Weary in Doing Good
Scripture Reading: Galatians 6:1-10
1 Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual
restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you
also be tempted. 2 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of
Christ. 3 For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing,
he deceives himself. 4 But let each one examine his own work, and then he
will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. 5 For each one shall
bear his own load.
6 Let him who is taught the word share in all good things with him who
teaches. 7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man
sows, that he will also reap. 8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh
reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap
everlasting life. 9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due
season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. 10 Therefore, as we have
opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the
household of faith.
In the last month or so we’ve been talking about growing up in the Lord; maturing,
becoming responsible. For those of us who have already grown up you know that
many times it’s not that our work is so hard but it’s the monotony that gets to you.
You wake, go to work, come home, eat, watch tv, go to bed, wake up and start the
cycle all over again. We’ll be taking a look at that aspect of our Christian life
today.
In verse one Paul tells the Galatians two things to do if someone is caught up in
wrongdoing. The first thing is to restore him with a spirit of gentleness. Paul says
that those who are spiritual should do this. Evidently, not just anyone should get
into it. A babe in Christ or one who has not matured in the Spirit should likely stay
away from such things until they have matured in Christ. Many times when one
baby Christian tries to tell another baby Christian what they should or should not
do, it causes conflict. Notice also that he says we should restore him in a spirit of
gentleness; not of anger or even frustration. This is something that often gets
forsaken when we see someone doing wrong. Our flesh wants us to just get right
in there and tell him what he’s doing wrong. It’s easy to start fussing or getting
judgmental either of which will not end up serving the purpose. Many will point of
that even Jesus got angry, but if you’ll notice He only got angry at the learned
men who knew the scripture and therefore should have known better. You never
see Him getting angry with the people in general. He wept for the people. Even
prayed for the people. Jesus showed people their sin in such a gentle, loving way
that they would tell Him thank you after He was done. We have to remember to
be gentle and loving as we exhort each other.
The second thing he says is that we need to consider ourselves lest we be
tempted. I think this is why it’s so important to leave this to those who are
spiritually mature. When I first got saved I remember having a vision that at the
time really concerned me. I was at the blood bank selling plasma; we all went like
once a week and got paid $15 or something like that. Yes, Jesus has brought me
a long way since then. Anyway, I had finished and was waiting for Jeff or Ed so I
went outside and was standing on this brick flower box that was in front of the
building. All of a sudden I saw muck and mire below my feet and hands reaching
up for help. I remember the thought I had was what was going to keep me from
getting pulled down with them if I reached down to pull them up. I went home and
called my mother and we began analyzing the vision and I realized that in order to
pull anyone up, I would need to be properly anchored first. We must anchor
ourself in the acceptance of Christ as our Savior and in the word of God. Just like
a lifeguard must have the proper equipment when he goes to save someone who
is drowning so that they don’t pull him down as well.
1 Corinthians 15:33 - Do not be deceived: “Evil company corrupts good
habits.”
Next, we should bear each other’s burdens and in so doing fulfill the law of
Christ. We are supposed to be renewing our mind to the mind of Christ. Christ
was not out for His own gain or glory. He was always concerned about the people
and their salvation. When we see a brother in trouble and don’t help them when
we can help, we are showing that we do not yet have His priorities. Helping each
other when we can is a sign that we are on the right track.
In the same way, we can’t just sit back and let others take care of all our burdens
without doing what we can to carry our own weight. If we act as if we are all high
and mighty and others are supposed to take care of us because we’re so special,
then we are fooling ourselves. Each of us needs to bear our own load. If we all
do the task God has purposed for us to do, then everything will get done.
2 Thessalonians 3:11-15
11 For we hear that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly
manner, not working at all, but are busybodies. 12 Now those who are such
we command and exhort through our Lord Jesus Christ that they work in
quietness and eat their own bread. 13 But as for you, brethren, do not grow
weary in doing good. 14 And if anyone does not obey our word in this epistle,
note that person and do not keep company with him, that he may be
ashamed. 15 Yet do not count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a
brother.
