Galatians chapter 6, continue
in our Bible study from Galatians chapter 6, try to cover verse
6 down through verse 10. Let me give this introduction
here to you. God's servant, the Apostle Paul,
gives to us and continues to give to us inspired instruction,
inspired instruction about what it is to walk in the Spirit. As it says there in chapter 5,
verse 16, this I say then, walk in the Spirit, live in the Spirit,
and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. So he continues
giving us instruction what it is to walk in the Spirit, to
live in the Spirit. As he says down here in chapter
5, verse 25, if we live in the Spirit, or since we live by the
Spirit of God giving us life, let us also walk that way. Let
us walk in the Spirit. The Holy Spirit leads us to look
to Christ. Motivate us. Motivate us to look
to Christ. And by doing that, looking to
the Lord Jesus Christ and finding all of our salvation in His doing,
that motivates us to live for His glory. for His glory and
for the fervence of the Gospel. Now, this is the tenor of the
believer's life and the bent of his will to honor the Gospel
in all aspects of our life. This is the believer's desire
to bear the fruit of the Spirit, as we read in verse 22 and 23
of chapter 5. The fruit of the Spirit is love,
joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, meekness, goodness, faith, meekness,
temperance, and against such, against those believers, the
law has no charge against them. He says, let us not be desirous
of vain glory, pride and self-righteousness. He says, let us not be provoking
one another and envying one another. He says this, let us be ready
to forgive one another. If someone is overtaken in a
fault, He says, restore such a one in the spirit of meekness
considering yourself, lest you also be tempted. Let us be ready
to restore one another and forgive one another. Let us be ready
to restore and be reconciled one to another in the spirit
of humility, not of self-righteousness and not of religious pride, but
one of humility, one of humility. Let us bear one another's burdens,
as it says in chapter 6, verse 2. bear and carry one another's
burdens. We're to rejoice with them that
rejoice, and we are to weep with those that weep." You see, we're
members one of another. The hand can't say to the foot,
well, I don't need you, foot. Well, the hand does need the
foot, and that foot needs the hand. We're members one of another
in this same body. So we are to bear one another's
burden. Do you see verse two? And so
honor the principle of the gospel. What is the honor? How do we
honor the principle of the gospel? Our Lord said this, by this shall
all men know that you're my disciples, that you love one another. Love one another. That's the
joy of our heart, to love one another and to bear one another's
burdens. Now, look at verse six. He's
continuing on this same subject, what it is to walk in the Spirit,
to live for the glory of God, to honor God in our life, in
our conduct, and in our speech. Let him that is taught in the
Word Now that's a blessing, to be taught in the Word. Not to
stand in the traditions of men or the commandments of men, but
let that person who was taught in the Word of God, in the Word
of truth, let that man that is taught in the Word, let him be
ready to share and to communicate and to distribute unto him, unto
those who labor in the gospel, that teacheth And this one who
teaches in the gospel, he teaches all good things. Paul further
instructs the church about giving, and that's what he's talking
about, giving in support of the gospel ministry. Those who faithfully
teach and preach the gospel, pastors and missionaries, are
to be supported by those to whom they minister, by prayer, by
your presence, and by your pocketbook financially. by those to whom
they are ministered unto." And that's what Paul is saying here.
Now, he addresses, in verse 6, he addresses those who were taught
and instructed in the Word, from the Word of truth. Believers
have benefited spiritually from that gospel ministry of that
man who was called of God, taught of God, and sent of God. I tell
you, Pastor Mahan used to say this often. I believe he's so.
