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Galatians 5, beginning in verse 
16, I say then, walk in the spirit and you shall not fulfill the 
lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the 
spirit and the spirit against the flesh. And these are contrary 
to one another so that you do not do the things that you wish. 
But if you are led by the spirit, you are not under the law. Now, 
the works of the flesh are evident, which are adultery, fornication, 
uncleanness, lewdness. idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, 
jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, 
heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like, of which 
I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, 
that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom 
of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is 
love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness. 
gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 
And those who are Christ have crucified the flesh with its 
passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let 
us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, 
provoking one another, envying one another. 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. Bear one another's burdens, and 
so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks himself 
to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let 
each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing 
in himself alone, and not in another. For each one shall bear 
his own load. Let him who is taught the word 
share in all good things with him who teaches. Do not be deceived. God is not mocked. For whatever 
a man sows, that he will also reap. 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. And let 
us not grow weary while doing good. For in due season we shall 
reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, 
let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household 
of faith. Amen. Well, let us pray. Father, 
thank you for the written word and thank you for the spirit 
of God. And we pray that he would lead 
us now in our study of this section of scripture, help us to be a 
spirit filled church and to conduct ourselves accordingly. Father, 
forgive us for falling short. Forgive us for our sins and our 
iniquities. Cleanse us in the blood of Jesus 
and cause us to pursue these things that are pleasing in your 
sight, to glorify you, to manifest and evidence the fruit of the 
Spirit in our own individual lives and corporately. We ask 
this in Jesus name. Amen. Well, the practical exhortations 
that Paul is giving continue. We looked at verses 1 to 5 last 
week. In chapter 6, this is the outflowing 
or the application of what Paul has said previously in terms 
of walking in the Spirit. He contrasts the work of the 
flesh and then he highlights the fruit of the Spirit. And 
now these practical exhortations are essentially a call to the 
Church that they manifest the fruit of the Spirit in the way 
that they deal with one another. In verses 1 to 5, we saw his 
emphasis on the restoration of sinning brethren. Rather, if 
a man is overtaken in any trespass, verse 1, you who are spiritual 
restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness. You who are spiritual 
are simply those identified in chapter 5, verses 16, 18, and 
25, those who walk in the Spirit. They're not some superclass of 
extra-spiritual people, but rather they are justified by faith-alone 
believers that have the Holy Spirit in their lives. He then 
says in verse 2 that we are to bear one another's burdens and 
so fulfill the law of Christ. And here in verses 6 to 10, he 
highlights the need for loving generosity. Loving generosity. This goes along with what we 
studied this morning, specifically in Matthew 5 at verse 42. where 
Jesus says that we are to be willing to give and willing to 
share with those who have need. Well, Paul carries that thought 
here and applies it. You want to know what a spirit-filled 
church looks like? It's not necessarily in the manifestation 
of tongue speaking or prophesying or things of that nature. A spirit-filled 
church looks like this. They recover sinning brethren. 
They bear one another's burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ. 
They engage in loving generosity. They look out for the needs of 
others and they seek, by the grace of God, to apply those 
things. So what we'll find tonight in 
verses 6 to 10 is first a command to share good things. A command 
to share good things. in verse 6. Secondly, an appeal 
to a general principle in verses 7 to 8, which serves as the reason 
for verse 6, but then leads into a broader application in verses 
9 to 10. So, a command to share good things. 
Secondly, an appeal to a general principle that the Bible everywhere 
sets forth. And then thirdly, the broader 
application in the life and context of Christ's local churches. Notice 
the command to share good things. I must confess at the outset, 
these sorts of passages always make me a bit uncomfortable. 
Sometimes people ask me, do you get nervous before preaching? 