He tells us that the one who is taught should share with the teacher. A lot of
people think that the preacher only works one day a week and just for an hour
but that’s really not true. I know that one sermon usually takes me at least 3 or 4
hours to complete. That doesn’t take into account any of my personal Bible study
time. Between listening to different studies on mp3, watching on television, and
reading it is not hard to spend at least 30 hours every week just studying. And
that does not include working on the sermon. My mother likely spends twice that
just staying prepared. We still do our other work. I see why Paul said that we
should share with those who teach.
1 Timothy 5:17-18
17 Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor,
especially those who labor in the word and doctrine. 18 For the Scripture
says, “You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain,” and, “The
laborer is worthy of his wages.”
Whoever it is that God has put you under to be discipled, you should support
them. I’m a tither, but whether you are or not is not important. Whether you bring
your tithe to that storehouse or an offering or give your time or donate food or
even pray, you should be supporting those ministries that feed you spiritually.
And it’s not nearly just about money and it’s not about guilt either. I encourage
each one to pray and ask God for guidance over your giving. With the Father
giving you your direction you can’t go wrong.
Next he goes back to the law of sowing and reaping. In our eyes it often looks like
those who do evil are the ones who are prospering while those who do right seem
to struggle but the author makes it clear that God is not mocked. If you sow evil
you will reap evil and when you sow good you will reap good in due season. Jeff’s
dad was telling us about his brother-in-law’s farm. He explained that the year
they visited them in Nebraska they had a hundred and fifty acres of wheat that
had not come up because of foul weather. I can only imagine how disheartening
that must be. Working so hard all those months to prepare the soil and to plant
and to nurture the crop. They were going to have to plow it under and start fresh
without being able to harvest. Sometimes that happens in our spiritual life. But if
we are able to hold on, endure to the end; we will see our harvest. This is why he
encourages us not to grow weary in doing good. Don’t ever get to where you
may think that doing right has no reward. Remember, God will not be mocked.
You will reap what you sow if you do not lose heart!
Psalm 37:1-7
1 Do not fret because of evildoers,
Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity.
2 For they shall soon be cut down like the grass,
And wither as the green herb.
3 Trust in the LORD, and do good;
Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.
4 Delight yourself also in the LORD,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
5 Commit your way to the LORD,
Trust also in Him,
And He shall bring it to pass.
6 He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light,
And your justice as the noonday.
7 Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him;
Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way,
Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.
So, let us look forward to doing good to all whenever we have an opportunity. He
says especially to our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. We have to lift each
other up because we know that the world is trying to put us all down. But even to
unbelievers and those that we might think don’t deserve it. We must strive to do
good when we have the opportunity. In many cases we might be the only Christ
that they’ll have an opportunity to see. Now, God does not expect us to be
doormats either. The key is for us to stay plugged in to the Holy Spirit so we can
be led. If we see a homeless person and we go up and give them $50 we might
think we’ve done good but that person might go buy heroin and overdose and
die. So it would have been a curse not a good thing. We have to be receptive to
listening to the leading of the Spirit so we can follow His will and not our own. So
if we get taken advantage of, so what. Let it go! It may have had some purpose
we can’t see. When Jeff had his CDs stolen from his truck we said we hope they
listened to them, since they were all Christian CDs, and got saved. Maybe they
sold them to someone who listened and came to know Christ. Who knows? We’
re like tiny little ants on a Rembrandt painting trying to analyze what the different
colors and textures mean. We can’t see the big picture so let’s stop trying to
figure it out.
Isaiah 40:29-31
29 He gives power to the weak,
And to those who have no might He increases strength.
30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary,
And the young men shall utterly fall,
31 But those who wait on the LORD
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint.
It really comes down to whether you trust YHWH or not. Is He really you Lord?
Do you really believe He knows the end from the beginning so that He can lead
you properly? If you do then why would you let yourself grow weary? The enemy
is going to try his best to beat you down, do not let him do it. Remember that God
is your strength.
