Where Did Our Enthusiasm Go?

Andy Barnes

Galatians • Sermon • Submitted 2 years ago

Galatians 6:6–10

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Context

Last week we considered what Paul meant by bearing one another’s burdens. What typically comes to mind when we think of what it mean to bear one another’s burdens is assisting each other in times of need. Sickness, crisis, financial hardship etc. But what is clear is that the call to the church to bear one another’s burdens goes beyond that and also includes helping each other when we are contending with the consequences of our own sin. Remember how this chapter begins: if anyone is caught in any transgression. When we see our brother or our sister in the darkness of sin, we, who are spiritual, that is we who are characterized by the Holy Spirit join them in their darkness with the light of the Gospel. Despite the fact that this kind of help is often unwanted and unwelcome, we do it any way, with love, for the good of others and for the glory of God.

But, when God’s people do the work of God, there often arises challenges, and we could spend a long time listing some of those challenges. So what inevitably comes up for those who are striving to serve God is contending with a lack of drive to keep at it. We must understand where our drive to serve God needs to come from in order for it to last. We’ll deal with this issue this morning in our text.

Galatians 6:6–10 ESV

Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches. Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.

Introduction

Have you ever noticed the waning tendency of our enthusiasm. Whether it’s a job, a holiday, a vacation, a diet, a book, a bible study, a ministry, a hobby, a blog… We often start off strong. We start off with energy. We start off with vigor, but then, over time the strength, the energy, the vigor begins to wane… to diminish. Maybe because it’s not quite what we expected. Maybe because its become too familiar. Many of us know what it’s like to go somewhere that has an amazing view, but the more we view the amazing view, the less enthusiasm we have to view it. Again, the waning tendency of our enthusiasm.

This, I suggest is particularly problematic when it comes to serving God. When our enthusiasm for serving God diminishes, we suffer and other of God’s people around us suffer as well.

FCF: Our enthusiasm for the work of God is often short-lived.

The reason this is coming up is because of what v. 9 of our text says:

Galatians 6:9 (ESV)

And let us not grow weary of doing good...

Paul is recognizing that the Galatian church may be discouraged and distracted because of all the chaos provoked by the false teachers. We’re no different that the Galatian church when it comes to contending with the struggle to remain in the game. Don’t turn from what God is calling you to do. Remain enthusiastic in serving God. But this is what we must understand:

Main Idea

Our enthusiasm for the work of God is supplied by the Spirit of God.

This is what makes enthusiasm for the work of God in the church unique to enthusiasm for a vacation. Not growing weary in doing good is not something we can accomplish from our own strength and sense of ambition. Having and maintaining enthusiasm in our service to God in the local church us a supernatural transaction. God supplies it.

But how does it work?

Analytical Question

What does the Spirit of God supply us to provide and maintain our enthusiasm for the work of God?

A commitment to the ministry of the Word of God (6)

I want to point out that I’m going out of my way to describe this a the ministry of the word of God and not just the word of God. What’s the difference, or, what do I intend the difference to be?

What I mean by the ministry of the word is the teaching ministry of God’s word. We all must meditate on God’s word regularly… daily. We must have a regular time of pray and bible meditation to maintain connection with God day-to-day.

But the way God has ordered His church is that His people are to commit to and receive the ministry of the word, and this most typically is accomplished through the ministry of elders/pastors in the local church

This is what I suggest Paul is referencing here in v. 6. The one who teaches are the ones who carry out the ministry of the word of God among God’s people.

AQ: What does a commitment to the ministry of the Word of God look like?

A desire to learn the Word

Verse 6 begins with a command: Let the one who is taught the word share all good things...

Before we consider the command itself, I want us to see that Paul is referring to the Galatians as taught people. Specifically, they were people who were taught the word of God.

Now, I do not usually pronounce the actual Greek word of the text, but more emphasize what the words mean and how the author uses them. I do want to however, pronounce the word translated taught because I think it may remind us of an English word.

The Greek word is κατηχέω which may remind some of us of the word catechism. If you are from a catholic background, you probably at east heard this word before, but it’s not a catholic word. A catechism is a teaching device of sorts. It summarizes Christian doctrine and presents that summary in the form of questions and answers.

So a children’s catechism says: Who made God? And the answer is: no body made God. And the truth that this question and answer makes, that is, teaches is that God is the Creator and not created.

I say all this simply to point out that the people in the Galatian church were familiar with being taught the word of God. They were instructed by teachers. They were recipients of biblical instruction.

