How To Do Well In Well Doing
Notes
Transcript
INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION
This is a little verse, but oh man, it's amazing how the Lord can pack so much stuff into one little verse...We are going to look at just a few things from here tonight with the help of the Lord. Let's dive right in tonight... In this one little verse, Paul teaches us five important truths about service...
Where we must focus........"well doing"
What we must fear............."getting weary"
When we must flourish......"in due season"
What we must not forget..."we shall reap"
Why we must fight............."faint not"
If we look at the entire chapter, we will see that there is a lot of well doing going on here...
Restoring
Restoring
1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.
Bearing
Bearing
2 Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.
5 For every man shall bear his own burden.
Proving
Proving
4 But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.
Sharing
Sharing
6 Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things.
Sowing
Sowing
7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
Reaping
Reaping
8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
Paul knew that if the child of God wasn't careful, they could and would become weary of the work...As the old saying goes, "It's alright to become weary in the work, as long as you don't become weary of the work."
The fact of the matter is that many have fallen out because they forgot how to do well, in well doing...
I'ma be real honest, it's easy to get burned out and get discouraged in trying to do well.
If you get focused on what the devil, that deceiver, that accuser, is saying to you, you will grow weary in well doing, and if you don't do something about it, you'll fall out...
When I say fall out, I'm not talking about losing salvation or anything like that, I'm talking about you quitting, you'll live your life in spiritual defeat!
Adrian Rogers tells about a man he pastored for years that was on his deathbed.
He said as he sat next to the man, the man looked at him and said, pastor, I'm ashamed to die, I'm not ready...Bro. Rogers asked him what do you mean, what do you need...thinking maybe the man needed to get saved, but the man told Bro. Rogers that he was saved, he'd be going to Heaven, but he was ashamed to meet Jesus because he wouldn't have anything to give him...
The man told Bro. Rogers that day that he was saved, no doubting that, but had spent the last 40 years or so of his life doing nothing but sitting on a pew and he was embarrassed to die because he had nothing to show for it!
Now listen to me right here…the devil would each one of us today to grow weary and stop, but there's encouragement for us in the Word of God!
We know what to do to prevent this, so that's the focus of tonight's message. "How To Do Well, In Well Doing"
There are some things that can discourage you in well doing...
People can discourage you...
People can discourage you...
1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.
Burdens can discourage you...
Burdens can discourage you...
2 Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.
Pride can discourage you...
Pride can discourage you...
3 For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.
I'll also say concerning this verse that others talking about their achievements can make you feel worthless...social media has proved that one...
I have to tell myself every day…don't get so focused on someones highlight reel that the devil gets you thinking about what all you don't have...We are a blessed people, each one of us.
I like what one person said about it..."Don't use social media to impress people; use it to impact people..."
So, with all this stuff in mind, what then is the key to doing well, in well doing?
The answer is a simple one...The key to doing well, in well doing is to be Spirit filled...
That's one thing missing among so many of God's people today...And because it's missing in our personal lives, it's missing in the Church...That is a sad commentary... I want you to notice some things here...
It's the spiritual man who restores...
It's the spiritual man who restores...
1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.
It's the spiritual man who can bear burdens...
It's the spiritual man who can bear burdens...
2 Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.
It's the spiritual man who proves...
It's the spiritual man who proves...
4 But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.
It's the spiritual man who shares...
It's the spiritual man who shares...
6 Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things.
It's the spiritual man who sows to the spirit...
It's the spiritual man who sows to the spirit...
8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
It's the spiritual man who reaps...
It's the spiritual man who reaps...
9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
Let's look at a few things back in chapter 5 concerning the Spirit and I'll be done...Big introduction, short message...
THE COMMAND FOR WALKING IN THE SPIRIT
THE COMMAND FOR WALKING IN THE SPIRIT
16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
To walk in the Spirit first means that the Holy Spirit lives in you.
Second, it means to be open and sensitive to the influence of the Holy Spirit.
Third, it means to pattern your life after the influence of the Holy Spirit.
Too many Christians today treat this verse like it's an option instead of a command...the Bible gives us a direct order though to walk in the Spirit...
Just to be honest, walking in the spirit tonight will require energy, effort, and exercise from us...It's doesn't come natural to this old flesh...We'll see why in the next verse...
THE CONFLICT OF WALKING IN THE SPIRIT
THE CONFLICT OF WALKING IN THE SPIRIT
17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
The flesh and the spirit do not agree at all, they are two different natures that war against each other and if you're saved, you've got both waging war inside of you...
We must make the decision as to which one will dominate our lives.
When the spirit rules, we live in victory. When the flesh rules, we live in defeat.
Sad to say, but it's clear to see that most of God's children are living in defeat.
THE CHARACTER OF THOSE WHO ARE WALKING IN THE SPIRIT
THE CHARACTER OF THOSE WHO ARE WALKING IN THE SPIRIT
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
The Word of God lists nine characteristics right here or fruits of one who is walking in the Spirit...
God is good enough and big enough to change everything with the fruit of the Spirit.
The fruit of the Spirit can always conquer the works of the flesh.
I like what James Boice wrote about this: “Life by the Spirit is neither legalism nor license – nor a middle way between them. It is a life of faith and love that is above all of these false ways.”
Fruit has several important characteristics:
· Fruit isn’t achieved by working, but is birthed by abiding.
· Fruit is fragile.
· Fruit reproduces itself.
· Fruit is attractive.
· Fruit nourishes.
Notice back in chapter 5 verse 19, Paul used the plural in describing life after the flesh (works of the flesh), but he uses the singular (fruit, not fruits, of the Spirit).
Leon Morris wrote, “It may be significant that the word fruit is singular; Paul is not speaking of a series of fruits that would be shared around, so that one believer has one, another, another. Rather he is referring to a cluster, such that all the qualities are to be manifested in each believer.”
A man who is walking in the Spirit won't have to tell everybody about it, but others will be able to see it.
The Spirit will manifest itself in that person's life.
CONCLUSION
CONCLUSION
We've seen from this chapter 6 and chapter 5 how to do well in well doing, but I'll close with a couple verses out of chapter 5...
Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth? This persuasion cometh not of him that calleth you.
Think about that tonight... Paul remembered their good start in the faith, but he also knows that it isn’t enough to start well.
At the root of it all, the Galatians were leaving Jesus to pursue the false and empty teachings of man, in this case legalism.
Just a little about the word hindered: J.B. Lightfoot wrote, what is a "...metaphor derived from military operations. The word signifies ‘to break up a road’… so as to render it impassable, and is therefore the opposite of… ‘to clear a way.’”
The Galatians were doing well until someone broke up the road they ran on.
Who did hinder you? Remember tonight, that persuasion to give up, to give in, to sit down and do nothing…It’s not coming from the one that called you! We need to be sober and vigilant tonight! The Bible says that we aren’t ignorant of Satan’s devices! These feelings and persuasions are not coming from God…So why is it so many of us have given up?