Drawing Closer to God by Daily Discipline

by Preacher Nicko Sapnu last July 12, 2017

From childhood, we always hear the word discipline. If you have been with your parents or guardian long enough, you will hear the word discipline. No one has gone past youth without having heard of that word. If you did something bad, people will say you have no discipline. In our country, you will hear many people complain about others that they have no discipline. But have you heard someone complain about a pastor or a Bible student that he has no discipline?

The present culture of our present society is summed up in this expression: “This is me. You have nothing to do with it.” Television shows advise us to be proud of ourselves, naughty or nice. And so everyone has his own definition of discipline. Your dad, your mom has their definition of it. Your pastor and even the president of our country. Where would we situate ourselves then?

Let us go to where the Bible says about it. Biblically, discipline is the ability to show willingness to obey rules and instruction. Meaning, discipline boils down to the word obedience. You student, how many here of you know how to obey? And another question is, until when are you willing to obey? Now if you have obeyed, is it out of the sincerity of your heart? When I was a student here, I know of some who obey their teacher but at their teacher’s back, they make a mockery of the teacher of him, even ridiculously imitating his mannerisms. That is hypocrisy. You can wear nice clothes to make you look polite but the inside of your heart can be otherwise.

This afternoon, let’s talk about our heart because the heart is the root of everything. If you did something, surely, by 100%, it came from your heart. In the Bible, there is a parable about the wheat and the tares. The Lord allowed them to grow together. The difference between them can sure be spotted by the fruits they will bear. So here in the seminary, it doesn’t mean that you wear the same uniform, you all wear long sleeves and neck ties, you are the same. It depends on what seeds you have sown. You are all the same Bible student but you do not have the same quality of work.

The Bible says keep thine heart with all diligence for out of it are the issues of life. That means, we should fix our hearts. Let us be watchful of our hearts, very carefully, because everything we will be doing will be from our hearts. And what does the Bible say about heart? The heart is deceitful above all things and is desperately wicked. The heart is the one who contains bad thoughts in a funny way. That is why for others, doing bad is okay. But what they don’t know is that it is wrong. It came from the heart.

I always like to laugh. I want people around me happy. The heart always like naughtiness but it conceals it. What more? What does a deceitful heart mean? It makes you to desire on false expectations. Our hearts always seek that which will make us happy temporarily. So you see, the heart is deceitful above all things. So how is your heart? Be careful you might be trusting your heart.

You now, there are some students who like to rush over things. It will cause you wrong decisions. Many wrong decisions come from the heart. And when you blame the devil for it, he will celebrate because once again he had triumphed over you.

Furthermore, the heart will give you grievous suffering and pain. If you trust your heart today, do you think you will be safe? It can be quite dangerous. Today you feel up, tomorrow you feel down. The same with our calling. Today you feel happy, and you say to yourself, “I will become a pastor.” Tomorrow you’re sad, you will say, “I may not become a pastor.” You feel down and your ministry is affected. You are a songleader, and you can’t lead the congregation to enthusiastically sing. You take good care of your ministry, it might be lost from you and it might never come back. Brethren, we all have peculiar problems, but let us see to it that our ministry is not affected by it. Even if you are in deep poverty, the ministry is still ministry.

A week ago, our grandma is in the ICU. And there is one member who is asking for my help. Can I say that I cannot help you we also have a problem, our grandma is in the ICU. Can I do that? I can. But I just can’t. I must attend to the person. I will leave my grandma in the hospital just to help that person. Why? It’s because our ministry is the people. It’s not when you’re happy, the ministry is okay But when you are not, it is not. If you’re feeling up, you’re in the Bible School. if not, you can’t be seen here. We must remember that the moment we entered Bible School aspiring to become a pastor someday, you have to give your all now. For all the down moments, encourage yourself to God. Only in Him you can do that.

So what must we do? Three things. First, trust with the Lord with all thine heart. This heart of ours, this must trust God. Our prayers must be like, Lord please take charge of this heart. This heart loves that which it should not. Lord, you must be the center of this heart. I entrust it to you. May you put here what is your plan in my life.

Be careful, if you are a Bible student and you are not a soulwinner. And then you will say I will become a pastor someday? Don’t you know that to become a pastor is first to become a soulwinner? Age is not an excuse. The moment we got saved, we ought to let the light of salvation shine before men. When does a candle give its light? It is right after you have kindled it. The same goes with sharing the Gospel of salvation. After we get saved, we must follow on to serve the Lord. And why do serve him? It’s because we trust Him. We lean not unto our own understanding. I know you are intelligent people. But it is better if you are intelligently in the will of God. The decisions we treat as insignificant or trivial are the ones who can break us. Let us not be wise in our own eyes. Fear the Lord and depart from evil. When you trust the Lord, you will give everything to Him.

What more? Love the Lord thy God with all your heart. You will not just trust God but you will also love Him with all thy heart. If you love a person, you will do anything just to make that person happy. For example, if you have a wife, you will do not do anything that will cause the sadness of her heart. To your wife, she may not see it or not, you will not do that which is wrong because you don’t want to see her sad. Why? because you love her. Love the Lord thy heart with all thine heart. Are there any of you here who still practice cheating? You know, when we are a student, let us be students. So that when it is our time to be teachers, our students will listen. All we require them they will submit to us. Don’t be hasty to reach things. Don’t act as if you are already a pastor.

Last point, ask God to purify your heart. In your work, can they see God in it? If you do an assignment, can they see God in your work? If you say a word, will they hear God in it? Everything you do in your life, will they see God there? Be careful, our heart might be unclean. Remember, God will never use an unclean vessel. Do you want to be successful in our ministry? Make your heart pure everyday. Whatever you clothe yourself with, if your heart is not pure God will never use it. They will never see God in you. If you want to be a disciplined, get right with God. There might be some petty sins we hide secretly in our hearts. Let us get right with God.