All right, let's take our Bibles
and turn with me to the book of Galatians chapter six. Galatians
chapter six. The verses that we're gonna consider
today set forth the spirit, the attitude that ought to be exhibited
by those who have been regenerated by the Spirit of God, those who
claim the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, our attitude for God's
glory, the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ, toward our brethren,
our brothers and sisters in Christ, who have fallen victim to fault. Before we go any farther, we
do well to remember something. We do well to remember the believer
state in this world. We are all sinners that have
been powerfully, graciously, mercifully called out of the
darkness of sin and unbelief. Sinners. Loved of God. I've loved you with an everlasting
love. Sinners that have been chosen
by the Father in Christ. Sinners who have been redeemed
by the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ at Calvary.
Sinners who have been powerfully regenerated by the grace of God's
Spirit. Sinners that have been given
a new heart that loves God and shuns, hates evil, robed in the
righteousness of Christ, but sinners that still possess an
old man, an old man that they hate. Every one of us has got
the same nature with which we were born. It has not been improved
one bit. Nothing changes as to the flesh
in regeneration. Nothing's changed. Man, I wish I could tell you
that the flesh has gotten a little bit better, but it hadn't. That which is flesh is flesh. It'll never be anything but flesh. And the same problems that we
were born with, that same nature that doesn't believe God, that
old man that is wrathful toward God, just like all unbelievers,
we still got it. We still possess it. And that's
what wars against the new man. That's the problem. That old man is going to be just
exactly what he is, just exactly what he's always been until we
die. That's a tough pill to swallow,
isn't it? But that's the way it is. Well,
this is the source of a believer's stumbling in this world. Why
do we do what we do that's disrespectful? Why do we do that? because of
sin, sin. The apostle Paul said in Romans
7, 15, for that which I do, I allow not. What he's saying is I don't
know why I do that. For what I would, what I wish
I'd do, What I wish I'd do all the time, being consistent, walking
consistently, ever believe in God, never distrust in God. For what I would do, that do
I not. What I hate, he said, that's
what I do. You that know the Lord, is that
the way it is for you too? I know it is, I know it is. So listen,
let's just establish something right here. No believer, is immune
to the struggles, the failings of his flesh. None of us are. And we're always on guard. That new man struggles against
it, struggles against that body of death, that body of death
that's ready to seize the opportunity to exhibit itself in evil, always. Yeah, that's the way we are.
Okay, Galatians chapter six. Brethren, if a man, or although
is what it is, a man be overtaken in a thought, ye which are spiritual,
restore such in one in the spirit of meekness, considering thyself,
lest thou also be tempted. Now, brethren, If a man be overtaken,
what do you mean? Well, if he's just seized in
a moment of passion, overtaken in a sudden overpowering temptation,
an impulse because of the body of sin that's within him, overtaken in an impulse, trespass
against God, Before he was even aware of the depth of the trespass,
before he knew what was happening, this just went through my mind.
You know, those of you that's been out on the ice winter slick,
slick, slick, when did you actually realize that you'd fallen? When
I hit the ground. I don't even remember going down.
I mean, it was so fast. I mean, my feet went out from
under me, and I hit the ground, and all of a sudden I thought,
all gone. That hurt. I was there before
I was overtaken. If a man be overtaken before
he knew it, it just happened. He didn't plot it, he didn't
plan it. I mean, we're bad enough. Don't think we're beyond that
either. But I'm talking about if a man is just seized in a
moment of passion. Ye which are spiritual, ye which
make claim to know God in Christ. who worship God in the spirit
and rejoice in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh,
you that are spiritual, restore such in one. Apply yourself to
restore the one taken in a fall. Some writers say it means like
the setting of a bone, but it's actually to restore. Apply yourself to restore, to
bring them back, And how do you do it? Do it in a spirit of meekness. Meekness, of gentleness, humility,
submission unto God. Meekness. Considering thyself,
lest thou also be tempted. Taking into consideration your
own self. My own self, taking into consideration.
Be on guard. Be on guard against our old corrupt
nature. Listen, we're all like this.
We're all prone. We've got a nature that's capable
of doing the same thing. Somebody's taking in a fault, pointed out, railing on him. We're all like that. We're all
prone to do it. Be on guard, considering thyself,
lest you be tempted to fall prey to not only what they did, but
be careful that you don't fall into that Pharisaic spirit of
self-righteousness. You'd never catch me doing that.