And what I think is at least implied here is that for one to be committed to the ministry of the Word of God he/she must possess a desire to learn the Word of God.

But in addition to possessing a desire to learn the word of God, we must also possess a commitment to support those who teach the word.

A commitment to support those who teach the Word

Now remember what we are suggesting here. In order for God’s people to possess and maintain enthusiasm for God’s work, the Holy Spirit supplies a commitment to the ministry of the word of God, and a commitment to the word includes a commitment to the financial support of those who teach.

I know, this, coming from me, may seem self-serving, but regardless of what anyone may assume of my motives, financially supporting ministers of the word of God is a biblical command to the church.

Again the command in v. 6 is to share all good things with the one who teaches.

Now, you may know that Paul did not receive regular payment for his teaching ministry, although we do know he received personal gifts of money from the Philippians. He was a tent-maker so he could provide for himself and not be a financial burden to those whom he ministered the word. But he is the one who taught:

1 Corinthians 9:14 ESV

In the same way, the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel.

We’re not sure why Paul felt it necessary to address this specific issue to the Galatian churches. After Paul, along with his ministry partner Barnabas, came through this region and preached the gospel and planted churches, they appointed elders in every church. These men would have been conducting the ministry of the word among the churches.

Perhaps the false teachers were seeking to discredit these men by criticizing their teaching, and as some of the Galatians began to buy into what the false teachers were teaching and their criticism of the elders in the churches, they may have been withdrawing their financial support of them.

Nothing new under the sun is there. This is often how people respond, sadly even in the church. If something is happening or not happening the way we want, we withdraw our financial support. Now sometimes that the right move, but we need to be clear here that it is right for us to support the ministry of the word with good things, that is our finances.

This really comes down today to supporting our local church with our resources. And if you are ever in a position in which you are looking for a church, that’s a big consideration, but fundamentally it must be a church that is committed to preaching the word of God.

Churches can be impressive on many fronts, and many of those things are important (family ministry, music, missions, community outreach etc), but if there is no sold, clear commitment to the proclamation of God’s Word, then you have very little of value.

Now remember the broader context here. Paul commanded that the Galatians bear each other’s burdens, and supporting those who teach God’s word fits right in to that context. The ministry of the word must be sustained in order for a healthy church to exist and if we expect to be able to handle the certain challenges that will come our way as we strive to serve God in this world.

On this side of Jesus’ return, we will continue to deal with our own sin, and how it affects one another. We will continue to contend with the oppression or even persecution of the world for our commitment to following Christ. Serving God, being the church is not easy, but will make it virtually impossible is to marginalize or diminish the ministry of God’s word.

If we want to remain enthusiastic about serving God, we need the Holy Spirit to intervene, and they way He intervenes is He provides His people with a commitment to the ministry of the Word of God.

In order to supply and maintain our enthusiasm for the work of God, the Holy Spirit also provides

A reverence for God (7-8)

AQ: What does a reverence for God look like?

Filtering our present through eternity

To begin this consideration of our present in light of eternity, we need to see Paul’s warning in v. 7: Do not be deceived, God is not mocked.

Paul issues this negative command, do not be deceived, so to be clear in their minds that no matter how they think or behave, God will not be mocked.

The word mocked here means to treat with contempt, to turn your nose up at Him.

It’s as if Paul is saying that you will not approach God with that kind of attitude… one that lacks the appropriate respect.

Now, where is eternity in this command to not be deceived? Do approach God with disrespect because whatever one sows, that will he also reap. I suppose that phrase’s meaning in straight forward enough. What we reap or harvest will depend on what we planted or sowed in the ground.

What’s the analogy meant to make clear. One day, God will harvest what we have planted. One day, a certain kind of payday will come, and God will be the collector.

So we would do well to heed the prophet Hosea’s words:

Hosea 8:7 (ESV)

For they sow the wind,

and they shall reap the whirlwind....

The message we are to take to heart today church and friends is do not approach your lives with a casual posture. What we do now reflects our posture to God. What we do now reflects what we believe is important and what we do not think is important.

Is our way of life nothing more than an effort to harvest the wind? You and I need to live with eternity as our filter. If all that will be there when we meet God is that which passed through the filter of eternity, that must have significant impact on the here and now. The everyday. Eternity is relevant.

And that is what Paul goes on to make explicit in verse 8.