One of the greatest blessings God can give any community is
a God-called, God-sent preacher of the gospel. That is a blessed
community. So let him that is taught in
the Word be ready to support that blessing from God. And that's what it is. It's a
blessing from God. Believers have been instructed
in the way of truth. They're taught in the Word of
God, and they're taught all good things. I want you to turn to
Romans 10 and look at verse 15. Romans 10, verse 15. Romans 10,
verse 15. And while you're finding that,
there's a verse over in Hebrews 9, 11 said that the Lord Jesus
Christ is our Great High Priest and He tells us and proclaims
unto us good things, the good things of the Gospel. Our Great
High Priest has done good things for us and good things in us. Notice what it says in Romans
10. Look at verse 15. How shall they preach except
they be sent, God's serpents? As it is written, how beautiful
are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace. We have
peace with God, how? Through the Lord Jesus Christ,
Romans 10, 15. How beautiful are the feet of
them that preach the gospel of peace. It's not peace by what
I do. It's peace through Him who is
the Prince of Peace, who made peace with God through His own
blood, and bringeth glad tidings of, look what it says right there,
good things. The Lord Jesus Christ is a high
priest of good things and His servants go preaching the good
things of the gospel. Salvation by His free and sovereign
grace, being justified freely by His grace. Now notice what
it says here. They're taught good things from
the Word, from the Word and in the Word. Now, I looked that
up in Scripture. The Word of God is called in
Romans 10, 8, it's called the Word of Faith. Faith comes by
hearing and hearing by the Word of God. In Hebrews 5, verse 13,
it's called the Word of Righteousness. The Word of Righteousness. His
Word is righteous. And this Word of Righteousness,
you know what it tells us about? It tells us about the Lord Jesus
Christ who is our righteousness. It's called also the Word of
Reconciliation. To you, in II Corinthians 5.19,
to you is the Word of Reconciliation sent to wit, namely, that God
was in Christ reconciling His people unto Himself. Not imputing
their trespasses unto them, But He's committed unto us this word
of reconciliation. God made Him to be sin for us
who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of
God in Him. So it's called the word of faith.
Believers are taught in the word of faith, by the word of faith. It's called the word of righteousness.
It's called the word of reconciliation. And it's called also the word
of salvation. Paul, when he preached in Acts
13, his first sermon, he started this way, to you is the word
of salvation sent. Aren't you glad that he sent
the word of salvation to you in Christ? Now, believers, look
what it says in that text, to him that is taught in the word.
They're taught in the word. Believers have been taught by
God the Holy Spirit through the means that He has ordained, the
preaching and the teaching of the Word. They are taught and
instructed to know what we are by nature. What are we by nature? What are we left to ourselves?
Sin. All have sinned and come short
of His glory. They are taught and instructed
to know what we are by His sovereign grace. I am what I am by the
grace of God. They're taught and instructed
what we are by nature. We're taught and instructed what
He has made us in Christ Jesus, holy, unblameable, unreprovable
in His sight. We're taught and instructed to
know the way of salvation. The way of salvation in Christ,
His doing, His dying, His blood, His sacrifice, His intercession
for us, His satisfaction unto God on our behalf to enable God
to be a just God and Savior. Believers are taught and instructed
to know the way of salvation in Christ Jesus. There is no
other name, is there? Given among heaven? Among men
whereby we must be safe, there's no other word of salvation but
the Lord Jesus." He said, I am not a way, He said, I am the
way. The way. You see, look at the
text again. Let him that is taught in the
word. Believers have been taught. Oh,
they've been blessed of God. It says this, It's written in
the prophets. That's what the Word says. And
they shall all be taught of God. God's people. They will be taught.
Every man, therefore, that had heard and learned of the Father,
those who have learned that lesson, salvation is all of God, all
of grace, salvation is of the Lord. Our Lord said they come
to Christ. No man can come to me except
the Father which sent me. Draw him. Believers have been
taught. They're instructed in all good
things. Secondly, it says there, Let him that is taught in the
word share." Share. You believers have a giving spirit. They have a generous spirit.
They've been so fully and freely blessed. they want to and their
heart's desire is to freely give to others. That's their desire.
Believers who have been taught, who have been blessed with eternal
and spiritual blessings are willing and they want to share and distribute
and give in support of the ministry willingly. God has ordained that those who
preach the gospel should live by that means. Listen to this
scripture in 1 Timothy chapter 5. Let the elders that rule well
be counted worthy of double honor, especially they who labor in
the word and in doctrine. For the scripture saith, thou
shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. The laborer
is worthy of his hire. God's saints are cheerful givers. They're cheerful, cheerful, cheerful. Find II Corinthians 9. II Corinthians 9, look at verse
7. They're cheerful. They're happy
givers. II Corinthians 9, verse 7. Every
man, according as he purposed in his heart, so let him give,
not grudgingly, or of necessity, God loves a cheerful giver, a
cheerful giver, one who gives out of love, out of love. It's
not like those who say, who their economic Theory dominates
them who live as the world lives and die as the world dies that
say, get all you can, can all you get, and then sit on the
can. Believers distribute to others. Believers are a conduit. God blesses and we bless others. God's people are a conduit. They're
not like a dead, dead lake. They're like a fresh living lake. Water comes in and water goes
out. You know a dead lake, the reason
why a dead lake like the Great Salt Lake where I grew up is
a dead lake. All that water runs in, it's
a salty lake. It's like ten times saltier than
the ocean. You go out in that lake and you
can't sink. If you can't swim, you can jump in that lake and
you can't sink because it's ten times saltier than the ocean.