Well, not always, but when it comes to dealing with paying 
pastors, I get very nervous. I don't want to sound like I 
am being self-serving here. There's a temptation, I guess, 
to try and pad these sorts of things and try to manipulate 
people so they'll want to do nice things for you. I come to 
this text confessing I'm very happy, very content, especially 
with this new office. I mean, it's just absolutely 
beautiful. It's wonderful. There's no backhanded. Attempt here to try and guilt 
manipulate anybody so that you'll do nice things for me. I want 
to make sure that everybody understands that it's the word of God. We're 
working our way through the official to the Galatians, and we're going 
to treat this passage. Luther had this to say with reference 
to the subject in his lectures on Galatians. He says all this 
pertains to the topic of support for ministers. He said, I do 
not like to interpret such passages where they seem to commend us 
as, in fact, they do. In addition, it gives the appearance 
of greed if one emphasizes these things diligently to one's hearers. Nevertheless, people should be 
taught also about this matter in order that they may know that 
they owe both respect. and support to their preacher. 
So, that is something of the spirit in which I dive into this. I don't like to interpret such 
passages, for they seem to commend us. But nevertheless, it's where 
we're at in our exposition of Galatians. Notice first, the 
persons involved. Let him who has taught the word. 
You've heard of human before those who received the word. That's the Greek participle that 
is used here. These are the ones who are catechized 
or taught. Notice specifically they are 
taught the word. This is dealing with an ecclesiastical 
context. It's dealing with the church. 
He is not talking about paying teachers at the local college. It's not talking about your philosophy 
professor at the university, not talking about the fourth 
grade science teacher. Interestingly enough, though, 
we never question the validity of paying those particular men. 
He is treating with the context of the local church, and he says 
that let him who is taught the word. Share in all good things 
with him who teaches. Share in all good things means 
to share with someone, to exercise fellowship. The apostle is thinking 
here especially of material things. He is speaking here especially 
of things necessary for the minister, for the pastor, for the preacher 
to live. The idea is simple, the work 
of teaching and preaching assumes preparation, it assumes due diligence, 
it assumes study, it assumes some facility and ability with 
the text of scripture and the ability to open it up and make 
it plain for the hearers. It assumes a good degree of work 
has gone into such a venture, and as a result, Paul says to 
the churches of Galatia, let him who is taught the word share 
in all good things with him who teaches. This does not mean the 
minister should drive a Rolls Royce. It does not mean that 
what the health, wealth and prosperity teachers tell us. It does not 
mean that we have to wear two thousand dollar shoes, but it 
does mean, and I say that because I heard one of these TV preachers 
boast about his need for two thousand dollar shoes, one pair 
of shoes for two thousand dollars. I think that's amazing when you 
can buy a car for the price that your shoes cost. You're probably 
overpaid. That's not what Paul is highlighting 
here. But at the same time, he does 
not expect that men who work diligently in sermon preparation 
and shepherding the flock, seeking to tend to and feed and pray 
for and be available for the flock. He doesn't believe that 
they should live in huts or live on the street or not have adequate 
things to provide for themselves and for their families. You can 
turn back for just a moment to 1 Corinthians 9, where the apostle 
opens up this principle in more detail. What we might call it 
is pastoral remuneration, paying the ox. 1 Corinthians chapter 
9, beginning in verse 3. My defense to those who examine 
me is this. Do we have no right to eat and 
drink? Do we have no right to take along a believing wife, 
as do also the other apostles, the brothers of the Lord and 
Cephas? Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain 
from working? Whoever goes to war at his own 
expense, who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit? 
