIPLINE 1 Thess 1:2-3

Sermon by Romans Wong (BB Enrolment Sunday)

The Objective of the Boys' Brigade is the advancement of Christ's kingdom among boys and the promotion of the habits of obedience, reverence, discipline, self respect and all that tends towards a true Christian manliness.

Discipline is a form of training to become better by following a set of standards he/she believes in. Discipline can only happen between two persons when it is not forced and both parties have agreed to be in such a relationship and share the same convictions about the usefulness of discipline.

God disciplines us personally, purposefully and prudently so that we may be filled with his wisdom and become his children and bring him glory. Many situations in our lives therefore do not happen by chance. But it is God who has engineered those events to train us. He tailors the situation to each of our needs.

Why do we fail to notice God's discipline?
1. We are not conscious of the presence of God in the busyness of our lives.
2. We choose the easy way out, every time the Lord wants to discipline us.

Discipline in the Bible has emphasis on the relationship between the one being disciplined and the One who disciplines.

Heb 12:5-11
"⁵ And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says,    “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline,  and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,
⁶ because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.”
 ⁷ Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? ⁸ If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. ⁹ Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! ¹⁰ They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. ¹¹ No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. "

The Lord disciplines the one he loves. The relationship between the Father and the Son makes discipline sensible. Discipline is an important means for us to deepen our relationship with God.

When we reject discipline we are saying to the Disciplinarian, "Lay your hands off me."  Paul shares with us that there are people who reject God's discipline in Rom 1:28 "²⁸ Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. " Do you want God to lay his hands off you or do you want God to transform you so that you can become a better person for His glory? When he does that then it's a sad situation because that itself will be the way God shows his wrath upon us.

Prov 29 is a chapter that talks about discipline - choosing God's ways rather than our ways. In verses 15 & 17 are the words:

 ¹⁵ A rod and a reprimand impart wisdom,
   but a child left undisciplined disgraces its mother.
 ¹⁷ Discipline your children, and they will give you peace;
   they will bring you the delights you desire.

It is tough to try to discipline ourselves and those under us. But don't give up. It is inconvenient to discipline. Do we postpone discipline now simply because they look cute at this point? What if the army boy was your son, your brother, it is no longer fun to see this article.

Sir William Alexander Smith (October 27, 1854 - May 10, 1914), the founder of the Boys' Brigade 

observed how restless asnd bored children were during the Sunday school classes especially the senior boys. He believed that the methods and discipline he had used at the Lanarkshire Rifle Volunteers could be more effective and appropriate when dealing with them and so the birth of the Boys' brigade. He believed that to grow God fearing adults, we have got to start when they are young persons. He wanted the boys to look to Jesus as their hero and draw inspiration from Christ how to be a godly man. BB companies have always been connected to the church so that they can come in touch with many good male models. The Role of the BB is to build a Christianity that can become a part of young people's lives.

Officers, rather than abusing your power, discipline yourselves  to let God work in your lives so that you will impact the boys when you love and care for them. Parents don't give up on dsciplining your children. Let's take courage from Paul's admonition in Rom 5:1-5 says, " ¹ Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we^[a] have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, ² through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we^[b] boast in the hope of the glory of God. ³ Not only so, but we^[c] also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; ⁴ perseverance, character; and character, hope. ⁵ And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. "

Reflection Questions

1. Why do I shun the discipline of my parents, my school teachers? Why do I shun the discipline of God?
2. Why do I fear disciplining my children? Is it because of the hardship involved in exercising the discipline? Or am I just plain lazy?  See 1 Sam 3:13-14.
3. What are some fruits of righteousness that has been borne out of discipline in your life? Who are some of the people who have impacted you. Give thanks to the Lord for them.
4. Can you become more involved in the Boys' Brigade? How can you impact the boys with your life?