1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:13,600 Welcome to Walk in the Truth podcast. 2 00:00:13,600 --> 00:00:17,720 How do we know where to find answers to the toughest questions in life? 3 00:00:17,720 --> 00:00:22,160 While the simplest answer is the Bible, where do we start this search and how do we discover 4 00:00:22,160 --> 00:00:23,160 this truth? 5 00:00:23,160 --> 00:00:30,280 Today, in this teaching podcast, John Metter, lead pastor of Cross City Church, takes a 6 00:00:30,280 --> 00:00:38,240 specific text of the Bible and helps us find truth for the life we're searching for. 7 00:00:38,240 --> 00:00:42,440 Well, good morning. 8 00:00:42,440 --> 00:00:47,720 I'm so glad that you're here today on this Labor Day weekend and hope you're ready to 9 00:00:47,720 --> 00:00:48,720 go this morning. 10 00:00:48,720 --> 00:00:53,080 Please take your Bibles and turn to the book of Galatians again, Galatians chapter 6 today. 11 00:00:53,080 --> 00:00:57,840 Over the last few weeks, we've been answering some pretty important questions, the who and 12 00:00:57,840 --> 00:01:03,360 the what and the how of the Christian life. 13 00:01:03,360 --> 00:01:06,560 We asked the question, who am I? 14 00:01:06,560 --> 00:01:08,160 Who are we? 15 00:01:08,160 --> 00:01:09,400 What is our identity? 16 00:01:09,400 --> 00:01:14,600 We took some time to look in Romans chapter 14 that tells us that we're acceptable to 17 00:01:14,600 --> 00:01:17,760 God through Jesus Christ. 18 00:01:17,760 --> 00:01:22,880 We find approval of men in many cases when we walk according to his will. 19 00:01:22,880 --> 00:01:25,800 It's not the priority, but the priority is to be accepted by God. 20 00:01:25,800 --> 00:01:27,960 We asked the question of why. 21 00:01:27,960 --> 00:01:32,800 Paul of Philippians says, for me to live as Christ and die as gain, that's why I'm on 22 00:01:32,800 --> 00:01:33,800 the planet. 23 00:01:33,800 --> 00:01:39,120 That's why I have time ahead of me because I'm going to live for Christ. 24 00:01:39,120 --> 00:01:43,200 Last week, we were in Galatians chapter 2 verse 20, one of the great verses where Paul 25 00:01:43,200 --> 00:01:45,560 said, I have been crucified with Christ. 26 00:01:45,560 --> 00:01:48,360 So then there's no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. 27 00:01:48,360 --> 00:01:52,800 In the life that I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved 28 00:01:52,800 --> 00:01:54,200 me and who gave himself up for me. 29 00:01:54,200 --> 00:01:56,600 That answers the how of the Christian life. 30 00:01:56,600 --> 00:02:01,000 So I want to ask a different question today and kind of pull it all together. 31 00:02:01,000 --> 00:02:04,520 That question is, what should this life look like? 32 00:02:04,520 --> 00:02:08,160 If I'm living the Christ life, if I'm living the life that I'm supposed to be living day 33 00:02:08,160 --> 00:02:14,160 in and day out, if I'm living the real life that Jesus promises us, then what's it going 34 00:02:14,160 --> 00:02:15,560 to look like to other people? 35 00:02:15,560 --> 00:02:17,960 What's it going to look like in my day to day? 36 00:02:17,960 --> 00:02:23,120 And of course, I can't answer that completely today, but I can begin to step into that for 37 00:02:23,120 --> 00:02:24,120 just a few moments. 38 00:02:24,120 --> 00:02:29,080 So Galatians chapter 6, I'm going to ask that you stand with me as I read verse 7 through 39 00:02:29,080 --> 00:02:31,320 verse 10. 40 00:02:31,320 --> 00:02:32,960 Galatians is a pretty tough book. 41 00:02:32,960 --> 00:02:35,080 I'll refer to that in just a few moments. 42 00:02:35,080 --> 00:02:40,160 But in the middle of this toughness where Paul is riding to a troubled church in Galatia, 43 00:02:40,160 --> 00:02:45,800 he's got these incredible passages of scripture like Galatians chapter 2 verse 20 and here 44 00:02:45,800 --> 00:02:48,600 in Galatians chapter 6. 45 00:02:48,600 --> 00:02:52,480 And in Galatians chapter 6, you have an amazing prescription for how we should live this life. 46 00:02:52,480 --> 00:02:55,200 So here's what he says in verse 7. 47 00:02:55,200 --> 00:02:59,080 He says, do not be deceived for God is not mocked. 48 00:02:59,080 --> 00:03:03,240 For whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. 49 00:03:03,240 --> 00:03:07,320 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one 50 00:03:07,320 --> 00:03:12,640 who sows to the spirit will from the spirit reap eternal life. 51 00:03:12,640 --> 00:03:19,800 Give us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow 52 00:03:19,800 --> 00:03:20,800 weary. 53 00:03:20,800 --> 00:03:26,040 So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people and especially those 54 00:03:26,040 --> 00:03:29,720 who are of the household of faith. 55 00:03:29,720 --> 00:03:30,720 Interesting passage here. 56 00:03:30,720 --> 00:03:32,280 It has some warnings in it. 57 00:03:32,280 --> 00:03:34,120 It has some prescriptions in it. 58 00:03:34,120 --> 00:03:37,320 It gives us an understanding of how should we live this life. 59 00:03:37,320 --> 00:03:38,320 Let's bow together. 60 00:03:38,320 --> 00:03:42,840 Father, we ask that you illuminate this text by the power of your Holy Spirit. 61 00:03:42,840 --> 00:03:46,760 Father I pray that we will grasp what Paul was saying to the church at Galatia, what 62 00:03:46,760 --> 00:03:48,720 he's saying to us as believers today. 63 00:03:48,720 --> 00:03:54,940 And Father, even more so because of those things I've just asked, I also ask you to 64 00:03:54,940 --> 00:03:57,760 make it extremely personal to each one of us. 65 00:03:57,760 --> 00:04:04,720 That we would examine our hearts, our minds, our words, our actions in light of this text 66 00:04:04,720 --> 00:04:06,800 and in light of living for you. 67 00:04:06,800 --> 00:04:11,880 I ask this in Jesus' mighty name we pray and everybody said amen. 68 00:04:11,880 --> 00:04:14,880 Please be seated if you would. 69 00:04:14,880 --> 00:04:19,320 I want to try to sum up the last three weeks in one sentence as I share those verses with 70 00:04:19,320 --> 00:04:20,320 you. 71 00:04:20,320 --> 00:04:27,920 Here's a statement I wrote together, put together to help me grasp those last three weeks, the 72 00:04:27,920 --> 00:04:32,280 how, the why, the what of the Christian life and here's what I have to come up with. 73 00:04:32,280 --> 00:04:37,080 This statement says it, I think says it in a great way accurately. 74 00:04:37,080 --> 00:04:43,080 Accepted by God through Jesus, my life is not my own and he has promised to live through 75 00:04:43,080 --> 00:04:47,000 me as I place my faith in him daily. 76 00:04:47,000 --> 00:04:52,120 You're accepted by God through Jesus Christ as a believer. 77 00:04:52,120 --> 00:04:53,720 We're saying about that just a few moments ago. 78 00:04:53,720 --> 00:04:55,720 We looked at that in Romans chapter 14. 79 00:04:55,720 --> 00:05:01,280 If you've come to faith in Jesus then you are forgiven by God, accepted by God, justified 80 00:05:01,280 --> 00:05:06,920 before God, you're made righteous by the righteousness of Jesus Christ and so I think it's literally 81 00:05:06,920 --> 00:05:13,720 and accurately possible to say I am accepted by God through the blood of Jesus Christ. 