Or who tends a flock and does not drink of the milk of the 
flock? Do I say these things as a mere man, or does not the 
law say the same also? For it is written in the law 
of Moses, you shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the 
grave. Is it oxen God is concerned about, or does he say it all 
together for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this 
is written that he who plows should plow in hope and he who 
threshes in hope should be partaker of his hope. If we have sown 
spiritual things for you, is it a great thing if we reap your 
material things? If others are partakers of this 
right over you, are we not even more? Nevertheless, we have not 
used this right, but endure all things lest we hinder the gospel 
of Christ. Do you not know that those who 
minister the holy things eat of the things of the temple, 
and those who serve at the altar partake of the offerings of the 
Lord? Even so, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel 
should live from the gospel." If a man is functioning accordingly, 
we're not talking about heretics, we're not talking about people 
that want to make money at gospel ministry. We're talking about 
people that do diligence or that engage in due diligence in the 
study of Scripture, in prayerful shepherding, that are engaging 
in the task that the Lord has called them to. Share with them 
all good things. This is the Apostles instruction. First Timothy, chapter five, 
alludes to this principle as well. First Timothy, chapter 
five, beginning in verse seventeen. Let the elders who rule well 
be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in 
the word and doctrine. Again, honor here does not mean, 
oh, most holy reverend, sir, we bow before you. Honor here 
speaks specifically of material recompense. It has to do with 
payment. It has to do with affording the 
man the ability to provide for his own, thus enabling him to 
comply with the demands of verse eight. If he does not provide 
for his own, he has denied the faith. He is worse than an infidel. The honor that is due here is 
pastoral remuneration. Paul gives us an argument, verse 
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. Do you love that? The Scripture 
says, he quotes the Old Testament and he quotes the New Testament, 
specifically the words of the Lord Jesus from Luke chapter 
10, verse 7. The Scripture is unified. The 
Scripture is unanimous. The Scripture declares unequivocally 
that if a man is functioning as an ox, let him eat the grain 
that falls by the side. The idea, as I said, is very 
simple. The man is called by God and 
set apart as a minister of the Christian gospel, and he takes 
that work seriously and engages in it ably, then share with him 
all good things. Calvin said this. He saw that 
a failure to comply with a verse like this was to renounce or 
to minimize the word itself. In other words, when able, faithful 
ministers are starving to death, that says more about the people 
they are ministering unto. We'll pay specialists a great 
deal of money to tell us whatever it is we need to hear. When it 
comes to paying certain men, however, able, faithful preachers 
They're living in a bad state that reflects on the people. 
Listen to Calvin. He said Paul saw that the ministers 
of the word were neglected because the word itself was despised. You see the problem when the 
minister is neglected or good things are not being shared with 
them, it's because the word itself is despised. If we don't value 
the word, if we don't prize good theology, if biblical exposition 
and sound theology is not important to us, then there'll be no pressure, 
no desire whatsoever to pay the office. And again, I am not saying 
this in some backhanded way. I actually was meditating on 
this text saying, praise God, I think the people in our church 
esteem the word. I really do. I think the people 
in our church love God's Word. So there's no backhanded attempt 
here to guilt manipulate anyone. But he says that Paul saw that 
the ministers of the Word were neglected because the Word itself 
was despised. For if the Word be truly esteemed, 
its ministers will always receive kind and honorable treatment. Again, not Rolls Royces, not 
two thousand dollar pairs of shoes, not easy street. We're 
not living in the garbage dumpster either. Luther said this. He says, only now do we understand 
how necessary this commandment of Paul's about providing for 
the ministers of the churches really was. First, in his lectures, 
he begins to state how, you know, he used to struggle as a papist 
with these passages, because as far as he saw, people were 
giving lots of money to Rome and the priests had land and 
they had all manner of things. He said when he read these passages, 
he used to think, no, don't pay them anymore. They've got land, 
they've got material possessions. But then when he saw the true 
preachers of the gospel, true ministers of the word, and how 
they oftentimes were held in disrepute, this is what he is 
speaking of. He says, there is nothing that 
Satan can bear less than the light of the gospel. Understand 
this. There is nothing that Satan can 
bear less than the light of the gospel. He says when it shines, 
he becomes furious and tries with all his might to extinguish 
it. He attempts this in two ways. 