And the reason it's so salty, all those minerals from all those
years rushed down off those mountains down into that lake and all those
minerals over those thousands of years just settled in that
lake. Nothing flowed out. It's a dead lake. There's nothing
in it. Life can't live in it. It's so
salty and dead. It's not like a fresh lake. Water
comes in and water goes out. And that's the way the believer
is. God is freely given and we freely give to others. That's
the desire of a believer's heart. They're cheerful givers. Someone
said there's three kinds of giving. Grudge giving, which says, I
have to give. Secondly, there's duty giving,
which says, boy, you know, I ought to give. And then there's thanksgiving,
which says, I want to give. I want to give. Gospel ministers. Now, listen to me. Gospel ministers
and the gospel ministry, the gospel ministry and the support
of the gospel ministry is not to be supported by rummage sales. yard sales, bake sales, car washes,
but rather the gospel ministry is supported by the generous
sacrificial giving of believers. Considering what the Lord has
done for us, we give on the basis of what He's done for us and
how He's blessed us. Find II Corinthians chapter 8
this time. 2 Corinthians chapter 8, when
Paul was taking up a collection for those poor saints who were
persecuted in Jerusalem, and he was taking up a collection
from the Gentile churches, and he used this as a motivation to help them consider how they
were to give. He didn't put them back under
the law and said, now the law said ten percent, you've got
to give ten percent. He didn't even mention that.
But look what he says, 2 Corinthians 8, verse 7. Therefore as you
abound in everything, in faith, and utterance, and knowledge,
and all diligence, and in your love to us, see that you abound
also in this grace. This grace also, it's a grace
of giving. I speak not by commandment, but
by the occasion, the forwardness of others to prove the sincerity
of your love. I'm not commanding you to give.
Look at verse 9, now here's the motive. You know the grace of
our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, rich beyond our
wildest imagination, rich in glory, rich in holiness, rich
in eternality, rich in power, rich in every way, yet for your
sakes He impoverished Himself. The Lord of glory became a servant,
became a man, became sin for us. Yet for your sakes He became
poor that you through His poverty might be rich." Now consider
that next time you sit down and think about giving to the support
of the gospel ministry. And that's what we support. I
know folks up our way say, you know, they, hey, they, and it's
probably that way around here too, they say, well, you know,
we don't pay our preacher. Well, you know, I don't believe
in paying a preacher either. But I do believe in this. I believe
in supporting the gospel ministry. And there's a difference. We
just don't pay the preacher. We support the gospel ministry. You see, God has ordained that
those who preach the gospel should live of the gospel. Doesn't the
Lord God and the gospel ministry deserve more than a part-time
preacher? He should give his whole life, time, and energy
to the study and the preaching of the gospel. And that's what
God has ordained, and God will bless that. God will bless that
man, He'll bless that ministry. I've seen it happen. My pastor
used to say over the years, you don't need to beg and browbeat
people about giving. They'll give. And when God is
in the ministry, and He's in the gospel ministry, when God's
in the ministry of a man, He'll bless it and supply the need.
God will provide. I've seen this over the years.
that I've been trying to preach the gospel." Brother Mahan had
this quote in his Bible commentary on this verse. He said, and the policeman who protects
you, and the carpenter who builds for you, all are compensated
according to their service. Even so, the man who studies
and prays and teaches you the Word of God, the most important
service, should share in your material substance." Support
the gospel ministry, and I'm thankful that the Lord has supplied
for the ministry that He's given to me. And it's evidence to me
that God called me and sent me and that He supplied. He supplied
for my need. And He supplied for us abundantly. Abundantly. I don't call people
up and say, you know, I'm going to be short next month. Will
you send a little extra? You know, I have a little bit higher
source to go to. I cry unto the Lord. I pray unto
Him. And you know what? He supplies
that need according to His riches in glory through Christ's people. But God's people are generous
givers. Now, look at verse 7. I spent a little more time on
verse 6 than I wanted to, but I think it's a topic that's worthy
to be taught and needs to be taught. Verse 7, be not deceived.