82 00:05:13,720 --> 00:05:18,960 But beyond that it's not just being in that position where I'm accepted by God. 83 00:05:18,960 --> 00:05:22,840 We also have to take the step of saying my life is not my own. 84 00:05:22,840 --> 00:05:28,080 It doesn't belong to me anymore because Christ is going to live in me and he has promised 85 00:05:28,080 --> 00:05:32,000 to live through me as I place my faith in him daily. 86 00:05:32,000 --> 00:05:37,720 That's the basis for asking the fourth question that I'm going to ask today and that is what 87 00:05:37,720 --> 00:05:38,880 does this life look like? 88 00:05:38,880 --> 00:05:40,520 What should this life look like? 89 00:05:40,520 --> 00:05:45,600 What do I do and how do I express myself in a world in which I've placed because of the 90 00:05:45,600 --> 00:05:46,840 things we've already talked about? 91 00:05:46,840 --> 00:05:50,480 Now let's look at the background for just a few moments in the book of Galatians. 92 00:05:50,480 --> 00:05:55,200 I just want to kind of give you some background about this book or this letter itself. 93 00:05:55,200 --> 00:05:58,280 First of all it's a tough letter as I said a moment ago. 94 00:05:58,280 --> 00:06:03,120 Paul is writing to the church of Galatia and they're having all kinds of problems and in 95 00:06:03,120 --> 00:06:09,840 this letter he writes things like I'm astounded that you are so quickly deserting the gospel 96 00:06:09,840 --> 00:06:11,240 that I sent to you. 97 00:06:11,240 --> 00:06:15,760 He even uses the phrase falling from grace which is not about losing your salvation but 98 00:06:15,760 --> 00:06:21,400 it's about falling from that high calling of receiving salvation by the grace of Jesus 99 00:06:21,400 --> 00:06:22,400 Christ. 100 00:06:22,400 --> 00:06:27,720 He rebukes Peter in this book for showing partiality and he rebukes him for tolerating 101 00:06:27,720 --> 00:06:30,040 false teachers so it's a tough book. 102 00:06:30,040 --> 00:06:31,040 It's a tough letter. 103 00:06:31,040 --> 00:06:36,080 He's saying to the church you've got a lot of messed up things in your life and yet I'm 104 00:06:36,080 --> 00:06:42,120 going to share with you some incredible diamonds and gems of spiritual truth. 105 00:06:42,120 --> 00:06:44,440 Galatians 2.20, Galatians chapter 6. 106 00:06:44,440 --> 00:06:46,640 It's a tough book. 107 00:06:46,640 --> 00:06:50,120 The other thing I want you to know about this book and this passage in particular is the 108 00:06:50,120 --> 00:06:52,680 use of time. 109 00:06:52,680 --> 00:06:57,840 Paul uses time in an unusual way but also a very helpful way for us. 110 00:06:57,840 --> 00:07:00,600 There are two types of time mentioned in the Bible. 111 00:07:00,600 --> 00:07:04,240 One is chronos which is measurable time. 112 00:07:04,240 --> 00:07:08,040 It's the minutes and the hours and the days that we have in our normal life. 113 00:07:08,040 --> 00:07:09,040 It's measurable. 114 00:07:09,040 --> 00:07:11,960 But Kairos time is not that. 115 00:07:11,960 --> 00:07:12,960 It's different. 116 00:07:12,960 --> 00:07:19,480 My friend Spiros Zodiades says there's no English equivalent to Kairos. 117 00:07:19,480 --> 00:07:20,680 He often said that to me. 118 00:07:20,680 --> 00:07:22,520 Of course he was Greek and I was not. 119 00:07:22,520 --> 00:07:24,360 So he would say there's no English equivalent for it. 120 00:07:24,360 --> 00:07:26,960 You can't ever understand it fully which was kind of frustrating. 121 00:07:26,960 --> 00:07:29,960 I said explain it to me please. 122 00:07:29,960 --> 00:07:33,080 So he would say this about this word Kairos. 123 00:07:33,080 --> 00:07:39,680 He said it really means divine opportunity or opportune time. 124 00:07:39,680 --> 00:07:43,720 It has to do with a season which you recognize God has called you to something and you're 125 00:07:43,720 --> 00:07:49,960 responding in that way and with that response is an opportunity to do what God's called 126 00:07:49,960 --> 00:07:54,000 you to do in life, to fulfill your purpose in life and a variety of the things that we 127 00:07:54,000 --> 00:07:56,200 will look at in just a few moments. 128 00:07:56,200 --> 00:08:03,360 Jesus used Kairos when he said my time is not yet here but your time is always opportune. 129 00:08:03,360 --> 00:08:07,840 When Peter preached at Pentecost he used Kairos. 130 00:08:07,840 --> 00:08:12,360 He says therefore repent and return so that your sins will be washed away in order that 131 00:08:12,360 --> 00:08:18,680 times of refreshing might come from the presence of the Lord. 132 00:08:18,680 --> 00:08:22,040 I mean it's amazing how it's used in such a precise time. 133 00:08:22,040 --> 00:08:27,720 It can be an ordained time or it can be a conditional time where God says if you do 134 00:08:27,720 --> 00:08:32,840 this then I will promise to usher in something else in your life and that's how he says 135 00:08:32,840 --> 00:08:37,040 it in the book of Galatians and in chapter 6. 136 00:08:37,040 --> 00:08:42,320 Kairos reminds us of how we should consistently live even in trying and challenging and difficult 137 00:08:42,320 --> 00:08:43,680 and disappointing times. 138 00:08:43,680 --> 00:08:49,400 It addresses things when life is not going well, when it's messed up around you and you're 139 00:08:49,400 --> 00:08:50,600 in an unjust world. 140 00:08:50,600 --> 00:08:55,960 It addresses how you live when you're disappointed in people around you in the church or even 141 00:08:55,960 --> 00:09:01,120 in God and how he has or has not interacted into your life. 142 00:09:01,120 --> 00:09:06,400 It's a reminder that there's a time and an opportunity to serve God in amazing ways and 143 00:09:06,400 --> 00:09:10,640 in spite of the bad stuff going on in the world around you, you have still an opportunity 144 00:09:10,640 --> 00:09:13,040 to rise up and live life with full purpose. 145 00:09:13,040 --> 00:09:15,920 That's what this is all about. 146 00:09:15,920 --> 00:09:23,240 It's a warning not to just give in to your natural tendencies. 147 00:09:23,240 --> 00:09:27,440 I have to tell you today that one of the greatest failures we have in the Christian life is 148 00:09:27,440 --> 00:09:33,000 to give in to our natural feelings, our natural tendencies, our natural responses to when 149 00:09:33,000 --> 00:09:34,000 things don't go well. 150 00:09:34,000 --> 00:09:38,560 Hey, when things are going great everybody's happy, right? 151 00:09:38,560 --> 00:09:39,560 Everybody's happy. 152 00:09:39,560 --> 00:09:43,200 When they're not going well, when they're not going according to your plans and sometimes 153 00:09:43,200 --> 00:09:50,320 we get pretty disappointed and we demonstrate a pretty disappointing kind of response to 154 00:09:50,320 --> 00:09:52,720 the circumstances that we're in. 155 00:09:52,720 --> 00:09:58,600 So as Paul dives into this, there are three things that I'm gonna point out in an important 156 00:09:58,600 --> 00:09:59,600 way. 157 00:09:59,600 --> 00:10:00,960 Let's break the text open and look at these three things. 