Doing Well

Galatians 6:9–10 ESV

9 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. 10 So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.

(ESV) —9 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. 10 So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.

There are two kinds of tired. The first is the tired we get when we do nothing or something that is routine. The second is the tired we get after a hard workout.

There are two kinds of tired. The first is the tired we get when we do nothing or something that is routine. The second is the tired we get after a hard workout.

This past week Ellen and I tried to get some exercise. I often feel weary at night. It’s the kind of weariness that comes from sitting, talking to people, reading and contemplating the great things of the universe.

I have a Fitbit and my daughter used my name to put out a challenge to several family members. That is called motivation. I usually do around 5000 steps a day, half of what is suggested. I ended up averaging around 16000 steps a day. When I went to bed at night, the tired was a different kind of tired. If my ankles, knees and back hadn’t stayed up talking to me, I would have had a real good sleep.

It is possible that people can be tired of “doing.” They go to work every day and end up “putting in the time.” They didn’t used to say that they were just “putting You have been teaching Sunday school or involved in Junior Church. You have been working in a ministry for a long time and feel you “need a break.”

In my time as a pastor, I have learned that a person who “needs a break” often ends up retiring from ministry. Though some take a break and come back, many take a break and never come back. What sounds so good on the surface has a measure of deception at its core.

There are things we should be weary of… We should be weary of sin. We repeat it so much that we should be tired of it and work actively with God to change.

We should be weary of half-hearted commitment to Christ. If one ever talks to a half-hearted Christian who decides to go all out for Christ, you are talking to someone who will lift your spirits and challenge you in an amazing way.

We should never be weary of “well-doing.”

This morning I want to look at what well-doing looks like. We will look at what Paul said, what Aristides said, and what we are doing here.

Paul

Paul gives us a glimpse of what well-doing looks like.

2 Corinthians 8:1–5 ESV

1 We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, 2 for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. 3 For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, 4 begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints— 5 and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us.

(ESV) —1 We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, 2 for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. 3 For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, 4 begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints— 5 and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us.

1 Timothy 5:8 ESV

8 But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

(ESV) —8 But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

(ESV) —3 Honor widows who are truly widows.

1 Timothy 5:3 ESV

3 Honor widows who are truly widows.

(ESV) —13 For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

Galatians 5:13 ESV

13 For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

(ESV) —14 For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

Galatians 5:14 ESV

14 For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

(ESV) —1 Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.

Galatians 6:1 ESV

1 Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.

Galatians 6:2 ESV

2 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

(ESV) —2 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

(ESV) —6 Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches.

Galatians 6:6 ESV

6 Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches.

We also can witness what the church did in its early days. What good things did Christians do? If you or I were a member of the early church, how would we have been encouraged to participate in the life of the church?

Aristides

Aristides was a Christian philosopher. Around 125 A.D. he wrote the Roman emperor, Hadrian, a letter defending the Christians. What is amazing is the description of Christians less than 100 years after Jesus died on the cross. Notice how Christians treated people and what they were known for.

Today many Christians are known for what they are against. They are against abortion, homosexuality, certain political leaders, and false teachers. It is good to be against certain things.

But if our identity is that we are people who are “against” and we are not known what we are “for”, if we are known for our bad news and not our good news, then we are missing something important. Here is what Aristides said about the early Christians. As I read this, I ask you, “Is this you”? Would you be a vital part of this kind of Christianity?

Aristides wrote,

“But the Christians, O King, while they went about and made search, have found the truth; and as we learned from their writings, they have come nearer to truth and genuine knowledge than the rest of the nations.

For they know and trust in God, the Creator of heaven and of earth, in whom and from whom are all things, to whom there is no other god as companion, from whom they received commandments which they engraved upon their minds and observe in hope and expectation of the world which is to come.

Wherefore they do not commit adultery nor fornication, nor bear false witness, nor embezzle what is held in pledge, nor covet what is not theirs. They honour father and mother, and show kindness to those near to them; and whenever they are judges, they judge uprightly.

They do not worship idols (made) in the image of man; and whatsoever they would not that others should do unto them, they do not to others; and of the food which is consecrated to idols they do not eat, for they are pure.

And their oppressors they appease (lit: comfort) and make them their friends; they do good to their enemies; and their women, O King, are pure as virgins, and their daughters are modest; and their men keep themselves from every unlawful union and from all uncleanness, in the hope of a recompense to come in the other world.

