Thought: We Won’t Grow Weary

By Rev. Leo H. McCrary II – June 27, 2021
Responsive Reading – Galatians 6:1-10
Key Verse – Galatians 6:9

Introduction

We will not grow weary.  Initially, I had prepared this sermon to be my Mother’s Day sermon.  I don’t typically do themed sermons for Mother’s Day or Father’s Day but this year, after preaching a series of sermons about being thirsty for God, I wanted to follow up with a sermon that focused on enduring.  Then, around about 9:00 PM, the Saturday prior to Mother’s Day, my phone rang.  On the other end, it was my transplant coordinator calling to let me know that there was a kidney waiting for me.  After 5 years of having to undergo dialysis treatment, I was getting a new kidney!

I know the Lord had already answered my prayers years ago, but the journey to the point of that phone call was as grueling of a journey as one could travel.  I tell you, there were times along the way where I was exhausted.  That is what growing weary means – it means:  exhausted in strength, endurance, vigor, or freshness.  Any time I would feel that way, I would pray to the Lord, and then I would take a look at my mom and consider how she has endured over the years.

When we start speaking about not growing weary spiritually, we are talking about being able to endure spiritually.  Often in scripture we are told to wait on the Lord.  In the book of Isaiah, scripture tells us that those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; will mount up with wings like an eagle (they will soar), will run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint (Is. 40:31).  

When we think of enduring faith, we mostly consider how we have to endure in our times of trial and tribulation, or when we are being afflicted and burdened.  However, I tell you today that our faith extends beyond being able to endure when we are suffering.  In our key verse today, we see Paul speak of enduring, but notice that he is speaking of not growing weary while doing good.

Let Us Do Good

Again, when I initially wrote this sermon, it was for Mother’s Day.  So, I want you to keep moms in mind in my sermon today as I focus in on spiritual endurance.  

Enduring strength of mom

When you think of mom, what comes to mind?  If your mom was or is anything like my mom, or my aunts and my grandmother, then you probably thought of her smile, her loving words in your times of need, and all the good she does.

I imagine the words loving, kind, and compassionate came to mind as well.  If you think about it, these are the words that we often see in scripture that describes one who genuinely believes in Christ, right?  Now, there is one other quality that I believe describes all moms as well that we often overlook but it is a quality that truly makes them mom.  You see, moms have an incredibly enduring strength and spirit, don’t they?

Moms amaze me in how much they are able to take on, endure, and accomplish.  Just when you think mom is totally exhausted, out of nowhere they catch that next breath and kick it into another gear.  There is work to be done, much to do, and moms seem to always find another gear to push through and get the job done.  This, I believe, is an example that we as believers should follow when it comes to doing good.

Paul, again, says, “let us not grow weary while doing good.”  I have found that the idea of “doing good” is so misconstrued in our society.  The reason being is because what is deemed to be good is completely subjective in our world.  What one deems to be good, another may deem to be bad.  Often when we think of doing good, we confuse good with what the world has defined to be good.  The believer’s morals – what is good – should be dictated by what the word of God defines good to be.

The work of God

Now, let us note that when Paul was speaking of doing good here in our key verse, he was speaking of doing the work of God.  What is doing the work of God?  I want to direct your attention to what Jesus said is doing the work of God.  As recorded in the gospel of John, Jesus said, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him (Christ) whom He (the Father) sent (John 6:28).”  

Now, let us be clear about what Jesus meant when He spoke of believing or having faith.  We often consider believing or having faith to be something that is merely a thought of or a verbal commitment.  However, scripture defines faith differently from being just a thought or verbal commitment.  Let’s turn over to the book of Hebrews and take a look at what the writer of Hebrews spoke of when he spoke about faith.

The writer used examples of faith displayed by those in Old Testament times within Hebrews 11 to define what faith in the Lord looked like. 

The writer wrote, “By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks (Heb. 11:4).  By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith (Heb. 11:7).  By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going (Heb. 11:8).”

Do you notice anything about the faith of these three examples?  I want you to notice what these three examples of faith share in common — their faith did not sit still.  It was not merely something that was verbally professed or something that was thought of in mind!  Do we not see that the faith in all three of these examples was moving?  Again, believing in God – in this instance, doing good – is not merely just a thought.  We should be doing good diligently.  

The good work

Now, let us turn our attention back to our key verse.  Let us take note that the good work that Paul was speaking of in our key verse is the work of ministering to others.  He wrote that we should minister to all, but especially to those who are of the faith. As you have heard me say before, ministering is a task that all believers should participate in doing, not just preachers!  Too often we see ministering and we think of ordained ministers/preachers but the commission of sharing the gospel was given to all who would follow after Christ.  Aren’t we, all of God’s children?  Aren’t we all His followers?