158 00:10:00,960 --> 00:10:04,280 First of all, a serious warning. 159 00:10:04,280 --> 00:10:06,400 That's where this begins in verse seven. 160 00:10:06,400 --> 00:10:10,520 He begins just sexy by saying, do not be deceived. 161 00:10:10,520 --> 00:10:11,520 That's pretty serious. 162 00:10:11,520 --> 00:10:12,520 It's really emphatic. 163 00:10:12,520 --> 00:10:14,200 Do not be deceived. 164 00:10:14,200 --> 00:10:15,200 God is not mocked. 165 00:10:15,200 --> 00:10:16,200 You'll never mock him. 166 00:10:16,200 --> 00:10:17,400 You'll never be able to do that. 167 00:10:17,400 --> 00:10:20,760 So don't be deceived and think you can get by. 168 00:10:20,760 --> 00:10:24,720 He says, for whatever a man sows, so also will he reap. 169 00:10:24,720 --> 00:10:27,480 Let me read it again. 170 00:10:27,480 --> 00:10:28,480 Don't be deceived. 171 00:10:28,480 --> 00:10:29,480 God is not mocked. 172 00:10:29,480 --> 00:10:33,400 For whatever a man sows, so also will he reap. 173 00:10:33,400 --> 00:10:38,040 So Paul uses a phrase that everybody would understand in that era, and that is a planting 174 00:10:38,040 --> 00:10:42,160 season, expecting a certain kind of harvest from what we plant. 175 00:10:42,160 --> 00:10:47,400 And most of us know that you plant in an early season and you reap in a late time or a late 176 00:10:47,400 --> 00:10:48,400 season. 177 00:10:48,400 --> 00:10:50,680 That word season, the word time is often kairos. 178 00:10:50,680 --> 00:10:56,600 And so he uses this word to describe actually the planting season of a gardener or a farmer. 179 00:10:56,600 --> 00:10:58,080 Now gardeners know all about this. 180 00:10:58,080 --> 00:11:02,060 I don't know much about it because I'm not a gardener, but gardeners know about this. 181 00:11:02,060 --> 00:11:05,880 There's a certain time that farmers' almanac is your Bible, right, when it comes to when 182 00:11:05,880 --> 00:11:08,160 to plant seeds and when to harvest them. 183 00:11:08,160 --> 00:11:11,040 And some of these practices, how many gardeners are in the room? 184 00:11:11,040 --> 00:11:12,880 Would you raise your hand for your gardener? 185 00:11:12,880 --> 00:11:13,880 Okay. 186 00:11:13,880 --> 00:11:17,480 There's three of you that garden regularly. 187 00:11:17,480 --> 00:11:24,280 I'm thankful for you because apart from you, we don't get to eat anything at all, right? 188 00:11:24,280 --> 00:11:29,280 There's a street not far from my home and they have a corn maze in the fall. 189 00:11:29,280 --> 00:11:34,640 And they wipe that field clean before the spring arrives and they plant the seeds in 190 00:11:34,640 --> 00:11:35,760 the spring. 191 00:11:35,760 --> 00:11:40,840 And I'm absolutely certain that when I drive by that street in the fall, that corn is going 192 00:11:40,840 --> 00:11:41,840 to come up. 193 00:11:41,840 --> 00:11:43,480 It's going to be seven feet tall, maybe eight feet tall. 194 00:11:43,480 --> 00:11:46,120 And it happens every single season. 195 00:11:46,120 --> 00:11:47,840 They're sowing and they're reaping. 196 00:11:47,840 --> 00:11:52,040 As a man sows, so also shall he reap. 197 00:11:52,040 --> 00:11:53,360 So we understand the principle. 198 00:11:53,360 --> 00:11:57,640 And Paul is using that principle to write to the church at Galatia. 199 00:11:57,640 --> 00:12:04,600 But he doesn't just give them a general principle, but he gives them a way of life. 200 00:12:04,600 --> 00:12:06,640 Let me explain the laws of the harvest that are very important. 201 00:12:06,640 --> 00:12:08,840 And you find them in this text. 202 00:12:08,840 --> 00:12:12,540 In life, we reap what we sow. 203 00:12:12,540 --> 00:12:15,940 We reap more than we sow. 204 00:12:15,940 --> 00:12:19,440 We will reap later than we sow. 205 00:12:19,440 --> 00:12:21,600 In life, we will reap what we sow. 206 00:12:21,600 --> 00:12:25,040 Whatever kind of seeds you put in the ground, that's what you're going to get from them. 207 00:12:25,040 --> 00:12:28,360 You're going to get more than what you planted then. 208 00:12:28,360 --> 00:12:31,000 And you're going to get it later down the road. 209 00:12:31,000 --> 00:12:32,800 Not immediate, but later. 210 00:12:32,800 --> 00:12:37,800 Now that all sounds perfectly natural, just an agricultural illustration until the Holy 211 00:12:37,800 --> 00:12:44,360 Spirit helps us understand there's a positive harvest and there's a negative harvest in 212 00:12:44,360 --> 00:12:49,480 your life that corresponds to the planting of seeds. 213 00:12:49,480 --> 00:12:57,000 Paul gets very serious and intentionally personal in this text. 214 00:12:57,000 --> 00:13:02,480 You see it in the field, he's saying, but it's also true of your life. 215 00:13:02,480 --> 00:13:07,640 Let's go back to what he says in verse 6 and then in verse 7 and 8. 216 00:13:07,640 --> 00:13:14,660 In verse 8 he says, for the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, 217 00:13:14,660 --> 00:13:19,400 but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. 218 00:13:19,400 --> 00:13:25,760 Just a personal emphasis in verse 7 and 8, whatever a man sows, so also will he reap. 219 00:13:25,760 --> 00:13:31,760 And the one who sows to the flesh shall from the flesh reap corruption, but to the Spirit 220 00:13:31,760 --> 00:13:34,620 shall from the Spirit reap eternal life. 221 00:13:34,620 --> 00:13:36,960 Take this personal. 222 00:13:36,960 --> 00:13:42,440 If you're the church gathered around in a gathering and someone unrolls the scroll that 223 00:13:42,440 --> 00:13:48,120 Paul has written on with his own hand to this church at Galatia, and you hear these words, 224 00:13:48,120 --> 00:13:50,680 you have to take it personal. 225 00:13:50,680 --> 00:13:55,720 You know, sometimes today in our world we take everything corporate. 226 00:13:55,720 --> 00:14:02,400 We want anything we do, we want anything that happens in a community way or a national way 227 00:14:02,400 --> 00:14:06,200 to all happen the way we want it and we don't even take responsibility for our own personal 228 00:14:06,200 --> 00:14:07,200 lives. 229 00:14:07,200 --> 00:14:11,440 And here's what Paul is saying here, he's saying this is intensely personal. 230 00:14:11,440 --> 00:14:16,080 And here's the truth of it, the harvest you can expect in life is directly tied to the 231 00:14:16,080 --> 00:14:19,240 seeds you've sown. 232 00:14:19,240 --> 00:14:23,880 That will be an invariable result, an invariable outcome of your life. 233 00:14:23,880 --> 00:14:27,200 Whatever a man sows, so also shall he reap. 234 00:14:27,200 --> 00:14:31,840 If you're reaping bad things in life, let me tell you who sowed those seeds, it wasn't 235 00:14:31,840 --> 00:14:35,160 somebody else. 236 00:14:35,160 --> 00:14:41,480 So Paul gives us this personal truth for us to apply not only to our personal life and 237 00:14:41,480 --> 00:14:44,360 our spiritual life, but our relational life. 238 00:14:44,360 --> 00:14:49,640 Now I'm not saying that sometimes bad things happen to innocent people, I'm not saying 239 00:14:49,640 --> 00:14:50,640 that. 240 00:14:50,640 --> 00:14:54,000 But I'm saying generally speaking, and Paul is saying generally speaking, those seeds 241 00:14:54,000 --> 00:14:58,720 you sow are going to come back and you're going to have a harvest of one kind or another. 