GALATIANS 6:9-10 | DON’T QUIT

TEXT: GALATIANS 6:9-10 | DON’T QUIT

INTRO

ILLUSTRATION: The pancake breakfast at the first Saturday basketball practice of the year.

As a first timer on the junior varsity squad, I was ready to quit!

EXPLANATION: Paul is coming to the end of his letter to the Galatian churches.

Following these two verses Paul is going to give his parting thoughts before closing the pages.

Lord willing, we will only have two more messages in this powerful book that we have carefully walked through.

In the coming weeks Paul will be giving them some parting reminders to finish his letter.

But here in v.9-10, Paul gives a couple final commands.

These are instructions to conclude what he has been discussing through most of chapter 5 and thus far into chapter 6.

His closing instruction begins with a deep and almost emotional plea at the beginning of v.9

Galatians 6:9 KJV 1900

And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

If we could summarize the first half of this verse, Paul is telling them… “Don’t quit!”

Amidst the false teachers trying to get them off track

Amidst the struggle to stay faithful to what they had been taught

Amidst the battle with their flesh to walk away from God

Paul’s plea is clear… “Don’t quit”

ILLUSTRATION: Social media is a powerful thing.

For all of the negative things it promotes, there are a couple of positive things it can be used for.

One of those potentially positive things is it makes staying connected with people at great distances is significantly easier

And while that can be a good thing, it can also be a heartbreaking thing.

It has often been a window through which I have watched many who were once faithful to Lord, but through circumstances of life, have walked away from God.

Some who once faithfully served God, and now they have wrecked their marriages, their families, and have wrecked their relationship with God.

I guess we could say it this way… Some who have quit on their faith.

APPLICATION: Church, can I plead with you like Paul pled with those in Galatia… “Don’t quit”

There will be times that you will grow weary in living for God

There will be times when you are ready to throw in the towel

There will be moments when the grass may seem greener on the other side

But friend, don’t quit!

Maybe you are here this morning and you are hanging on by a thread.

It took everything in you to come to church this morning.

I hope and pray that this morning’s message with be the will give you the charge you need to keep going.

Because everyone of those Facebook friends, and even some that once walked through the doors of this church, they all walked through the doors of the church one last time.

And then they walked out and quit on their faith.

Friend, don’t let that be you!

This morning, I want to walk through these two verses and give us some reminders, that by God’s grace will empower us not to quit!

To continue on faithfully for the Lord!

V.9b, THE PROMISE

Galatians 6:9 KJV 1900

And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

EXPLANATION: Paul gives one of the wonderful promises in Scripture… if we stay faithful doing the things God has told us to do, the harvest day will come.

Stay faithful walking in the Spirit and not the flesh

Stay faithful restoring those who have fallen

Stay faithful bearing one another’s burdens

Stay faithful serving one another.

Stay faithful serving Christ!

ILLUSTRATION: A farmer plants the seed in the ground in spring.

It’s a step of hope and faith that the seed that is put in the ground, will in time, bring forth fruit.

EXPLANATION: Paul tells these believers, “don’t quit… the harvest will come”

But there is a big difference between the farmer who plants the seed in the earth and the Christian striving to live faithfully for God.

The farmer has a rough idea of when that harvest should come in.

But for the Christian, Paul says it will come in “due season”

The Greek word for “due season” is the word kairos

It has the idea of “at the right time”

It’s the same word Paul used back in Galatians 4:4

Galatians 4:4 KJV 1900

But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,

Paul is telling the believers here that when they are faithful to God, the blessings will come at “just the right time”

APPLICATION: But if we can be honest here this morning, that is one of the great struggles of the Christian life.

We go to work each week because we know at the end of the week, or two weeks, or at the end of the month, we are going to get paid for what we have done.

But God doesn’t give a timeline for when the harvest is going to come in for our good works.

In fact, it’s impossible to know if we are going to see the fruit of our labor here on this earth or one day when we enter into eternity.

All way know is the promise, “In due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”

ILLUSTRATION: William Carey arrived in India in 1793 with a burden to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ to those who had never heard the name.

For seven years he proclaimed the gospel message faithfully week after week, month after month, with not a single native of India converted to Christ.

