MESSAGE GAL: 6: 1-9. . DOING GOOD.
“ARE YOU DOIN GOOD?” ….. “I DON’T MEAN ARE YOU DOIN GOOD YOURSELF PERSONALLY”…. “BUT ARE YOU DOIN GOOD TO OTHERS?”
AS CHRISTIANS WE ARE CALLED TO BE DOIN GOOD WHICH WILL INVOLVE MINISTERING TO OTHERS IN A DIVERSITY OF WAYS…….. MEETING NOT ONLY PRACTICAL NEEDS AND ALLEVIATING SUFFERING AND PEOPLE IN HORRIBLE CIRCUMSTANCES BUT ALSO MINISTERING TO THE SPIRITUAL NEEDS OF ONE ANOTHER AND THOSE AROUND US BY CONFRONTING SIN, PREACHING CHRIST, TEACHING THE WORD, BUILDING OTHERS UP , BRINGING LOVE GRACE AND TRUTH TO IMPACT ON THE LIVES OF OURSELVES AND OTHERS.
• IT WAS JOHN WESLEY WHO ONCE SAID, "DO ALL THE GOOD YOU CAN, BY ALL THE MEANS YOU CAN, IN ALL THE WAYS YOU CAN, IN ALL THE PLACES YOU CAN, AT ALL THE TIMES YOU CAN, TO ALL THE PEOPLE YOU CAN, AS LONG AS EVER YOU CAN."
I BELIEVE THAT IS A FAIR ASSEMENT OF WHAT WE ARE CALLED TO DO AS CHRISTIANS, "DO ALL THE GOOD YOU CAN, BY ALL THE MEANS YOU CAN, IN ALL THE WAYS YOU CAN, IN ALL THE PLACES YOU CAN, AT ALL THE TIMES YOU CAN, TO ALL THE PEOPLE YOU CAN, AS LONG AS EVER YOU CAN." I BELIEVE IT’S A FAR ASSESSMENT OF WHAT SAMARITANS PURSE ENDEAVORS TO DO, LISTEN TO SIMON BARRINGTON DIRECTOR IN THE UK OF SAMARITANS PURSE…….
"OUR APPROACH TO MISSION AND DEVELOPMENT IS TO BOTH PROCLAIM AND LIVE OUT THE GOSPEL IN PRACTICE WHERE EVER WE GO. TO FOLLOW JESUS EXAMPLE OF MINISTERING TO THE WHOLE PERSON: BODY, SOUL AND CIRCUMSTANCE.
WHETHER PEOPLE LIKE TO CALL THIS ‘INTEGRAL MISSION’, ‘HOLISTIC MISSION’ OR JUST BEING A CHRISTIAN, WHAT MATTERS IS THAT EVERYONE WHO COMES INTO CONTACT WITH SAMARITANS PURSE AND THE CHURCHES WE WORK WITH ARE TOUCHED BY OUR LOVING GOD. THAT TOUCH MAY COME IN THE FORM OF ACCESS TO SAFE WATER, AS PRACTICAL CARE FOR SOMEONE AFFECTED BY HIV AND AIDS, OR IT MIGHT BE SPIRITUAL SUPPORT THROUGH FELLOWSHIP AND PRAYER. THE GREAT NEWS IS THAT SAMARITANS PURSE IS SEEING PEOPLE IMPACTED IN ALL THESE WAYS AND MORE."
SAMARITIANS PURSE IS DOIN GOOD, IT IS MEETING SPIRITUAL AND PRACTICAL NEEDS IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST AND SO I WHOLEHEARTEDLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO REALLY GET BEHIND THIS WORK OF OPERATION SHOE BOX IN 2009 AS IT IS SIMPLY ONE WAY YOU CAN BE DOIN GOOD AND IMPACTING THE LIVES OF OTHERS FOR GOOD. BUT THE CALL PLACED UPON US IS TO BE DOIN GOOD IN A DIVERSITY OF WAYS …
• LET’S READ GAL 6:1 -9.