You've heard me say this recently. Don't say that. Oh, don't say
that. There is nothing but for the
grace of God but incapable of nothing, nothing. Oh, I know
why, she'd never, he'd never do that. Marvin would never do,
don't you kid yourself. You don't even know Marvin. I'm
telling you, but for the grace of God, there's no depth to what
I do or you would do. Verse two, bear ye one another's
burdens and so fulfill, now look here, the law of Christ. If a brother or sister is taken
in a fault, now let me just tell you, you know this, if they're
overtaken, I'm talking about if a believer is overtaken in
a fault, he's already under a tremendous weight. He knows it. You know
it, he knows it. He knows it more than you know
it. He's already struggling. And he knows that he's been taken
in this fault, And he desperately needs some help. He wants some
encouragement for what he wants to do. He's not trying to justify
himself. He doesn't want you to come and
tell him, oh, it's OK. Don't worry about it. It wasn't
a big deal. It's a big deal. It was a big deal. It's a big
deal to him. It's a big deal to fall and be taken in a fault. But here again, don't think yourself
so high and mighty. and incapable in that vainglorious
state that you'd never do it or couldn't do it, but rather
bear with him and encourage him and so fulfill, now listen, the
law of Christ. Now, in the margin, I've got
a margin here that refers to this passage of scripture. It
refers to John 1334. Blue letter Bible sets forth
the law being the moral instruction given by the Lord, which is what
I'm about to read for you. It's John 1334. The Lord said,
a new commandment I give unto you, that you love one another.
As I've loved you, that ye also love one another. How's the Lord
loved us? Well, we'll never love one another.
He's loved us, but here's how he's loved us. He loves us without
question. Without question. We just looked
at that pastor's scripture when he upbraided his disciples. Why? Because of their unbelief.
He didn't cast them out. He didn't cast them out. If you're
overtaken in a fall, if I'm overtaken in a fall, I don't wanna throw
you under the bus. I don't wanna do that to you,
Mitch, David, Dan. No, I don't wanna do that. I don't want you to do it to
me. Help me, help me. You come to him in a spirit of
meekness, kindness, and you bear one another's burdens with him.
Bear with him. Tell him, brother, I'm with you,
I love you, praying for you. Pray God help you, pray God help
us all. We know that we're not to taunt
those that's been overtaken. Don't rejoice in his fall. Oh,
I knew he'd do it. I figured he would. I just figured
that's what he's gonna end up doing. But sustain him by scriptural
exhortations. Pray for him, encourage him.
Talk to him. Verse 3, if a man think himself
to be something when he's nothing, he deceiveth himself. When he
thinks himself to be something. Now buddy, you talk about pride
and self-righteousness and self-sufficiency. If you think that's not interwoven
into our being, We just, look, in the garden Satan corrupted
our first parents with deception. That's what he did. Told Eve
that she and Adam would be as gods. You eat of that fruit that
God told you, you're not gonna die. You're not gonna die. God knows in the day you eat
thereof what you're gonna be as gods. You're gonna know good
and evil. You're gonna know what's good
and what's evil, and you can discern between the two. That
infectious thought permeates all humanity, all of us. All
men are born deceiving themselves. We lie to ourselves. Our heart
is desperately wicked. Deceitful. Above all things. There's nothing that will lie
to you more than that old carnal heart. It'll lie to you. Tell
you you're not that bad. It doesn't really matter. Men
are born thinking that they are something. That's the very heart
of false religion. thinking I'm something, that
I can do something, that I can please God, that I can reconcile
myself, I can make peace between me and God. And that is nothing
more than that heart, that carnal heart of enmity against the Lord,
against the Lord Jesus Christ and His glorious gospel declaration
of man's salvation only in Him. Man is born Deceived, deceived. So when a believer falls prey
to the temptation to think himself to be something, something, confident
that he's something, confidence of being able to accomplish something,
when he's nothing. Now, you know what, only a believer
will just graciously miraculously by the grace of God, hear this
and say, that's me. By nature, I think I'm really
something. And I know, I know, according to these scriptures,
and I know in my heart, I'm nothing, I'm nothing. Man by nature wants
to be somebody, somebody. But when he's actually nothing,
he has no strength in himself. What did the Lord tell his disciples?
Without me, you can do Nothing, nothing. Well, I can
pray. No, you can't, not without him.
Well, I can call on the Lord. No, you can't, not without him.
