What you sew. You reap. That isn't only an Old Testament principle. Galatians 6.8 reminds us that if we sow to the Spirit, drawing near to God, Abiding in Christ, letting His Word dwell in us richly. we will reap eternal life.
But if we sow to the flesh, fostering bitterness, self-pity, pride, entertaining wrong thoughts and attitudes, lingering in bad company, we will reap corruption.
So how does the sow reap concept? tie in with our freedom in Christ. Let's listen to this message as Pastor Rich takes us through Galatians 6, 6 through 10. Good morning. Mm-hmm.
I have the honor of reading God's Word this morning.
So if you turn your Bibles to Galatians 6. We're going to read verses 1 through 10. I was thinking, why do we spend so much time? In God's Word. We sing it.
We read it. We study it, we memorize it. Not all churches do that. Why do we do that? And a friend Sent me a quote by R.
C. Sproll. And I'd like to Read it. The error. RC said, I think the greatest weakness in the church today.
Is that almost no one believes that God invests His power in the Bible? Everyone is looking for power in a program and a technique. in anything and everything except Where God has placed it. His word.
So this morning Let's read His Word. as the word of God. The Creator, the Sustainer. of all things. Mm-hmm.
This is his message to us. Brothers. if any one is caught in any transgression, You who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourselves. lest you too be tempted.
Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, He deceives himself. But let each one test his own work and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone, and not in his neighbour. for each will have to bear his own load. Let the one who has 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 reap from the flesh. own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption.
But the one who sows to the Spirit will reap from the Spirit. 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. Let's pray. Father, this morning we ask. Let your word wash over us.
that it changes not only our minds but our hearts. Use your word this morning with the power that it has. to make us more like Christ. We praise you because you are. God.
In Jesus' name. Thank you, Brian. Good morning, church. It is good for us to be here. And as we are Unfortunately, having to say goodbye to the Milam family.
It is my privilege to announce to you that the Locklear family has chosen to return. That's so fun. At at least for at least for one Sunday, anyway. It's good to see you all here. Our text for today, and there's the today and next Sunday, the last two sermons from the book of Paul's letter to the church, to the Galatian churches.
And our text today is chapter six. Uh verses 6 through 10. And I've entitled this Sowing and Reaping. That's not hard, is it? It's easy to find titles for these.
These paragraphs, sowing and reaping.
So, as we're talking about, Paul is talking to the Galatian churches: you're not under the law anymore. You have died to the law. You've been released from the law, from that which held you captive, so that we no longer serve in the old way of the letter, but in the new way of the Spirit. That's Romans chapter 7, verse 6. And so, as we studied in the end of chapter 5, that we are called to, we are instructed to keep in step with the Spirit.
I hope you have contemplated that and studied that to understand what that means. You need to have a mental picture of what it means, what it looks like to keep in step with the Spirit, because we're called to that. To be in step with the Spirit. to use My vernacular is to live in the outflow. Live in the outflow of our walk with God, our delight in Him.
And I live in the outflow of that. And if I live in the outflow of my love for God and my delight in him, then I will be others focused. Because that's what God is. That's what the cross of Christ teaches us. Philippians 2, that great Christological passage.
For Jesus. Set aside his glory, and he came to earth. He was born a baby, grew up, and he became obedient to the point of death, even the death on the cross. Why? Because he Loved the father.
And the Father loves us. That's others' focus. And if we are others focused, that is walking in love. That's walking in love. Not self-centeredness.
But love. Very, very different. And so he says, we begin, we pick up now our study in verse 6: let the one who is taught. the word, share all good things with the one who teaches. I know what you're thinking right now.
Rich, that's a pretty self-serving verse for you to teach. I'm simply unpacking the word of God. This is God's Word. It's my responsibility to unpack it.
So here we go. All right. It says The one who is taught, share all good things with the one who teaches. The idea of sharing all good things, that's the word koin no neo. That's the word that is commonly translated fellowship.
Fellowship. The idea of fellowship is to do together. To do together. When you sit down at a meal, it is a fellowship. You're eating together.
