While you're at it

This morning we are finishing out our year by finishing the book of Galatians, which we were working on before Christmas. It seemed fitting to me to finish the year with this beautiful conclusion of Pauls letter as he gives us some closing thoughts, some final instructions and corrections, and some lasting encouragements.

I like to work with my hands. I enjoy building and fixing and putting things together. I do want that to be on my terms. So if you see me working on something and I don’t look like I am having a good time - something has probably gone wrong.

In my mind, though, getting tools out - and putting them back - is a whole task of its own. So once I get going,

I like to do as many things as I can with those tools before I put them away. I do the first, necessary task, and then while I’m at it, I do a handful of other things. Because I already have the tools in my hands.

For instance..

Our toilet was leaking in the downstairs bathroom. Easy repair, just reset the toilet with a new wax ring - and then caulk around the front three sides of the toilet so that it looks nice and water from the floor doesn’t get trapped under the toilet.

So I brought in the tools, and one of the things I brought in for this project was my battery powered caulk gun.

Now that thing, is awesome.

It is very fast.

I fix the toilet, apply a nice bead of silicone, and smoothed that out.

And now here is the critical point.

I already had the caulk gun and various other tools in the house.

I already had silicone on my hands and jeans.

I have already gotten this far.

And that trim over there never got put back when we replaced the floor.

No problem. A couple of nails from the brad nailer - which is in the box next to me, switch out to some painters caulk instead of the bathroom sealant and we can fix that up real quick.

Ope. As I am standing in the kitchen I see some kick plates on the bottom of the cabinets that had fallen down - again, when we replaced the floor.

But now, its easy, because I already have the tools in my hands.

From there, I am on a roll. Anything and everything in the house that needs a couple of nails and some glue is getting fixed right now.

And the impact was incredible! I had to be aware of the situation.

I had to have the tools.

And I had to be willing to keep going.

At any point, I could have stopped and said, no, I was just here to do the toilet, and that’s done, so Im done. And if someone else was there giving me those instructions and saying “while you’re at it you may as well fix that over there” I probably would have. That’s not nice to contractors or spouses. If someone else was bossing me around, I might have quit. I was doing this to myself though, and I was enjoying it. So as I looked around, I thought - you may as well do these things, while you’re at it.

And that is the title to my message this morning. While you’re at it.

Galatians 6 ends Paul’s letter to Galatians.

He has built up to this point, haven given the Galatians training, knowledge, and tools for living a Christian life. He has explained the fruit of spirit, and how to live according to God’s will.

He has passionately defended the Gospel of Grace. He has hope that they will understand the work of Christ on the Cross.

And now he closes. With a few quickfire instructions that fall into this category of “While you’re at it”

Galatians 6 CSB

1 Brothers and sisters, if someone is overtaken in any wrongdoing, you who are spiritual, restore such a person with a gentle spirit, watching out for yourselves so that you also won’t be tempted. 2 Carry one another’s burdens; in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. 3 For if anyone considers himself to be something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. 4 Let each person examine his own work, and then he can take pride in himself alone, and not compare himself with someone else. 5 For each person will have to carry his own load. 6 Let the one who is taught the word share all his good things with the teacher. 7 Don’t be deceived: God is not mocked. For whatever a person sows he will also reap, 8 because the one who sows to his flesh will reap destruction from the flesh, but the one who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life from the Spirit. 9 Let us not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we don’t give up. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us work for the good of all, especially for those who belong to the household of faith. 11 Look at what large letters I use as I write to you in my own handwriting. 12 Those who want to make a good impression in the flesh are the ones who would compel you to be circumcised—but only to avoid being persecuted for the cross of Christ. 13 For even the circumcised don’t keep the law themselves, and yet they want you to be circumcised in order to boast about your flesh. 14 But as for me, I will never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. The world has been crucified to me through the cross, and I to the world. 15 For both circumcision and uncircumcision mean nothing; what matters instead is a new creation. 16 May peace come to all those who follow this standard, and mercy even to the Israel of God! 17 From now on, let no one cause me trouble, because I bear on my body the marks of Jesus. 18 Brothers and sisters, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.

There are a bunch of instructions here for the believer.

But you already have your tools.

You are already dirty.

