Sermons
February 14th, 2010 by Pastor Solley021410AM God’s Threefold Cure for Weariness.
Sub. Weariness
Theme: God’s cure for weariness.
Text: Gal 6:1-9
“God’s Threefold Cure for Weariness” Gal 6:1-9
IntroductionLets begin this morning by reading in Galatians 6. – Gal 6:1-9 I would like to speak this morning on God’s cure for weariness. Weariness or to be weary is defined this way in Webster’s 1828 dictionary. Having the strength much exhausted by trial or violent exertion. To be tired or weary of doing something. Having patience exhausted. The mind yielding to discouragement. It is a most natural things to become weary from time to time and many people are weary much of the time. This is a very fast paced and changing world we are living in today. Everything and everybody seem to be moving so fast it is hard to keep up. And so as one looks at the world around us we see weary people. Now we tend to expect that in the lost.
I. But it is also a most natural thing for a Christian to become weary from time to time: We are living in the same world with the same problems as everyone else and at times you get to the point where you become wearied and faint in the mind. The Bible tells us in Heb 12:3 For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. The Bible wouldn’t warn against being wearied and faint in you mind if that was not possible.
A. Think of the things that Christians become wearied about or with: The same things as the lost.
1. People become wearied with age: You just cannot do the things that you once did or the things that you need to do and that list seems to grow longer daily.
2. People become wearied with health issues: It is not easy dealing with a lingering illness. It is hard to go on.
3. People become wearied with loneliness: Especially those who have lost a husband or a wife. It is not easy being alone.
4. People become wearied with the moral condition of society: Not even the lost like the way things are going downhill.
6. People become wearied with the leadership of the country:: Few in Washington even know this is a republic nation.
7. People become wearied with the uncertain economic times: It is hard to see the turn around many say is happening.
8. It is very easy to become wearied and faint in your mind as the Bible warns about:
B. And so from time to time we do get weary with one thing or another: To the point it becomes easy to yield to the flesh and we find ourselves thinking, “What’s the use? The right way is such a hard way, too hard of a way” And we consider giving up.
1. You figure what is the use in even going on for the Lord: No one in this world cares, it is just getting worse. What do we even matter? And many faint and just give in and give up to the world, the flesh and Satan.
2. Weariness is a problem that we all face and all give in to from time to time: Some never recover.
II. Yet we find one of the conditions to be met for us to receive the fulness of God’s blessings and reward is that we do not become weary in our well doing: Gal 6:9 Read this carefully. – Gal 6:9 If we do not become weary, if we do not faint, they we will reap, or gather in a reward and blessing in due season. If that is true then the opposite must be true as well. If we do become weary and faint, if we quit along the way we will miss blessings and rewards.
A. It is quite clear God does not want us to faint, does not want us to become weary: God even tells us this exact same thing two times to be sure we get it. The Bible tells us in 2 Thess 3:13 But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing.
B. Does God then have a cure for weariness? The answer is of course yes. God’s commands always come with God’s enablement. God will not command something of you or me unless God also provides the enablement.
1. In Galatians 3 we are commanded not to be weary: Gal 6:9
2. We also see in this passage God’s threefold cure for weariness: Three things we will look at this morning.
PROP: Everyone needs to know God’s cure for weariness. TS. So that we do not become faint, so that we do not quit in the fight, so that we do not become weary in our well doing.
Body
I. To keep from becoming weary one needs to prove or test his or her own work: Gal 6:3-4 The idea here is to prove or test what one believes, what your are standing upon, what you have placed your faith in, what governs your actions. A person who is unsure of everything will have a hard time rejoicing in anything. – Gal 6:4 A person who is unsure of everything will have a hard time rejoicing in anything. Weariness will often overtake that person.
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A. A Biblical example of this is King Saul: Saul was Israel’s first king, a man chosen by God and accepted by the people. Saul had a good beginning but as time went on he became very unsure of everybody and everything around him. As he turned more and more away from the Lord he became more and more unsure of himself, of the people and even those who served him.
1. In 1 Sam 17 Israel has a great victory over the Philistines: 1 Sam 17:51-53 This should have been a time of great rejoicing.
2. But notice what happens with Saul: 1 Sam 18:6-9 Saul was uncertain of his standing with the people and from that day on something happened in King Saul. – 1 Sam 18:9 There was never rejoicing in the heart of Saul again.
3. In fact Saul became consumed with murdering the one man who did the most for him: 1 Sam 18:11-12 But the Lord did not leave Saul, Saul left the Lord.
4. A person who is unsure of everything will have a hard time rejoicing in anything:
B. So you need to prove, or put to the test what you believe, what and who you have put your faith in today: Are you sure of what and in whom you have placed your faith and trust today? It is not wrong to prove them. – 1 Thess 5:21; 2 Cor 13:5
1. Put the Word of God to the test: I have in front of me the eternal, unchanging, pure, infallible Word of God. I have in front of me what is profitable for life in this world and what leads to the door of eternal life in the next. – 2 Tim 3:15-17 Put the Bible to the test, prove it. Begin to live today by it percepts, believe it, heed it, obey it and see of life gets better or worse.