Paul is very specific in what doing good was.  Paul writes that our ministering (doing good) should be a ministry of helping to restore those overtaken in any trespass (Gal. 6:1).  He also writes that our ministering (doing good) should be a ministry of bearing one another burdens (Gal. 6:2).  Our ministering (doing good) should also be a ministry of sharing in (or supporting/helping) those who are ministering (Gal. 6:6).  Again, Paul said that we should minister (do good) as often as we have the opportunity to do so to all people, but especially to those who are of the household of faith (Gal. 6:10).

Sowing Seeds

That sounds like quite the task to be taking on, right?  We are encouraged repeatedly not to grow weary in taking on the task of doing the work of God.  Why is this the case?  What comes out of diligently doing the work of God?  Let’s take a look at what Paul says in a couple of verses that precedes our key verse for today.

The diligent worker

Paul writes, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; For whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.  For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. (Gal. 6:7-8).”  So, the entire focus of Paul here was on the heavenly kingdom and the reward one is going to one day reap (or receive) at the end of this physical life.  

You see, the heavenly kingdom was always in Paul’s sight and I tell you today that the heavenly kingdom should always be in our sights as true and genuine followers of Christ.  When heaven is our focus, we move differently and therefore, we will reap quite the reward from moving in a manner where heaven is our focus!

I believe all of us are familiar with the phrase, “You reap what you sow.”  In this sense, we can view the believer as a farmer or gardener sowing seed.  The seed is the gospel of Christ.  In order for a farmer or gardener to produce a good crop, he or she must diligently tend to their garden.  Now,  I can say this, somewhat, from personal experience as I am a yard man myself, tending to a garden, a field, or yard is some serious work that requires diligence!

I think of my brother and how diligently he works with the few plants whose seeds he has germinated and grown in pots.  I consider how hard I have worked in my yard over the years so that I can have a beautiful lawn.  It all begins with the soil – farmers and gardeners seek to plant in good fertile soil.  If the soil is not good, they will work incredibly hard to get the soil in the best shape possible for growth which, again, is no easy task.  

If there are weeds, they will pull up those weeds!  I spend hours walking through my yard pulling up weeds that have grown through the later months of winter and early spring every year – it’s not easy work!  If the soil needs to be tilled, they will till the soil.  If the soil needs to be fertilized, they will fertilize the soil.  After the seed has been sown, the work does not end!  They will then provide the soil with the water and nutrients that are required so that a good crop can be produced.  This, you should understand, is a labor of love that requires both diligent work and patience.

The weary worker

When we are sowing the seed of Christ, let us take our cue from the one who sows seeds.  You see, we are trying to sow a seed in people and the one thing we should understand is that patience will be required!  People can be hard headed and people can be stubborn.  People can believe they know everything and that you know nothing.  What this means for a lot of us is that the task of dealing with people in order to sow the seed of Christ in them is going to be difficult!

There are many believers who grow weary of the task of doing good.  Why?  Because it is incredibly hard to do good to others especially when good is not returned.  Many believers grow weary and end up losing the patience required to diligently do good unto others.  So, the one who should be a person of charity (love), can often grow tired, bitter and even selfish, especially towards those who only show bitterness and hatred towards them.  

How can we ever do good when we grow weary and become filled with bitterness?  To the one that has grown weary in doing good because you’re tired of how the world treats you, let us, again, turn to the fountain of Christ and remember what Jesus said about this.  Jesus said, “you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But not a hair of your head shall be lost. By your patience possess your souls (Luke 21:17-19).”  Jesus also said, “Do good to those that hate you (Matt. 5:44).”

Reaping What We Sow

The question we are left with today is this:  are we sowing diligently or sparingly?  In other words, are you doing good diligently or have you become weary and do good sparingly?

Paul, again, says in our key verse, “for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.”  The sower that sows sparingly, does not have much of a crop (or reward in this instance) to reap, right?  On the other hand, the sower that has sown diligently will have much crop to reap.  The goal for us as a true follower should be to not grow weary in our welldoing so that we can reap a good reward!  

Let us again take a moment to consider our moms and how they don’t grow weary in all the good that they have done for us and even for others in most cases.  No matter how hard work is, or how hard things seem to be on them, they always find a way to endure and continue doing good for their children and their family.  

Why?  Because moms want their children to succeed, regardless how old they are!  Their reward is watching their children be happy and successful.  The genuine follower of Christ must learn how to endure in the same manner when it comes to doing the work of God.  Not simply just for the benefit of receiving our heavenly reward but because doing good uplifts others who are around us and witness our ministering of God!

Yes, the task is a tough task but there is going to be a great reward for those who have sown the seed diligently.  To the Corinthians, Paul said, “And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things.  Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown (1 Cor. 9:25).”  We should not grow weary because we want that imperishable crown!  We won’t grow weary because we have professed our love for Christ.  If we truly love Him, then we certainly ought to love living in His way and for Him!