We meet in care groups. We are doing it. We are studying the Word of God and praying together. We're fellowshipping together. We come here in corporate worship.
This is a fellowship. And we do this together. We are worshiping together. It is a fellowship. And the worship is not just relegated to the music that we sing.
What we're doing right now is worship. We are opening our hearts and our minds to the self-disclosure of the infinite sovereign. Who made us and loves us and died for us. That's fellowship. And we're doing that together.
And so the idea that he says here, that he says, let the one who has taught, shared all good things with one who teaches, just so you know, I have created a list of all things that I consider all good things, and they're available to you. I'm just kidding. Just kidding. I know. Um He's talking about a partnership in ministry.
A partnership in ministry. Because teaching is necessary, isn't it? The teaching of the Word of God is necessary. God has chosen the teaching and the preaching of the Word of God for the maturing. Of his of his people.
Peter says, 1 Peter chapter 2, verse 2, as newborn babes desire the pure. Spiritual milk, or the pure milk of the word, as some translations say it. the pure spiritual milk. But he says, as newborn babes, so you know that. Children as they grow up, they don't continue drinking just milk.
And here's where I'm going to challenge you. for a little bit of personal assessment right now. How is your intake of the scriptures? Is it milk? Or are you moving on from that?
Because Hebrews chapter 5, verses 13 and 14 say: Everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness. Since he is a child, but solid food is for the mature, those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice. Continually consuming the Word of God. studying it, digging deep into it. Listening to the sermons of the Word of God and taking them and contemplating them.
Are we doing that? Because that's my job as a pastor teacher. To bring a banquet from the Word of God to you. when we get together. It's a hard task.
It's not an easy thing to do. It's a weighty task. But you know, there's nothing like a good hearty meal, isn't there? Thomas and I have spent some lunches together. And there was a time when all he ate for lunch was a ribeye steak.
Can that man cook a ribeye? And I would look forward to those lunches. And now I know how to cook a good ribeye. Yeah. But there's nothing like a good hearty meal.
But you know, when we come together, we should come anticipating a good, hearty meal from God's self-disclosure. And you know what? You may not be able to remember all of the meals that you've had. But you know you've had them. Right.
Because you're alive and walking.
Now, as we look at this text, verse 6, we're not going to linger on it long. Let the one who is taught share all good things with the one who teaches. That has been abused. It has been abused. And it has been abused from both sides.
It's been abused from both sides. Not going to linger on this, but those who teach. Historically, in church, and even back in the days of Israel, they were called shepherds. And God indicted the shepherds because they were not shepherding, they were leeching off of their people. That's an abuse.
One of my Ted peeves. Through my life in ministry has been pastors who simply hide behind the pulpit for a paycheck. They do not engage their people, they do not shepherd their people, they're ivory tower pastors, and then they appear in the pulpit, and then they expect a full paycheck. That annoys me. It's an abuse.
And pastors who simply expect to receive more and more and more because you need to take care of me. That's an abuse. There is also abuse that happens on the other side. And that is when those who are taught Think they can control the teacher. Because They're the ones that provide his paycheck.
I have actually heard people say Two it pasture. We pay your salary. You can't tell us what to do. That's abuse. It's abuse.
Am I your servant? Yes, but you are not my master. Big difference, isn't there? See, he's talking about a partnership in ministry, and that partnership is a beautiful thing. It is a beautiful thing.
And when those who are being taught and they know that they're sharing all good things, therefore, this is what Jon Stott says, this is the abuse that can happen. He says, they pay the piper, they say, so they must be allowed to call the tooth. The labor instruction. I want you to turn with me to 1 Thessalonians, if you would please. In your Bible, you copy the scriptures, turn to 1 Thessalonians.
This is one of the best descriptions in scripture about the life and ministry of a pastor, the work. of a pastor-teacher. This is the Apostle Paul writing. And I want you to look with me, 1 Thessalonians 2. Look, beginning at verse 5.