Take care of this stuff too.

It needs done.

No one else is going to do it.

Its just you.

Your world.

Your house.

The people you influence.

You already have the stuff. And its just life.

You may as well knock these things out, while you’re at it.

If someone is overtaken in any wrongdoing, restore such a person with a gentle spirit.

We understand forgiveness, we have received it for ourselves. We know what it is to be restored, Jesus did that for us.

We who are spiritual, are called to restore those people. Restoration means to put them back.

Now, if they fell down and got dirty, we might want to wipe them off in the process and help them get cleaned up. But that comes with putting them back.

The words in the middle of verse one were what triggered this line of thinking for me. This was where the Lord said to me “who else is going to do it?”

The answer is no one. The world might have a sobriety plan, but they don’t have a restored to life plan.

There is a warning here. Watching out for yourself so that you also wont be tempted.

If you are restoring with someone who has a drinking problem - and that’s an issue for you too, maybe get some help, or wait for them outside. Because going in the bar might be a whole problem for you.

Be careful.

Restore people.

And, while you’re at it,

2. Carry one another’s burdens. We did a whole word study on this phrase “one another” because there are so many instructions in scripture about how we are to care for and provide for one another. It is a big deal. That word in greek is Alellion. and we studied 31 different times it is found in the new testament.

This is the fulfillment of that promise from Jesus in Mark 10:29-30. We become family for one another, we become eachother’s keepers.

And while you’re at it…

3. Watch yourself. Be careful of comparisons and judgements of others. Look at what you are doing, and what the Lord has asked you to do and just do that.

You have your own problems, and you have your own assignments. Think rightly of yourself. You are special, but you aren’t that special. You know what I mean?

And while you’re at it..

4. Take care of your pastor and your teachers.

It is such an honor to serve this church. To come up here week after week and to teach the word of God. To talk to you throughout the week and to remind you - “yeah but the word says” and hopefully set you back on the right track.

This is one of many times that Paul reminds the churches that they need to be taking care of the people who do that. I want to say, as a church, you do this well, at least for me.

This is a reminder for all of us though, that we are supposed to be co-dependent. You have set Eden and I, and for the youth, Ron and Elizabeth to the task of dedicating ourselves to God’s word.

We - all of us - aught to be careful how much we expect our teachers to be deacons.. and for those of us who teach, how much we take on ourselves to do all of the things.

Share your good things with the ones who share the best things with you. Again, I want to say, we are blessed to serve here. We are well taken care of.

And while you’re at it.

5. Sow Spiritual things.

The way that you spend your time talent and treasure should reflect the spiritual reality that you live in.

The more you invest in this - in these, spiritual things - the more it grows. In you, in your house, in your community.

And we reap eternal life.

When you start investing in those things of the flesh, those things grow, and they start to take over. You will reap destruction from the flesh. And while you’re at it.

6. Don’t fall out.

Don’t grow weary of doing good.

Paul wouldn’t write it if we didn’t need to hear it.

Pastors fall out - christians get what they call church hurt.

We get tired. Honestly, we get exhausted. This is all too much.

Seriously. We can’t possibly do it.

But we do it.

And we lean on ourselves.

And we get tired.

And we don’t rest.

And we don’t recover.

falling out is incredibly dangerous.

Church splits.

Generations of families dropping out of faith entirely.

Paul hits us with a bunch of instructions, all at once to end the book of Galatians. Its a lot.

But they are supposed to be reminders of a lifestyle we are already living.

Corrections to chaos that we might be falling into.

The year is over. And for modern american people, this marks another chapter in our lives. 2025.

It has been a dousey. We have seen wonderful things, and woeful things.

We have seen marriages and divorces in our family here.

We have seen promotions and job losses.

Funerals, and births.

Too many of you have been in the hospital, though they don’t keep many of you long enough for me to make it there.

It’s like “I was almost dead a moment ago, but they are sending me home!”

And life keeps going.

We keep living.

The chapter changes, we hang new calendars, but it is still the same life.

Its a good thing. We are having a good time. So, while you’re at it.

Remember these closing instructions from Paul.

Restore People.

Carry one anothers burdens

Watch yourself.

Take care of those who give you good things.

Sow Spiritual things.

Don’t fall out.