Accomplishment: The Dividend of Discipline

"[P]ersonal discipline is the indispensable key for accomplishing anything in this life" (R. Kent Hughes, Disciplines of a Godly Man, 11).

Reading Notes: Disciplines of a Godly Man by R. Kent Hughes

Reading Notes for Introduction and Chapters 1-5.

Reading Notes for Chapters 6-9.

Reading Notes for Chapters 10-13.

Reading Notes for Chapters 14-18.

Reading Notes for Chapter 19.

Reading Notes: Disciplines of a Godly Man, Chapters 14-18, by R. Kent Hughes

Reading Notes for Introduction and Chapters 1-5.

Reading Notes for Chapters 6-9.

Reading Notes for Chapters 10-13.

Chapter 14 – Discipline of Church

• There is a contemporary problem: doctrine of church is weak, i.e., what the author calls “ecclesiastical hitchhikers” (p. 169) - no meaningful commitment and no meaningful participation.
• Visible/Invisible Church distinction is real. However, we must have a high view of Visible Church; must have a biblical view of the objectivity of the covenant.
• “As to why the Church has fallen on such hard times, historians tell us that an overemphasis on the “invisible” Body of Christ by evangelical leaders produced an implicit disregard for the visible Church. However, membership in an invisible Church without participation in its local expression is never contemplated in the New Testament” (p. 170).
• The author quotes from the Swiss Second Helvetic Confession: “For as there was no salvation outside Noah’s ark when the world perished in the flood; so we believe that there is no certain salvation outside Christ, who offers himself to be enjoyed by the elect in the Church; and hence we teach that those who wish to live ought not to be separated from the true Church of Christ (Chapter 27)” (p. 171).
• And from the Westminster Confession of Faith: “The visible church . . . out of which there is no ordinary possibility of salvation” (Chapter 25.2).
• Together we are “co-heirs with Christ” (Romans 8:17). “In the Church we do more than come into each other’s presence—we share membership together” (p. 172).
• Therefore, be committed to the visible church (cf. p. 175).
• From the “Food for Thought” section: “What do our attitudes toward church and toward Christ have to do with each other? If the latter is misguided, will the former do any good?” (p. 177)
• From the “Think About It!” section: “List as many strengths and weaknesses as you see in your church. Now write down the ways you personally are contributing to each of these, and also specific ways you can be part of changing the weaknesses” (p. 177).

Chapter 15 - Discipline of Leadership

• Biblical leadership consists of (a) character, (b) qualifications, (c) commitment.
• Author summarizes Biblical teaching on leadership: Biblical leadership is servant-leadership.
• Looking through the lens of Moses-Joshua narrative, the author lists attributes for leadership:
• Prayer: the foundation of spiritual leadership; our power comes from God.
• Vision: one’s vision of God will shape one’s vision for living, i.e., service, leadership, etc.
• Devotion: “True spiritual leadership is born for devotion and demands to be closeted with God. We cannot name one great leader in the Church who has not made personal worship a top priority. . . . There is no spiritual leadership apart from passionate devotion” (p. 183).
• Magnanimity: 50 cent word for selflessness/generosity of spirit (see Numbers 11:28-29). “Those who qualify for spiritual leadership are big-hearted, supportive Joshuas to each other and to all those around” (p. 184).
• Leadership & Faith: “Without exception, great spiritual leaders have a faith that towers above their contemporaries. The grammar of their lives is ‘By faith, by faith, by faith . . .’ (see Hebrews 11)” (p. 185).
• Leadership & Holy Spirit: “There is no spiritual leadership apart from the fullness of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, it follows that if we aspire to leadership in the Church, we must be full of the Holy Spirit. Practically, this means that we must continually confess our sins, keep ourselves in God’s Word, and continually submit to God, asking the Spirit to fill us. The telltale sign of this will be that we effervesce Christ (Ephesians 5:17-20). As we walk and serve in the Spirit, the Spirit will ordain us to specific tasks in the Church, and these will be tasks of leadership at all levels, be it waiting tables or heralding the gospel” (p. 186).
• Expendability: “The transition from Moses to Joshua was like going from poetry to prose. Yet, God did not need Moses. Even Moses was expendable!” (p. 187).
• “It goes without saying that leadership per se involves many more elements beyond the seven qualities instilled in Joshua. But one thing is sure: leadership must have a dream, a vision, a mental image, a precise goal of what is to be accomplished. Vision is the currency of leadership. A vision or dream must grab the leader, and when it does, it will pull others along. The challenge of leadership is so great today because modern man is dreamless” (p. 187).