Be not deceived. God is not mocked. He will not
be mocked. For whatsoever man sows, that
shall he reap." Now keep this in context. He's talking here
about supporting the ministry. He's talking about here giving
to those who preach the gospel. People don't be deceived by a
covetous heart or by false teachers. Our God is not to be mocked.
not to be mocked, and withholding those things which are needed
from true gospel ministry because of covetousness and ingratitude
and indifference is to mock God. It's to mock God. Withholding
due respect. honor and support for faithful
God-sent pastors while thinking only of yourself and taking care
of self and sowing to self is to disobey the Word of Truth,
the Word of God. People who find flimsy excuses
not to give to the cause of God and the cause of the work and
the work of the gospel ministry mock God. Here's what he's saying. You can't insult God and get
away with it. That's right, that's what he's
saying there. Be not deceived, God will not be mocked. His gospel
is to be supported by those who are blessed by it. For whatsoever
man soweth, that shall he reap. Now look at verse 8. He that
soweth to the flesh, he that sows to the flesh, he lives for
the flesh. That's all he's about is flesh,
flesh, flesh. Me, mine and more. He that sows
to the flesh shall just reap nothing but corruption, corruption. But he that sows to the Spirit
He who lives looking to the Lord Jesus Christ and willingly supporting
and lovingly supporting the gospel shall of the Spirit and by the
Spirit shall reap life eternal, life everlasting. Now this general
principle that Paul sets forth here, the principle of life,
Paul applies to the gospel. A man will harvest exactly what
he plants. He sow wheat. and you receive
wheat. You sow sparingly and you'll
harvest sparingly. The way we use or abuse what
the Lord has put in our hands reveals a whole lot about the
state of our heart before God. What He's given to our hands
and how we use or abuse what He's blessed us with reveals
a whole lot about the state of our heart. You say, well, I don't
have a lot to give. That widow woman, what did she
give? Two mites. She gave all she had
and was blessed. Blessed of God. You see, it's
not the amount. It's not the amount you give.
It's how you give. It's why you give. If any man is only concerned
for his physical and material welfare, if he devotes all of
his possessions to pamper and please and provide for his body,
he will reap the dividends of the flesh, which is nothing but
corruption. It will decay and rot and be
food for worms." You see, we brought nothing into this world.
What are we going to live with? Huh? We ought to value everything
in the light of eternity. What would it mean in the light
of eternity? There's an interesting sign down the street from where the
ministry is there in Zebulun. It's on the sign of one of those
churches that promote works and water salvation. But it's an
interesting sign. You know, in the decline of the
economy and in the decline, the recession that we're in, and
the sign said, in troubled financial times, look and trust the Creator. You say, well, that's pretty
good. But you know, the problem with that is that they preach
and believe that in salvation, it's not trust the Creator, it's
trust what you do. But in all things we should look
to the Lord Jesus Christ. A man who uses his time and strength,
a believer, uses his time and strength and substance for the
glory of God and for the good of his soul and of others will
reap By His grace, life now and forever. Now, listen to me. Not just because
He gives. We don't merit blessings by giving. Giving is the fruit of salvation,
not the cause of salvation. The believer is not trying to
buy his way in. But rather, how we give reveals
the true state of our heart before God. In other words, we don't
give to be saved, we don't give to be justified, we don't give
to be blessed, but rather we give because we have been blessed
of God, because we are justified in Christ Jesus. But rather because
we're saved by His marvelous grace, therefore we give out
of love and gratitude. The love of Christ constrains
us. You say, well, is that enough? God said that's enough. The love
of Christ constrains His people. He makes them willing in the
day of His power. Our Lord said this in Matthew
6. Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon the earth where
moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and
steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven where neither
moth nor rust doth corrupt, where thieves do not break through
and steal. For where your treasure is, There will your heart be
also. Set your affection on things
above, not on the things of this earth. Now look at verse 9. So
then, let us not be weary in doing what's right. Let us not
be weary in well doing. For in due season, God will bless,
God will bless if we don't quit. Keep to it. Persevere in the
faith. If we do what we do for the glory of God, according to
the will of God, out of the principle of love, for the furtherance
of the gospel, we need not to be discouraged. Discouraged. Let us be patient, waiting upon
the Lord to give the increase. There's a distance of time between
planting and harvesting. You don't go out and plant your
garden on Monday and expect to reap your garden in on Friday,
do you? No, you have to plant the seed
and wait till God gives the increase. And He will in due time. Wait
on the Lord and be of good courage. I want you to find 1 Corinthians
chapter 3. 1 Corinthians chapter 3. This is what the Apostle says
over here. 1 Corinthians chapter 3. Who then is Paul? Verse 5. This is 1 Corinthians
3, 5. Who then is Paul? Who is a Paulist,
but ministers by whom he believeth, even as the Lord gave to every
man. I have planted... What did he plant? those good
things, the word, the seed of life. Apollos watered with the
same gospel, but God gives the increase. You see that? So then
neither is he that planteth anything, neither he that watereth, but
God gives the increase. So we plant, we preach, and we
wait upon the Lord. Wait upon the Lord. In due time,
He will bless. In God's own time, we shall see
the results of our labors here or hereafter, sooner or later. We are to keep sowing the word
of truth, keep preaching the gospel, and keep giving to the
support of the ministry. And God will bless His word.