Here's the heart of a pastor, Paul writing to the churches that he planted: For we never came with words of flattery, as you know, nor with pretext for greed, God is witness. Nor did we seek glory from people, whether from you or from others, though we could have made demands as apostles of Christ. But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children.
So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God, but also our own selves, because we had become, you had become very dear to us. For you remember, brothers, our labor and toil, we worked night and day that we might not be a burden to any of you while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God. You are witness, and God also, how holy and righteous and blameless was our conduct towards you, believers. For you know how like a father with his children, We exhorted We exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory. That's a shepherd.
That's what a shepherd ought to be. And we're hoping, Thomas, you, and Alyssa, as you find a church, that you are able to find a church with such a shepherd. There's too many men today, they're so busy building their own kingdoms. And the church is suffering for it. And we are so glad and proud to have sent out Bobby and Rachel, who probably about a year from now will be planting a church.
With the P through the PCA planting the church. And I know that they will be shepherded well. Mm. It is It is the shepherd. Who labors in instruction?
It is a laborer of instruction by example and sacrifice. A labor of instruction by example and sacrifice, as we see what Paul just wrote there to the Thessalonian church.
So in Galatians Last points here, the sharing of all good things. There's a reason why he says that. This communicates four things. Sharing all good things. Those who are taught share all good things with the one who teaches.
It communicates four things. Number one, it communicates desire. That you have a hunger for a hearty meal from God's self-disclosure. Communicates that. Number two, it communicates what you value.
That you value that teaching because it moves you Godward. You value that hearty meal because it moves you Godward. Thirdly, it communicates the impact that it has on your life, and that is life change. You recognize that. And fourthly, it communicates gratitude.
Because the teaching is for God's glory and our good. This is why Paul instructs the believers share with those who teach them. Paul writes this to the Corinthian church, 2 Corinthians 1, verse 24. We work with you for your joy. We work with you for your joy.
That's a beautiful word picture, isn't it? We work with you for your joy. That's the fellowship. of ministry. We are partners in ministry.
And all of this is in the context of. walking in step with the Spirit, living in the outflow. loving one another as he has loved us. And so he gets now into the law of sowing and reaping, which, by the way, you can look at James chapter 3, verses 13 to 18. James 3, 13 to 18.
Who is wise and understanding among you by his good conduct, let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false. To the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. Thank you.
The law of sowing and reaping. for where jealousy and selfish ambition exist. There will be disorder and every vile practice, but the wisdom from above, first pure, then peaceable, gentle. open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits. impartial and sincere.
And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. Boy, that's a beautiful paragraph, isn't it? Very striking paragraph. We should know that. This is the law of sowing and reaping.
So, what does he mean by sowing? Look with me, verse 7: Do not be deceived. God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. What is your sowing? What is he talking about?
Let me put it in very practical terms. Your sewing is your habits. Your sewing is your habits. your habits of What are habits? They are developed routines of thought and behavior.
developed routines of thought and behavior. Why does he say God is not mocked? Because I can be so self-deceived that I can think inside I can have all these thoughts of bitterness, anger, jealousy, comparison. Greed. But outside, if I'm doing and saying all the right things.
God's happy with me. Because people are impressed. God is not mocked. He knows your heart and mind. That's why you know he's dealing with the Pharisees of his day.
What did he call them? What did he... What did he call them? White Quite washed. Tombs.
What's in a tube? Market. Dead bones. Dead bones. That's not when he called them whitewashed tombs.
That's not a compliment. You look beautiful, nicely painted on the outside, spick and span, but inside you're full of rottenness. You're dying, you're dead on the inside. It's way too easy to do that in today's context. We can fix ourselves up externally really nicely, can't we?
But if we come and fellowship with each other, worship whether it's at church or care group. or wherever we are. God sees the heart. And that's what matters to him. That's why he says God is not mocked.
It's not about keeping up appearances.
So he says: look at verse 8: for the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption. If you sow to the flesh. Quiz again, all right? I just said this. What is sewing?
