Now, if you take your Bibles, turn if you would to Galatians chapter six and we're going to begin reading this evening verses seven through 10. Galatians chapter six and verses seven through 10. There reads, be not deceived. God is not mocked. For whatsoever man soweth, that shall he also reap.

For he that soweth to his flesh shall love the flesh reap corruption. But he that soweth to the spirit shall love the spirit reap life everlasting. And let us not be weary in well doing for in due season, we shall reap if we faint not. As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith. Let's go to the Lord in prayer once more.

Lord, thank you for your word. Thank you, Lord for this message this evening. I pray Lord that you would use your word by your spirit to bring conviction to our hearts, to challenge us in our service for you, to give us hope and encourage us in Jesus Christ, our savior. We pray Lord, if there's one listening today that's never trusted Jesus Christ as the Lord and savior of their life. We pray that they might be saved even this day to put their faith in Jesus Christ alone.

And be born again. We thank you Lord for this opportunity. We pray that you would be glorified and magnified in all things in Jesus name. Amen. Here in this passage, we see several things or at least three things we're going to point out here in the service today.

The first one is this, you will reap what you sow. Sad to say, we sinful human beings are always thinking that somehow we're going to be the one that doesn't get caught. That we're going to get away with it. That it won't come back to haunt us. But here in God's word, God reminds us very bluntly, we will reap what we sow.

Yes, good has its reward. If you sow that which is good, you will reap what? Reward. That which is good. Even for the lost, though temporary it may be but particularly for the child of God, God promises to reward those who trust in him and serve him.

Good does bring good and reward into our lives. But evil always produces more what? Evil and rains dreadful consequences down upon the head of those who choose it. For those who reject the goodness that is the righteousness of Christ, that consequence is eternal death. In the lake of fire.

In addition to what other ills might befall them in this life. In Revelation, we're reminded for whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. There is an escape from the lake of fire and that escape is the righteousness of Jesus Christ. If you will receive him. And we hope and pray that you will.

But you child of God are not called unto wickedness but you are called unto good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. Ephesians chapter two and verse 10. We have been declared righteous in Christ Jesus. Now, we just need to choose to live it and to do right. But we're warned, if we choose otherwise.

Now, I'm talking to the child of God. If you choose otherwise, you will still suffer also. You see, we will suffer the same earthly consequences as the lost around us. Being a child of God does not exempt you from the consequences of sin even physical death. For instance, drinking and smoking and doing drugs can still addict you and destroy your body and your mind.

Even if you're a Christian. For instance, sexual promiscuity can result in unwanted pregnancy, disease, and all kinds of other problems. Even if you are a Christian. Speeding or driving carelessly can still get you a what? A ticket or worse can get you injured or someone else injured in a bad accident.

You see we may still suffer the same consequences of sin here that the lost do also. So God warns us don't be deceived. Being a Christian does not exempt you from earthly consequences but the word of God in his spirit will help you to avoid them. When we choose to listen to God, his word and do right. However, if you stubbornly ignore him we will face the chastening hand of who?

The chastening hand of God. You see God declares in Hebrews 12, he chastens, that is he disciplines his children that he loves when they go astray. Just like any loving parent would or should, God also disciplines us and if we stubbornly refuse to obey him or to follow him, he is going to try to bring us back where we ought to be and sometimes what God has to do to get our attention can be quite unpleasant. So, don't be deceived. Watch you sow, you will what?

You will reap. But when you obey your heavenly father, you lay up for yourselves treasure in heaven and blessings where? On earth. Which you will never regret. However, those blessings do not always come in the time and the manner that we expect them to come.

Which brings us to verse nine. If you look at verse nine again it says, and let us not be weary in well doing for in due season we shall reap if we faint not. So point number one is this, you will reap what you sow. Point number two of this is this, in regards to doing good don't be discouraged in doing it. Don't give up.

Don't faint Because the reward is coming. Sometimes the blessings for doing what is right and God honoring are not immediately apparent. A matter of fact, sometimes it seems that the opposite results. For instance, we're told in the scriptures that if we have a brother or sister who has wronged us, particularly if they are continuing to do so, that what we are supposed to do is to go to them in a loving manner and confront them. Well, you do that and they blow up.

And now it seems it would have just been better if you'd have just left it alone. But you did what was right. Don't be weary in well doing. Be prayerful. Be patient.

Be kind. Be loving. But do not give up. In due season, in due time, good will result. Wait for it.

For instance, you try to tell your relative about Christ or or speak to your neighbor and give them the gospel and immediately that that law goes up and now, they won't talk to you at all. You think, well, I just won't try that again. Well, don't be that way. God says, don't be weary in well doing. For in due season, you will reap if you faint not.

