book of the Ecclesiastes and
the ninth chapter. Ecclesiastes comes after Proverbs. So Ecclesiastes and chapter 9. For all this I consider in my
heart even to declare all this that the righteous and the wise
and their works are in the hand of God. So no man knoweth either
love or hatred by all that is before them. All things come
alike to all. There is one event to the righteous
and to the wicked, to the good and to the clean and to the unclean,
to him that sacrifices and to him that sacrifices not. As is
the good, so is the sinner. And he that sweareth, as he that
feareth an oath. This is an evil among all things
that are done under the sun. There is one event unto all,
yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness
is in their heart. While they live and after, that
they go to the dead. For to him that is joined to
all the living, there is hope. For a living dog is better than
a dead lion. For the living know that they
shall die, but the dead know not anything. Neither have they
any more a reward, for the memory of them is forgotten. Also their
love and their hatred and their envy is now perished. Neither
have they any more a portion for ever in anything that is
done under the sun. Go thy way, eat thy bread with
joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart, for God now accepteth
thy works. Let thy garments be always white,
and let thy head lack no ointment. Live joyfully with the wife whom
thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he
hath given thee under the sun all the days of thy vanity. For
that is thy portion in this life and in thy labour which thou
takest under the sun. Whatsoever thy hand findeth to
do, do it with thy might. When there's no work, nor device,
nor knowledge, nor wisdom in the grave, whither thou goest,
I returned and saw under the sun, the race is not to the swift,
nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise,
nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favor to men of skill,
but time and chance happeneth to them all. For man also knoweth
not his time, as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and
as the birds that are caught in the snare. So are the sons
of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon
them. This wisdom have I seen also
under the sun, and it seemed great unto me. There was a little
city, and a few men within it. And there came a great king against
it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it. Now
there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom
delivered the city. Yet no man remembered that same
poor man. Then said I, Wisdom is better
than strength. Nevertheless, the poor man's
wisdom is despised. and his words are not heard.
The words of the wise men are heard in quiet, more than the
cry of them that ruleth among fools. Wisdom is better than
weapons of war, but one sinner destroyeth much good." May God
bless his word to us and now help us as we continue our meditation. in the Epistle of Paul to the
Galatians and the sixth chapter. And this evening we'll read verses
nine and 10. Verses nine and 10 in the sixth
chapter of the Epistle of Paul to the Galatians. And these read,
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." Well, the Apostle Paul here is
giving a very gracious exhortation to the Galatians. Of course,
the Word of God gives this gracious exhortation to all of us. to all his people down through
the ages and not less to us today. So these words are very clear,
they're very simple but they're very important and we're told
let us not be weary in well-doing. That should be a clear instruction
to us as we might be able to do some things and be pleased
with doing them and then we may perhaps become rather weary and
perhaps think, well I think I've done enough, I'm just too tired
and I really don't want to continue in this. But yet it is very important
that we are not weary in well-doing. As I thought about this, I remember
Peter Rowell telling me about one of his deacons who recently
died. His name was Ron Bishop. And
he said that Mr. Bishop was always willing to
help anybody. And as you may know, Crobra Chapel
really gathered in many people. And he said to me, he said, I
think I could say that everyone who's come in has come in here
through Ron Bishop, through the help he's given. through the
help to neighbours, to anybody who needed help, he would help. And so we see the effect of true
Christianity is not to hide in a corner and not to avoid people. It is to be found doing well,
well doing. And in that, to not be weary. You can very easily become weary
in things. Sometimes I think that may have
some application to our own market stall. You know we're very thankful
for it and we believe it is well doing. But you know we mustn't
be weary of it. You know month by month we should
be very thankful for the privilege we have of being able to be in
a Redhill marketplace and to thank God for it and not be weary
because it is well doing and those who Unable to come for
age or infirmity or difficulty whatever it may be to not forget
to pray So important you see that is well-doing in praying
for these things We mustn't be weary in it mustn't think what
it's it's no point in praying. There is point in praying It's
important to pray and therefore then it's not be weary in well-doing
and then the Apostle says for in due season We shall reap if
we faint not. Now clearly that is an agricultural
term really. In due season we shall reap.
Now we know of course that a farmer has to plough the ground, he
has to harrow it, he has to roll it sometimes, and then he sows
the seed. He may be very tired after all
that labour in bringing the ground to that stage where He can sow
the seed, but it's not then time to stop. He may be weary, but
he should continue. We're told, if we faint not,
there are still things to do when the seed is sown. The ground
still has to be looked after, the weeds still have to be dealt
with. It's not a question of folding
your arms until the harvest comes. There are always things to do.
And so we have this clear illustration. For in due season we shall reap,
but there's a qualification if we faint not. And that means
again coming back to the desire that God will grant the blessing.
We must not be weary in our desires for it, in our prayers for it.