Sermon by: Denise Baxley
Date: October 12, 2008
Scripture Reading: Galatians 6:1-10
1 Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual
restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you
also be tempted. 2 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of
Christ. 3 For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing,
he deceives himself. 4 But let each one examine his own work, and then he
will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. 5 For each one shall
bear his own load.
6 Let him who is taught the word share in all good things with him who
teaches. 7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man
sows, that he will also reap. 8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh
reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap
everlasting life. 9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due
season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. 10 Therefore, as we have
opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the
household of faith.
In the last month or so we’ve been talking about growing up in the Lord; maturing,
becoming responsible. For those of us who have already grown up you know that
many times it’s not that our work is so hard but it’s the monotony that gets to you.
You wake, go to work, come home, eat, watch tv, go to bed, wake up and start the
cycle all over again. We’ll be taking a look at that aspect of our Christian life
today.
In verse one Paul tells the Galatians two things to do if someone is caught up in
wrongdoing. The first thing is to restore him with a spirit of gentleness. Paul says
that those who are spiritual should do this. Evidently, not just anyone should get
into it. A babe in Christ or one who has not matured in the Spirit should likely stay
away from such things until they have matured in Christ. Many times when one
baby Christian tries to tell another baby Christian what they should or should not
do, it causes conflict. Notice also that he says we should restore him in a spirit of
gentleness; not of anger or even frustration. This is something that often gets
forsaken when we see someone doing wrong. Our flesh wants us to just get right
in there and tell him what he’s doing wrong. It’s easy to start fussing or getting
judgmental either of which will not end up serving the purpose. Many will point of
that even Jesus got angry, but if you’ll notice He only got angry at the learned
men who knew the scripture and therefore should have known better. You never
see Him getting angry with the people in general. He wept for the people. Even
prayed for the people. Jesus showed people their sin in such a gentle, loving way
that they would tell Him thank you after He was done. We have to remember to
be gentle and loving as we exhort each other.
The second thing he says is that we need to consider ourselves lest we be
tempted. I think this is why it’s so important to leave this to those who are
spiritually mature. When I first got saved I remember having a vision that at the
time really concerned me. I was at the blood bank selling plasma; we all went like
once a week and got paid $15 or something like that. Yes, Jesus has brought me
a long way since then. Anyway, I had finished and was waiting for Jeff or Ed so I
went outside and was standing on this brick flower box that was in front of the
building. All of a sudden I saw muck and mire below my feet and hands reaching
up for help. I remember the thought I had was what was going to keep me from
getting pulled down with them if I reached down to pull them up. I went home and
called my mother and we began analyzing the vision and I realized that in order to
pull anyone up, I would need to be properly anchored first. We must anchor
ourself in the acceptance of Christ as our Savior and in the word of God. Just like
a lifeguard must have the proper equipment when he goes to save someone who
is drowning so that they don’t pull him down as well.
1 Corinthians 15:33 - Do not be deceived: “Evil company corrupts good
habits.”
Next, we should bear each other’s burdens and in so doing fulfill the law of
Christ. We are supposed to be renewing our mind to the mind of Christ. Christ
was not out for His own gain or glory. He was always concerned about the people
and their salvation. When we see a brother in trouble and don’t help them when
we can help, we are showing that we do not yet have His priorities. Helping each
other when we can is a sign that we are on the right track.
In the same way, we can’t just sit back and let others take care of all our burdens
without doing what we can to carry our own weight. If we act as if we are all high
and mighty and others are supposed to take care of us because we’re so special,
then we are fooling ourselves. Each of us needs to bear our own load. If we all
do the task God has purposed for us to do, then everything will get done.
2 Thessalonians 3:11-15
11 For we hear that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly
manner, not working at all, but are busybodies. 12 Now those who are such
we command and exhort through our Lord Jesus Christ that they work in
quietness and eat their own bread. 13 But as for you, brethren, do not grow
weary in doing good. 14 And if anyone does not obey our word in this epistle,
note that person and do not keep company with him, that he may be
ashamed. 15 Yet do not count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a
brother.