What is it? Habits, your habits, your habits of thought and behavior. Are you sowing to the flesh? Because if you're sowing to the flesh in your thoughts and in your behaviors, your pursuits, You will reap corruption. What is he saying?
Sowing to the flesh. Let's look at that. Turn back at Galatians chapter 5. Look at Galatians chapter 5, look at verse 19.
Now, the works of the flesh are evident, sexual immorality. Impurity, sensuality, boy, he's just kind of covered the whole gamut right there, hasn't he? Your thought life. What are you watching on TV? What are you...
Are you scrolling through a bunch of reels? What are you going through? Idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. Thanks. And that's not a complete list, but it pretty much covers the gamut, doesn't it?
And that gives us an idea of what this is what sowing to the flesh means. Let's put it in practical terms for ourselves, harboring a grudge. nursing a grievance. Entertaining an impure fantasy There's a lot of that going on in the world today in the digital age. entertaining an impure fantasy, wallowing in self-pity.
lingering in bad company. You're dwaddling in bad company and not dwaddling in the habits of regeneration. He sows to the flesh. And this is where I need to be looking, and the Spirit sees in my own heart. This perfect law of liberty now is a mirror.
We're looking in the mirror right now. What is there? What is there? Is there anything in my life where I am sowing to the flesh? To the degree that you're sowing to the flesh, you will reap corruption.
Decay. It's corrosive. Sin is inherently Self-destructive. And if you're sowing, if you've got developed and ongoing habits of thought or behavior in your life that are sowing to this. It is corrosive.
to your God word movement. It is decaying. You are sabotaging your own flourishing. your own godward movement. Stott says a person cannot engage in works of the flesh and expect to experience God's life.
Some of us Might have to confess struggles, and we're dealing with the same struggle all over again. And you know, I have to appeal to Einstein's definition of insanity. Keep doing the same thing and expect a different outcome. We do that spiritually, don't we?
Well, you know, if I just read my Bible and pray, if I just go to church, but you know, I'm going to keep doing these habits of thought and behavior, and we wonder why we keep struggling with the same thing over and over again. The Bible's pretty practical, isn't it?
Well, let's go on from there. Middle of verse 8: But the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. The one who sows to the Spirit.
So you sow to the Spirit, you'll reap eternal life. What is sowing to the spirit?
Well, let me get back to what I said before. It's the dawdling faith.
Now, some of you who are guests here this morning, Rich, what on earth are you talking about? Dawdling, what? Being a slow poke? What are you talking about? No, we're using dawdling in the sense of lingering.
Okay, these are the habits of regeneration. D-A-W-D-L. D-A-W-D-L. Those are the verbs. I want you to remember the verbs, okay?
The habits of regeneration, five of them. And here's the way to remember this: God has given Himself to us.
Okay, this is the grace that God has given us. And God is three in one, right?
So Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Draw near to God. Say it with me. Draw near to God. The second one is abide in Christ.
Say it with me. Abide in Christ. That's DA.
So think of the Trinity.
So the third person of the Trinity is. The Holy Spirit. Walk by the Spirit. D-A-W, walk by the Spirit.
So the emphasis is the verbs. Draw near to God. Abide in Christ. Walk by the Spirit. Say that with me.
Walk by the Spirit. That's the third one. And then the next thing God gives us is His self-disclosure. What are we called to do? Let the word of Christ.
Dwell in you richly. The verbs, okay? Stick with the verbs. D-A-W-D, dwell. Let the word of Christ what?
dwell in you richly. That's on you, folks. Don't sit back and ask God to do that for you. That's on you to do that. Am I preaching?
Yeah. What an incredible blessing we have to have our own copies. God's word. The feast that is before us that we can consume.
So do it. You cannot walk by the Spirit if you are not letting His Word dwell in you richly. Consume it. And then the last one is L, D A W D. Love as I have loved you.
Love is a verb. You thought love was a noun, didn't you? Love is a verb. Love as I have loved you. The things that God gives us, His grace is what He's given us.
He's given Him Himself, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He's given us His self-disclosure. His word, he's given us his family. Love as I have loved you. D A W D L.