Pray for them. Show them the love of Christ and wait for Christ to open up another opportunity to share with him. You go out of your way to try to minister to someone it seems to have no effect whatsoever being not weary in well doing. God pleads with you his child. Do not give up or get discouraged in his service.

Your reward will come. You will see the benefits of serving Christ and doing right is worth it all. There's a song in our hymn book that goes like that. It will be worth it all when we see Jesus life's trials will seem so small when we see Christ. One glimpse of his dear face all sorrow will erase so bravely run the race till we see Christ.

My brother or sister, it will be worth it all. Don't be worried. If I trying to think of an example, the first one I always go to is Jesus. If you'll take your Bibles, turn to Philippians chapter two, I'm going to begin reading in verse five and let's look at the example that our savior set for us. Philippians chapter two beginning in verse five.

It says, let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus. This is Paul speaking to us. The Lord speaking to us through him. Have the same mindset that we find in our savior. Well, what mindset is that?

Well, he continues verse six. Who being in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equal with God but made himself of no reputation, took upon him the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of men and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death even the death of the cross but the passage doesn't end there. Verse nine, wherefore, God also hath highly exalted him and given him a name which is above every name that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow of things in heaven and things in earth and things under the earth and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the father. Even Christ's ministry did not seem to elicit reward. He left the throne of heaven.

He was born in a manger. And he grew up an unknown in a little town in Galilee and then when he began his ministry, He wasn't plotted He wasn't exalted. He suffered. He was rejected of men. And finally, he did what?

He died on a cross. But yet in the end, Christ is and will be rewarded. It is worth it all. And he is our example. Be not weary in well doing for in due season you shall reap if we faint not.

Recently, I was on Facebook and I noticed I had received a friend request from someone, a fellow named Patrick. Now, Patrick is quite a story. When Patrick was in junior high, he started coming to our church when I was youth pastor in Georgia. And Patrick was a troubled kid. His home life was not good.

He got in trouble at school all the time. He was a little bit of a bully. And when he came to church, he caused trouble. Couple times, we had to take him out because he was going to hit somebody or do something else. And but in time, something happened to Patrick.

Patrick trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ as his savior and he professed faith in Jesus. And everything didn't change right away. A matter of fact, it took time but I began to see a little bit of a different heart attitude in Patrick. He would ask me to come to his house and study the Bible with him and and we would do stuff together and you could tell he was listening at church and soaking things in but he still, he still got in trouble and after a while, he got out of church for a bit and the last time I saw Patrick before I came here to Florida, I went to visit him. He had called me and he was in trouble with the police.

It looked like he was going to serve some jail time. And that was the last time I heard from Patrick until I got a friend request on my Facebook page and low and behold, there's Patrick. So, I checked it out and I was joyed to see several things. First of all, a wife and a couple of children who seem to be very happy had pictures all over his Facebook page. References to a successful business and many posts which contain comments about the Lord and about the word of God.

What joy that brought to my heart to see that in Patrick's life. Don't be weary in well doing for in due season, we will reap. If we faint not. There were times in the youth ministry as there are now when you wonder, Lord, is anybody listening? Lord, why aren't they changing?

Lord, how did this happen? Lord, am I making a difference in anybody's life at all? The answer is, don't give up. You will reap. Patrick is one of several I could mention.

There's Jason, there's Bonnie, and there's many others. Serving the Lord and helping others, proclaiming his word does bring results. Though it may seem when the doors are closed in your face, when no one answers or when no one comes that it isn't working. It is, it will, don't give up. Instead, look at verse number 10 in Galatians chapter six.

Back to Galatians chapter six verse 10. Third point is this, as we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith. So, be not deceived. God is not mocked. Whatsoever man soweth that shall he also reap.

Be not weary in well doing for in due season, we shall reap if we faint not and number three, look for what? Opportunities to do good. Look for opportunities to do good. Finally and especially, we need to open our eyes to the opportunities that cross our path every day to serve the Lord and do to do good to others. To be helpful to others and a testimony for our God.

Don't wait for them to drop into your lap. Open your eyes. Show others God's love, help them in their time of need, encourage them when they are down, share a word from God with them and the gospel of Jesus Christ. Look for opportunities. They are there.

They are there. I know someone in our church that goes and sits at McDonald's several mornings a week and drinks coffee. Now, I think he likes coffee but I don't think that's why he goes. He goes and he sits and he drinks coffee at McDonald's because he's got to know some people there at McDonald's and it gives him an, here's the keyword, opportunity to share Christ with them. To get to know them, to encourage them in the Lord.

I know of another in our church that sits at a bus stop while they wait for the bus to come and hands out tracks to others. We're waiting to ride the bus as well. Or to those he passes on the sidewalk? And he's had the opportunity to lead a couple of them to the Lord. I know another who tells me quite often that they talk to so and so at the grocery store today or that they help so and so whose car was broken down and how that they got to give em a track or to tell them about Jesus Christ.