First, by the deceit of heretics and the might of tyrants. He 
does do that, doesn't he? Satan will dispatch the heretics. Single dispatcher work in the 
hearts of the of the tyrants to oppress people so that the 
light of the gospel will not shine upon them. That is certainly 
a means and method by which Satan engages. And then Luther says, 
secondly, by poverty and famine. Because Satan has been unable 
thus far to suppress the gospel in our territories through heretics 
and tyrants, he is now trying the second way. He is depriving 
the ministers of the word of their livelihood so that poverty 
and famine will force them to forsake their ministry and the 
unfortunate people deprived of the word will eventually degenerate 
into animals. You see, if a man's got to provide 
for his family and preaching the gospel is not facilitating 
that, he has the pressure and the duty and the responsibility 
to feed those children, to feed that wife, to clothe her, to 
tend to her and to care for her. If he is not being remunerated 
by the church, he must then leave his post. If he's a faithful 
expositor, if he's a solid preacher of the word, that is criminal 
to send him out away from that calling so that he must do other 
things to provide for them. Again, it reflects poorly upon 
the hearers. It reflects poorly upon the congregations. Luther went so far as to say 
this. Now, I don't necessarily agree, 
but you see something of his heart. And I'm not saying he's 
wrong. I'm just not convinced that he's right. He goes on to 
say, I am sure that the only reason why the churches in Galatia, 
Corinth, et cetera, were so confused by the false apostles was that 
they had neglected their faithful teachers. They had neglected 
the faithful expositors among them that opened them up then 
to the false apostles, to the influence of wicked man and to 
evil man. So when we look at verse six, 
let him who has taught the word share in all good things with 
him who teaches there is a specific duty enjoined upon the people 
of God that they remunerate those oxen who labor on their behalf. Just to summarize, London Baptist 
Confession, chapter 26, paragraph 10. The work of pastors being 
constantly to attend the service of Christ and his churches in 
the ministry of the word and prayer. It's absolutely crucial. The ministry of the word and 
prayer. Pastor isn't to be a CEO of a Fortune 500 company. He's 
not simply a facilitator. He's not the man that just is 
the visionary amongst them. He is busy. He is diligent. He is an earnest. He is devoted 
to the task of ministering the word and prayer. That's the primary 
function of the pastoral ministry. The apostles set that precedent 
in Acts 6. It's not good that we're being 
taken away from the ministry of the word and prayer. Select 
from among you seven good men in whom is the spirit and wisdom. 
Assign them this particular task. to make sure that the widows 
are not neglected in the distribution of food. It is good to be involved 
in social causes. It is good to feed widows. It 
is good to make sure they don't die from starvation. But the 
apostles saw this as a means to compromise the fidelity of 
gospel truth. That is not good. That is unwise. Shut apart men for this task 
so that we may devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry 
of the word. The confession goes on to say, 
with watching for their souls, as they that must give an account 
to him, it is incumbent on the churches to whom they minister, 
not only to give them all due respect, but also to communicate 
to them of all their good things according to their ability, so 
as they may have a comfortable supply. Again, not two thousand 
dollar shoes, not a Rolls Royce, a comfortable supply. without 
being themselves entangled in secular affairs, and may also 
be capable of exercising hospitality towards others. And this is required 
by the law of nature and by the express order of our Lord Jesus, 
who hath ordained that they that preach the gospel should live 
of the gospel. So, that's Paul's message. You 
want to see a Spirit-filled church? Make sure that able expositors 
of the Word of God have a comfortable supply. Make sure that they are 
looked after and they are taken care of. Notice, secondly, the 
appeal to this general principle. Verse 7. Do not be deceived. You need to be careful. You need 
to watch your hearts. You need to guard against the 
temptation. Do not be deceived. Churches 
can fall prey to this. He goes on to say, God is not 
mocked. Whatever a man sows that he will also read this. is the underlying principle in 
this particular section. Again, Luther in this context 
says all this pertains to the topic of support for ministers. You trace through the Bible, 
you will see this law of sowing and reaping. This law of sowing 
and reaping. You see it in Job. You see it 
in the Psalms. You see it in Hosea. You see 
it in the gospel accounts. You see it in Paul's specific 
appeal there in 1 Corinthians 9. We've already read it. He 
appeals in a like manner in 2 Corinthians when he is calling upon the churches 
to give to famine relief for the churches of Judea. The book 
of Acts portrays this very vividly. And so, what Paul is saying is, 
do not be deceived. God is not mocked. God is structured 
His universe in such a way. God is such an able planner and 
an able facilitator. God is the one who orchestrates 
all things according to the counsel of His will, that what you sow, 
you reap. And if you sow to the flesh, 
you will reap corruption. If you sow to the spirit, you 
will reap everlasting life? What's the meaning in the context? 