Know that, the habits of regeneration. That's how you sow to the Spirit. That's how you sow to the Spirit, keeping in step with the Spirit. And if you sow to the Spirit, you will reap eternal life. Yeah.
What is he talking about? You'll become saved if you sow to the Spirit. That's not what he's saying. We have eternal life. You cannot sow to the Spirit unless you have eternal life.
So, all these habits of regeneration that we're talking about, listen to me. You as a Christian, as one who is regenerate, you can do those things. Listen, an unregenerate person cannot do the habits of regeneration. These are five things that you can do that an unregenerate person cannot do. An unregenerate person cannot draw near to God.
They cannot abide in Christ. They cannot walk by the Spirit. They cannot let the Word of Christ dwell in them richly. See, rich, they can read the Word of God, yes, but they cannot let it dwell in them richly like the regenerate person can. I'm preaching again.
And the unregenerate person cannot love as Christ has loved us. Not in the same way that a regenerate person can. These five things you can do because you are in Christ. And it is the Spirit who gives you the ability to do these things. And that's where we need to be labor-intensive.
It is the branch drawing life. From the tree. That's sowing to the Spirit. And if you sow to the Spirit, you will reap. Eternal Life, meaning what?
You will realize God's purpose for you. It will become very much a reality in your life. You will experience. Biblical success.
so that you will be able to function according to your design. This is what you were made for. Jesus said it very simply in his high priestly prayer at the very beginning of his high priestly prayer in John chapter 17. And this, he's praying to the Father. And he says, this is eternal life, that they may what?
Yeah. That is eternal life. That they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. That's eternal life.
So, you sow to the Spirit, you will reap eternal life. In other words, You will live as a new creation. You're sowing to the Spirit. You will live as a new creation.
Now, Because you have that new creation in you. In other words, this eternal life of which he speaks here is a quality of life designed by God and the life that he desires for us as his children. But it requires us to sow to the Spirit. It requires of us a dawgling faith. One good description of that in Scripture is Colossians 1 verses 9 to 10, that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will and all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing him, bearing fruit in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God.
That's a good description of a successful Christian, isn't it? What do I mean by success? Functioning according to design. Realized purpose. You can't do that.
Unless you are sowing to the Spirit. You can't do that apart from a dawdling faith. the habits of regeneration.
Okay. In other words, you sow to the Spirit. And you will be able to walk in newness of life. To use Paul's phrase in Romans chapter 6, verse 4, if you sow to the Spirit, you will walk in newness of life. You see, it's not about me trying harder to be a better person.
It's about me drawing near to God and abiding in Christ and walking by the Spirit and letting his word dwell in me richly and loving others as I have, as he has loved me. That's where I need to be labor intensive. You sow to the Spirit, you will walk in newness of life. That's the law of sowing and reaping for the believer.
Now he says that And that's a high point there. And then he comes to verse 9, and he says, And let us not grow weary in doing good, for in due season we will reap if we do not give up. We will reap if we do not. Let us not grow weary in doing good. Max mentioned it this morning in his call to worship.
We were created in Christ Jesus unto what? Good works, which God has prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Paul also says, he writes it to Titus, he has purified for himself his own special people, what? zealous for good works. It's what defines us.
Why? Because we're following Jesus. If we're following in the steps of Jesus. If we're abiding in Christ, drawing near to God, walking by the Spirit, loving as He loved, letting His Word dwell in us richly, if we're doing those things, then we will be living in the outflow of that. and our life will be characterized by others focused.
Others focus. Not living for ourselves. You cannot live for yourself in a dawdling faith. You cannot live for yourself and practice the habits of regeneration at the same time. They're mutually exclusive.
We're created in Christ Jesus for good works. It's a mark of our identity as His people. By this all will know that you are my disciples, because You go to church every Sunday. Is that what he said? No.
Because you have love for one another. It's the mark. of the Christian. It's the outward focus instead of the self-focus. We were rescued from that self-focused living.