He said, without me, you can do nothing. If a man thinks he's
something when he's nothing, he deceiveth himself. He understands nothing of his
true character. Verse four, but let every man
prove his own work. and then shall he have rejoicing
in himself alone and not in another. Let every man prove his own work. Let every man try or examine
what he does, what he thinks concerning himself with a fair
and impartial examination of this. Let every man prove himself. What do these scriptures say
about me? Well, I can tell you that God looked from heaven,
and he saw that there were none righteous, no, not one. And a believer's going to say,
you know what? That's me. That's me. Let a man prove his
own work. This is what my work is. According
to these scriptures, It's my work. Filthy rats. That's a man proving his own
work. That's a man proving what he is by nature. It's so easy
to compare ourselves with those who've stumbled. I can look at
somebody that's fallen and fallen prey to a fault and I can compare
myself to that and I look pretty good. I look, you know. Oh, but
when we test ourselves and prove ourselves in the light of God's
glory, and God's holiness. I'm not going to stand before
God based on my comparison to somebody else. How am I going to be judged?
Well, God's going to lay the plummet. He's going to lay the
plumb bob. Here's the line. I guarantee you, those of you
that know a little bit about construction, you can take a
plumb bob and you tie it to a good string and you drop it, and let
me tell you what it's doing, it's perfectly down. I mean,
it don't deviate, it don't go this way or that way. Here's
the standard, the Lord Jesus Christ and His holiness. How
do I compare to Him? Let a man, every man, prove his
own worth. Then shall he have rejoicing
in himself alone and not in another. Then he's gonna have rejoicing
in himself knowing this is what scripture says about me. I'm
not comparing myself to somebody else. I'm comparing myself to
God's word and God's glory and in me, there's nothing good. Nothing. Then and then alone. are we going to find where that
publican, by the grace of God, could say, God, be merciful to
me, the sinner. That's when we can find ourselves
rejoicing in ourselves that we are what we are by the grace
of God. I'm not comparing myself to somebody else. but I'm rejoicing
heartily. I'm convinced within that I don't
have any strength. Let me just go ahead and admit
it. I don't have anything. I stand up here preaching. I've
been preaching now 40 years, 45 I guess, close. I don't know
how long I've been preaching, but I'm gonna tell you something.
I get up here just as butterflies. Man, I used to run track. I'd
be in high school, I'd run the open quarter, and that was when
it was just called the open quarter. I don't know what they call it
now. 400 yards, 400 meters, I don't know. Anyway, one time around.
But anyway, and man, when I'd hear that announcer say, first
call for the open quarter, oh, oh. I start thinking of, maybe
I'd tell the coach I'm sick. I don't think I can do this.
Second call. But once that gun goes off, and
the race is on, Then it's, I'm okay. But up until then, I'm
just, oh, standing up here. Lord, help me. Lord, I'm convinced
in my heart I have no strength in me. Number five. For every
man shall bear his own burden. In that day, every man's gonna
give account of himself and not give account of others. Now,
let me tell you something. I am so thankful of that scripture
that says the books are gonna be opened. And every man's gonna
be judged that was not found written in the book. Oh, how
thankful that there's a book. Oh, thank God that there's a
book. A book of life, a book that was
written from the foundation of the world, the book of the Lord
Jesus Christ. And that God Almighty was pleased to give to undeserving
sinners, mercy, grace, and compassion, their names written in that book.
Oh, I don't want to stand before God and give an account of me.
Here's the account I was going to give. In Him alone I trust. I cast all of myself upon the
mercy of God. That's my account of me. I'm
a helpless needy sinner. I'm that publican right there.
God be merciful to me. God help me. The Lord Jesus Christ
who once suffered for sin. The just for the unjust to bring
us to God. That's my account. I don't have
anything safe for me. No good I bring. I don't wanna
answer for myself. I don't wanna give account. I
don't want the Lord to deal with me according to the best that
I could do. Here's it. Turn over to Philippians 3. Turn
over back toward the back of the Bible. Philippians chapter
3, verse 8 to 11. Let me ask you, is this your
confession? Philippians 3. Yea, doubtless, I count all things
but loss. Here's Paul giving an account
of himself. Every man gonna give an account
of himself. Okay, here I am, this is my account. I count all
things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus
my Lord, for whom I've suffered the loss of all things. I do
count them but dung that I may win Christ. Marvin, tell me about
the best you've ever done. The dung. The dung. It's the best I've ever done.
That's the best I could ever produce, dung. Oh, that I may
win Christ and be found in Him, not having mine own righteousness,
which is of the law. Here's my account. I don't have
any righteousness in myself that's going to answer to God's law.
I don't have it. But that which is through the faith of Christ,
the righteousness which is of God by faith, that I may know
Him and the power of His resurrection, the fellowship of His sufferings
being found conformable unto His death. That's my confession.
That's my confession. Back in Galatians 6. Back in Galatians chapter 6.