242 00:14:58,720 --> 00:15:03,160 And you can see that in your past and most importantly you can see it in your future. 243 00:15:03,160 --> 00:15:06,800 So Paul warns them about their past, we're going to talk about that in a moment, and 244 00:15:06,800 --> 00:15:11,720 he urges them to change the future by the seeds that they are sowing. 245 00:15:11,720 --> 00:15:13,360 Now let's get into the why's he's saying that. 246 00:15:13,360 --> 00:15:14,360 Why is he saying that? 247 00:15:14,360 --> 00:15:18,320 Let's get real specific about what kind of seeds he's talking about. 248 00:15:18,320 --> 00:15:20,840 For that we need to go to Galatians chapter 5. 249 00:15:20,840 --> 00:15:26,520 So just turn back one page to Galatians chapter 5, and I want to begin reading in verse 19. 250 00:15:26,520 --> 00:15:30,160 I want you to hold your Bible open to Galatians 5 and verse 19. 251 00:15:30,160 --> 00:15:32,080 I'll give you a second to find it. 252 00:15:32,080 --> 00:15:35,080 One page over, it shouldn't take anybody a really long time to find it. 253 00:15:35,080 --> 00:15:39,760 One page over to the left, not to the right, and here we are Galatians chapter 5 verse 254 00:15:39,760 --> 00:15:41,360 19. 255 00:15:41,360 --> 00:15:51,360 Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, 256 00:15:51,360 --> 00:16:01,960 sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, the outburst of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, 257 00:16:01,960 --> 00:16:07,800 envyings, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these of which I have forewarned you, 258 00:16:07,800 --> 00:16:12,760 this is I have forewarned you before, that those who practice such things will not inherit 259 00:16:12,760 --> 00:16:14,240 the kingdom of God. 260 00:16:14,240 --> 00:16:18,720 So Paul is naming these things and he says the people that practice these day in and 261 00:16:18,720 --> 00:16:21,560 day out, they're not believers. 262 00:16:21,560 --> 00:16:23,400 But he's writing a letter to the church. 263 00:16:23,400 --> 00:16:29,400 As some of you are kind of living this life, sowing these kinds of seeds even upon professing 264 00:16:29,400 --> 00:16:31,280 faith in Jesus. 265 00:16:31,280 --> 00:16:34,760 He's warning them as you sow, so you also reap. 266 00:16:34,760 --> 00:16:41,520 Think of verse 22, but the fruit of the Spirit is love and joy, peace, patience, kindness, 267 00:16:41,520 --> 00:16:46,560 goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, against such things there is no law. 268 00:16:46,560 --> 00:16:52,760 Now those who belong to Jesus Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and 269 00:16:52,760 --> 00:16:53,760 desires. 270 00:16:53,760 --> 00:16:58,560 Remember what Paul said in Galatians 2.20, I've been crucified with Christ, it's no 271 00:16:58,560 --> 00:17:01,240 longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. 272 00:17:01,240 --> 00:17:04,220 I've crucified those old things in my life. 273 00:17:04,220 --> 00:17:08,680 If we live by the Spirit, he says in verse 25, let us also walk by the Spirit, let us 274 00:17:08,680 --> 00:17:13,120 not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another, and from there he jumps 275 00:17:13,120 --> 00:17:17,600 into chapter 6 where he calls these seeds. 276 00:17:17,600 --> 00:17:20,040 Seeds you're sowing. 277 00:17:20,040 --> 00:17:21,900 Keep that open just a few minutes. 278 00:17:21,900 --> 00:17:25,800 The deeds and the practices are literally the seeds of bad or good and there's a harvest 279 00:17:25,800 --> 00:17:29,120 coming for you. 280 00:17:29,120 --> 00:17:31,200 What are you sowing in your life? 281 00:17:31,200 --> 00:17:35,200 If you're reading Galatians chapter 5 and you look at that list as it pertains to your 282 00:17:35,200 --> 00:17:36,200 life, what are you sowing? 283 00:17:36,200 --> 00:17:39,200 What kind of seeds are you throwing in the field of your life? 284 00:17:39,200 --> 00:17:40,200 That's an important question. 285 00:17:40,200 --> 00:17:44,320 And the reason it's such an important question is whatever those seeds look like, that's 286 00:17:44,320 --> 00:17:45,320 your harvest. 287 00:17:45,320 --> 00:17:47,400 It's going to come. 288 00:17:47,400 --> 00:17:52,840 As sure as the corn comes up in the fall when it's planted in the spring, so are those things 289 00:17:52,840 --> 00:17:55,480 going to come up in your life in some way. 290 00:17:55,480 --> 00:17:57,360 Don't be misled. 291 00:17:57,360 --> 00:18:02,080 Don't think that you can mock God by saying that you can escape the consequences of sowing 292 00:18:02,080 --> 00:18:03,080 bad seed. 293 00:18:03,080 --> 00:18:06,200 You can't escape those consequences. 294 00:18:06,200 --> 00:18:13,760 What you have to do is you have to uproot those things and sow good seed in your life. 295 00:18:13,760 --> 00:18:17,720 This is the law of the harvest that we have from Paul under the inspiration of the Holy 296 00:18:17,720 --> 00:18:18,720 Spirit. 297 00:18:18,720 --> 00:18:20,040 There will be consequences. 298 00:18:20,040 --> 00:18:22,080 There will be payday someday. 299 00:18:22,080 --> 00:18:26,520 What kind of consequence and what kind of payday do you want? 300 00:18:26,520 --> 00:18:30,160 As a man sows, so also shall he reap. 301 00:18:30,160 --> 00:18:32,400 It's pretty serious. 302 00:18:32,400 --> 00:18:37,480 I talked a little bit about my cancer diagnosis a couple of weeks ago. 303 00:18:37,480 --> 00:18:40,720 And as I was reading this, I thought, yeah, that doctor got really serious with me when 304 00:18:40,720 --> 00:18:43,760 he said, you have cancer. 305 00:18:43,760 --> 00:18:47,800 And of course, the next thing he said is, it's got to come out. 306 00:18:47,800 --> 00:18:48,800 You're going to have to have surgery. 307 00:18:48,800 --> 00:18:49,800 It's got to come out. 308 00:18:49,800 --> 00:18:54,480 Let me translate that to what Paul is saying spiritually. 309 00:18:54,480 --> 00:19:00,640 You've got cancer in your life from the seeds that you've been sowing. 310 00:19:00,640 --> 00:19:03,320 They've got to come out. 311 00:19:03,320 --> 00:19:08,160 You've got to find the place where you can say, I don't want that kind of harvest, so 312 00:19:08,160 --> 00:19:11,640 therefore, I'm not going to plant those kinds of seeds anymore. 313 00:19:11,640 --> 00:19:18,000 And you've got to be able to say, Lord, I want you to take control of my harvest by 314 00:19:18,000 --> 00:19:19,000 taking control of my life. 315 00:19:19,000 --> 00:19:21,360 That's where you want to be. 316 00:19:21,360 --> 00:19:23,600 All right. 317 00:19:23,600 --> 00:19:28,320 Look, this is not a negative passage. 318 00:19:28,320 --> 00:19:30,960 It's very positive. 319 00:19:30,960 --> 00:19:37,120 We take it negative because we feel the sting of saying, okay, he who sow seeds of the flesh 320 00:19:37,120 --> 00:19:39,840 shall from the flesh reap corruption. 