Now why does he say don't grow weary? in doing good. What can make us weary? Think about you. You can probably come up with a good list this morning about what makes you weary.
Why you grow weary in doing good. Let me just start with a pastoral warning.
Okay. If your doing good is self-focused, you will be weary.
Okay. You'll get tired of it.
Okay, now let's move to the good stuff. Because we can do good things in a self-focused manner. I have to do this. This is what's happened to me. I have to do this.
But he says, don't grow weary in doing good. Why would we grow weary?
Well, first of all, there's waiting involved, isn't there? There's waiting involved. There's always going to be needs of someone that I have the ability and the desire to meet those needs. But also, we could become weary, we could grow weary because of the brokenness, the context of brokenness in which we serve. Not only the brokenness, but the barriers.
There can be pushback. There are those today who believe the gospel is hate speech. Are you ready to exercise boldness? in planting seeds of truth, even to those who think the gospel is hate speech. Pushback, resistance.
We can grow weary in that. In gratitude. Maybe some of you are feeling that. You've been serving, serving, serving, and serving, and you never get so much as a thank you. Don't grow weary.
Or an apparent lack of fruit. or a lack of harvest, you feel like you've been laboring in vain. I've been doing and doing and doing and it's showing nothing for it. The Apostle Paul battled with this one. Even as he was writing to the Galatians.
So what's the remedy for growing weary? I appeal to what he writes in Ephesians 3, verse 16, that we might be strengthened by his Spirit in the inner man. Last time I'm going to say it today, the dawdling faith. You be labor intensive in the habits of regeneration. Do not fudge on them.
Do not fudge on them. You need to be strengthened by his Spirit in the inner man. Because we might think all this good that I'm doing, and I'm like, it's not, all this good that I'm doing is not doing a bit of good.
Sometimes we might think like that, right? Uh listen to me. You need to hear this. It is faithfulness. That bears fruit.
It is faithfulness that bears fruit. Because it's not up to you. It's not up to you to bear the fruit. You are not defined. or valued.
by the outcomes. Of your service. It is faithfulness. That God blesses. I want you to let that sink in, okay?
And we need to go back to the banquet table and be strengthened by his spirit in the inner man because God says, don't grow weary. In his time, in due season, God will give the increase. You will reap. In God's time. I remember when I was a youth, I was here in Winston-Salem.
I was helping out at North Point Baptist Church. I was in Helping with the youth. I wasn't a youth pastor, but I was just a youth worker. There for a couple of years. Andrea and I were, and then we moved to Virginia.
And after six and a half years in Virginia, we moved to Michigan. And after we'd left North Point, we thought, man, we just don't know if we did anything there at all. We just Felt like, I don't know, we just felt like we labored in vain. And then, as we lived in Michigan, out of the blue. A young man by the name of Todd.
Sends me a letter. I just want to say thank you. for pouring your life into us. I had no idea. It's not about how good my ministry was.
It's just simply saying you might think you're not all you're doing good isn't doing a bit of good But you see, it's not up to you to determine the outcomes. If I think I need to determine the outcomes, I'm going to be usurping the role of the Holy Spirit. That's not what I'm called to do. That's his business. In due season you will reap if you do not.
Give up. Faithfully planting seeds of truth and watering them. We do that by example. And we do that by investment. Pouring yourself into another person's life, speaking truth into their life lovingly, graciously.
You will reap if you do not faint. That others-focused living, that outward-focused living. Living in the outflow. It's worth it. You will reap if you don't.
And it is faithfulness that bears fruit, it is faithfulness that God blesses. In today's environment We are massively tempted. To gauge. Our definition and our value by the outcomes. And that's not how it works in God's kingdom.
Because this is his work. I am but an instrument. You are but an instrument in the hands of the Redeemer.
So let's remember that as a remedy. And so he ends. With an encouragement.
So then As we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, especially to those who are of the household of faith. This might take some of you by surprise, particularly if you're visiting here this morning, but I have a question for you. Are you ready for this? How many of you are in ministry? Yeah.
