May 6, 2018 "Ain't No Quit In Me", Rev. Dr. Howard-John Wesley

[Music] have you ever reached place where you just want to tell God you know what the with this like God you just will have to forgive me today you just gonna have to give me a pass cuz I'm about to let her have exactly what she deserves happen I'm preaching to somebody today somebody you came to church and you're right on the break you made up in your mind tomorrow you will snap crackle and pop on somebody because they just deserve to get told and the season as we focus on the person the power and the purpose of the Holy Spirit this passage of Scripture that not only teaches us about the power of the Spirit but it is one that the Lord has used to anchor my soul in times of frustration I want you to hear a reading that I think is powerful than relevant for us as we seek to grow in our walk with the Lord it comes to us from the pen of the Apostle Paul if you journey in your New Testament to the book of Galatians one of those small letters by Paul it's only six chapters and I encourage you to read that book in its entirety in your devotions this week the context for what we preach covers the whole scope of all six chapters but for the sake of preaching in time I went to reading your hearing beginning in chapter 6 and verse number 7 if you're able to turn to Galatians in the sixth chapter and beginning in the seventh verse we ask those who are physically able to stand with us as we reverence the reading of God's Holy Word the chariots gonna have a little bit more on the monitors thank you Galatians chapter 6 verse 7 here's some words that ought to be strangely familiar to us who even haven't been in Bible study do not be deceived God is not mocked for whatever a man souls that he will also read for he who souls to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption but he who souls to the spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life and let us not grow weary in well-doing for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart therefore as we have opportunity let us do good to all especially to those who are of the household of faith I want you to hang your hat on that ninth verse simply reminds us let us not grow weary while doing well for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart do me a favor before you sit down on what you play preach or find a neighbor who looks like they want to talk to you tell them simply say neighbor old neighbor ain't no quit in me you may be seated in the presence of the Lord ain't no quit in me I think I can stand today and say without fear of debate division or even contradiction there being a child of God a disciple of Jesus Christ one who loves the Lord attends church reads your Bible that following Jesus has its good days and it's bad days I want to discourage anyone who's on the brink of joining church today but I do want to be honest with you that following the Lord has some ups and some downs some highs and a whole lot of lows for certain there are moments when the joy of Jesus and the grace of God overwhelm us and we feel like shouting hallelujah but then there are those moments when we realize that the call the command the commitment of God on our life requires us to do some things that are not easy being a Christian is not easy because when you read scripture and you don't edit out the verses you don't like you'll find that God commands us in Christ to do some things that are not easy praying for them that despitefully use you that ain't easy forgiving somebody seventy times seven come on Jesus that's that's a lot biting your tongue and only saying what glorifies God when you would much rather open your lips and give somebody detailed instructions on how to get where they need to go that ain't easy that whole turning your cheek if you get slap thing I've been walking with God 40 years and I ain't figured that one out yet that there's God calls us to do some things with others that are not always loved them that hate you pray for them that use you be kind to them that manipulate you now hear it I could do it God if if I only had to do it every now and then I can do some of that different only have to do it once or twice a year for a moment here and there but the challenge is that God calls us to walk right with others continuously every day all the time and if we can be honest it is not easy to be righteous in this world every day can argue my case because we see righteousness as an investment in other people so when I'm right by you I just expect you to do right by me I mean if if I speak to you and I don't like you you ought to be Christian enough to speak to me when you don't like me there's some reciprocity here if if I stay out of your stuff my expectation is that you gonna stay out of mind if I forgive you and let your stuff go then you ought to forgive me and let mine go and the trouble with that is that all of us know what it's like to try to be righteous to do the right thing to take the high road only for it not to be reciprocated your holier than I am you got more Holy Ghost so so I'm going to testify on behalf of those that still got some BC in them before Christ befo I got some some remnant of my sin in me I'm I'm saved but I needa livered from everything you so on behalf of us that that no we're still a work in progress it's hard being the peacemaker with someone who likes to fight it's hard taking the high road with someone that likes the gutter it's hard being christ-like to someone who's demonic it's hard biting your tongue with someone who can't shut they mouths it's hard being mature with someone who always wants to be childish and if the truth be told you can do right for so wrong so long that you reach a place where you decide to quit being right this ain't working they're not changing I'm not being rewarded for it have you ever reached place where you just want to tell God you know what the with this like God you just would have to forgive me today you just gonna have to give me a pass cuz I'm about to let her have exactly what she deserves Happ I'm preaching to somebody today somebody you came to church and you're right on the break you made up in your mind tomorrow you little snap crackle and pop on somebody because they just deserve to get told half have you ever want to give up on being righteous have you ever just wanted to do things your own way have you ever gotten tired of trying to take the high road and it never leaves where you think it should go I know somebody's been there cuz one of them's in the pulpit and this week I was ready to quit everything and some members we're gonna be told some things they did not want to hear the Deacons were gonna vote me out this week if I had done what I wanted to do and in the midst of winning to quit on doing the right thing Here Come God whispering in my ear the one verse of scripture that always turns me let us not grow weary in well-doing for in due season we shall reap if we faint not hear this verse that's more important than God works all things together for good more important than the Lord is my light and my salvation more grounding than they that wait upon the Lord I want you in moments of frustration when you're ready to give up on doing the right thing