321 00:19:39,840 --> 00:19:44,680 But the other part of that is, he that sow seeds of the Spirit will reap from the Spirit 322 00:19:44,680 --> 00:19:48,360 eternal life, that great life we're talking about that we're supposed to be living that 323 00:19:48,360 --> 00:19:51,000 God calls us to live. 324 00:19:51,000 --> 00:19:55,920 Christ followers who are reading this passage should rush to their knees in repentance and 325 00:19:55,920 --> 00:20:00,320 say, Lord, I want this stuff out of my life so I can plant the good seed in the soil of 326 00:20:00,320 --> 00:20:01,320 my heart. 327 00:20:01,320 --> 00:20:05,200 They should rush to prayer, not hold it off. 328 00:20:05,200 --> 00:20:07,200 Don't hold it off. 329 00:20:07,200 --> 00:20:14,840 So what do you see in your life when you read Galatians chapter five, verses 19 through 330 00:20:14,840 --> 00:20:15,960 21? 331 00:20:15,960 --> 00:20:18,240 Remove the cancer. 332 00:20:18,240 --> 00:20:21,480 We have a great physician, the great surgeon, right? 333 00:20:21,480 --> 00:20:25,680 Jesus who can do precise surgery on our hearts and our minds and our lives. 334 00:20:25,680 --> 00:20:26,680 And then we have Paul's example. 335 00:20:26,680 --> 00:20:28,320 I have been crucified with Christ. 336 00:20:28,320 --> 00:20:32,880 No longer is it I who live, but Christ who lives in me. 337 00:20:32,880 --> 00:20:38,720 On the other hand, sowing to the Spirit is many more times glorious than what we can 338 00:20:38,720 --> 00:20:39,720 imagine. 339 00:20:39,720 --> 00:20:42,080 I mean, that's pretty bad stuff. 340 00:20:42,080 --> 00:20:47,520 We sow to the flesh all kinds of corruption, all kinds of decay is going to be the harvest. 341 00:20:47,520 --> 00:20:48,960 But look on the other side of that. 342 00:20:48,960 --> 00:20:53,800 If you sow to the Spirit, all kinds of amazing harvest can take place because you've sown 343 00:20:53,800 --> 00:20:59,240 spiritual seeds and I promise you, you will reap spiritual harvest. 344 00:20:59,240 --> 00:21:04,600 So we're going back to Galatians five again and being reminded of the good side of that. 345 00:21:04,600 --> 00:21:08,640 That the fruit of the Spirit is love and joy and peace and patience and kindness and goodness 346 00:21:08,640 --> 00:21:12,400 and faithfulness and gentleness and self-control against such things. 347 00:21:12,400 --> 00:21:13,960 There is no law. 348 00:21:13,960 --> 00:21:15,120 That's what you want in your life. 349 00:21:15,120 --> 00:21:18,600 That's what you want to be sowing and that's what you want to be reaping and that's the 350 00:21:18,600 --> 00:21:21,520 promise that you have in this passage. 351 00:21:21,520 --> 00:21:24,200 So a serious warning. 352 00:21:24,200 --> 00:21:26,240 Watch what you sow. 353 00:21:26,240 --> 00:21:28,040 Watch what you sow. 354 00:21:28,040 --> 00:21:32,400 And then the text gives us a conditional promise and I love this promise. 355 00:21:32,400 --> 00:21:34,600 That's verse nine. 356 00:21:34,600 --> 00:21:42,600 Let us not lose heart in doing good for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. 357 00:21:42,600 --> 00:21:43,960 I'm going to read it again. 358 00:21:43,960 --> 00:21:48,040 Let us not lose heart in doing good. 359 00:21:48,040 --> 00:21:50,480 This is what this life ought to look like. 360 00:21:50,480 --> 00:21:54,440 We're Christ followers doing good the way he did good. 361 00:21:54,440 --> 00:21:58,760 Not to earn our salvation but doing good because we've been saved by Christ and because we 362 00:21:58,760 --> 00:22:04,160 follow Christ and because we've been crucified with Christ and so we no longer live on our 363 00:22:04,160 --> 00:22:06,340 own but by his power. 364 00:22:06,340 --> 00:22:13,240 So that text tells us that we need to not lose heart in doing good for in due time. 365 00:22:13,240 --> 00:22:19,680 That's that chorus word in opportune time we will reap when we don't grow weary. 366 00:22:19,680 --> 00:22:24,440 One commentary that was written almost a hundred years ago, a hundred years ago said this. 367 00:22:24,440 --> 00:22:28,000 Having begun well in the life of the spirit they were in danger of losing their first 368 00:22:28,000 --> 00:22:34,160 love being diverted from witness and service into petty bickering and greedy self-concern. 369 00:22:34,160 --> 00:22:38,620 To these fatigued and spiritually exhausted Christians Paul made his appeal. 370 00:22:38,620 --> 00:22:41,480 Let us not become weary in doing good. 371 00:22:41,480 --> 00:22:47,360 You know sometimes we just get worn out by life and sometimes we get worn out by other 372 00:22:47,360 --> 00:22:48,360 people. 373 00:22:48,360 --> 00:22:51,520 It's okay to say amen to that by the way. 374 00:22:51,520 --> 00:22:55,880 Is there anybody that says you know there are other people in my life that sometimes 375 00:22:55,880 --> 00:22:56,880 wear me out. 376 00:22:56,880 --> 00:23:00,200 Would you raise your hand if you want to honestly say other people wear me out? 377 00:23:00,200 --> 00:23:03,120 And it might be the person next to you that raised their hand just thinking that you wear 378 00:23:03,120 --> 00:23:08,400 them out. 379 00:23:08,400 --> 00:23:13,720 Just saying, y'all can talk about it later. 380 00:23:13,720 --> 00:23:16,480 They were worn out. 381 00:23:16,480 --> 00:23:19,000 They were so worn out. 382 00:23:19,000 --> 00:23:23,920 And I see here a church that's tired of hypocrisy and tired of sin and tired of failing and 383 00:23:23,920 --> 00:23:29,000 temptation and tired of false teaching, tired of all the things that Paul mentioned. 384 00:23:29,000 --> 00:23:32,720 But here is a promise of a time-based harvest. 385 00:23:32,720 --> 00:23:38,680 He said if you're selling seeds of the Spirit you will at some future time reap incredible 386 00:23:38,680 --> 00:23:41,360 eternal benefits. 387 00:23:41,360 --> 00:23:43,640 Don't get tired of living the Christian life. 388 00:23:43,640 --> 00:23:46,280 Don't get tired of living in the Christian community. 389 00:23:46,280 --> 00:23:50,060 At some point in the future you'll have all kinds of harvest. 390 00:23:50,060 --> 00:23:55,040 You may not be able to predict that time but at some due moment all the harvest will come 391 00:23:55,040 --> 00:23:56,040 in. 392 00:23:56,040 --> 00:23:59,520 Aren't you glad that we have a faithful God who will give us a harvest someday? 393 00:23:59,520 --> 00:24:01,800 I'm happy about that. 394 00:24:01,800 --> 00:24:05,160 I am really happy about that. 395 00:24:05,160 --> 00:24:08,960 But the promise is conditional. 396 00:24:08,960 --> 00:24:10,960 It's conditional. 397 00:24:10,960 --> 00:24:18,360 We will reap what we sow more than what we sow later than what we sow if we don't stop 398 00:24:18,360 --> 00:24:20,720 sowing. 399 00:24:20,720 --> 00:24:25,480 You know when I plant a garden I should say when you plant a garden you know the harvest 400 00:24:25,480 --> 00:24:27,640 is coming, right? 401 00:24:27,640 --> 00:24:28,640 It comes with predictability. 402 00:24:28,640 --> 00:24:31,600 Plant in the spring, you get it in the fall. 403 00:24:31,600 --> 00:24:34,880 But in the spiritual realm it's not predictable. 404 00:24:34,880 --> 00:24:41,640 I don't know when the seeds that Paul is talking about are going to bear fruit but I just know 405 00:24:41,640 --> 00:24:43,080 that they will. 406 00:24:43,080 --> 00:24:44,780 It may be a quick harvest. 