Remember that. If you are in Christ, you are in ministry. You're an ambassador of his. You're a minister of reconciliation. Because what every person needs is to be reconciled to God.
And so as you have opportunity, it's talking about opportunity. What opportunities do you have? You know, I guarantee you this, I guarantee you this, if you are labor-intensive in the habits of regeneration, you will begin to recognize all kinds of opportunities that God puts in your path. to serve him. You don't, you won't have to go looking for them.
They will come to you. God will bring them to you. And it'll be up to you to recognize those opportunities. recognize them and sense the Spirit's prompting. to invest yourself in this other person to speak gracious truth into their lives.
encouragement, love. Grace. Truth As we have opportunity. Let us do good to the people we like. Is that what it says?
That's what you're saying in your heart, isn't it? I speak as one of you. We are so drawn to the people that look and smell like us. Or vote like us. Yeah.
Let us do good to who? Everyone. Whoever you encounter, remember the story of the Good Samaritan. And who is my neighbor? Whoever you encounter, that you sense a need in their life that you can minister to.
Let us do good to everyone. without partiality. to contribute to human flourishing, to overcome evil. to overcome the evil of lies and destructive behavior. How do you overcome evil?
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with With good. That's on us. Overcome evil with good. Do you know why you can do that? Because you are an instrument in the Redeemer's hands.
And it's his work. You're just an instrument. Be a faithful one. Live in that outflow of that dawdling faith, the habits of regeneration. And he says, Let us do good to everyone, especially to those who are of the household of faith.
Why does he say that? A lot of young families here. And in the household, in the home, your kids are growing up, where is it that they learn? Where is it that they learn to walk with God? Where is it that they learn primarily the gospel?
Where is it that they learn their habits? It's at home. That's sobering, isn't it, parents? Your kids will be like you. Is that good or bad?
Your kids will be like you. They're learning from you. And so, as the household of God in this context, As the family of God, this is where we learn the craft. Of worshiping God and walking with Christ. And so, as we love one another as he has loved us.
We can then, as we hone that craft here, then we take it outside of these walls as ministers of reconciliation. Because if we only love each other, but we can't love the people that are outside these walls, our faith is useless.
So it begins here. begins here. Especially to the household of faith. This is where we learn and develop the skill of walking with Christ and loving as Christ. Let's conclude by reading together Ephesians chapter 2.
Ephesians chapter 2, beginning at verse 19. And this is the last thing we'll do together here this morning for the sermon. Ephesians 2:19 and and commit yourself commit yourself to this okay to understand this ephesians 2 Verse 19, would you stand with me, please, and let's read this together? either from the screen or from your copy of the scriptures. Let's read together verse 19, so then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.
Built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure being joined together grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In Him, you also are being built together into a dwelling place with God by the Spirit. It's beautiful, beautiful truth that is a picture of the church. That's who we are, folks. That's our definition.
So let's be this. Because when the church is being the church She is what? No. She's beautiful.
So let's be the church. Father, thank you. For giving us your Son, the Lord Jesus. to redeem us. to reconcile us to you.
To justify us so that we can draw near to you.
So that we can become like. Him.
So that we can be filled and empowered with the Spirit of God. Father, it is our longing, it is our desire to be the church beautiful, to be. As you have designed and as you desire us to be. And so, Lord, I ask that you would move in our hearts this morning. In our assessment of ourselves, whether we are sowing to the flesh or sowing to the spirit, we can't be doing both at the same time.
And so, Father, let your spirit move in our hearts because you see everything that is there, Father. And so, Lord, may we see and be captivated by your beauty, your goodness, your holiness, your love, and your grace. And may we be drawn into you ever closer, Father, so that as we leave this place, we will live in the outflow. Of who we are in Christ and our love for you and our delight in you. Thank you, Father, for who you are, for what you have done.
Yeah. And for what you will do, we pray in Jesus' name. Amen. This message titled Sowing and Reaping was first preached on October 26, 2025 at Grace Bible Church in Winston-Salem. Listen to the last message in the series on Galatians next Monday here at www.delightingrace.com.