Those who do not esteem able expositors of the Word evidence 
that they don't esteem the Word. If you don't esteem an able expositor 
of the Word, it evidences that you don't esteem the Word. Now, you may not like the guy, 
all that's fine. Fire him, get somebody in there 
that you can collectively honor and carry out your biblical duty 
for. It's going back to that point, a refusal to share all 
good things with those who teach the Word. Evidence is a lack 
of esteem for the Word. Now, just follow me. When we 
don't esteem the Word, When we don't esteem those things that 
are spiritual in nature, what are we esteeming? Make no mistake 
about it, we esteem something, don't we? And by esteem, it has 
the idea of using for our benefit. We will esteem carnal things. We will esteem the trinkets of 
our age. We will esteem our own priorities. We will esteem those things that 
please us. You see what Paul is saying here. 
He who sows to his flesh, he who neglects the word, he who 
manifests this by failing to provide for those who competently 
preach the word, he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh 
reap corruption. Do not be deceived. God is not 
mocked when you despise his word, when you reject that word, when 
you try to fill up your life with carnality, your end will 
be corruption. You see, it's not a difficult 
principle, is it? You might say it this way. If 
you plant apple seeds in the ground in a few years, you can 
expect an apple tree. What you sow, you reap. If you so esteem for the Lord, 
you reap benefit, you reap good things, you prayerfully and earnestly 
seek to support the ministry of your church. God says, according 
to this passage, there will be blessing again, not two plus 
two equals four. Do this and you'll go out and 
be blessed. That's not what I'm saying. When we despise the Word, 
when we esteem carnality, when we look for those things that 
are fleshly, we will reap corruption. However, when we sow those things 
to the Spirit, we will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. 
Again, it would be hard to imagine in the epistle to the Galatians 
that Paul says, when you sow these things, you'll reap everlasting 
life. That's not what he said. You 
have everlasting life by virtue of justification by faith in 
Christ alone. Having been justified by Christ, 
this is then how you live. You will sow to the spirit. Being spirit-filled men and women, 
you will seek to recover those who fall into a particular prospect. You will bear one another's burdens, 
and so fulfill the law of Christ. You will share all good things 
with those who teach the word to you. God is not mocked. Do 
not be deceived. What you sell is what you read. 
In other words, where you spend your money, evidence is what 
is important to you. How you spend your time, where 
you put your talents into. Time, talents, money, where we 
put them, evidence says what is important to us. Does anybody 
disagree with that? If you do, you've got a problem 
with this basic law of economics, right? What you sow, you reap. 
Did you ever meet somebody who has no interest in the Bible, 
no interest in prayer, no interest in church, no interest in sermons, 
no interest in theology, and yet says they're a Christian? 
So wait a minute, I was always taught if something walked like 
a duck and quacked like a duck, it was a duck. This is what Paul's 
saying. If you don't walk like a spirit-filled 
Christian, you don't quack like a spirit-filled Christian. A 
couple of the ways you manifest that in the context of the church 
is that you recover sinners, you bear one another's burdens, 
and you make sure there's a comfortable supply for those who ably and 
competently preach the word to you. God's not mocked. If you 
sow to the flesh, you will reap corruption. If all that is important 
to you is you, if all that is important to you is your mammon, 
your goods, your benefit, your comfortable supply, if that is 
all that matters to you, you're going to reap corruption. You 
need to be others minded. And then that leads him then 
into the broader application. Look at verses 9 and 10. It's 
beautiful. Let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due 
season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. We'll investigate 
that in just a moment, but look at the application. Verse 10. 
Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all. There 
should be a general benevolence that pervasively influences the 
people of God. There should be a desire to do 
good to all. There should be in you that yearning 
and that longing to try as far as you're able to ameliorate 
the sufferings of the downtrodden and poor. Not because you follow 
Karl Marx, not because you're a communist, but because you're 
made in the image of God. You're being renewed in the image 
of Christ. You want to see the effects of 
sin minimized. You want to see people live life 
abundantly. You want to see people enjoy 
the good things that God has given. There ought to be that 
desire in the heart of a spirit-built Christian to do good to all, 
just like we saw in the Sermon on the In Matthew 542, we ought 
to be willing to give to those who have need. We ought to loan 
money to those who ask. Again, with the necessary qualifications 
in place, we don't want to aid and abet someone in a course 
of sin. If a man does not work, neither shall he eat. The Apostle 
Paul makes that qualification for us in 2 Thessalonians 3. 
Having made all the qualifications, having given all the particulars, 
is there in your heart the desire to do good to all? But, this is what he says, especially, 
especially to the household of faith. Right? That's good to want to send money 
over to China or Timbuktu or Haiti. That's good, as far as 
we're able, as we have opportunity. But brethren, if there's needs 
in the congregation in which you're a part of, especially 
to those of the household of faith, especially to believers, 
especially to Christians, especially to the blood bought children 
of God, especially to those or for those for whom Jesus died, 
especially in your local expression in your local church. Imagine 
if you were talking to a brother that had great needs. You were 
saying, man, I just got a huge check and I sent it over to help 
these people in a foreign country. That's great. Might rise up in 
him to say, man, I'm right here and I have great needs. Right? You see the wisdom of 
our brother? It's good to want to ameliorate 
the downtrodden and the poor. It's good to want to help those. 
But brethren, we have some responsibilities right within our own castle. 
Before we can fix the kingdom, we should make sure the castle 
is taken care of. We should make sure everybody 
here is eating and clothed and has the basics so that there 
may be happiness. Therefore, as we have opportunity, 
let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household 
of faith. Now, let's go back for just a 
moment to verse nine. It's a call to persevere, an 
encouragement to keep on. Let us not grow weary while doing 
good. Isn't that beautiful? Isn't that 
ingenious? Isn't that amazing what the apostle 
writes there? You say, brother, come on, it's 
pretty simple, isn't it? This speaks to a genuine concern. Let us not grow weary while doing 
good. Isn't that the tendency? Isn't 
that the temptation? Generally, we first get converted, 
we're ready to give everything. We're bold with the gospel, we're 
bold with the wallet, we're bold with the whatever. Paul says 
that's good. You new converts, in your zeal, 
in your joy, in your happiness, in the newness of it, you be 
zealous. But to you Christians who have 
been doing that for a season, do not grow weary in doing good. In other words, persevere. Keep 
on keeping on. Realize there's the glory of 
plodding. Realize it's not about fits and 
starts. Realize it's about the long haul. Realize you're not in a hundred 
yard dash, but you're in a marathon to the very end. Let us not grow 
weary in doing good. Sometimes temptations come along 
the way. We might grow weary because we 
have the wrong motives. We might grow weary because we 
want to be viewed by men as being the benevolent one. We might 
grow weary because we have a bad doctrine of justification and 
think that by our doing good, we somehow merit favor with God. We might grow weary because we're 
not recognized. No one puts a plaque on our wall. 
Nobody congratulates us. Nobody says, you're one of the 
most benevolent people I've ever met. If you are faithfully carrying 
out your spirit-filled responsibilities in the Church of Christ, it will 
oftentimes be glamour-less. It will oftentimes not be romantic. It will oftentimes be something 
known only by God and you. So this exhortation, this blessed 
statement of the apostle is something that bears our frequent meditation 
upon. Let us not grow weary while doing 
good. Don't grow weary. That's the 
temptation. What happens when individuals 
grow weary? What happens when the body of 
Christ grows weary? What happens when people start 
doing things for the wrong motives and then they get burned out? 
You hear this sometimes. I served a lot and then I got 
burned. I served a lot and no one ever 
appreciated it. I served a lot and then I just 
got fed up. Paul's words are appropriate. 