HERE THE APOSTLE PAUL IS ADDRESSING THE CHURCHES IN GALATIA FOUDED ON PAULS 1ST MISSIONARY JOURNEY THE CHURCHES INCLUDED (ICONIUM LYSTRA DERBE ) IN CHAPTER 6. THE APOSTLE PAUL ENCOURAGES BELIEVERS TO BE DOIN GOOD! THE CALL GOES OUT ON A NUMBER OF LEVELS WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF DEALING WITH SIN AMONGST THEM (1-5) IS DOIN GOOD. SUPPORTING OUR LEADERS FINANCIALLY (6 -8) IS DOIN GOOD AND GOOD WORKS TOWARDS OTHERS ESPECIALLY BELIEVERS (9-10) IS DOIN GOOD .
THESE CHARACTERISTICS ARE TO BE SEEN INTERACTING WITHIN THE COMMUNITY OF CHRISTIANS WITH SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINE AND ENCOURAGEMENT AND HELP, WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF THE LOCAL CHURCH WITH FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR CHURCH LEADERS AND GOOD WORKS WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF THE WIDER CHRISTIAN AND NON CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY. PAUL SEES ALL THIS SIMPLY AS A NATURAL FRUIT OF BEING A GENUINE CHRISTIAN, A NATURAL FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT. FLOWING NATURALLY OUT OF OUR LOVE FOR GOD, OUR LOVE FOR ONE ANOTHER AND OUR LOVE FOR OUR NEIGHBOUR TOO.
WE ARE NOT CALLED TO DO GOOD FOR GOOD WORKS SAKE, OUT OF DUTY OR BECAUSE WE SEE A DANGLING CARROT AS REWARD AT THE END OF IT, OR BECAUSE OF WHAT OTHER MIGHT THINK OF US, BECAUSE WE SHOULD BE DOING GOOD EVEN WHEN NO-ONE NOTICES. BECAUSE AT THE PROPER TIME YOU WILL REAP AN HARVEST IF WE DO NOT GIVE UP, BECAUSE IT IS GOD WHO NOTICES AND IT IS GOD WHO WILL REWARD YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU DO FOR HIM.
1. DOIN GOOD..... TO ONE ANOTHER AS BELIEVERS. V1 - 2.
a) BE CONCERNED ABOUT SIN V1
THE FIRST WAY WE CAN BE “DOIN GOOD” IS BY HELPING OUR BROTHERS/SISTER WHO ARE STRUGGLING WITH SIN. WHEN A BROTHER /SISTER IS CAUGHT IN SIN THE LOVING THING IS NOT JUST TO ACCEPT IT OR TO IGNORE IT BUT TO BE CONCERNED AND SHARE THAT CONCERN (NOT IN GOSSIP TO OTHERS) BUT TO THE INDIVIDUAL IN QUESTION . WERE NOT CONFRONTING SIN TO BRING CONDEMNATION AND BANISHMENT TO THE BELIEVER , THE SIN ITSELF WILL BRING CONDEMNATION TO THE SPIRIT FILLED BELIEVER WHO IS IN SIN, THERE WILL BE A DEEP CONFLICT (GAL5:13-17). BY SHOWING A DEEP CONCERN AND CONFRONTING SIN IN ONE ANOTHER LIVES, OUR HOPE SHOULD ALWAYS BE TO BRING RESTORATION TO THAT PARTICULAR BROTHER /SISTER.
A FEW YEARS AGO, AN ANGRY MAN RUSHED THROUGH THE RIJKS MUSEUM IN AMSTERDAM UNTIL HE REACHED REMBRANDT’S FAMOUS PAINTING “NIGHTWATCH.” THEN HE TOOK OUT A KNIFE AND SLASHED IT REPEATEDLY BEFORE HE COULD BE STOPPED. A SHORT TIME LATER, A DISTRAUGHT, HOSTILE MAN SLIPPED INTO ST. PETER’S CATHEDRAL IN ROME WITH A HAMMER AND BEGAN TO SMASH MICHELANGELO’S BEAUTIFUL SCULPTURE THE PIETA.
