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[0:00] And in this verse, the Apostle Paul says, Let us not become weary in doing good,! For at the proper time, we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

[0:18] Weary in well-doing. Paul is talking about when you're tired in doing what God has called you to do.

[0:28] We might say that you're tired in the work, not tired of it. But sometimes there's not much of a distinction, or sometimes we can be so tired in a work that we become tired of it, and we want to rest.

[0:45] And I think in either case is what Paul is talking about. Maybe you know exactly what I'm talking about. You're worn out. You're just worn out. You're tired.

[0:58] And long, hard, unrelenting work can weary us. And after so much work, that can really suck the life out of our souls.

[1:12] You're carrying that load day after day, and it seems like you aren't getting anywhere. You might have used to have some energy for it, but now you're very tired. Tired of it, tired of life, tired of caring for that person, or going to that job, or facing that person, or carrying that load, and serving in the church, or serving in your family, or serving out in the world.

[1:37] It might have taken a while for that sadness to come upon you, but now, after so long, you have become dejected.

[1:48] And that's what Paul is talking about. So really what I want to do is say, well, where can we find joy? Where can we find hope? What can I look to then, and find relief and comfort when I'm tired of weary of well-doing?

[2:08] Now, where can you find joy? If that's you, how can you get that joy back? Maybe the very first thing that I need to say, it's not the main thrust of this message, but it is something that probably needs to be said, is maybe, if this is you, you can look to see if you can make a change.

[2:31] That's just common sense. But, Christians, we don't have, we're not lacking anything the world has, and if we have common sense, if the world has it, so do we.

[2:43] And so that might be something to think about. You might need, that might help. If you're miserable, and you're sad, and you're very tired, in a work, well then maybe there is some way that you can delegate that work, you can shift that work around, and maybe it's time to think of getting rid of it.

[3:01] Honestly, sometimes that's the answer. We can be stubborn, and flexible, and inflexible sometimes. There's that verse that says, the Lord won't give us more than we can carry, but I'm afraid sometimes we give ourselves more than we can carry, and God doesn't mean for us to carry some of the loads that we're carrying.

[3:25] And, so joy might just be on the other side of delegating. Joy might be on the other side of stopping whatever you're, what is wearing you out.

[3:37] Now, that needs to be said. That might be something for you to think about. But, maybe you're saying, Pastor Jason, I know I can't delegate this.

[3:52] I know this is what the Lord has called me to do. I know it would be positively sinful if I quit doing this. I can't offload this.

[4:03] I can't move things around. This is what God wants me to do, and it is heavy, and it is hard, but, nevertheless, this is what the good that God has called me to do, and I can't neglect it.

[4:15] So, what then? So, what then? And that's really who I want to talk to. So, maybe you need to delegate it, but, if not, I want to talk to that case.

[4:30] And, so, let me just first say, if, if this is where you're at, you're, you're growing weary in well-doing, the good that God has called you to do is now, is starting to wear you out.

[4:44] I want to say that I, I know what you're saying. We all have things that can rub us raw. Things that weary us, and tire us.

[4:58] I don't get to use my saddle business knowledge training very often, but I do know, from my short stint in horsesaddle shop.com, that, sometimes saddles don't quite fit the horse right.

[5:11] And if the saddle doesn't quite fit the horse right, the saddle can begin to rub that horse raw, and that muscle underneath the saddle can become tender.

[5:25] And maybe that's what has happened to you. You've been carrying this weight, and it's rubbing you raw, and now the muscle is sore. And so, if that's you, where, where do you find joy then?

[5:38] Well, you can't offload the saddle sometimes. You have to carry it. So, what then? Well, I want you to remember three things, and that's, this is the heart of the message.

[5:48] I want you to remember three things, and remembering these things will help you in that long, hard road. And the first thing I want you to remember is that what you are doing is good.

[6:04] What you are doing is good. So, what are you so tired? What's gotten you so tired?

[6:16] What's worn you out? Isn't it good? Isn't it a good thing that you're doing? Paul says, let's not grow weary in doing good.

[6:27] And that means, brothers and sisters, you can do good. You do do good. There's no, none of this idea of, all I do is sin.

