celebration of discipline
part three chapter eight to nine
be subject to one another in the fear of Christ. Eph. 5;21
Chapter eight Submission

Discipline; Discipline comes from a Latin word “disco” which means to learn or get to know, a direct kind of acquaintance with something or someone. Holman Bible Dictionary
R.C. Sproul writes, “The church is called not only to a ministry of reconciliation, but a ministry of nurture to those within her gates. Part of that nurture includes church discipline . . .”1 The idea of church discipline is totally consistent with the basic purposes of the church—evangelism and edification.

Submission; Dictionary.com “to give over or yield to the power or authority of another.” Webster : “yield to the control of another.” The Greek word for submission is hupotasso, “to subordinate…put under…”

Self Denial; the act of not allowing yourself to have or do something you want; renunciation of your own interests in favor of the interests of others.

 

Submitting to Family, Church and Goverment Authorities

When you’re submitting person you yield or put yourself under the elders of the church you attend or your boss in a work places, or a wife submits to her husband you volunteer willing yield yourself both inward and outward to that person or institute or and put your personal feelings and rights aside. For example, whether you believe in infant or believer baptism you put belief aside for sake of the gospel i.e. you’re submitting to gospel not to baptism. One of the greatest example in submitting was Jesus himself when willing He submitted to His Father wishes and empty Himself and dwelt on earth for 33 years, even was willing to be crucified on a cross a die cruel death for our sake. As Joshua Harris wrote, “This is love.” God takes us to the foot of a tree on which a naked and bloodied man hangs and says, “This is love.” My mother echoed these once to me about in submitting to my dad is that he earned the right and of her respect. The day they got married. Submission when applied properly is liberating not a hindrance, an as Richard Foster stated on pg. 112, ” In submission we are free at last to value other people. Their dreams and plans become important to us. ” To often we get into a fit when things don’t go our way we become rebellious, and we hold grudges we’re under bondage. Instead of submitting to authorities. Even thou we agreed to be part of organization; however, under are breath we resist. In the long run, it does us more harm than good. In

Submitting does not mean that the person is a doormat or dingbat. Nor should obey your leader when they ask you to violate the laws of land, or government enacts a law that you’re no longer able to worshipped God or proclaiming the gospel, or husbands ask his wife to breaks God’s commandments or violate her conscious, or a parent asks a child to stop practicing their Christian faith. Richard Foster penned on pg. 121 ”Sometimes the limited submissions are easy to determine. A wife is asked to punish a child unreasonably. A child is asked to aid an adult in unlawful practice. A citizen is asked to violate the dictates of Scripture and conscience for the sake of the State. You should able express your point view not in arrogant but with spirit of submission, gentleness, and respect It simply mean I am free to serve that individual without worry or concern. Richard Foster penned on pg. 124, “ Both Peter and Paul called for the obedience to the pagan state because they understood the great good that results from this human from this human institution. I have found that human authorities often have a great deal of wisdom that we neglect only at our own peril.” For example, If the government asks for the church to pay their taxes on their property. We are obligated to obey them; however, if they ask for you you’re unable to worship God than you’re are obligated to decline their instructions, with gentleness and respect.

The Discipline Of Service
Servant Leaders
Do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Philippians 2 ; 4

Some of best serves a Christian does in God’s kingdom is behind the scene where God only observe your work

Leadership is found in becoming the servant of all Richard Foster

Consider those individual who put in charge or leader who is given a authority within the church body. What is their responsibilities within body of believer, to serve or to lead. I believe that their role are both a servant and a leader a servant leader. Consider Jesus who was a greatest teacher and had authority from His Father, however, He had a servant heart. By washing his disciples feet. One the hardest thing for average Christians is to work behind the scene or to have servant heart. We want people to take note of our endeavors not to serve others. We think that it beneath us to serve, for example washing the foor. Or Jesus washing the disciple’s feet. Especially when Jesus was Lord and their teacher. Our tendency is that we want to serve them. Jesus was displaying to his disciples how a Christian leader behave is to be servant leader. While the leaders or disciples primary role is to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ would be built up. A servant leader seeks to invest himself into the lives of his people. Therefore, our mission is to serve one another, and be servant leader. the oppose in how world see a leader. Just as Christ came to serve and give His life for our sake. Richard Foster wrote on pg. 115. “Leadership is found in becoming the servant of all. Power is discovered in submission. The foremost symbol of this radical servanthood is the cross. Foster further states on pg. 116, “ Jesus life was the cross life of submission and service. He lived the cross life when he took a towel washed the feet of his disciples. also on pg. 128 ” Therefore the spiritual authority is an authority found in position or a title, but in a towel.” A pastor friend mine is trying his best to teach me this valuable lesson; unfortunately, he was competing with thick my skull and thick hair. Jesus loved us too much that willing to die a cruel death on a cross for our sake as Joshua Harris wrote, “The world takes us to a silver screen on which flickering images of passion and romance play, and as we watch, the world says, “This is love.” God takes us to the foot of a tree on which a naked and bloodied man hangs and says, “This is love.”