Let us not grow weary while doing good. You serve the Master. You serve the Lord Jesus. You 
serve the one who sees in secret. You serve the one who is there 
in the midst of all of your lack of romance, lack of excitement, 
lack of glamour. Christ is there with you. If you've been in our church 
for any time, you've heard of the middle mile. I'd love to 
take credit for that, but I didn't write it. It's a devotional I 
read somewhere. I don't even remember who authored 
it. The point of the middle mile is simply this. When a runner 
begins a race, there's a lot of pomp and show at the beginning 
of the race. Right? Everybody wants to see 
the starting. All the runners bend down, they 
get on their marks, the starter gun pops, and off they go. And 
there's all these people to witness. Hey, there's my son, there's 
my husband, there's my daughter, there's my wife. Run, run, run! 
Lots of pomp, lots of show in that beginning mile. Most races, 
the last part of it is well attended, right? Everybody wants to see 
who won. Isn't that the point of the race? 
Isn't it? I mean, notwithstanding some 
of the influences of our... You just get an A for participating. No, you get an A for winning. 
Right? All that know of this, I get 
an A for participating. I run thus so as to win. So we ought to encourage our 
children. You run to win. I mean, not run over people to 
win, but run to win, be competitive, do good. So everybody comes to 
the finish line, right? You want to see who wins. So 
the beginning of the race and the end of the race is well attended. 
There's lots of eyes, there's lots of hurrah, there's lots 
of encouragement. It's the middle mile that people 
don't go watch. I mean, face it, if it's a 26-mile 
marathon, are you going to go sit at mile 13 to watch people 
run? You're probably not interested 
in that. You're going to be at mile 1 or mile 26. You want to 
see how they start or you want to see how they end. Nobody wants 
to watch mile 13. But that's what proves the runner. 
That's what proves the man in the middle mile. Is he going 
to grow weary? Does he need that external stimulus? 
Does he need the hoopla and the hurrahs of the crowd? Or is he 
running to win because it's right? That's how I take this. Let us 
not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap. Notice the stakes here. If we 
do not lose heart. Faithful, spirit-filled Christian 
living is not the razzmatazz that we often see portrayed. 
Faithful, spirit-filled Christianity is not going out and healing 
people. It's not going out and speaking in tongues. Faithful, 
spirit-filled Christianity is being there for a brother who's 
overtaken in a trespass. Faithful, spirit-filled Christianity 
is being there to bear one another's burdens and so fulfill the law 
of Christ. Faithful, spirit-filled Christianity 
is sharing all good things with those who teach you confidently 
the Word. Faithful, spirit-filled Christianity 
is doing good to all men, especially those of the household of faith. So, brethren, Do not grow weary. Do not lose heart. Do not look 
for the applause or the accolades of men, but rather court the 
favor of God most high. The one who sees in secret, Jesus 
says, will reward you openly. It may not be in this life. It may not be till that day of 
judgment when you will hear those words that will be far better 
than anything you could have ever imagined. When you hear 
Christ say, well done, good and faithful servant. You know, those 
are the words on the diametric opposite of those words that 
are the worst anyone can hear. What's the worst words anyone 
will ever hear in this world on the Day of Judgment? Depart 
from me, you person, into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and 
his angels. Depart from me. The converse, 
though. For the saint of Christ, the 
spirit-filled believer who does not grow weary, who does not 
lose heart, who perseveres in the rain, in the sleet, in the 
hail, he makes the mailman look like sissies because he's faithful 
in the midst of all circumstances and trials. He will here on that 
grand day enter into the joy of your rest, well done, good 
and faithful servant. That's what Paul says to us in 
Galatians 6, 6 to 10. There is a specific command. 