He tells us that the one who is taught should share with the teacher. A lot of
people think that the preacher only works one day a week and just for an hour
but that’s really not true. I know that one sermon usually takes me at least 3 or 4
hours to complete. That doesn’t take into account any of my personal Bible study
time. Between listening to different studies on mp3, watching on television, and
reading it is not hard to spend at least 30 hours every week just studying. And
that does not include working on the sermon. My mother likely spends twice that
just staying prepared. We still do our other work. I see why Paul said that we
should share with those who teach.
1 Timothy 5:17-18
17 Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor,
especially those who labor in the word and doctrine. 18 For the Scripture
says, “You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain,” and, “The
laborer is worthy of his wages.”
Whoever it is that God has put you under to be discipled, you should support
them. I’m a tither, but whether you are or not is not important. Whether you bring
your tithe to that storehouse or an offering or give your time or donate food or
even pray, you should be supporting those ministries that feed you spiritually.
And it’s not nearly just about money and it’s not about guilt either. I encourage
each one to pray and ask God for guidance over your giving. With the Father
giving you your direction you can’t go wrong.
Next he goes back to the law of sowing and reaping. In our eyes it often looks like
those who do evil are the ones who are prospering while those who do right seem
to struggle but the author makes it clear that God is not mocked. If you sow evil
you will reap evil and when you sow good you will reap good in due season. Jeff’s
dad was telling us about his brother-in-law’s farm. He explained that the year
they visited them in Nebraska they had a hundred and fifty acres of wheat that
had not come up because of foul weather. I can only imagine how disheartening
that must be. Working so hard all those months to prepare the soil and to plant
and to nurture the crop. They were going to have to plow it under and start fresh
without being able to harvest. Sometimes that happens in our spiritual life. But if
we are able to hold on, endure to the end; we will see our harvest. This is why he
encourages us not to grow weary in doing good. Don’t ever get to where you
may think that doing right has no reward. Remember, God will not be mocked.
You will reap what you sow if you do not lose heart!
Psalm 37:1-7
1 Do not fret because of evildoers,
Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity.
2 For they shall soon be cut down like the grass,
And wither as the green herb.
3 Trust in the LORD, and do good;
Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.
4 Delight yourself also in the LORD,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
5 Commit your way to the LORD,
Trust also in Him,
And He shall bring it to pass.
6 He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light,
And your justice as the noonday.
7 Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him;
Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way,
Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.
So, let us look forward to doing good to all whenever we have an opportunity. He
says especially to our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. We have to lift each
other up because we know that the world is trying to put us all down. But even to
unbelievers and those that we might think don’t deserve it. We must strive to do
good when we have the opportunity. In many cases we might be the only Christ
that they’ll have an opportunity to see. Now, God does not expect us to be
doormats either. The key is for us to stay plugged in to the Holy Spirit so we can
be led. If we see a homeless person and we go up and give them $50 we might
think we’ve done good but that person might go buy heroin and overdose and
die. So it would have been a curse not a good thing. We have to be receptive to
listening to the leading of the Spirit so we can follow His will and not our own. So
if we get taken advantage of, so what. Let it go! It may have had some purpose
we can’t see. When Jeff had his CDs stolen from his truck we said we hope they
listened to them, since they were all Christian CDs, and got saved. Maybe they
sold them to someone who listened and came to know Christ. Who knows? We’
re like tiny little ants on a Rembrandt painting trying to analyze what the different
colors and textures mean. We can’t see the big picture so let’s stop trying to
figure it out.
Isaiah 40:29-31
29 He gives power to the weak,
And to those who have no might He increases strength.
30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary,
And the young men shall utterly fall,
31 But those who wait on the LORD
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint.
It really comes down to whether you trust YHWH or not. Is He really you Lord?
Do you really believe He knows the end from the beginning so that He can lead
you properly? If you do then why would you let yourself grow weary? The enemy
is going to try his best to beat you down, do not let him do it. Remember that God
is your strength.
Sermon by: Denise Baxley
Date: October 12, 2008