TWO CHERISHED WORKS OF ART WERE SEVERELY DAMAGED. BUT WHAT DID OFFICIALS DO? DID THEY THROW THESE ART PIECES AWAY AND FORGET ABOUT THEM? ABSOLUTELY NOT! USING THE BEST EXPERTS, THEY WORKED WITH THE UTMOST CARE AND PRECISION, THEY MADE EVERY EFFORT TO RESTORE THE TREASURES.
BY HIS SOVEREIGN GRACE, GOD CAN BRING GOOD OUT OF OUR FAILURES, AND EVEN OUT OF OUR SINS. AND HE CALLS HIS PEOPLE WHO LIVE BY THE SPIRIT, TO LEAD OTHERS BACK TO WHOLENESS. (Matt 18:15-20)
BUT LET US REMEMBER WHEN WE WORK ON TACKLING SIN IN OUR FELLOW BROTHERS/SISTERS – WE MUST NOT GO ABOUT IT ‘LIKE A BULL IN A CHINA SHOP’ BUT WE MUST PRACTICE THE UTMOST CARE NOTICE WHAT IT SAYS, DO IT WITH GENTLENESS AND WATCH YOURSELF FOR YOU TO MIGHT BE TEMPTED V1 . AS WITH THE ART WORK MUCH CARE IS NEEDED SO WHEN WE POINT OUT SIN IN OTHERS THE UTMOST CARE MUST FOLLOW.
b) BE CONCERNED ABOUT BURDENS V2
ILLUSTRATION: A FEW WEEKS AGO I WAS RETURNING FROM WIGTON ON A SHOPPING EXPEDITION – I HAD GONE OUT FOR SOME MILK I HAD WITH ME TWO OF THOSE HESSIAN BAGS I WAS ABLE TO PLACE 3 2 LITRES MILK CONTAINERS IN EACH BAG – THEY WERE WELL HEAVY AS I WALKED I HAD TO KEEP PUTTING THEM DOWN TO REST- THEN ONE OF THE HANDLES SNAPPED IT COULDN’T TAKE THE STRAIN – AND I REALISED I DIDNT WANT TO BE BURDENED WITH THESE BAGS ANY LONGER. I’M NEVER GOING TO BE ABLE TO CARRY THEM ANY LONGER. THANKFULLY I WAS OUTSIDE THE VIDEO SHOP SO I LEFT THEM WITH THE VIDEO MAN IN HIS FRIDGE AS I KNEW HIM, HE TOOK MY BURDENED LOAD, HE SUPPORTED ME.
I WANT TO SHARE ABOUT CARRYING ONE ANOTHER’S BURDENS FROM THIS
ILLUSTRATION .....
A) I WAS CARRYING THOSE BAGS OF MILK ON MY OWN -AND IT WAS A REALLY BURDEN TO ME – THE THOUGHT OF NOT BEING ABLE TO MANAGE WAS OVERWHELMING AND ULTIMATELY THE BAG HANDLE SNAPPED BUT THE BAG HANDLED HAD NOT ONLY SNAPPED I HAD SNAPPED I COULDN’T GO ON .
IN THE CHRISTIAN LIFE AND CHURCH – THERE ARE TIMES WHEN WE WILL BECOME REALLY BURDENED AND WE WILL BE FINDING THINGS REALLY DIFFICULT BECAUSE YOU ARE CARRYING THE BURDEN ALL ON YOUR OWN ? AND YOU WILL BEGIN TO ASK YOURSELF IN YOUR MIND, CAN I GO ON ANY LONGER? IS SOMETHING IN YOUR CHRISTIAN LIFE ABOUT TO SNAP? WHAT YOU NEED IS SUPPORT TO GO ON TO MAKE THINGS WORK.