Through years of struggle and doubt, Carey was often discouraged but never defeated.

To his sisters back home in England he wrote:

I feel as a farmer does about his crop: sometimes I think the seed is springing, and thus I hope; a little blasts all, and my hopes are gone like a cloud. They were only weeds which appeared; or if a little corn sprung up, it quickly dies, being either chocked with weeds, or parched up by the sun of persecution. Yet I still hope in God, and will go forth in his strength, and make mention of his righteousness, even of his only.

On December 28, 1800, Carey baptized in the Ganges River his first Hindu convert, a carpenter named Krishna Pal.

William Ward, who witnessed the dramatic deliverance of this man from the grip of paganism into the glorious truth of the gospel, wrote in his diary:

“Ye gods of stone and clay, did ye not tremble, when in the Triune Name one soul shook you from his feet as dust?”

This was the beginning of a mighty harvest of souls that God granted to Carey and his coworkers at their Mission in India.

APPLICATION: How long would you and I stay faithful serving God without seeing any tangible results?

How long would we stay faithful doing good not knowing when God was going to bless… only knowing that one day He would?

What will it take to stop you from faithfully following God?

If we are just being honest this morning, many Christians aren’t even willing to start doing the good we’ve looked at in the past weeks unless they are guaranteed some earthly reward up front.

“I’ll help you… but what are you going to do for me?”

Aren’t you thankful that isn’t the way Christ came to you?

You had no hope and nothing to offer to Christ.

Isaiah 64:6 KJV 1900

But we are all as an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; And we all do fade as a leaf; And our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

Romans 3:10–12 KJV 1900

As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

Friend, we all are condemned to stand before God empty handed because there was nothing we could do to save ourselves from the eternal punishment of a lake of fire.

There were no good works that you could do

No baptism would be enough

No church attendance would be enough

No promises made to God would be enough

Not even offering your life to God is enough

Ephesians 2:9 KJV 1900

Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Titus 3:5 KJV 1900

Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

But God was so faithful and so good that Romans 5:8

Romans 5:8 KJV 1900

But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

You see it isn’t about what you can do for God… it’s all about what He did for you.

He isn’t interested in you stealing any of His glory with the good things you have done.

No it is either all Him or nothing at all.

What is our part?

Romans 10:9–10 KJV 1900

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Romans 10:13 KJV 1900

For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Friend, if you have never accepted Christ as your Savior, it is the most important decision you will ever make.

And the gift of salvation He gives wasn’t about what you could do for Him first… it was all about what He already did for you!

When it comes to salvation, it is finished!

But when it comes to serving, well that is the call of a lifetime.

Don’t ever quit!

Even when it may not seem like you are ever going to see any results, don’t quit!

Because in due season, we shall reap if we faint not.

IT’S A WONDERFUL PROMISE

V.10a, THE OPPORTUNITY

Galatians 6:10 KJV 1900

As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

EXPLANATION: Paul instructs these Galatian believers to look for “opportunities” to do good.

The Greek word for “opportunity” is the same word he uses for “due season” in the previous verse.

Paul is doing a play on words

He says “You’ll see the blessing of God at the opportune time… so, you like God should be looking for the opportune time to bless others.”

ILLUSTRATION: A couple weeks ago, as I was preparing this message, I had listened to a message by Alistair Begg.

He made a statement in regard to this verse that was incredibly impactful to me.

He said, “the devils favorite day is tomorrow.”

Why?

Because we always plan to do good tomorrow.

But when we always plan for tomorrow, we never do that good today.

ILLUSTRATION: When I was in Bible college in southern California, a group of guys from our dorm decided they were going to make a couple trips to The Price is Right.

There were only so many spots in the car, and I had a lot going on so I told them I would try to go another time, and so another guy went in my place.

That guy’s name got called

He ended up in the end bidding on the final showcase… and he was close enough that he won both showcases

I went through some serious regrets about putting off that opportunity until another time.

Maybe I just graciously gave him my opportunity…

APPLICATION: Friend, do you look for opportunities to “do good” for people?

If someone has a need and you have the ability to meet that need, do you do it?

