The Peacemakers Part 6 – Keep on Doing Good

Preached on May 12, 2024

Life, our enemy, and several other hindrances can make it difficult for us to live by faith and to do good. Join Pastor McCrary for the closing sermon of this series as he shares an encouraging word to keep on doing good. Scripture warns us about weariness.

Introduction

Being a peacemaker can be both a difficult and thankless service.  Because of this, many believers are reluctant to fulfill their calling to be a peacemaker.  So, in today’s sermon, I will tackle still being faithful to our duty though it’s a thankless job.  We must not grow tired of doing good and we must be sincere in our service.

Growing Wearing in Doing Good?

In my key verse, Paul encouraged those of the Galatian church not to grow weary (tired) in doing good.  Why did Paul have to share this word of encouragement to the Galatian church?

In Galatians 1:6-7, we will see that this church was being troubled by those who perverted the gospel.  This scripture shows us that some had actually turned away from Christ to “a different gospel.”  The early church was made up of both Jews and Gentiles and many were being encouraged to practice Judaism rather than the way of Christ.

Galatians 4:17 paints a picture that those of this church were being zealously courted.  What this means is that those who troubled them did so with great fire and passion.  This was the spiritual battle that those believers faced which caused some to grow weary in their faith and doing good.

Blessed are the Peacemakers

Is it always easy for us to move in faith and do good?  How many of us face such battles that cause us to grow weary in our faith?  I sometimes feel like everyday is a battle.  Like those of the Galatian church, our enemy hounds us relentlessly so that we lose heart.  Our enemy hounds us to make it difficult to move in faith.  

Not only do we face an enemy that hounds us, but we also have to deal with life.  Living by faith in all that we go through in life is not an easy task!  We often have our own struggles that can make it hard to help others in their struggles.  Other times, while we may desire to do the right thing, we may not have the means to do so.  

Aside from our enemy, and life itself, we also have to deal with people who can make things rather difficult as well.  Fighting for what is just isn’t easy because some people don’t see a problem with injustice.  Those who often try to do what’s right are often taken advantage of and go unappreciated, don’t they?

Being a peacemaker, doing what’s right and good, is a thankless duty!  Being a peacemaker, doing what’s right and good, is difficult.  Should we give up being a peacemaker and doing good because it’s a difficult duty?  Some have because the enemy has defeated them in their spirit.  

Where love, compassion, honor and respect for each other should be in our heart, they have been replaced by weariness.  We’ve grown weary to love and be considerate of each other.  The danger of this is that weariness can become apathy and an apathetic Christian is one that will bear no fruit.  Weariness is what caused some of the Galatian church to turn from Christ and the same holds true today.

Blessed are the Peacemakers

So, Paul encouraged all of God’s children not to grow weary in doing good.  He said that in due season, we shall reap if we do not lose heart.  This statement of Paul was not one that Paul came up with by his own fruition.  

In His sermon on the mount, Jesus said to the disciples, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God (Matt. 5:9).”  To be blessed means that one has been made happy (content) in their soul.  So, we could read that scripture as, “Happy (content) are the peacemakers, for they shall be the sons of God.”  

Now, the sons of God are all of those who are led by the Spirit.  The sons of God are heirs of God.  What is it that we will inherit?  Jesus declared that those who believe – those led by the Spirit – will have everlasting life (John 3:16).  

Jesus promised to come again and receive us unto Himself so that we may be where He is (John 14:3).  As we are shown in Revelation 21:1, this creation will pass away and God will bring forth a new heaven and new earth for us.  This is the promise of hope to all who endure to the end, by faith, and receive the crown of life (Jas. 1:12).

So, rather than giving up on moving by faith – doing good – we should be faithful to God and to our service.  We should not grow weary of what God has promised all of us!  This is the notion that led Paul to writing about what we should be doing in our faithful service.  

Restoring Each Other

Paul wrote that if we see someone overtaken in any trespass, we have a duty to restore them (Gal. 6:1).  So, whether someone has sinned against God or against us, we should restore them.  As we saw last week, when one repents of their sins against us, we should forgive them.  When one sins against God, we should help them seek forgiveness from the Lord.

Just as Jesus taught, Paul reiterates we have a duty to restore others in a spirit of gentleness.  The last thing that we should do is hold someone’s sins against them or lord them over them!  Peacemakers have a duty to be compassionate— understanding what someone is going through.  Peacemakers should have a sense of humility and patience.  If we grow weary and begin to lack compassion, humility, and patience many souls would be crushed by sin.

In Galatians 6:2, Paul wrote to the church,  “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”  As we know, the law of Christ is to love God and in that love, we are to love each other.  You have heard me repeatedly say that love does not tear down, love uplifts.  

Now, some like to point to Galatians 6:5, where Paul wrote, “For each one shall bear his own load.”  Some like to use this scripture as a means to only look out for one’s self.  They will say that Paul quickly contradicted himself.  The truth of the matter is this:  there are burdens we must bear alone with the help of God.  At the same time, God put us in this world to help share the load with one another.

For example, if I see you in grief, should I not ask if everything is OK?  If you come to me for help with your struggles, should I just shrug my shoulders?  We should help each other with grief, anxiety, stress, and even temptation.  We should help each in our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual afflictions.