2. Put the Biblical Christ to the test: Not the Jesus the world tries to give to us but the Biblical Christ. Begin in the gospel of John and put the Biblical Christ to the test.
a. Be sure you have walked through the open door and found eternal life in Jesus Christ. – John 10:7-9
b. See if you have a more abundant life as you walk the closer to Him. – John 10:10
c. See if the more you walk in obedience to Him the more you feel His presence. – John 14:21,23
d. Put Jesus to the test.
C. Put what and whom you have placed your faith and trust in to the test: 1 Cor 15:57-58 And once you can be sure of them you will find that weariness does not come as it once did. You will have confidence and rejoice in many of the same things that are causing others to become weary.
1. The Bible has a lot to say about aged men and aged women: God has purpose for you and you do much good.
2. The Bible tells us how illness can be used for the glory of Jesus Christ: You can be a help to others.
3. The Bible tells us that we are never alone when we have Jesus: There is on who is always with you.
4. The Bible tells us to seek first the kingdom of God and He will provide the things needed in this world:
5. We even know the end of world and the signs of its coming and that Jesus is coming first:
D. When you know Jesus does all things well weariness will seldom overtake you: Mark 7:37
II. To keep from becoming weary one needs to be sure of his or her motives in the Lord: Gal 6:7-8 Everything we do in this life is geared toward pleasing one of three parties. (1) We are motivated to please self, to see what we can get out of something. (2) We are motivated to please others and that is often done so that they will do something for us or think highly of us. So that is tied closely to pleasing self. But that is not always the case in pleasing others. (3) Or we seek to please God and if we are doing that in the right way self is taken out of the equation. But all that we do in this world is motivated by those three areas. Pleasing self, pleasing others, or pleasing God.
A. If we are seeking to please self or others weariness will set in: Gal 6:7-8 This is speaking to the Christian. – Gal 6:1 The application is often made concerning sin in the life of the Christian with these verses and going back to chapter 5 that is not an incorrect application because it is dealing with the walk of the believer in Christ. But this also concerns out motives in serving the Lord, in worship, in following the Lord Jesus Christ.
1. God knows our motives in things: Gal 6:7 And if we are doing things for the wrong reasons God will heep upon us exactly those type of rewards. – Gal 6:8
2. When the Pharisee went up to the temple to pray God knew his motives: Luke 18:10-14
3. When Simon wanted to be filled with the Holy Spirit God knew his motives: Acts 8:18-21
4. We will reap what we sow because God knows our motives: God knows our heart.
B. You cannot serve God for what you can get out of it: And there are great blessings in obeying and serving the Lord. I can turn to promise after promise in the Bible for those who obey and serve the Lord Jesus Christ. But that can’t be the motivation.
If I am trying to fulfill the lust of the flesh I will never be satisfied with what I reap because the flesh is never satisfied.
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1. For example if I gave an offering this morning so God will fill my coffers I will never be satisfied: Because the flesh is never satisfied. If my motivation in giving was getting I will never be satisfied because in my mind I will never have enough.
2. If I have brought my family to the house of God all those years to make God give me a good home and marriage it will not work: And one needs to do that but you cannot just show up here week after week and think God now has to give me a good home, marriage and family.
a. Years ago there was a family that literally would send their children to church as they got in trouble and they would literally tell me, now you straighten them out.
b. They are to be brought to the Lord but not to make God do something for you.
3. You cannot serve God for what you will get out of it: Because your flesh will never be satisfied and you will get weary.
C. You cannot serve God for what others will think of you: Because when you do that you will eventually come to a point where you have to make a decision. Should I please them or God. The disciples had to make that decision. – Acts 5:29
1. Many businesses require their higher up employees to attend church: It projects a good image for the business but they most certainly do not want them serving God before the business. They just want them to look good in the community.
2. I have a friend who works for a car dealer who says he is a Christian: But he says not when the deals are being made.
3. That is still serving God for what you can get out of it and it will not bring in a good harvest:
ILL. I have been recently asked to preform a service for a man I just met. I told him with this opportunity to speak to so many people I will center everything around the plan of salvation…He told me what he wanted and I told him again the same thing…When I do that service if he still wants me to I will have to make a decision…Please man…Or please God…
C. We need to decide to simply please God and be what He wants us to be, do what He wants us to do, and do it only to bring honor and glory to and for Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ alone: Gal 6:8-9 God knows our motives. – 1 Sam 16:7
1. When we do it for His honor and glory we may not receive the praise of men: But we will receive the praise of God.
2. When we do it for His honor and glory we may not receive the rewards of men: But we will receive the reward of God.
ILL. I was visiting in a rest home on Monday and the person I was visiting had me confused with someone from their family. And they had a wonderful visit and had no idea who I was…But Jesus knows I visited them…
III. To keep from becoming weary one needs to be sure to go forward in the right power and grace: As has been said it is a natural thing to become weary when we are burdened down by the weights and cares oft his life. It can be easy to be overtaken in a fault and just want to give up or give in. Burdens can be heavy things. – Gal 6:1-5
A. And in our own power and might we will falter and fail, we will be overtaken: At once or on down the road but we will become weary and faint if we try and do things in our own power and might.