I know some others who have been sending out cards to members of our church for years and years to encourage them, to let them know that someone remembers their birthday, That someone misses them when they're not there or when they're sick. And I know of others who have showed up for years to help members with their vehicles, to cut their grass, to install window units, to clean carpets, to flicks plumbing, and the list goes on. You know, those things are doing good. Those are good works too. When they're done in the name of who?

Jesus Christ. I remember one time, I went on vacation. We were gone for about a week and when I came home from vacation, I found that the house had be had been cleaned. I found the grass had been cut, that the bushes had been trimmed, that clothesline that we talked about putting up in the backyard had been put up while we were gone from one of the deacons and his wife at church. Just because they wanted to.

They were looking for opportunities to do good. Particularly to those who are of the household of faith but to others also. If we look for opportunities, they are there. Take time to help others do good in the household of faith. In times like these, opportunities abound.

If we will be looking for them rather than being entirely self absorbed. Our tendency when things are kind of difficult is to allow our thoughts of self preservation and personal loss to consume our waking moments. Bringing us unnecessary stress and worry but also leaving little room for thoughts of ministry. But if you can set aside your fear, as Paul told Timothy, if we can open our eyes to a field that is wide on the harvest, If we will let the love of Christ and the Holy Spirit guide us, then we will see that there are opportunities all around us to do good for God, To bring glory to his name and blessing in the lives of others. To send a note of encouragement to someone who is hurting.

To pick up the phone and give someone a call and lift their spirits and tell them they are not alone and remind them of God's promises. To assure the fearful brother or sister that God said he will what? Never leave us nor forsake us. And pray with them. To comfort the sick and pray for their healing, to sit with them, or care for their needs.

To help provide for someone who is unable to get out and provide for themselves. Last week, we took a couple of meals to some people. It was a small thing. But it encouraged them. To find a neighbor who was weighed down with Carrie, with Karen Worry, whose heart may just be a little more open.

To the gospel. Today, than it was before. The opportunities are there. If we will look and be willing to give of ourselves. This is Palm Sunday coming up.

Though my message hasn't seemed to be that particularly relevant, it is. Because Jesus Christ gave up heaven for a time to suffer with us. While he was here, he looked for opportunities to do good to us. He noticed the downtrodden in society and he went to them with a message of hope. He healed it seems every person that was brought to him of every ailment.

He heard the cries of a blind man crying out for the son of David to have mercy and he healed him. He stopped to raise a widow's son from the dead. As he was just passing by. He traveled through Samaria, Samaria to speak to the woman at the well which he did when she came to draw water. He told his disciples to let the little children come to him.

He healed a man with a withered hand and a man laying beside the pool of Bethesda. Even though it brought the ire of his enemies. He cleansed the temple of hypocrites and thieves and he died on a cross for your sins and mine. He is the example of doing good and persevering. Look to him and learn how it is done.

Hebrews twelve two says this, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. Let me read that again. Looking unto who? Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, has now sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. If you will follow his example, if you will look to Jesus, you will also find joy.

In doing good. You will find patience in doing good. You will find great reward. Life is what you make of it as a child of God. Does your life belong to Jesus?

Are you living it the way he would want you? In his service and in the service of others, will you look back at this time? With regrets? Because you missed opportunities or were you look back at this time with joy that you were able to make a difference in somebody's life. Friend, do you know Jesus?

He gave his all for you. And he offers you salvation from sin and hell. He offers it to you today as a free gift. If you will receive it. And if you will, just take this moment wherever you are to call on his name in prayer.

Declare your faith in his shed blood for sin and resurrection from the grave. Bow your heart before him as Lord and savior. He will save you. Romans ten nine says that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus shall believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. You see, Jesus came to do good and he died on a cross for your sins so you could be saved.

Will you accept his gift of goodness? Will you receive his gift of eternal life? From our risen Lord. And Christian, if you're here today, will you look for those opportunities? Will you strive to do good and not evil?

Will you be patient and trust God when things don't seem to be going right? And will you look for opportunities now? To do good. Let's pray. Dear Lord, we thank you for your word.

We thank you for the opportunities, for the people, for the souls that cross our path. Need Jesus. I pray Lord that you would give us a sensitive heart that you would burden us for the lost around us to give them the gospel but Lord, I pray that you would burden us as well for our church family. Our brothers and sisters in Christ as some of them are struggling with different issues at this time. I pray Lord that we would find opportunity to reach out to them, to pray for them, to speak with them, to let them know that we are thinking about them, to encourage them from your word.

Lord, and just to serve you with all of our heart and do what's right. Knowing that in due season, we will reap if we faint not. Lord, again, we pray if there's someone here that's never trusted Christ may they do it today. In Jesus name, amen. You take your hymn books, turn if you would to 394.

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