[6:40] All I can, I can't do anything good. I can't do anything that pleases the Lord. If you look at your sin, or if you look at your work, and the good things that you're doing, and all you see is sin, and your weakness, though those things might be true, if that's all you see is the shortcomings, can I tell you that, I'm positive that Satan is pointing that out, and Satan is telling you what to look at.

[7:04] Because he's the deceiver, and he's the discourager. And he'll do anything to discourage a Christian, including minimizing the good, and maximizing the bad.

[7:15] And so God says, Christian, you can, and you do good. You do what is pleasing. God takes pleasure.

[7:27] Can you believe that? God takes pleasure in what you are doing. And he said it right before this verse. In verse 8 there, the one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction.

[7:41] But the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. There is sowing that pleases the Holy Spirit. There is sowing.

[7:52] There is working. There is doing good that God is pleased with. And God says, that's good. You're doing good.

[8:07] So that's the first thing I want to point out, and I want you to remember that you are doing good. Remember, when you are in Christ, when you are in Christ, it isn't, there is no one who does good, not even one.

[8:23] That is a verse that applies to any and all who are outside of Jesus Christ. That applied to you before you came to Jesus.

[8:34] That was true before. That's true outside of Christ. That used to be true of you, but it isn't true now. There is such a thing as sowing that pleases God. There is sowing that is good.

[8:45] And so, I can preach a good sermon. Not a perfect sermon. Not, it couldn't be better. But good and pleasing. And you can do a good work too.

[8:57] You do good work. Raising children. First Timothy says, moms, God counts that as a good work.

[9:08] A good deed. Remember, you're doing good. God sees it. He sees you right now in the moment of doing that work.

[9:20] And he is pleased with you. He's pleased. The Spirit sees you sowing at that work. Sowing in your family. Sowing out in the job.

[9:31] Sowing here at the church and serving Sunday school teachers. Serving all the folks who clean. Serving. Setting up and tearing down a luncheon.

[9:43] Serving. God says that's pleasing. I think we get tired when we say all my work isn't doing anything.

[9:55] And it might look like that on earth. Sometimes it takes a long time. Things happen slowly. But that isn't to say that your work or your good deed goes unnoticed.

[10:11] Unnoticed. Unseen. Powerless. Pointless. Because right at the moment of you doing that good you are bringing pleasure to the Holy Spirit.

[10:23] He takes delight in it. He enjoys it. He experiences joy and delight in it. Christ sees what you are doing for his sake and immediately right then and right there he is pleased.

[10:38] his heart is moved to delight. And so remember that you are doing good. The Christian life is a life of doing good. That's how Jesus lived.

[10:51] He went around doing good. And now we are in Christ and his spirit is in us and so what do we do? We go around doing good. And the father looked upon his son and he smiled and he said this is my son with whom I am well pleased.

[11:09] Well, can he say the same thing for you? The answer is yes. He can smile upon you and say this is my son this is my daughter with her with him I am well pleased.

[11:22] And so dear brother dear sister this is this is your God given right and inheritance to have and to know that God is delighted in your the good that you are doing in your work and don't miss it.

[11:35] Don't let Satan rob you of it. It's yours and remember that. What you were doing is good. Now the second thing to remember remember God prepared this particular work for you.

[11:51] So I want you to think what are you weary in? What is so difficult? remember God has prepared that exact work for you to do.

[12:08] Ephesians 2.10 we are God's workmanship God has worked on us and we are God's workmanship created in Christ Jesus to do good works which God prepared in advance for us to do.

[12:21] Now does God give us all the same work to do? Well yes and no. yet there are some things that no matter who you are no matter how long you've been a Christian no matter where you're at no matter your condition in life God calls all Christians to do this work.

[12:41] Remembering the poor looking after widows and orphans James says that's true religion and so there's a lot of other things that we could put in this category that God calls all Christians to do that he calls you to do and he calls all your brothers and sisters to do but there are things that God has called you to do that he hasn't called other people to do and there are things that he has called other people to do that he hasn't called you to do and there's joy when you realize that all of that God has given thought to God has planned it and that's what God wants you to do he's entrusted it to you so whatever your condition and situation in life your condition has been thought out God has prepared your life and your situation and the good that he wants you to do he's thought about it he's given it to you he hasn't given it to others he's entrusted it to you so in a way