1. The prophet Elijah laid down and said he had enough and wished he would die: And he called down fire and rain.
2. Moses began to buckle under the responsibility of judging the nation: His father in law saw it coming.
3. John the Baptist was so wearied in a prison cell he sent word asking Jesus if he were really the Messiah:
4. Peter after the cross and resurrection of Jesus decided to go back to fishing:
5. If these men of God could not serve and go on for the Lord in their own strenth can we?
B. You need to be sure of your power and grace and it cannot be your own: Gal 5:22-25 Your power and grace must come from the Spirit of God or you are going to overtaken. – Gal 6:1
1. One does not preform the things listed in verses 22 – 23 in order to walk in the Spirit: People get the order backwards.
a. You can’t say the more I walk in love, joy and peace the more of the Spirit I will have. You cannot work those things up in the flesh in order to be filled with the Spirit of God, to have the power of the Spirit of God.
b. You can’t decide to be more patient, gentle and good in order to have more of the Spirit. You cannot work those things up in the flesh in order to be filled with the Spirit of God, to have the power of the Spirit of God.
c. One cannot work up the fruit of the Spirit in the power of the flesh. It is impossible.
2. One walks in the Spirit, is filled with the Spirit of God in order to walk in the fruit of the Spirit: Gal 5:22,25 Many get the order of things confused.
C. If you try and do things on your own you will get weary: Remember what Jesus said. – John 15:1-5 According to verse 5 what can I do without Him, what can I do apart from the power of the Spirit of God? – John 15:5
1. I will be an utter failure as a pastor apart from the power of the Spirt of God: No matter the amount of education.
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2. I will be an utter failure as a husband apart from the power of the Spirit of God: No matter how much I put into it.
3. According to the bible; what can I do apart from His power and grace? Absolutely nothing.
a. It can seem to be good from the outside.
b. But apart from His power and grace it will be a failure.
4. This is why people can get tired, worn down, worn out and weary: They are trying to get it done on their own.
D. A good example of this in the Bible is Zerubbabel: Zech 4:1-7 This man was doing a great work for the Lord in rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem after Israel was permitted to return from Babylon by Cryus.
1. And Zerubbabel was getting the job done: But if you read in the books of Ezra, Nehemiah and Haggi there was opposition to the work and Zerubbabel began to get weary.
2. So God had to send him this reminder: Zech 4:2-3 The never ending supply of oil that would run from the olive trees to the lamps is an emblem of the Holy Spirit of God.
3. This man could do nothing apart from the Spirit of God and could do all things through the Spirit of God: Zech 4:6-7
4. To walk in the power of the flesh will bring weariness:
5. To walk in the power of the Spirit of God will bring victory:
E. The filling of the Spirit of God, His supply of power is not far from us nor difficult to find:
1. It demands less of self:
2. It demands less of the world:
3. It demands more of Christ:
4. It is yielding to the Word of God and thus the Spirit of God:
F. One needs to walk in the right power and grace:
Conclusion
Having looked at God’s threefold cure for weariness what can we say this morning?
I. To keep from becoming weary one needs to prove or test his or her own work: Gal 6:3-4 The idea here is to prove or test what one believes, what your are standing upon, what you have placed your faith in, what governs your actions. A person who is unsure of everything will have a hard time rejoicing in anything. – Gal 6:4 A person who is unsure of everything will have a hard time rejoicing in anything. Weariness will often overtake that person.
II. To keep from becoming weary one needs to be sure of his or her motives in the Lord: Gal 6:7-8 Everything we do in this life is geared toward pleasing one of three parties. (1) We are motivated to please self, to see what we can get out of something. (2) We are motivated to please others and that is often done so that they will do something for us or think highly of us. So that is tied closely to pleasing self. But that is not always the case in pleasing others. (3) Or we seek to please God and if we are doing that in the right way self is taken out of the equation. But all that we do in this world is motivated by those three areas. Pleasing self, pleasing others, or pleasing God.
III. To keep from becoming weary one needs to be sure to go forward in the right power and grace: As has been said it is a natural thing to become weary when we are burdened down by the weights and cares oft his life. It can be easy to be overtaken in a fault and just want to give up or give in. Burdens can be heavy things. – Gal 6:1-5