407 00:24:44,780 --> 00:24:49,200 It may be a delayed harvest but the point is that God will use that opportune time to 408 00:24:49,200 --> 00:24:52,240 bring it out, the kairos moment. 409 00:24:52,240 --> 00:24:54,320 He'll bring it out at the right time. 410 00:24:54,320 --> 00:25:00,000 Did you maybe know of the missionary William Carey who labored for seven years in Pagan 411 00:25:00,000 --> 00:25:01,000 India? 412 00:25:01,000 --> 00:25:04,440 He had no witness for Christ almost at all. 413 00:25:04,440 --> 00:25:10,840 William Carey went for seven years he preached the gospel before he got his first convert. 414 00:25:10,840 --> 00:25:17,680 And after he saw his first convert heaven opened up and many, many people came to Christ. 415 00:25:17,680 --> 00:25:22,560 Can you imagine laboring seven years and believing the laws of the harvest as you sow so also 416 00:25:22,560 --> 00:25:28,440 shall you reap and not seeing anything at all and just having to hang on and wait for 417 00:25:28,440 --> 00:25:31,600 the Lord to bring about his promise? 418 00:25:31,600 --> 00:25:34,160 And I'm glad William Carey didn't give up. 419 00:25:34,160 --> 00:25:40,240 I've been in ministry 40 years and I can tell you I've expected a spiritual harvest often 420 00:25:40,240 --> 00:25:43,080 but I never can predict when. 421 00:25:43,080 --> 00:25:44,760 I never know when God's going to bless. 422 00:25:44,760 --> 00:25:49,200 I never know when God's going to honor a word that's shared or gospel witness that's given. 423 00:25:49,200 --> 00:25:53,960 I never know when God is going to do that but I can tell you God calls me to serve by 424 00:25:53,960 --> 00:25:58,180 faith even though I don't know when the harvest is and he's called you to live by faith and 425 00:25:58,180 --> 00:26:02,520 serve by faith even when you don't know when the harvest is and even if you don't see any 426 00:26:02,520 --> 00:26:07,520 harvest for one season or another season or another season just know it's coming someday 427 00:26:07,520 --> 00:26:10,160 you just don't know when. 428 00:26:10,160 --> 00:26:15,380 You reap the life he's called you to live by sowing the seeds of the spirit. 429 00:26:15,380 --> 00:26:16,380 Serve in faith. 430 00:26:16,380 --> 00:26:20,800 And I have to be the first to tell you those who serve in ministry in any way can get worn 431 00:26:20,800 --> 00:26:22,000 out and many of you do this. 432 00:26:22,000 --> 00:26:24,220 You serve in ministry. 433 00:26:24,220 --> 00:26:27,400 Don't grow weary is what the the the admonition is. 434 00:26:27,400 --> 00:26:30,600 Don't grow weary in doing well for in due time you shall reap. 435 00:26:30,600 --> 00:26:34,040 Don't grow weary in your prayer that you offer up to God. 436 00:26:34,040 --> 00:26:35,440 Don't grow weary in your witness. 437 00:26:35,440 --> 00:26:37,340 Don't go weary in your study. 438 00:26:37,340 --> 00:26:42,500 Don't grow weary in your teaching and your integrity or your honesty or your purity or 439 00:26:42,500 --> 00:26:43,500 your ministry. 440 00:26:43,500 --> 00:26:44,500 Don't grow weary. 441 00:26:44,500 --> 00:26:54,040 Don't give up for in due time you will reap if you don't quit and leave the harvest behind. 442 00:26:54,040 --> 00:26:58,500 And then Paul dives into a consistent focus. 443 00:26:58,500 --> 00:27:05,060 So there's a warning there's a promise and this focus it's in verse 10 and repeats himself 444 00:27:05,060 --> 00:27:06,060 here as well. 445 00:27:06,060 --> 00:27:14,300 He says so then while we have opportunity let us do good to all people and especially 446 00:27:14,300 --> 00:27:17,560 to those who are of the household of faith. 447 00:27:17,560 --> 00:27:19,600 That's the command we have here. 448 00:27:19,600 --> 00:27:27,100 Don't don't give up don't grow weary in doing good and then so then while we have opportune 449 00:27:27,100 --> 00:27:33,600 time caras let us do good to all people and especially those who are of the household 450 00:27:33,600 --> 00:27:34,600 of faith. 451 00:27:34,600 --> 00:27:39,800 So what does it mean to do good again it's not doing good in order to earn your salvation. 452 00:27:39,800 --> 00:27:45,380 You could never do enough good to earn your salvation but when you do good to reflect 453 00:27:45,380 --> 00:27:50,160 the grace of God that's been given to you that's what he's talking about. 454 00:27:50,160 --> 00:27:54,780 Doing good means good character as opposed to bad. 455 00:27:54,780 --> 00:28:02,800 It means not the deeds of the flesh but the things of the spirit the fruit of the spirit. 456 00:28:02,800 --> 00:28:05,800 It means integrity. 457 00:28:05,800 --> 00:28:12,360 It means uprightness being fair and just with everyone having an excellent attitude and 458 00:28:12,360 --> 00:28:14,960 a kind disposition. 459 00:28:14,960 --> 00:28:20,260 It doesn't mean being a doormat to society but it means we reflect the goodness of God 460 00:28:20,260 --> 00:28:26,360 to people because we have received the goodness of God from him. 461 00:28:26,360 --> 00:28:30,760 It means live in such a way that reflects the forgiveness we've been given the grace 462 00:28:30,760 --> 00:28:34,640 we've been given the love we've been given all the things that God has given us. 463 00:28:34,640 --> 00:28:39,840 We reflect that because we've been crucified with Christ it's no longer us who live but 464 00:28:39,840 --> 00:28:47,040 Christ who lives in us and those are the things that constitute the do good in this passage. 465 00:28:47,040 --> 00:28:51,200 It means the opposite of the deeds of the flesh and it means total alignment with the 466 00:28:51,200 --> 00:28:57,560 fruit of the spirit love joy peace patience kindness self-control and so forth. 467 00:28:57,560 --> 00:29:01,600 Do those qualities by the way remind you of anyone in particular? 468 00:29:01,600 --> 00:29:06,800 They should remind you of Jesus of Jesus. 469 00:29:06,800 --> 00:29:12,280 The fruit of the spirit is none other than the fruit of the spirit of God inside of us. 470 00:29:12,280 --> 00:29:14,280 The fruit of Jesus inside of us. 471 00:29:14,280 --> 00:29:20,760 So Paul is saying this while you have opportunity to do good do it God is showing his goodness 472 00:29:20,760 --> 00:29:21,760 through you. 473 00:29:21,760 --> 00:29:26,560 As you know to a world that really is not listening to God is not reading their Bible 474 00:29:26,560 --> 00:29:31,800 not looking for truth that may be the only part of the goodness of God they ever see 475 00:29:31,800 --> 00:29:37,360 is your attitude your perspective your integrity your purity your kindness your fruit of the 476 00:29:37,360 --> 00:29:43,640 spirit maybe the only witness they ever get is for you to be living a life like that. 477 00:29:43,640 --> 00:29:48,080 Now I was doing a word study on these doing good phrases and I realized there were some 478 00:29:48,080 --> 00:29:52,720 remarkable statements about doing good in the scripture. 