He will bless His truth. We are to persevere in the faith
and thank not. Do not quit. Continue to the
end. Turn over to 2 Corinthians chapter
4 and look at this verse here with me. 2 Corinthians chapter
4. Look at verse 1. 2 Corinthians 4 verse
1. Therefore seeing we have this
ministry, as we have received mercy, We faint not. We're not going to quit. We're
not going to quit. We've renounced the hidden things
of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the
Word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth,
commanding ourselves or that gospel to every man's conscience
in the sight of God. We're going to keep on preaching
the gospel. The Apostle said this, 2 Thessalonians,
don't turn, let me just read this to you. 2 Thessalonians
3, 13. Brethren, be not weary in well-doing. Same thing what
he says right here. Let us not be weary in well-doing. Now the body gets tired and the
body gets weak, but let us not be discouraged in heart and mind.
Let us continue in the gospel ministry. Now look at verse 10.
continue to preach the gospel, as we have therefore opportunity,
as God opens the door to preach the gospel here or in other places. Let us do. Let us do. Let us
do that. Let us go preach the gospel.
Let us go preach the gospel unto all. But let us especially pay
attention to the household of faith, to our family, to our
loved ones in Christ. As God has given us the ability,
opportunity to remain steadfast in the gospel and preaching the
gospel, the greatest good we can do for any sinner is to expose
them to the gospel of God's grace. That's the greatest thing you
can do for another human being is to tell him the truth. The
greatest good we can do for any sinner is to expose them to the
good news of the gospel. Let us strive to be gentle and
kind and long-suffering unto all, knowing it's only by the
grace of God that He's made us to differ. But let us keep on
preaching the gospel. Let us especially do good unto
them who are of the household of faith, to believers. Let us
care for one another, encourage one another, assist one another,
those who are believers in this family of God." And believers
are a family. Now, you think with me for a
moment. Look what it says there in that last part of verse 10.
I'll close. The household of faith. The household of faith.
How precious is faith? It's precious. There's not many
things in the Word of God that are called precious. We're redeemed
with His precious blood. To you who believe, He is precious. But you know what also is called
precious? We have this precious faith that has been attained
by His blood sacrifice. We have faith at the expense
of His death, and He gives that to us by His grace. How precious
is this faith? How precious it is to be of the
household of faith, to be of the family of believers. What
a privilege! Now listen to this scripture.
Faith is a gift of God, is it not? Faith comes by hearing,
and hearing by the word of truth. Now listen to this, now therefore
you are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens
with the saints and of the household of God. We're of His household. He adopted us into His family
by His grace. He has chosen us by His love.
He has made us new creatures in Christ Jesus. We're adopted
into His family. We've been made heirs of God
and joint heirs with the Lord Jesus Christ. We're no longer
foreigners and strangers, but we're fellow citizens with the
saints. and of the household of God,
this household of faith. And were built upon the foundation
of the apostles and the prophets, to Him give all the prophets
witness. The foundation of the apostles and the foundation of
the prophets had one foundation. That's Christ. That's stone.
Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom all
the buildings fitly framed together groweth unto a holy temple in
the Lord, in whom you also build it together for habitation of
God through the Spirit. We are of the household of faith. Therefore we live this way. Turn
to Galatians chapter 3, verse 11. Look what it says right there. Galatians 3.11. No man is justified
by the law and the sight of God, it is evident. The just live
by faith. The justified live by faith.
Do you know it's in the Word of God four times? The just shall
live by faith. You don't wear of the household
of faith. What a privilege God has given
to us to be in this household. And what a privilege He's given
to us to believe the gospel. to love the gospel, to love one
another, and to give in support of this gospel, in support of
this gospel. Well, I pray the Lord will bless
that instruction and bless that word to your heart.