There is an appeal to a general principle. Then there's a broader 
application with reference to all and to the household of faith. The law of sowing and reaping 
is a reality. You sow to the flesh, you will 
reap corruption. If all that matters in your life 
is goods and trinkets and things, You ought to listen and meditate 
upon the words of our Lord in Mark 8.36. Let's show it profit 
a man if he gains the whole world, but loses his soul. What's it 
profit you? You've seen that bumper sticker, 
he who dies with the most toys wins? It's the exact opposite 
of Mark 8.36, isn't it? He who dies with the most toys 
outside of Christ goes to hell. Those toys aren't going to help 
you. They're not going to save you. They're not going to avail 
with you. Now, don't leave here saying, 
Pastor Butler says we can't ever have any nice things. That's 
not what Pastor Butler is saying. But if those nice things are 
your priority, if mammon is your God, if trinkets is your deity, 
listen to the language of Jesus. What shall it profit a man if 
he gains the whole world but loses his soul? The law of sowing 
and reaping is a reality. Spirit-filled men and women sow 
to the Spirit. They value spiritual things. 
They value the Scriptures. They value good churches. They 
value good theology. They value sound doctrine. They 
value the creeds and confessions of Christianity that rightly 
depict for us those things most surely believed among us. They 
value those truths because they understand that truth is most 
important. We must have truth. We don't 
go to heaven because we're good. We go to heaven because Jesus 
is good. And the truth explains that for 
us by grace. We believe that and we answer 
him. There ought to be a general benevolence 
among the people of God. There ought to be a desire in 
the spirit filled person to do good to all men that ought to 
be honed in upon his beloved brethren. It ought to be honed 
in upon his local church. You might say, well, I don't 
have money to ameliorate. That means help. Just an old 
word from my past life that a guy I knew used to use. Ameliorate. Good old Ed Nemechek. That was 
his name. He used to use that word, ameliorate 
the downtrodden and poor. You might not have the box, but 
you certainly have prayer. Yes, pray for global Christianity. Pray for the concerns in China. 
Pray for the concerns in Haiti. Pray for the concerns facing 
our persecuted brethren. We try to make a legitimate effort 
to bring those concerns to you as a congregation on Wednesday 
night and on Sunday morning. We try to set before you the 
fact that there is more to the kingdom of God than the Free 
Grace Baptist Church. So by all means, pray for those 
things, but do not neglect to pray for the brothers and the 
sisters in your household of faith. Do not neglect to pray 
for the brothers and sisters sitting down the aisle from you. 
Do not neglect to pray for the needs of the people of God within 
the Free Grace Baptist Church. We ought to want to do good to 
all, but especially for those of the household of faith. And 
finally, do not grow weary. I can't say that enough. You know, again, when you first 
get converted, you get weary after a while as a Christian, 
you have to get you've got to be committed to the long haul. 
Christianity is not a sprint. You're better off served as a 
Christian with a good, steady pace. You're going to make it. That's the issue. You're going 
to make it. That's what you ought to be about. Yeah, it's great 
if you can make it first. Good for you. Go. Tear it up, 
brother. That usually wears off within 
the first few years. I just want to make it. Good. Just make it. Persevere. Don't 
grow weary. Don't lose heart. Do not forget. God sees in secret. And if you're 
not glamorized and celebrated in your local church or in your 
home or in your school or whatever, you know of a truth that God 
sees you and He will, in fact, give you great blessing. Well, 
let us pray. Father, thank you for the word 
of God. Thank you for the scriptures that testify of Jesus Christ, 
the Savior and the Lord. We thank you for his life, his 
death, his resurrection and his current session at your right 
hand. We thank you for the gift of 
the Holy Spirit and pray should fill us as individual believers 
and fill us as the Church of Christ. And help us, God in heaven, 
to bear one another's burdens. Help us to do good to all. Help 
us to do good, especially to those of the household of faith. 
And for any and all here that may not know you as Lord and 
Savior, I pray, God in heaven, that they would believe on the 
Lord Jesus Christ, that they would believe the gospel. that 
they would know the joy of being found in Jesus, and that you 
would save to the uttermost all who draw nigh unto God through 
Christ the Lord. Go with us now, we pray, in Jesus' 
holy name. Amen.