Scripture declares this and this, what we're going to do now. We're
still talking about bearing one another's burdens. But I want
you to look how the Spirit of God has taken these scriptures
and it begins to teach us some other things too. Man be overtaken
in the fault, you that are spiritual. You restore him in a spirit of
meekness. Consider yourself, lest you be
tempted. You consider yourself. And then
look here, bearing the burdens. Verse 6, let him that is taught
in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all things. Now, I'm going to tell you something. I'm going to deal with this because
this is the word of God. And I'm instructed to deal with
the word of God. But I tell you with no God called
preacher, ever of himself would want to talk about this. What
I'm about to talk about. I just don't want to. Because
it's just, I just don't want to. And you'll see why. Here's
what scripture says. Let a man that is taught in the
word. Now this is what I'm trying to
do. I'm trying to teach. All I'm doing is taking these
scriptures and I'm reading this scripture and I'm telling you
what I just read. That's all I'm doing. What else can I do? I don't have anything to say
outside of this. But let those that are taught in the word communicate
unto him that teacheth in all good things. I'm sure that when
it comes, and what it's talking about right here, and you know
this is it, let a man that teaches, let those that are taught by
him communicate or support him. Support him, that's what he's
talking about. Support him. But there's so many charlatans
and hucksters, false religion. It's people that don't do anything
but prey upon others' sympathy and feelings and emotions, trying
to put them on a guilt trip to send them money. And no true
preacher of the gospel is gonna do that. He's just not gonna
do it. But here, we're reminded of something.
of God's means to communicate the precious teachings of God's
spirit that we might know something about these truths, truths that
are needful for all of our spiritual instruction and admonition. All
scripture is given by inspiration of God, and it's profitable.
for doctrine, reproof, correction, for instruction in righteousness,
that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all
good work." We all need to hear the gospel that we might be taught,
that the gospel must be preached to which men might hear, called
of God. They're taught of the Lord through
the Word of God. But those that are taught, are
to communicate, or support, share, be a partaker in, and distribute
to those that God has taught to preach the gospel, the things
that are needful for his sustenance. Somebody asked Brother Henry
one time, say, how much should we pay a pastor? Henry said,
well, what does it take you to live? He said, I'll tell you
what I'd do. He said, I'd take an average
of everybody. Take everybody, whatever the average is. Help
him. Help him. Why? Because I'm telling you,
unless you've ever preached, this is not automatic. I mean,
it's not. It's not something that a man
just sits down and reads. I can tell you this, I can read
the book of Proverbs. When I read a verse, Proverbs
just came to my mind. When I read a verse in Proverbs
to you and you hear it for the first time and you think, I wonder
where that's going. I do the same thing. I do the
same thing. And for me to come here and have
the blessing, and it is a blessing, it is a blessing. I'm like old
Maurice, I've told you this before. Maurice told me, he said, I've
got the best calling a man ever had. He said, I get to come to
this church and sit every day, every day, every day, and study
these scriptures every day, every day, and look these words up
and pray and ask the Lord, would you give me the heart of this?
I know where I'm going with it. I'm going to Christ. I'm going
to the gospel, but how do you get there from here? How do you
do that? And to be able to do that and to have the privilege
to be able to do it and to have a people that would support you. To where I can do this, my heart
breaks for those men that do have to go out and work 40 hours
a week. If I had to work 40 hours a week,
that ain't enough time. You could add up the time that
I'm here and then to add the 40, and something's gonna, it
ain't gonna work. It ain't gonna work. Sleep's
gotta be in there somewhere. It just rested, your brain is
just, but to be able to do this is such a, but for you and for
me, it's profitable. 1 Corinthians chapter nine, turn
with me, 1 Corinthians nine. 1 Corinthians nine, the apostle
Paul was moved to share with the church at Corinth these truths. 1 Corinthians nine, seven to
nine, he said, first of all, a warfare anytime at his own
charges? Who planteth a vineyard, and
eateth not of the fruit thereof? Or who feedeth a flock, and eateth
not of the milk of the flock? Say I these things as a man,
or sayeth not the law the same thing? For it is written in the
law of Moses, thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that
treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care of the ox? Look at verse 11. If we've sown
unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing that we reap
your carnal things? If others be partakers of this
power over you, are we not rather? Nevertheless, We've not used
this power, but rather all things lest we should hinder the gospel
of Christ. Do ye not know that they which minister about holy
things live of the things of the temple, and they which wait
at the altar are partakers of the altar? Even so hath the Lord