Proverbs 3:27 KJV 1900

Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, When it is in the power of thine hand to do it.

When the opportunity comes to do those things Paul has mentioned in this chapter, do you pass by thinking “maybe next time?”

Paul was encouraging these Galatian believers, look for opportunities to serve and bless others!

ILLUSTRATION: When I was going into my sophomore year of college, I desired greatly to go to a Christian school.

But there was just no way my family was going to be able to afford it.

I’ll never forget when we were sitting on the couch in the living room and they shared with me that the Vest family from our church wanted to encourage my desire to follow God and they paid the $3000 for me to go to that Christian school.

I was at Bible college and I was doing everything I could to pay my school bill.

I needed $200 to pay that next payment, and it was Tuesday night and the bill was due on Wednesday.

I remember opening up my mailbox and finding a receipt for a payment that had been made to my account for $9,410.

And on the bottom of the receipt it showed it had been paid by the Vest family.

There had been so many times that people had needs in the church and mysteriously, the need was met.

APPLICATION: Now you may not be able to give thousands… but all of us could look for opportunities just to be a blessing.

There have been a couple of occasions that I’ve shown up to church planning to shovel the sidewalk only to find it had already been done with no idea who had done it.

People who have seen needs and just stepped in to fill those voids.

You know what they were doing… they were just looking for opportunities.

Do you know what is going to take WBC to levels we’ve never been before?

When everyone just starts looking for opportunities to bless someone else.

It’s kind of like when Jesus said over in Matthew 22:39

Matthew 22:39 KJV 1900

And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

It kind of sounds like what Paul said back in Galatians 6:2

Galatians 6:2 KJV 1900

Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.

Friend, just start looking for opportunities to do good.

V.10b, THE RECIPIENTS

Galatians 6:10 KJV 1900

As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

EXPLANATION: Paul finishes this verse by telling who we should be looking to do good to: all men… and especially to them who are of the household of faith.

I think the “all men” part is pretty clear.

This eliminates any prejudice or preferences

Jesus actually told us that we are to love our enemy.

Matthew 5:44 KJV 1900

But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

Paul said it this way in

Romans 12:20 KJV 1900

Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.

APPLICATION: We’ve even seen some conflict in our own community and there has been divisiveness and some real ugliness at times from all sides.

And I know everyone feels justified in their positions and I also know that there are times we have to take stands.

But can I tell you where the divisive, mean spirited responses lead to… more divisive, mean spirited responses.

Can I share a couple Bible verse that could help in times of conflict: Proverbs 15:1

Proverbs 15:1 KJV 1900

A soft answer turneth away wrath: But grievous words stir up anger.

Proverbs 13:10 KJV 1900

Only by pride cometh contention: But with the well advised is wisdom.

Friends, it is the job of Christians to demonstrate good to “all men”… and that includes those we might consider our enemies.

EXPLANATION: And then Paul mentions the last part, “especially them who are of the household of faith.

The great commentators are divided on who all this is referring to.

Some believe it is alluding back to what Paul had said in v.6 about taking care of the one who is teaching and preaching.

Others take a more broad view, saying it is talking about being a blessing to the church as a whole.

I don’t think we can be dogmatic either way.

But I think what Paul is getting across here is that we are going to be spending eternity with one another…

So maybe we should try to be a blessing to each other now.

APPLICATION: I love our church.

I love the sweet spirit that has been fostered here.

It is always a blessing when we have a guest speaker in and I ask them, what did you think of our church… almost every time the first thing they say is, “There is just such a sweet spirit.”

Church… don’t lose that.

Let’s continue to be intentional about looking for opportunities to do good!

CONCLUSION

This morning, maybe you have come today and you have never trusted in Christ as your Savior

Today would be a good day to accept Him.

Don’t believe the lie of Satan that tomorrow would be just as good.

2 Corinthians 6:2 KJV 1900

(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)

Do it Today!

Maybe your eyes have been a little too turned inwardly.

Let’s look for every opportunity to be a blessing to others… and especially those brothers and sisters in Christ within the doors of our church.

Let’s show the world that their is a difference when it comes to the church house!

And whatever you do today… DON’T QUITE.

Because in due season… we will see those blessings, if we faint not!