V2 PAUL IS CALLING US TO CARRY ONE ANOTHER’S BURDENS NOT TO ALLOW ONE ANOTHER TO GET TO THE POINT OF SNAPPING - BUT TO STEP IN AND SUPPORT – YOUR BROTHER AND SISTER TO GET ALONGSIDE OTHERS WHO ARE STRUGGLING.
COULD YOU IMAGINE IF SOMEONE HAD JUST COME ALONG AND TAKEN ONE OF THE BAGS OF MILK AND HAD CARRIED IT ALONGSIDE WITH ME.... WOULDN’T THAT OF TAKEN A HUGE LOAD OF ME...... THEN I WOULD HAVE NOT BEEN OVERWHELMED WITH THE LOAD .
FRIENDS THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT WE ARE CALLED TOO DO FOR ONE ANOTHER IN THE LIFE OF THE CHURCH. WE ARE NOT CALLED AS CHRISTIANS TO BE ALOOF AND DISTANT BUT CLOSE , TOGETHER AND IN PARTNERSHIP. IF WE ARE GENUINE BELIEVERS THEN WE WILL BE CONCERNED ABOUT ONE ANOTHER, IT WILL CAUSE US TO SUPPORT ONE ANOTHER..... TO CARRY ONE ANOTHER’S BURDENS BECAUSE THIS FULLFILLS THE LAW OF CHRIST.
I WANT TO BE HONEST WITH YOU ... AS PASTOR I AM BURDENED ABOUT THE LIFE AND FUTURE OF THIS CHURCH, CAN WE REALLY MAKE THIS CHURCH WORK? THAT ALL DEPENDS ON WHETHER WE ARE ALL PREPARED TO COME ALONGSIDE AND REALLY SUPPORT AND CARRY THE BURDENS TOGETHER OF THIS CHURCH.
V2 TO FULFIL THE LAW OF CHRIST - TO BE LIKE JESUS. MEANS TO LOVE GOD - TO LOVE ONES NEIGHBOUR AS ONE LOVES ONES SELF.
TO CARRY ONE ANOTHERS BURDENS IS FULFILLING THE LAW OF CHRIST - TO BE LIKE JESUS - THIS IS WHAT WE ARE TO DO TO IMITATE HIM WHO WAS THE ULTIMATE BURDEN BEARER ( ROM15:1-3) HE HAS TAKEN HUMANITIES SIN UPON HIMSELF (GAL1:4) AND THE CURSE OF THE LAW (GAL3:3) UPON HIMSELF.
2. DOING GOOD.... MEANS SUPPORTING OUR LEADERS IN MINISTRY. V6
THIS IS SO APPLICABLE FOR US AS WE ARE APPROACHING A CRISIS POINT IN THE MONTHS TO COME BUT IN THIS AREA WE CAN BE DOIN GOOD.....THE NEXT WAY IN WHICH WE CAN DO GOOD IN THE CONTEXT OF THE CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY IS SUPPORTING THOSE WHO MINISTER THE WORD OF GOD TO US MATERIALLY WITH FOOD , MONEY AND WHATEVER GOOD THINGS ARE APPROPRIATE.
WE ARE NOT TO BE THOSE WHO SIT UNDER THE TEACHING OF THE WORD OF GOD AND IGNORE THE MATERIAL NEEDS OF THOSE WHO TEACH US. BUT WE MUST BE THOSE WHO SHARE IN THE GOOD THINGS WE HAVE EARNT THROUGH OUR OWN PROFESSIONS AND SUPPORT THE ONE WHO TEACHES US THE WORD. THIS IS DOIN GOOD.......