Chapter 16 – Discipline of Giving

• History again and again reveals that men are mastered by their wealth, e.g., see story spanning from 1923 to 1948 (p. 191).
• How to avoid this? “The grace of giving” (p. 193).
• “Giving” in the OT (pp. 192-194). All those percentages add up.
• “Giving in the NT (p. 194-195). “Their [the poor Macedonians] remarkable giving was the result of their first giving themselves to God. It is so simple: when all one has is given to God, giving to others becomes the natural reflex of the soul. . . . This is where grace giving must begin – giving ourselves completely to God. Grace giving cannot exists without this (cf. Romans 12:1)” (p. 195).
• We are not “clubbed” into giving. We are grateful because Christ gave all for us. We are united to Christ, who gave all, therefore, we bear fruit (grace of giving). The Lord's Service is corporate discipleship that "forms" us; God serves us in the Lord's Service (e.g., called into his presence, our sins are forgiven, washes us in Word, feeds us at Table, sends us out strengthened to get dominion in the world through/by service).

Chapter 17 – Discipline of Witness

• Witnessing – “average” avenues of everyday person-to-person witness (all can do this regardless of gifting or calling), see p. 202.
• An example: Andrew brought others to Christ (pp. 203-207). Author's comments on Andrew's ministry were compelling.
• We need to realize the “value of relationships” – it takes (1) time, (2) effort, (3) emotional investment, etc. See p. 209 for ideas/examples for how to invest in relationships.

Chapter 18 – Discipline of Ministry

• Disciplined in:
• Labor: Labor for Christ and Church. “Big hearts, the enlarged hearts that God uses, are laboring hearts which, though weary, will willingly be expended as necessary” (p. 215). See 1 Thessalonians 2:9 and 2 Corinthians 11:27 – laboring night and day; laboring in all types of afflictions--this is persistent labor.
• To Reach Out: Example of Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4). You cross barriers, you radically hurdle the conventional barriers of today, etc. Humbly goes after even “least of these.”
• In Perspective: Learn to look at world through ministry/servant eyes. See spiritual opportunities. Be attentive/sensitive to the leading of the Spirit, e.g., while driving in a car the Spirit lays it upon you to pray for a passing car, etc. So, look for spiritual potential – “part of an eternal drama in which each Christian has a special part to play” (p. 218). What is my calling? What is my perspective? What am I supposed to do? Etc. God has called each of us to participate meaningfully in the Kingdom of Heaven. 

Reading Notes: Disciplines of a Gody Man, Chapters 6-9, by R. Kent Hughes

Reading Notes for Introduction and Chapters 1-5.

 

Chapter 6 - Discipline of Mind

• Christians are called to the renewal of their minds, e.g., "But we have the mind of Christ" (1 Cor. 2:16 & Rom. 12:2).
• God uses "means" to accomplish this. We should not despise the "means" that God uses. Specifically, Phil. 4:8--Whatsoever is true/noble/right/pure/lovely/admirable/excellent/praise-worthy . . . think about such things.
• The author suggest focusing your mind on such things by leveraging 1) Scripture and 2) Christian Literature.
• The thing to beware of when applying Phil 4:8 is Legalism. Don't be a prude and don't stick your head in the sand like an ostrich. Phil. 4:8 is applied to your life by doing more than merely controlling what you focus on. You discipline yourself regarding what you focus on and how you focus.
• Christians need to know how to Discern and Decide. This is wisdom. Know how to interrogate and analyze current events, your local community, a movie, a novel, the facts of your own life, etc.
• What you focus on, and How you focus, exercising Discernment and Decision-making, etc., all of this requires Disciplining our Minds.

I am aware of the wise warnings against using words like "all," "every," and "always" in what I say. Absolutizing one's pronouncements is dangerous. But I'm going to do it anyway. Here it is: It is impossible for any Christian who spends the bulk of his evenings, month after month, week upon week, day in and day out watching the major TV networks or contemporary videos to have a Christian mind. This is always true of all Christians in every situation. A Biblical mental program cannot coexists with worldly programming. . . . Not watching TV will liberate so much time, it will become virtually impossible not to become a deeper person and a better Christian. . . . I am not suggesting a new legalism which forbids TV and the cinema. . . . But I am calling for believers to take control of their minds--what comes in and what goes out (p. 75).

 

You can never have a Christian mind without reading the Scriptures regularly because you cannot be profoundly influenced by that which you do not know (p. 77). 

 

Chapter 7 - Discipline of Devotion

• Devotion begins with listening. Devotion is meditation that listens to God's Word.
• Regarding Scripture: Like the righteous man that Psalm 1 describes -- "Murmor it. Memorize it. Pray it. Say it. Share it" (p. 86).
• Where the rubber meets the road: "How much time do you generally spend in conversation with God?" (p. 93)

Chapter 8 - Discipline of Prayer

• Praying "in the Spirit" occurs through the indwelling Holy Ghost, see Rom. 8:26-27.
• Convicting questions -- Have you learned the discipline of continual/persistent prayer? Do you have tenacity and persistence in praying for your family? For your church? Do you have a written prayer list for use during disciplined prayer?
• The following quote is a modest but excellent goal -- the author recommends:

Better to commit yourself to a total of fifteen minutes and maintain it--with perhaps five minutes of Bible reading, five minutes of meditation, and five minutes of disciplined prayer. A regular time of devotion and prayer will become a habit, and the habit of prayer will give wings to your spiritual life (p. 105).