We should ever realize that the Lord is over all, but he will
be inquired of by the House of Israel to do these things for
them. And so says the Apostle, and
let us not be weary in well-doing, for in due season we shall reap
if we faint not. And then the Apostle says, as
we have therefore opportunity. Let us do good unto all men. And that means what it says. If an opportunity presents itself,
we should not make an excuse. We should not think, well, I'm
just too busy, I'm too occupied. I really can't give any time
to this situation or to this person. If there is an opportunity,
if the Lord brings an opportunity before us, We shouldn't turn
our back on it. We should recognise it emanates
from the Lord. And we're told, let us do good
then unto all men. And that is comprehensive. It
means what it says. Let us do good unto all men. Everybody. Not just those we
fancy. We have the wonderful example
of the The Samaritan, do we not, in the Word of God? And there
he was, poor man, set upon by robbers, left as half dead. And
the religious people, they passed by on the other side. We must
not pass by on the other side, however difficult it may be. We may think, well, I haven't
got time for that. I've got to get on with this particular situation.
As we have, therefore, opportunity. You know, we read together in
that Ecclesiastes 9th chapter, the 10th verse tells us, whatsoever
thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might. And that means
not grudgingly. Do it with thy might, for there
is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom in the grave, whither
thou goest. What it means is we shouldn't
turn away from opportunities which present themselves to us. And we're told also to do this
especially unto them who are of the household of faith. And
sometimes the household of faith doesn't always contain wonderfully
gracious and beautiful people as it should. Sometimes there
are those who are cantankerous and those who are difficult.
doesn't mean to say they're not godly people. And therefore we
should do good to them, especially unto them who are of the household
of faith. In the Acts of the Apostles,
in chapter 20, we're told, as the Apostle writes, Wherefore
I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood
of all men. He says, For I have not shunned
to declare unto you all the counsel of God. Take heed therefore unto
yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost
hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath
purchased with his own blood. We might think, well, this, of
course, only refers to ministers. Well, to a large extent it does.
But let us remember that all God's people, in one way, are
his servants. He says, for I know this, that
after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not
sparing the flock, also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking
perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. Therefore,
watch and remember that by the space of three years I cease
not to warn everyone night and day with tears. Well, we see
there the blessed example of the Apostle. As we read it in
the Acts of the Apostles, we know how he was fully involved. He didn't run away. He had difficult
journeys. He endured much difficulty. But
nonetheless, he was able to write such words because whenever he
had opportunity, He desired to do good unto all men. Principally,
of course, in his situation, it was to preach the Gospel.
And so it is in our day to be able to speak a word in season
to those that we meet. And may we desire that opportunities
may be given us. Often, perhaps, we hope opportunities
won't be given us. But it's a good thing when they
are, so that we are able to do good unto all men. If the Holy
Spirit convinces us in measure of the value of a soul, it will
produce in our hearts that real desire to do good unto all men. Those that we come in contact
with, we may never come in contact with again. There may never be
a time when such people will hear the Gospel. And so what
a good thing it is if the Lord gives us opportunity to do good
unto all men. when the Apostle Peter wrote
his epistle he said in the second epistle and the first chapter
and verses 12 to 15 wherefore I will not be negligent to put
you always in remembrance of these things that ye know them
and be established in the present truth yea I think it meet as
long as I am in this tabernacle that means in this body to stir
you up by putting you in remembrance, knowing that shortly I must put
off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath
shown me. Moreover, I will endeavour that
ye may be able after my decease to have these things always in
remembrance." Clearly, Peter's desire was the same as Paul's
desire, to be able to declare the truth of God at every opportunity. And then the Lord Jesus Christ
himself, when he spoke that sermon on the mount, he said, you've
heard it has been said, thou shalt love thy neighbor. I hope
we're all familiar with that. And hast and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, love your
enemies. Bless them that curse you. Do
good to them that hate you. and pray for them which despitefully
use you and persecute you." What words they are. How they agree,
do they not, with these words that we read tonight? As we have therefore opportunity,
let us do good unto all men, all men, those who are enemies,
those who curse us, those who hate us. And we're to pray for
them which despitefully use us and persecutors. Now this is
opposite to our nature, but it sets forth the gracious exhortation
of the Lord himself, and we should desire that they will give us
grace to follow such a wonderful pattern and a wonderful testimony
and a wonderful statement and not ignore it and think well
I don't think I could do that naturally we cannot but remember
what the Apostle Paul said and he knew it by experience he said
I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me. There's
the secret. And then finally, Titus, when
the apostle wrote to Titus, this is what he said in the third
chapter and the eighth verse. This is a faithful saying, and
these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they
which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable
unto all men. Note what he says, to be careful
to maintain good works. Always on the watch to be one
who follows the gracious exaltation written here by Paul to the Galatians. And let us not be weary in well-doing
for in due season We shall reap, that's a glorious promise. If
we faint not, God can strengthen us. As we have therefore opportunity,
let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are
of the household of faith. There is absolutely no excuse
not to do good unto the household of faith especially. Well, may
the Lord graciously give us grace to hear his word. and may it
have a good influence in our lives.