IMAGINE FOR A MINUTE YOU’VE GOT A BURST PIPE – YOU CALL THE PLUMBER, HE COMES OUT AND FIXES THE PIPE AFTER TWO HOURS , WILL HE JUST WALK A WAY WITHOUT PAYMENT OR WILL HE BE PAID? WELL IF YOU KNOW HIM AND YOU WANT TO TAKE LIBERTIES YOU MIGHT NOT PAY HIM OR GIVE HIM A SMALL AMOUNT. BUT USUALLY AS A PROFESSIONAL PLUMBER HIS RATE FOR COMING OUT FOR TWO HOURS MIGHT BE A MODEST £60.00.. OR MORE BUT ONE THING IS FOR SURE, HE WOULD NEED TO BE PAID.... IS IT ANY DIFFERENT FOR A TEACHER OF THE WORD OF GOD? HE NEEDS TO BE PAID, HE NEEDS TO PROVIDE FOR HIS OWN FAMILY - IS ITHE WHO IS SIMPLY CALLED TO LIVE BY FAITH, ARE WE NOT ALL CALLED TO LIVE BY FAITH? ...... UNLIKE THE PLUMBER WE DONT DEMAND A RATE – SO WHAT SHOULD I BE GIVING?
WHAT SHOULD I BE GIVING?
THE OT FIGURE FOR CHRISTIAN GIVING IS AROUND £10% OF YOU SALARY A NEW TESTAMENT FIGURE IS GREATER BECAUSE THE CALL IS TO OFFER EVERYTHING NOT ONLY OUR FINANCES BUT OUR LIVES AS LIVING SACRIFICES.....
( ROM.12:2 )SOME PEOPLE THINK ITS EITHER OR YOU OFFER FINANCES (BECAUSE YOU WEALTHY) - I OFFER SACRIFICE (I HAVE LITTLE) BUT IN REALITY ITS BOTH WHETHER POOR OR RICH WE NEED TO BE GIVING OUR FINANCES AND OUR LIVES AS SACRIFICES IN SUPPORTING THOSE WHO TEACH US. ..
THEN PAUL DIVES INTO IT APPEARS SOMETHING COMPLETLY DIFFERENT OR SO IT APPEARS BUT ITS ALL CONNECTED UP V7- 9. DO NOT BE DECEIVED: GOD WILL NOT BE MOCKED. PEOPLE REAP WHAT THEY SOW....... OUR WORKS ARE EXAMINED FOR WHAT THEY ARE EITHER UNDER THE JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST AS BELIEVERS 2 COR5:9-10 WHER ALL WORKS OF THE FLESH WILL BE DESTROYED BUT WE WILL BE SAVED OR MORE AWFUL THE JUDGEMENT BEFORE THE GREAT WHITE THRONE BEFORE THE JUDGEMENT SEAT OF GOD WHERE UNBELIEVERS REV 20:11- 15. WILL BE BOUND TO THE 2ND DEATH.
ONCE, A MAN SAID, “IF I HAD SOME EXTRA MONEY, I’D GIVE IT TO GOD, BUT I HAVE JUST ENOUGH TO SUPPORT MYSELF AND MY FAMILY.” AND THE SAME MAN SAID, “IF I HAD SOME EXTRA TIME, I’D GIVE IT TO GOD, BUT EVERY MINUTE IS TAKEN UP WITH MY JOB, MY FAMILY, MY CLUBS, AND WHAT HAVE YOU — EVERY SINGLE MINUTE.” AND THE SAME MAN SAID, “IF I HAD A TALENT I’D GIVE IT TO GOD, BUT I HAVE NO LOVELY VOICE; I HAVE NO SPECIAL SKILL; I’VE NEVER BEEN ABLE TO LEAD A GROUP; I CAN’T THINK CLEVERLY OR QUICKLY, THE WAY I WOULD LIKE TO.”