[13:51] Ephesians 2 10 shows us this picture of masters and apprentices the master he takes you into the shop and he takes you to a table and there's all the material ready to go and it's your project now there are other apprentices in the shop but they have their own projects to work on but God has thought now this is the project that I want this person to work on this is the project I want you to work on now isn't there joy in realizing he prepared that for you those children just the way they are he prepared for you that spouse for you that that chore that work that deed in the church that Sunday school class with its challenges that job prepared for you to do he's thought of it and he's thought this is this is what would be good for this person to do this is what would be good for this for the kingdom of

[14:58] God for this person to do and so that person that is so hard in your life is yours that job that family that ministry it's all yours there's no one who has it like you have it no one has been given it to you given that person or that thing like you have and I dare say if he's given you something really hard to work on that you should take that as a higher privilege and a higher honor bigger harder projects are privileges and honors and so don't lose heart in that don't lose heart in that a hard job is a special honor and that gets us to our third point remember your reward remember your reward that's what Paul says here don't give up because you're going to reap a harvest if you don't give up that thing that is so hard that you just want to stop at at the end of that row of sowing and that end of that row of working in the field there is a harvest there is a reward for that at the end of your row is a reward and you'll get some of that reward now in this life and you will get all the rest of it in the next life a greater reward is coming and so where is hope where is joy well you can fast forward

[16:25] God has a reward for you for you and if you're going to feel what I mean if you're going to feel the sharpness of that and what I'm really the directness of that you got to think for me and with me for a minute about that the Bible teaches us that he will reward each according to their work each person according to his work there is a direct connection between a person's work and their reward reward according to our work now is it all the same reward is it like a participation trophy that everyone on the team gets the same trophy well no not quite in the Christian family everyone will get a reward but not everyone is going to get the same reward you will be rewarded according to your work so this is where this is encouraging has God given you a long hard row to hoe a long hard row to cultivate is it harder than others will your reward be the same well no because each according to his work and maybe you're more faithful and it's harder to be faithful in that situation but you carry on or your will your reward be the same as everyone else's no your row longer your reward will be greater your field harder your reward greater indeed there are some who are first who will be last and some who are last who will be first now that isn't to say that isn't to say that we should be thinking and like it's not to say that we're going to get to heaven and be dissatisfied with what we had it is to say that we will rejoice when we see that person whose life was so difficult who

[18:50] God called to extremely difficult circumstances and extremely hard ministry that we will rejoice to see that God rewarded them for that and I think you have the right to think of that you have the right to let that motivate you because yes it's true yes it's all of grace and salvation is not of works in the least but that is not to say that that does away with reward I believe it's Peter who holds out to pastors and says there's a crown of life waiting for you it's a special reward for elders if they're faithful and salvation so it's not of works but that's not to say that all the reward and all the honor is the same and so this is what I want you to think about are you tired are you burnt out are you worn pressed because the load is heavy well remember you're doing good you are doing good remember that that good is what

[20:00] God has prepared for you he thought about you he thought about that situation he prepared it just for you and third remember there's a reward and so put your hope in God put your hope in God put your hope in God's love that he hasn't given you this hard thing because he hates you but because he's loved you put your hope in God's faithfulness no one's going to go unrewarded put your hope in his generosity put your hope in his grace that can sustain you under that heavy burden and so put your hope in God for you will yet praise him put your hope in him because he knows you he knows what he's!

[20:44] given you he knows the reward he has planned for you he knows how to reward his servants and what will that reward be? well the apostle Paul in a different place says it's going to be a great weight of glory that far outweighs all of the trouble we will not get to heaven and think I don't know if this was quite worth it it will be a great weight of glory that will then bear us down well let's pray our Lord we thank you for this perspective because I know I get tired and it can be so hard sometimes to be faithful but thank you for this verse that reminds us that we are and we can do good thank you that you are the one that takes us into the field and puts us in front of that row and says now you work this one for me and thank you that you are the one who promises a reward to each person according to their work so

[21:53] I pray that you would give us faith that will reach up and take a hold of these truths and live on them and find encouragement and hope and joy in them for moms and dads who are tired for husbands and wives that it's harder for them for those who are who've taken on a hard ministry in the church and that demand so much of them I pray that you would sustain each one thank you Lord that you know our weakness you know how we need this encouragement and I pray that you would give us faith to lay a hold of it and live upon it faith in your goodness faith in your faithfulness I ask this in Jesus name amen ho

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