Now remember Paul talked extensively about the conflict that all Christians contend with between the works of our flesh and the fruit of the Spirit in the previous chapter. Our flesh is that part of us that is still in rebellion against God. Though the Holy Spirit resides in His people, and though the Holy Spirit intervened in our rebellion and transformed us from people who rejected God to people who came to God by faith, there is still a part of us that struggles against God’s will for us. That’s our flesh.

But the Spirit of God resides inside of us, and produces His fruit though us. He produces a love through us that is unlike love that the world promotes. It’s a love that is not of this world.

And what Paul is saying here in v. 8 is that the more we sow, that is indulge the works of our flesh, the deeper we move into the pit of our corruption.

The word corruption in v. 8 means decay or destruction. It conveys the idea of a corpse going through the process of decomposition. Vivid imagery of the consequences of our sin.

Do not be deceived everyone. What we do now has eternal consequences. And if we are indulging our flesh. If we are living to pursue and gratify that part of us that attempts to wage war against our Creator, the value of our labors is the equivalent of rotting flesh.

But the 2nd half of v. 8 makes clear that if we strive to yield to the Spirit and allow His fruit to show through our lives, we display what God gives to His children: eternal life.

As George puts it:

Galatians (4) Sowing and Reaping (6:7–8)

Eternal life, of course, is not merely life that lasts eternally. It is rather God’s very own life, the life of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, graciously bestowed upon the children of God through faith in the Redeemer.

Again, Timothy George was helpful to me in understanding what Paul means by eternal life, by comparing v. 8 with the words of Jesus

Luke 18:29–30 ESV

And he said to them, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who will not receive many times more in this time, and in the age to come eternal life.”

Jesus said this in response to a complaint Peter had. Peter complained that they (the disciples) had left everything to follow Jesus. The implication here is that Peter was questioning whether their sacrifice was paying off or not.

Have you ever considered this. Maybe not with these words, but have you ever wondered is living for Christ is worth it?

Here’s something I think we need to take away from Jesus’ answer to Peter’s complaint. Though there is joy in serving Christ now. Though we receive peace beyond what we can imagine now by living kingdom-centered lives now. Though the connection we possess with brothers and sisters in Christ as a result of our adoption into the family of God is more soul-nourishing than we can find even in our biological families… Though all of this and more is true now, there something better… something far more superior that is yet to come. And it is Jesus Himself. Jesus will usher in the age to come, and when He does all His people will receive the culmination of their eternal lives. We will b with Him, we will be made like Him and we will no longer contend with our rotting, decaying flesh or its works any longer.

The the point is, do loose sight of all this here and now. Filter your present through eternity.

One more work the Holy Spirit does in His people to provide and maintain their confidence for doing the work of God is the provision of

A confidence in God (9-10)

AQ: What does confidence in God look like?

Knowing that our efforts to serve God are never futile (9)

So, again the beginning of v. 9 brings the issue of our enthusiasm in serving God to the forefront (let us not grow weary in doing good).

But the 2nd half of verse 9 goes on the provide the reason why we should not grow weary in doing good… the reason why we should not give up.

Consider what Paul has been encouraging the Galatian church to do:

Reject and expel the agitators

Love one another

Keep in step with the Spirit

Bear one another’s burdens

Examine yourself in light of the judgement seat of Christ

All of these things are significant. It’s not easy to live this way. In fact, living this way can feel overwhelming and perhaps even impossible.

And Paul’s command to not grow weary in doing good makes sense because we often feel like giving up.

We like to be able to calculate outcomes. To use the analogy of farming that Paul uses here in this chapter, famers can reasonably predict when the crop will be ready to harvest. The farmer knows the necessary conditions for a fruitful harvest.

What we often find frustrating is that we cannot predict or calculate the outcome of our efforts in serving God. Our efforts in praying, planning, evangelizing, promoting, studying, forgiving, seeking forgiveness, persevering.... it’s always right we do these things, it honors God when we do these things for His glory (which we often fail to see and feel the satisfaction in that) but we can’t predict the outcomes of those efforts.

We need to have a confidence in God that will provide us the caution we need to not put too much stock in seeing visible results.

Do we want our efforts for Pelican Point Day to yield our sanctuary to be filled? Of course, and we should pray to that end, but there is something more important than that. That we, this church, be faithful to God in all that we do and think, so that regardless of the outcome, God will still be glorified.