Further, if one or other of them have bondmen and bondwomen or children, through love towards them they persuade them to become Christians, and when they have done so, they call them brethren without distinction.

They do not worship strange gods, and they go their way in all modesty and cheerfulness. Falsehood is not found among them; and they love one another, and from widows they do not turn away their esteem; and they deliver the orphan from him who treats him harshly.

And he, who has, gives to him who has not, without boasting. And when they see a stranger, they take him in to their homes and rejoice over him as a very brother; for they do not call them brethren after the flesh, but brethren after the spirit and in God.

And whenever one of their poor passes from the world, each one of them according to his ability gives heed to him and carefully sees to his burial. And if they hear that one of their number is imprisoned or afflicted on account of the name of their Messiah, all of them anxiously minister to his necessity, and if it is possible to redeem him they set him free.

And if there is among them any that is poor and needy, and if they have no spare food, they fast two or three days in order to supply to the needy their lack of food.

They observe the precepts of their Messiah with much care, living justly and soberly as the Lord their God commanded them. Every morning and every hour they give thanks and praise to God for His loving-kindnesses toward them; and for their food and their drink they offer thanksgiving to Him.

And if any righteous man among them passes from the world, they rejoice and offer thanks to God; and they escort his body as if he were setting out from one place to another near.

And when a child has been born to one of them, they give thanks to God; and if moreover it happen to die in childhood, they give thanks to God the more, as for one who has passed through the world without sins.

And further if they see that any one of them dies in his ungodliness or in his sins, for him they grieve bitterly, and sorrow as for one who goes to meet his doom.”

If we want to see a group of people who were not weary in well doing, we do well to look at the early Christians who supported one another emotionally, spiritually and financially in their times of need.

They had a good reputation among the Christians.

Aristides was a Christian who was telling Hadrian, about how positive and good the Christians were.

Many of the Romans were persecuting Christians. They were persecuting them for their ideas. They were not persecuting them for their deeds.

The world may not care about the church because of what she does. They may oppose her because of what she believes.

Palermo Christian Church

This begs the question, “What are we known for within the Christian community? Are we known for the good things we do or for something else?”

In October we are having a missions conference unlike any I have ever been a part of. The presenters are coming from churches that are known among the Christian community for what they do.

We heard Rick Perry last May. His church is known for reaching out to homeless people. Tim Hunt is the pastor of the Evangelical Free Church in Solon. They are known for providing a shelter for women in need. Ken Hawley is coming from a ministry that is known for helping youth in prison both while they are in and in the transition out.

There are people in the world that oppose every one of those ministries. But if any of us had to write a letter as Aristides did, we would also speak of the good these churches and ministries are doing.

We face the same situation here. Some in the community think we are a positive asset, and others don’t have such a high opinion.

When Christians hear about our clothing exchange, our benevolence work done by the deacons, our Senior Dinners, and the work with Celebrate Recovery, they have positive things to say. Why? They have positive things to say because they can see that we are not weary in well-doing.

We were alerted to a need this past week. Someone in Celebrate Recovery has a history of recovery followed by relapse. This person is now in a place of recovery. They will receive treatment and then go to a 90-day program to try to get on top of their issues. 90 days is a long time to commit to a program. The cost for the 90 day program is $5000, $5000 that this person does tot have. They do not attend this church, though they do attend CR. We are announcing the need to you today. Some of you may not feel the need to help. Others may be prodded by the Holy Spirit to help this person afford treatment. There is another church that is also stepping up to try to help this person. Teaming together could be a huge spiritual encouragement to this person. Sobriety combined with the spiritual support could make a long-term difference for him and his family. If you want to help see Dan Sprague or write a check to the church and put on in CRH for Celebrate Recovery help.

One reason that some people are weary in well doing is because they lack support. The people who served before them became weary and when the new people came, they said, “hallelujah” and ran for the door. If both had stayed, they could have provided mutual support.

The final question is simply this: If God does not want us to be weary in well doing, what are we doing for others in the name of Jesus?

There are needs all around us. The person in Celebrate Recovery is one. Help for those working on the front of the church is another. People to step forward to work with our Junior and Senior High youth is another. There are people who are facing tragedies, surgeries, and financial struggles all around us. The opportunities to serve Christ are tremendous.

Galatians 6:9 ESV

9 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.