What if We Can’t Help

Now, you may think to yourself, what if I can’t help?  Am I still obligated to still help if I can’t help.  You may wonder about this in moments when you are suffering, don’t have much to give, or you’ve grown tired.

We often forget that Jesus also taught us about self-love.  In the command to love our neighbor, Jesus said that we are to love them as we first love ourselves (Matt. 22:39).

So, on that note, in 2 Corinthians 8:13-14, Paul wrote that helping each other is an equal task.  Paul said that when we have in abundance, we should supply those who lack.  When you are the one that is lacking, those that have in abundance, should supply what you lack.

The fact of the matter is that we aren’t going to always be able to help.  So, in 2 Corinthians 8:12, Paul wrote, “if there is first a willing mind, it is accepted according to what one has, and not according to what he does not have.”  I want to combine this statement with what Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 9:7.  Paul wrote, “let each one give as he purposes (pleases) in his heart, not grudgingly out of necessity.”  

Do you understand what this means for you if you can’t help?  Paul essentially tells us not to feel pressured to give.  The pressure to give and to help when you’re unable to do so can also cause us to grow weary.  You shouldn’t feel pressured to give nor should you feel bad if you’re unable to do so.  The key is whether or not doing good rests in your soul.  

You see, we should be willing to do good and even love it!  As Paul said, “God loves a cheerful giver.”  God does not want you to hate doing what’s right and good.  God does not want you to ever regret helping others.

Do Good Sincerely, Not For Praise

Throughout His teachings, Jesus taught His followers to be sincere in their deeds.  You will see this teaching as a primary focus in Matthew 6:1-4.

Warning against having the mindset of hypocrites

Jesus first told the disciples to take heed in doing their charitable deeds.  Jesus told them not to do their charitable deeds before others just for them to be seen (Matt. 6:1).  Jesus then told them that when they did good, they didn’t need to sound a trumpet in order to be glorified (Matt. 6:2).  The disciples were encouraged to do their good deed in secret and the Father, who sees in secret, will reward them openly (Matt. 6:4).

Why did Jesus have to teach this important lesson to the disciples?  Jesus pointed to the hypocrites that sounded their trumpets in the synagogues and streets.  Take a guess at who those hypocrites were.  In Matthew 23, Jesus made it clear that the hypocrites He spoke of was in reference to the religious leaders.

In Matthew 23:5-7, Jesus pointed out that the religious leaders liked to be seen doing good.  They did their good deeds to, essentially, add ‘medals and ribbons’ to their religious robes.  The religious leaders liked to be seen doing good because it helped to make a name for themselves.  Having that name and title, the religious leaders would receive their rewards like having the best seat in the house.

Many people won’t do good today unless they can get something out of it!  Yes, there are many people today who will only do good if it adds to their bank account.  Several others will only do good if they can post a picture of it on social media.  Many more won’t stop to do any good unless they will be praised and glorified for the good they do.  Does any of this seem like the proper mindset and motivation to do good?

Jesus’ teaching on the proper mindset to have

In Luke 17:7-10, Jesus shared the proper mindset and motivation to have in doing good.  We will see that Jesus used a hypothetical to teach us this lesson.

Jesus asked:  “which of you, having a servant plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and sit down to eat (Luke 17:7)’?”  Jesus then pointed out that when the servant finishes in the field, they would be commanded to prepare and serve a meal (Luke 17:8).  

After doing, Jesus asked whether or not that servant is thanked for doing what was commanded of them.  Now, some of us would say to ourselves, ‘I would’.  However, that answer is given from the mindset of who you are today rather than from the mindset of a hypothetical master.  Jesus answered, “I think not (Luke 17:9).”

This is a hypothetical notion meant to frame the mindset one should have in serving the Lord.  We have been tasked to minister the good news to all people (Matt. 28:19-20).  As we have seen, this is not only done by word but by our deeds as well.  We serve the Lord by loving each other, bearing with each other, caring for one another, and uplifting each other.  

Should we look to God for a cookie – a medal or ribbon of honor – just because we did what was commanded of us?  Should we look to those we help with the expectation that they should give us something in return for our help?

Jesus said that when we have done what was commanded, we should say, “We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do (Luke 17:10).”  Our mindset towards doing good must not be like those of a worldly mindset.  No, we should be doing good because it’s simply our duty to do so!  

We should be doing good because we love to do good!  We should be doing good because we love to help others!  We should be doing good because we love to uplift others.  Now, if someone rewards us for our efforts, that is a blessing!  However, we should not expect a reward in return for a labor of love!  Does that turn you away from doing good?

A Thankless Service Not Forgotten

I will not hide from you that being a peacemaker is not an easy duty.  Peacemakers are rarely going to be appreciated or thanked for their efforts.  Peacemakers are often seen as an annoyance and upset many people for simply standing up for what’s right.  Peacemakers are often despised, and have even been greatly harmed in the name of justice.

However, as we have seen, scripture makes it clear that while the world may not appreciate us, our work will not go unappreciated.  Hebrews 6:10 declares to us that God is not unjust to forget our work and labor of love.  The Lord is well aware of our works and He keeps all of the receipts.  

Jesus made it clear that God will reward us openly for our labor of love.  Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God.”  Great is our reward in the kingdom of heaven!  Why do I need the rewards, the praise, and the glorifying of men when my God will reward me openly?  

So, let us keep on doing good, serve the Lord, and be a blessing to someone somewhere.