And what’s the payoff for that? What’s the payoff for Pelican Point Day, if no one from Pelican Point comes to Pelican Point Day? Don’t get me wrong, if that happens, I, along with many of you, will feel discouragement and frustration. Will be tempted to give up and say, I’m done. But a full sanctuary is not the ultimate payoff.

It’s confidence in the fact that no matter what happens in this church and in our lives, at the proper time (due season), God will reap His harvest. Yes, we want to do what God has called us to do, and make effort to reach people for Christ, but if we have a rock solid confidence in God and His redemptive plan for His church no matter what disappointments and frustrations come our way, we will have untouchable joy and peace in this life.

Do we have this kind of confidence. Confidence in this world, in our efforts, in outcomes will inevitably disappoint. Confidence in God will not.

But we can’t give up. If it’s not Pelican Point Day, then maybe it’s Stonewater Creek Day. Or maybe it won’t be any of those days. Maybe it will be God giving us opportunity to connect with someone and invite them to church. Maybe it’s someone yet to move in the area. We don’t know the outcome, but we cannot give up on having and placing our confidence in God and His plan for His people.

Confidence in God is also

Knowing God provides us opportunities to serve one another (10)

So Paul emphasized the need for us to keep the eternal perspective in play as we think about the here and now. God will come to reap His harvest on the last day.

But as far as the here and now is concerned, we are to do good to everyone, especially to those who are of the household of faith.

There is nothing casual about this. We don’t seek to do good to others when it is convenient but as we have opportunity. And make no mistake, what is meant here by opportunity, is divinely appointed opportunities.

So in light of the fact that this world is passing away, that Jesus will return someday and reap His harvest, lets be sensitive to opportunities God provides us to do good to others.... especially one another

This is the priority structure. We are to seek to do good to one another. We are a family, and though we may very different lives and and situations and challenges and frustrations and joys, we are committed to Christ and because of that we are also committed to doing good for each other.

Conclusion

Our enthusiasm for the work of God is supplied by the Spirit of God.

The Battle of Midway

The Battle of Midway was an epic clash between the U.S. Navy and the Imperial Japanese Navy that played out six months after the attack on Pearl Harbor. The U.S. Navy’s decisive victory in the air-sea battle (June 3-6, 1942) and its successful defense of the major base located at Midway Island dashed Japan’s hopes of neutralizing the United States as a naval power and effectively turned the tide of World War II in the Pacific.

Japan’s efforts to establish clear naval and air superiority in the western Pacific first hit a snag in the Battle of the Coral Sea in May 1942, when the U.S. fleet turned back a Japanese invasion force headed for New Guinea. Despite the setback, Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, commander of the Imperial Japanese Navy, was convinced his forces enjoyed a numerical advantage over the Americans.

U.S. Navy cryptanalysts had begun breaking Japanese communication codes early in 1942, and knew for weeks ahead of time that Japan was planning an attack in the Pacific at a location they called “AF.” Suspecting it was Midway, the Navy decided to send out a false message from the base claiming it was short of fresh water. Japan’s radio operators sent out a similar message about “AF” soon afterward, confirming the location of the planned attack.

The work of the cryptanalysts breaking the Japanese communication codes was really the turning point for the success of the US in this particular battle. They Us Navy was ready for what Japan was about to do.

When it comes to serving God, and loosing steam in serving God, that is, not growing weary in well-doing, we need to know something, in fact, we actually do know something ahead of time. The cryptanalysts’ work has been done. The code of faint-heartedness has been broken.

There is no question, we will loose steam, we will grow weary, we will get distracted from serving God. We will become discouraged. Other things, ambitions, concerns will call for our attention. It will become so difficult sometimes to do what God has called us to do, that we will feel like giving up.

But the code has been broken.

Galatians 3:3 (ESV)

...Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?

The code has been broken. We don’t serve God by means of our own strength. Church, there is no more important work in the world than serving God. But it can be difficult to remember that when our church disappoints us. It can be difficult to remember this when life becomes incredibly painful or difficult. It can be difficult to not grow weary in well-doing when when the same problem or trial persists well beyond what we had hoped. But the code has been broken.

Our enthusiasm for the work of God is supplied by the Spirit of God.

We won’t grow weary when we trust in the power of God to do what we have been called to do. And whatever feelings we want to have in our well-doing, trust in the Lord to sustain you when the feelings aren’t there. The code has been broken. The Spirit that lives in us empowers us to do what God has called us to do.

Benediction

May you be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.