479 00:29:52,720 --> 00:29:58,880 In Acts chapter 10 verse 38 we read this you know of Jesus of Nazareth how God anointed 480 00:29:58,880 --> 00:30:05,200 him with the Holy Spirit and with power and how he went about doing good and healing all 481 00:30:05,200 --> 00:30:10,280 those who were oppressed of the devil for God was with him. 482 00:30:10,280 --> 00:30:13,120 Jesus our leader went about doing good. 483 00:30:13,120 --> 00:30:18,000 A man named Barnabas son of encouragement was mentioned in the book of Acts as well 484 00:30:18,000 --> 00:30:22,840 in Acts 11 it says then when he arrived and witnessed the grace of God he rejoiced and 485 00:30:22,840 --> 00:30:27,200 began to encourage them with a resolute heart to remain true to the Lord for he was a good 486 00:30:27,200 --> 00:30:31,960 man in other words a man who was doing good things and full of the Holy Spirit and of 487 00:30:31,960 --> 00:30:32,960 faith. 488 00:30:32,960 --> 00:30:38,640 And then there's that great passage in Ephesians 2 where we read about what our destination 489 00:30:38,640 --> 00:30:44,800 is and it says in verse 10 for we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus for what 490 00:30:44,800 --> 00:30:51,680 kind of works good works that God has prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. 491 00:30:51,680 --> 00:30:56,320 Jesus did good Barnabas was called a good man because he did the good things that Jesus 492 00:30:56,320 --> 00:31:01,760 had done and encouraged him to do as well and now we're called to good works. 493 00:31:01,760 --> 00:31:08,640 This consistent focus tells us we are to do good in the name of Christ and it will bear 494 00:31:08,640 --> 00:31:09,640 fruit. 495 00:31:09,640 --> 00:31:14,080 You know how the early church practices this. 496 00:31:14,080 --> 00:31:23,920 Let me read an account by one of the Roman rulers a couple of hundred years after Christ. 497 00:31:23,920 --> 00:31:31,440 While the nation was breaking down health issues were taking place in Rome the Christians 498 00:31:31,440 --> 00:31:33,600 stayed behind to minister. 499 00:31:33,600 --> 00:31:40,160 Julian the apostate recognized the Christian practice of compassion was one that caused 500 00:31:40,160 --> 00:31:44,820 the transformation of faith from a small movement on the edge of an empire to a cultural ascendancy 501 00:31:44,820 --> 00:31:48,240 in other words Christianity became big because of these acts. 502 00:31:48,240 --> 00:31:54,560 Riding to a pagan priest Julian the apostate said when it came about that the poor were 503 00:31:54,560 --> 00:32:00,400 neglected by the pagan priests the Galileans the Christians devoted themselves to philanthropy. 504 00:32:00,400 --> 00:32:04,800 They supported not only their own but ours as well and then he gave direction to the 505 00:32:04,800 --> 00:32:10,840 pagan priest do what these Christians do they're living a life beyond what we live. 506 00:32:10,840 --> 00:32:12,880 That's pretty important. 507 00:32:12,880 --> 00:32:18,960 That's an outstanding witness because these Christians in the first century were doing 508 00:32:18,960 --> 00:32:24,480 when everybody else was abandoning the poor and the hurting and the sick. 509 00:32:24,480 --> 00:32:27,160 That's how they practice it. 510 00:32:27,160 --> 00:32:33,260 Now there's a cultural side to this do good to all people that's what the text says. 511 00:32:33,260 --> 00:32:40,320 Do good to everyone and when we hear that admonition it reminds us everyone every human 512 00:32:40,320 --> 00:32:46,040 being is created in the image of God and only human beings are created in the image of God. 513 00:32:46,040 --> 00:32:50,520 You may love your dog and your cat they're not created in the image of God but every 514 00:32:50,520 --> 00:32:54,360 person is created in the image of God no matter how they live their life or where they're 515 00:32:54,360 --> 00:32:58,080 going or what their thoughts are about the God that we worship they're still created 516 00:32:58,080 --> 00:33:06,000 in the image of God and Paul says do good to all people. 517 00:33:06,000 --> 00:33:12,120 Jesus said this when he was asked the question who is my neighbor and how am I supposed to 518 00:33:12,120 --> 00:33:18,920 be living this love for God with all my heart soul and mind and loving my neighbor as myself 519 00:33:18,920 --> 00:33:27,320 who is my neighbor and the answer to the question using the story of the good Samaritan. 520 00:33:27,320 --> 00:33:31,400 Someone who didn't even live near the man who stopped to help. 521 00:33:31,400 --> 00:33:34,520 Whoever can benefit from the goodness of God that's been poured into your life that to 522 00:33:34,520 --> 00:33:38,680 you show the goodness of God too. 523 00:33:38,680 --> 00:33:43,800 Another 100 year old commentary said this I'm saying this so nobody in the room will 524 00:33:43,800 --> 00:33:49,240 think well he's he's woke he's talking about woke things I'm not. 525 00:33:49,240 --> 00:33:55,640 It says when we forget this admonition we fall into the isms racism sexism tribalism 526 00:33:55,640 --> 00:33:57,640 classism and other bigotries. 527 00:33:57,640 --> 00:34:03,480 Let me just tell you we're in an election year today the season we're in there are strong 528 00:34:03,480 --> 00:34:07,840 feelings everywhere would you agree with me there are strong feelings everywhere. 529 00:34:07,840 --> 00:34:14,000 What an opportunity for Christians to live with kindness and integrity and not like angry 530 00:34:14,000 --> 00:34:16,600 people who are mad at everybody else. 531 00:34:16,600 --> 00:34:21,440 Do you think the passages that Paul writes about the fruit of the Spirit that he calls 532 00:34:21,440 --> 00:34:26,720 us to is is only good for non-election years or should it be at all times? 533 00:34:26,720 --> 00:34:28,120 It should be all times. 534 00:34:28,120 --> 00:34:33,160 Listen I feel as strongly as anybody else in the room about the political possibilities 535 00:34:33,160 --> 00:34:37,520 of the future but I also feel more strongly that it is no longer I who live but Christ 536 00:34:37,520 --> 00:34:40,120 who lives in me. 537 00:34:40,120 --> 00:34:45,460 You and I we need to understand that we need to live that way. 538 00:34:45,460 --> 00:34:50,000 We are to do good and it will bear fruit. 539 00:34:50,000 --> 00:34:56,440 There's a family side to this do good to all men especially to those who are of the household 540 00:34:56,440 --> 00:34:57,440 of faith. 541 00:34:57,440 --> 00:35:01,880 So now we're bringing it into the church as it should be. 542 00:35:01,880 --> 00:35:07,960 You know I've noticed there's a tendency sometimes for us to be at our worst when we're 543 00:35:07,960 --> 00:35:09,760 with those that are most familiar with us. 544 00:35:09,760 --> 00:35:10,960 Have you ever noticed that? 545 00:35:10,960 --> 00:35:12,440 We just kind of let down our guard. 546 00:35:12,440 --> 00:35:17,560 Some people call that transparency and I would say well excuse me are you giving your worst 547 00:35:17,560 --> 00:35:20,760 to the person that loves you the most? 548 00:35:20,760 --> 00:35:24,960 You giving your worst to the person that you're supposed to be loving the most? 549 00:35:24,960 --> 00:35:29,320 How about looking at the way Paul did? 550 00:35:29,320 --> 00:35:33,640 None of that sin. 551 00:35:33,640 --> 00:35:36,360 So sees it the spirit. 