ordained, they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel. God calls men to preach the gospel,
but they're just, they're men, they're men. They're men that
struggle just like everybody else and men that have families
just like everybody else and have to pay for things just like
everybody else. But the profit, the profit of
being able to sit and read and then communicate in the spirit
of God, bless it. What a blessing. All right, let's
hurry. Verse seven, be not deceived. God is not mocked. For whatsoever
a man soweth, that shall he also reap. Don't be deceived, don't
be led away. Obviously the Spirit of God moved
upon Paul to warn his hearers about deception. Deception from
without and deception from within. That deception that would move
someone to fall prey to that, first of all, that brother being
overtaken in a fault and not restoring him. in the spirit
of meekness. Don't be deceived. Don't be deceived. God's not mocked. But then also
he's talking about failing to be able to take care of a man
that's trying to communicate the scriptures and try to have
time to sit there, don't be deceived, don't fall in prey to fail to
try to take care of a man that's trying to faithfully give himself
to the ministry, that he's addicted to the ministry. Now the Spirit
of God moved upon Paul to write these words, don't be deceived,
don't be deceived concerning Taking care of a brother, taking
care of a pastor, don't be conceived. God's not mocked. Whatsoever
man soweth, that he also reapeth. Now you know I would have never
thought to say that to fail, to fail, to restore a fallen
brother, overtaken in a fault, to fail to do that, to fail to
do that is to mock God. If we fail to do it, a brother
overtaken in a fault, and you don't restore him in a spirit
of meekness, you're mocking God. A congregation that's got a pastor
that God's called and put in a position, this is why it's
so hard to say these things. Mitch, you understand what I'm
saying? It's just hard to say these, but it's the truth. But to fail
to do everything you can to help him, help him, To fail to do
that is to mock God. Don't be deceived. God is not
mocked whatsoever man soweth. That's what he's going to reap.
You sow corn, you know what you're going to get? Corn. Wheat, wheat. Spirit of ungraciousness toward
others, you'll have people being ungracious to you. That's what
we're going to say. You don't restore man, that's
what's going to happen. You fail to look for every excuse not
to take care of a pastor, one that God's called and given the
responsibility. I want to be, I've got to be
here. I've got to be. But fail to communicate?
God's not mocked. Whatever he sows, man's going
to reap. Verse 8, For he that soweth to
his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption. And he that
soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. That carnal man who sows to his
flesh, sows to the things of this world, looking to the cares
of this world, trusting in his things and mess and stuff, rather
than the things of God, whatever he sows, he's going to reap. If he looks to his own free will,
sows to his flesh, meaning thinking his impotent works of self-righteousness
is going to stand the all-seeing eye of God who is omniscient.
Whatever he sows, he's going to reap. He's going to reap exactly
what he's sown, but for the grace of God. May I throw that in there? I'm so undeserving. He that soweth,
the Scripture says though, to the Spirit. trusting God, looking
to the Lord Jesus Christ, casting himself upon the mercy of God,
admitting what he is, being honest with himself according to these
scriptures right here, bearing everybody else's burdens and
thanking himself not to be something because he knows he's nothing,
the Spirit of God teaching him something, he that soweth to
the Spirit, agreeing with God's Spirit, shall of the Spirit reap
Life everlasting. And then the last verse for this
morning says this. Last two, I'm sorry. Let us not
be weary in well-doing, for in due season we shall reap if we
faint not. As we have therefore opportunity,
know how often we do. Let us do good unto all men,
especially unto them who are of the household of faith. Be not weary in well-doing. Don't, don't, let us not ever
fall to the temptation. Well, we've just, we've done
just about all we can do. We've done all we can do. We,
you know, we've done this, that, and the other as the Lord gives
us ability. Be not weary. Let us not weary
in well doing. This is going to go out on the
internet, and I'm not going to mention any names, but you know
here some of the places that we've had opportunity, this little
assembly, to do what we could for different congregations. You know who they are. You know
what the Lord has enabled us to do. And it was always a joy
and a privilege Lord, keep us from becoming weary in thinking,
well, we've done all that we can do. As long as the Lord is
enabling us, let's do it. Let us not be weary in well-doing.
In due season, we shall reap. If we think not, I could tell
you some blessings that I've beheld for this little congregation
and for others. that just amazed me because I
thought, you know, but for the grace of God, that wouldn't happen. It just don't happen like that.
But I'm telling you the miracle of God's grace to be observant
of these blessings that we've beheld. God Almighty has opened
up avenues of benefit. Let's bear one another's burden.
Let's communicate where we can. Let's help where we can for the
glory of God and for our good. Amen. All right, Terry.