Morning Moments

D. When to Relieve 6:4-5

4. But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. 5. For every man shall bear his own burden.

Each should scrutinize his/her own actions or deeds which will surely bring us to humility for Jesus said, "...when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, 'We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.'" Let's face it, we have nothing to brag about but Jesus and the grace of God and that is a RELIEF. Christ is the Standard for us, not ourselves and not another. We can rejoice that God is using us, but if He is using us we have only to boast in Him and not ourselves.

But is this a contradiction to what Paul has said before about bearing one another's burdens? Absolutely not. No one can carry my load for me but Jesus who lives in me and I can cast my burdens upon Him because He cares for me. Others may sometimes help by encouragement and support, but just as with the elderly lady with her grandchildren, we can't raise them for her; we can only help with food, etc. Don't expect someone to come along and free you from the very thing that God wants to use to build Christian character in you and to make you a shining example of His grace to others around you.

E. Why to Repeat (teach and remind) 6:6-10

Ours is a great responsibility. Whatever we may do as an avocation, our vocation or life work is reaching others for Jesus, whether on the job, in the neighborhood, and everywhere else.

1. It is the Word of God 6:6-8

6. Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things. 7. Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. 8. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

There are a couple of ways at looking at the first part of verse 6. The first is seen by some as some financial or material responsibility of those who are taught toward those who teach, but I think there is a higher and more consistent meaning with the text.

As a teacher, I would much rather those I teach receive, apply, and pass on what I have taught them. In other words, I have sown the seed of the Word in their hearts for that seed to germinate and grow so that they might in turn sow the seed of the Word of God in the hearts of others that it might do the same. Hence, he who sows and he who reaps receives the same reward for it is God who gives the increase. Perhaps a combination of both would be completely acceptable, after all the servant is worthy of his hire. It may just be a cup of coffee and a danish.

The key is that if we teach truth and do no practice the truth taught, we are mocking God and are sowing to the flesh which in turn will turn to ruin, corruption, or deterioration and loss. Honestly, why would we wish to live like that? What does it matter if our lives count with everybody but God? What if we can out argue, out debate, out wit, out think, everyone around us - we cannot GOD and He is the One to whom we will ultimately answer.

What is your response to the truth of God you have received?

2. It is the Work of God 6:9

9. And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

We have seen farmers faithfully plough the soil, prepare the soil, plant the seed, fertilize and water the seed, and face a drought that would burn up the crop or a flood that would wash the seed away, then turn around and do the same thing the next year with the prayer of recovering what they lost. It doesn't take but a couple of years of that for one to grow weary and wonder about farming.

In like manner and in the flow of the preceding verses regarding sowing and reaping, there are times that the teacher tends to get a little weary, especially when the taught seem to be hearers and not doers of the Word. That is the work of God when we DO the Word. But there is an important aspect to our "not losing heart" or becoming despondent or growing weary, and that is the "in due season" part.

That is the part that troubles me sometimes about today's "church". We want things to happen overnight. If they don't we have to come up with another program to make it happen because God isn't doing His part it seems. Let's create another ministry; another little church in the big church. Let's bring in the consulting team and pay big bucks to get professional advice as to "how to" do whatever needs to be done. After all, it worked in California or wherever, so let's get a new pattern and plan because the Bible plan is just not good enough. Let's treat em, trick em, tantalize em, coffee shop em, or whatever we have to do to just get em in.

I don't question the motives, but I do question some of the methods. Some of the Independent Baptists use to put money under the seats in busses to get folks to ride them to "church". The Southern Baptists use to canvass the neighborhood and just enroll people in Sunday School (called Bible Study) just to get their names on the role because the "growth" people said your attendance will be half of your enrollment. God would laugh if it didn't break His heart that we have chosen cheap substitutes over His way.

3. It is the Will of God 6:10

10. As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

Acts 10:38 "How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him."

As opportunity comes, and it does and will, we are to be benevolent, useful, kind, beneficial to everybody, but particularly the family of God of which we as believers are a part.

Certainly that is clear enough. There are things we can do naturally such as preparing a dish, designing a card, making a check up call, baking a cake, mowing the lawn or a thousand other things that we might do well and enjoy doing that we could do for a neighbor whether Christian or non-Christian.

As Christian we have a dual responsibility:
1. To God's family by helping anyway we can. It may be teaching someone how to do something they need to and desire to learn to do to help themselves.
2. To reach out to our neighbors who may not know Christ to establish a relationship of friendship. John Wesley said, "The world is my parish."

We live in a wonderful neighborhood. When there was a tragedy recently, a lady up the street called to make sure we knew about it. Several families went in together to buy flowers for the funeral of a neighbor. Everybody in the neighbor doesn't participate, but enough do to make a difference in our neighborhood. We have a single guy who recently bought a hot tub. He loves "the preacher" and I love him. I said to him, "If I see any scantily clothed girls in that hot tub, I'm gonna empty the water out of it." He laughed and said, "Don't worry, Preacher." I love my neighbors! I love taking food for them to try and they love helping this old man with things I can't do anymore. LET'S JUST DO GOOD FOR FOLKS AND NOT KEEP RECORDS OF IT.

BLESSINGS!