AND GOD WAS TOUCHED, AND ALTHOUGH IT WAS UNLIKE HIM, GOD GAVE THAT MAN MONEY, TIME, AND A GLORIOUS TALENT. AND THEN HE WAITED, AND WAITED, AND WAITED.....AND THEN AFTER A WHILE, HE SHRUGGED HIS SHOULDERS, AND HE TOOK ALL THOSE THINGS RIGHT BACK FROM THE MAN, THE MONEY, THE TIME AND THE GLORIOUS TALENT. AFTER A WHILE, THE MAN SIGHED AND SAID, “IF I ONLY HAD SOME OF THAT MONEY BACK, I’D GIVE IT TO GOD. IF I ONLY HAD SOME OF THAT TIME, I’D GIVE IT TO GOD. IF I COULD ONLY REDISCOVER THAT GLORIOUS TALENT, I’D GIVE IT TO GOD.”
AND GOD SAID, “OH, SHUT UP . “AND THE MAN TOLD SOME OF HIS FRIENDS, “YOU KNOW, I’M NOT SO SURE THAT I BELIEVE IN GOD ANYMORE.
THEIR WILL BE REWARDS FOR BELIEVERS V7-9. FOR ‘DOIN GOOD IN THE SPIRIT’ 2 COR 5:9-10 OUR WORKS WILL BE TESTED AND THAT WHICH IS OF THE FLESH WILL BE BURNT UP
BUT GOD IS NOT FOOLED, HE CANNOT BE MOCKED, HE KNOWS WHAT WE SOW WE WILL REAP, IF WE SOW TO REAP OUR SINFUL NATURE WE WILL REAP DESTRUCTION..... AS BELIEVERS WE CAN SOW TO OUR SINFUL NATURE – ALL THAT WE DO IS NOT IN THE SPIRIT AND THOSE WORKS WILL REAP DESTRUCTION
IF WE SOW IN THE SPIRIT BY DOIN GOOD BY SUPPORTING THOSE WHO TEACH THE WORD TO US, BY CARRYING THE BURDENS OF ONE ANOTHER BY DOIN GOOD TO ALL ESPECIALLY BELIEVERS WITH WHAT GOD HAS FIRSTLY GIVEN AND BLESSED US WITH, OUR FINANCES, OUR TIME, AND OUR TALENTS . IF WE ARE USING THEM AS GOD EXPECTS AND CALLS US TOO, THEN THIS PLEASES GOD AND WE WILL REAP A SPIRITUAL HARVEST V9 . YOU WILL BE REWARDED.
3. DOING GOOD..... TO ALL ESPECIALLY THE FAMILY OF BELIEVERS V10.
WHILE BELIEVER AWAIT THEIR REWARDS (7-9) WE SHOULD ALWAYS BE DOIN GOOD.
THE PRIMARY FOCUS SHOULD BE ON SERVING THOSE IN THE CHURCH , BUT NEVER TO THE EXCLUSION OF PEOPLE IN THE WIDER WORLD (WORLD MISSION IS SO IMPORTANT TO THE CHURCH MATT 28:18 ). WE MUST BE SEEKING TO BE DOIN GOOD TO ALL - THROUGH GOSPEL INITIATIVES LIKE SAMARITIANS PURSE WHO REACH OUT IMPACTING COMMUNITIES WITH THE LOVE OF GOD REGARDLESS OF BELIEF AND ETHNICITY.
YET JESUS MADE IT CLEAR THAT OUR PRIMARY FOCUS IS THE KINGDOM OF GOD ( MATT6:33) OUR FIRST ALLEGIANCE MUST BE TO HIS KINGDOM, WITH GOD AS OUR HEAVENLY FATHER (MATT 6:9,32 8:21-22, 12:50) RATHER THAN TO FRIENDS , TO THE WORK PLACE, SCHOOL, SPORTS OR ANYTHING ELSE, EVEN EARTHLY FAMILIES WE SHOULD BE SEEKING TO BE DOIN GOOD TO GODS PEOPLE ESPECIALLY.
AMEN