Chapter 9 - Discipline of Worship

• The author highlights the meaning and importance of worship.
• See page 111 for a survey of worship in the Bible.
• Worship is to be God-centered.
• Worship is the priority of man's life, e.g., What is the chief end of man? To glorify God and enjoy Him forever.
• The author says that worship takes discipline. "Many Christians have never though through the meaning and importance of worship" (p. 100).
• The author provides practical direction for prayer/preparation on Saturday evening, as well as on Sunday morning, for Lord's Day Worship (see pages 118-119). God uses these spiritual disciplines to prepare us to worship God "in spirit and in truth."

There is no getting around it: worship requires discipline. We are to worship God "in spirit and in truth," and this is impossible without discipline. We must discipline ourselves to know God's truth so we can worship Him in truth. We must discipline our human spirit, so that authentic affections pour in spirit from our hearts to God. We must discipline ourselves in preparation for corporate worship, and that does not begin with the thirty seconds after we have breathlessly sat down (p. 118).

Disciplines of a Godly Man, Chapters 1-5

INTRODUCTION

Chapter 1:

This is a call for breaking a "spiritual sweat" for the sake of Spiritual Discipline, i.e., 1 Tim. 4:7 -- "Train yourself to be godly." Connotes casting off all that is getting in the way of godliness; disciplining yourself so you are unencumbered.

Men, we will never get anywhere spiritual without a conscious divestment of the things that are holding us back. What things are weighing you down? The call to discipline demands that you throw it off. Are you man enough? (p. 14)

 We must check our motives for spiritual discipline.

For many, spiritual discipline means putting oneself back under the Law with a series of Draconian rules which no one can live up to -- and which spawn frustration and spiritual death. But nothing could be farther from the truth if you understand what discipline and legalism are. The difference is one of motivation: legalism is self-centered; discipline is God-centered. The legalistic heart says, "I will do this thing to gain merit with God." The disciplined heart says, "I will do this thing because I love God and want to please Him." There is an infinite difference between the motivation of legalism and discipline! (p. 15)  

 Section 1 - "RELATIONSHIPS"

Author brings up the most important areas for which a man needs to be disciplined, i.e., personal purity, marital faithfulness/discipline, fatherhood, etc. The author does not skirt around the important issues but brings them up right away and addresses them head-on.

Chapter 2 - Disciplines of Purity

The story of King David's sexual sin with Bathsheba, and his subsequent breaking of all the rest of the 10 Commandments, is a sober reminder that no one is above temptation (2 Samuel 11). Be humble and never let your guard down. Beware of "rationalization".

Just when we think we are the safest, when we feel no need to keep our guard up, to work on our inner integrity, to discipline ourselves for godliness -- temptation will come! (p. 24) 

 Chapter 3 - Disciplines of Marriage

Break a spiritual sweat and discipline yourself in marital faithfulness. Also, do not take your wife for granted. Marital love ought to be a sanctifying love, a love that is efficacious. A benchmark for godly disciplines within marriage:

Is my wife more like Christ because she is married to me? or she like Christ in spite of me? (p. 38)

 Men need to strive for excellence in the discipline of communication in their marriages. Husbands need to be disciplined listeners.

The stereotype is the husband buried in the morning newspaper at breakfast, preferring to read a news agency report of the latest scandal in a European government, the scores of yesterday's athletic contests, and the opinions of columnists whom he will never meet rather than listen to the voice of the person who has just shared his bed, poured his coffee, and fried his eggs, even though listening to that live voice promises love and hope, emotional depth and intellectual exploration far in excess of what he can gather informationally from The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Christian Science Monitor put together [Quotation from Eugene Peterson's Working the Angles](p.41).

 Chapter 4 - Disciplines of Fatherhood

We must discipline ourselves so that our hearts are turned towards our children. Scripture demands that we not exasperate our children, therefore, we must put on the discipline of "tenderness." Being "busy" is not the same thing as being disciplined. This truth especially applicable to fatherhood.

Men, time is the chrysalis of eternity -- there is no other time but the present. I realize we all go through periods in our lives when we have little time for our families -- it is part of the natural rhythm of life. But excessive "busyness" must not be by choice -- as it so often is! We must beware of packing our schedules by saying "yes" to things which mean "no" to our families. Now is the time to take time. There is no other! Will you do it? (p. 54)

 Chapter 5 - Disciplines of Friendship

Jesus Christ is the chief example for the discipline of friendship -- Christ's example teaches us that Christian friendship is efficacious, it elevates others.

The deepest of friendships have in common this desire to make the other person royalty. They work for and rejoice in the other's elevation and achievements. There are no hooks in such friendships, no desire to manipulate or control, no jealousy or exclusiveness -- simply a desire for the best for the other" (p. 62).

No matter what our disposition, we need to work at friendliness. We need to be consciously cheerful. We need to ask questions. We need to place ourselves in situations where friendships happen. . . . Men, we must place ourselves in the ways of friendship: an adult Sunday school class, a home Bible study, a men's Bible study, a men's breakfast group, men's retreats, and, especially, a service in some ministry of the church. Women are so much better at this than men. We must learn from them to take the initiative (p. 65).