552 00:35:36,360 --> 00:35:40,560 Find a way to rise above and give your best to the people that are in your spiritual family 553 00:35:40,560 --> 00:35:42,040 or your personal family. 554 00:35:42,040 --> 00:35:47,760 We're called to live this life everywhere. 555 00:35:47,760 --> 00:35:51,680 Do good to all people as a witness for Jesus but do good especially for those that are 556 00:35:51,680 --> 00:35:56,840 in the household of faith because they are with you in this pursuit of God's kingdom 557 00:35:56,840 --> 00:36:03,080 and God's glory and because you're an example and because other people are looking at you, 558 00:36:03,080 --> 00:36:07,520 they're watching you, they've got expectations about you and they should have good expectations 559 00:36:07,520 --> 00:36:12,760 about you because you preach Christ and Him crucified and you practice the things of God. 560 00:36:12,760 --> 00:36:13,760 Do good. 561 00:36:13,760 --> 00:36:16,160 We are to do good and it will bear fruit. 562 00:36:16,160 --> 00:36:21,760 If you're taking notes you know I've said that three times now. 563 00:36:21,760 --> 00:36:27,240 We are to do good and it will bear fruit. 564 00:36:27,240 --> 00:36:30,240 Let me wrap it up by saying this today. 565 00:36:30,240 --> 00:36:34,200 If you were to ask me how should I pursue this kind of life, I've already prepared the 566 00:36:34,200 --> 00:36:36,360 answers for that if you were to ask that question. 567 00:36:36,360 --> 00:36:39,880 The three things I would say to you are these things. 568 00:36:39,880 --> 00:36:44,320 First carefully evaluate the seeds you're selling. 569 00:36:44,320 --> 00:36:46,220 Look at what you're selling. 570 00:36:46,220 --> 00:36:50,860 Look at them like seeds that will lead to a harvest, not just like random acts or words 571 00:36:50,860 --> 00:36:52,640 or thoughts or behaviors. 572 00:36:52,640 --> 00:36:58,160 Say here's my field, the field of my life, the field of my heart, what am I selling there? 573 00:36:58,160 --> 00:37:00,480 Carefully evaluate the seeds you're selling. 574 00:37:00,480 --> 00:37:02,880 Secondly, anticipate your future harvest. 575 00:37:02,880 --> 00:37:09,060 If this is true, if the Bible is true, whatever a man sows so also will he reap. 576 00:37:09,060 --> 00:37:12,560 Whatever a woman sows so also will she reap. 577 00:37:12,560 --> 00:37:13,560 It's intensely personal. 578 00:37:13,560 --> 00:37:15,920 So what are you going to get in the future? 579 00:37:15,920 --> 00:37:18,640 Looking back at what you've been sowing, what's your future like? 580 00:37:18,640 --> 00:37:20,640 What are you going to reap? 581 00:37:20,640 --> 00:37:27,840 Lastly, look for time and opportunity to sow good seeds around you. 582 00:37:27,840 --> 00:37:31,480 Sow good seeds into those sitting next to you, those that live with you. 583 00:37:31,480 --> 00:37:33,600 Sow good seeds into those that worship with you. 584 00:37:33,600 --> 00:37:36,320 Sow good seeds into those that work with you. 585 00:37:36,320 --> 00:37:38,680 Sow good seeds into those who are your neighbors. 586 00:37:38,680 --> 00:37:41,880 Sow good seeds into the community in which you're a part of. 587 00:37:41,880 --> 00:37:46,560 Sow good seeds. 588 00:37:46,560 --> 00:37:54,400 In doing so, we recognize the harvest and we recognize what God wants to seek come out 589 00:37:54,400 --> 00:37:57,760 of our lives day by day by day. 590 00:37:57,760 --> 00:38:02,600 This is an undebatable harvest law. 591 00:38:02,600 --> 00:38:10,720 You will sow seeds and you will reap what you sow, more than you sow, later than you 592 00:38:10,720 --> 00:38:11,720 sow. 593 00:38:11,720 --> 00:38:17,280 So sow good seeds and reap great harvest. 594 00:38:17,280 --> 00:38:20,800 Just a moment, I'm going to lead some prayer and give you three invitations today as I 595 00:38:20,800 --> 00:38:21,800 always do. 596 00:38:21,800 --> 00:38:26,280 Number one, I invite you to stop by our decision stations. 597 00:38:26,280 --> 00:38:30,360 I've said several times today because of the nature of the message I've said, doing good 598 00:38:30,360 --> 00:38:35,800 does not allow us to get eternal life by our good works. 599 00:38:35,800 --> 00:38:41,360 And I want you to know the way we get salvation is by a free gift from God through Jesus Christ 600 00:38:41,360 --> 00:38:42,840 death on the cross. 601 00:38:42,840 --> 00:38:47,560 His good work ensured that we would have opportunity to put our faith in Him and receive eternal 602 00:38:47,560 --> 00:38:48,560 life. 603 00:38:48,560 --> 00:38:52,080 If that's never happened to you, we want it to happen to you today. 604 00:38:52,080 --> 00:38:55,960 You don't have to have a history of sowing good seeds or you don't have to have the promise 605 00:38:55,960 --> 00:39:01,200 of sowing good seeds tomorrow, but what you have to need is knowing that you have a need 606 00:39:01,200 --> 00:39:03,960 for forgiveness and eternal life. 607 00:39:03,960 --> 00:39:08,480 And Jesus Christ will give you that eternal life if you come to Him in faith and repentance. 608 00:39:08,480 --> 00:39:11,600 I want you to stop by our decision stations, talk to someone today. 609 00:39:11,600 --> 00:39:12,920 That's the first invitation. 610 00:39:12,920 --> 00:39:16,800 Second invitation is I would love for you to come by Guest Reception. 611 00:39:16,800 --> 00:39:20,160 It's just a room outside the center exit doors and across the hallway. 612 00:39:20,160 --> 00:39:22,480 I'll be there to visit you and get to know you. 613 00:39:22,480 --> 00:39:25,320 I'd love to introduce myself to you and thank you for coming today. 614 00:39:25,320 --> 00:39:29,240 Thirdly, I invite you to come back next week to our 120th anniversary. 615 00:39:29,240 --> 00:39:32,600 I mean it's not every day we get to celebrate 120 years, right? 616 00:39:32,600 --> 00:39:34,960 I mean it's kind of cool. 617 00:39:34,960 --> 00:39:41,000 And we're focusing on the goodness of God, the umbrella over us, the goodness of God 618 00:39:41,000 --> 00:39:42,320 over us for 120 years. 619 00:39:42,320 --> 00:39:46,720 I promise you it'll be uplifting and inspiring and you'll see and hear all kinds of things 620 00:39:46,720 --> 00:39:49,600 that we wouldn't normally be able to say. 621 00:39:49,600 --> 00:39:52,520 So let's stand together as we close in prayer. 622 00:39:52,520 --> 00:39:58,960 Father, I am very, very grateful for your Word and for the admonitions that you give 623 00:39:58,960 --> 00:40:00,240 us day in and day out. 624 00:40:00,240 --> 00:40:06,520 I pray today, Lord, that you will allow us to sow amazing seeds of the Spirit and reap 625 00:40:06,520 --> 00:40:08,120 amazing harvest. 626 00:40:08,120 --> 00:40:14,920 Father, you are an incredible God, amazing in your love and mercy and forgiveness to 627 00:40:14,920 --> 00:40:15,920 us. 628 00:40:15,920 --> 00:40:22,640 Help us, Lord, live that life that Paul called us to, not I, but Christ in me. 629 00:40:22,640 --> 00:40:26,120 We ask this by your power, through your name, in Jesus' name. 630 00:40:26,120 --> 00:40:33,120 Amen.