I want you to hear the Apostle Paul in God's voice whisper in your ears let us not grow weary in well-doing for in due season we shall reap if we faint not because what Paul is saying each and every one of us you got to get that quit out your spirit you can't give up on righteousness too easily you can't walk away from doing the right thing you can't be so frustrated that you stop doing what God has called and commanded you to do living how God expects you to live loving as God expects you to live being kind being patient praying being nice helping others the Lord listen don't ever give up in doing the right thing and here's how Paul presses it he says the reason you can't give up on doing the right thing watch this it's because the Holy Spirit will help you hold on can I preach from the cars right here the power of the Holy Spirit is literally to help you be committed to doing righteousness when being righteous ain't easy what watch the Paul says look at the language Paul says let us not grow weary he speaks in the first person plural in this collective identity he doesn't say I won't grow weary he doesn't say you shouldn't go really this is what he says let us not grow weary now I've haven't lost you the question you ought to be asking who is us who is the us Paul is speaking about the us are the Christians in Galatia to whom he's writing and what Paul says to the Christians in Galatia the first baptist church in Galatia he said listen let us not give up on doing the right thing now why does Paul tell the church in Galatia don't give up on doing the right thing as a matter of fact he pushes it in verse 10 and he says and make sure you do right by everybody in the church that the very first place you should not grow weary and doing right is with the body of Christ Jesus why does Paul press being righteous in the midst of some Christians well you need to know what was going on in Galatia can that's each Bible when you read Galatians you'll find out that when Paul left that city another group of Christians came in contradicting Paul's teachings it was a group of Christians called Judaizers let the church say Judaizers where the Judaizers Judaizers were Christians who were first Jews and they believed that Christianity was a sect SEC T of Judaism and therefore they argued that if a Gentile want to become a Christian they first had to become a Jew which meant that you had to abide by the Mosaic dietary laws and the mosaic laws about circumcision so in Paul left the Gentiles in Galatia who had confessed Christ the Judaizers came behind him and said listen y'all aren't Christian because you eating ribs and you're not circumcised so in order to be a Christian you got to do what we tell you to do and Paul realizes the church in Galatia is splintering they're fighting they're fussing every time Saints get together some ugly jumps off when the saints gather in church some mean things are saying some division creeps up some facts and cliques begin to break out and people are now not loving each other so Paul says listen don't ever give up doing right by other people in church Paul says I'm pressing you to do right with other Saints why does Paul push doing right with other church folk because Paul knew what you and I know Church can get ugly Church can be me don't look at nobody no don't the longer you come to church the sooner or later you're gonna find out the church folk ain't always christ-like okay can I just help you I know you weren't enjoying today we don't get you in a minute but I want to give you full disclosure if you come to church long enough you gonna find out that church people are people Bible in hand Baptist swearing shouting Amazing Grace singing but they are still people and if I know people like I know people people can actor people on you at some moment an usher is not going to smile at some moment you're gonna say good morning and get nothing in return at some moment the preachers gonna tell you touch your neighbor and say something you gonna reach out and your neighbors don't look at you saying you'd better not and Paul says listen I need you all in Galatia to learn never give up doing right even when church folk get ugly and how do you do that he's arguing from chapter 5 into chapter 6 this is the power of the Holy Spirit that the power of the Holy Spirit is to give you the strength to be committed to righteousness when righteousness is not easy that the presence of the Holy Spirit in the church is not found and how many people shout how many people jump how many people fall out at the altar how many we'll talk in tongues that's not the sign the sign of the Holy Spirit is when someone has left a bad taste in your mouth in church and you come back anyway can I prove you the Holy Spirit the Holy Spirit is a strength that keeps you in the choir when they don't give you the solo the Holy Spirit is what gives you the strength to serve when they don't elect you chair can I show you where the real strength of the Holy Spirit is it ain't in the sanctuary I'm going to show you where the Holy Spirit is ready in the overflow the folk that came didn't get in the sanctuary but stayed anyhow because the Holy Spirit would not let them walk out the door because the Holy Spirit says stay with it even when it's easier to give up being righteous coz God has called you here now let's go get a little deep so Paul says listen in order to press through you've got to learn to stay connected and committed to church even when church gets ugly why does Paul encourage us to begin the journey of righteousness by being committed to church why does Paul say listen here's how you're going to grow in your walk when you learn not to give up on church why is it important that we learn to stay committed in church even when church gets ugly you got to remember why you come to church Church that deep church on Sunday is meant to get you ready for Monday when you come to church the Lord wants to fill you with what you need to make it through Wednesday when you come to church the Lord already knows what Thursday is gonna bring so the Lord brings you into the church to try to get your soul ready your mind ready your heart ready for what you're going to experience in the week so here it is why do you have to deal with church ugly cuz if you can deal with us you're not speaking to you on Sunday then you can handle a crazy co-worker on Monday if you can stay in worship in overflow then ain't no demonic supervisor gonna push you outside of the peace of God if you can deal with a nasty out hope then surely you can handle all the demons on your job all the crazy folk in your house all the neighbors that get on your nerve you've got to push through tell somebody tell them Sunday's just getting you ready it's just just getting you ready [Applause] also let us not grow weary in well-doing but do well to the people of faith because the Holy Spirit will help you hold on and if you can get through Sunday you can make it through Friday let us not grow weary Holy Spirit's gonna help us here's the second one because in due season we will reap if we faint not do due season doo doo doo season due season that that word do in the original Greek is where idios and the word do is not really a good translation of idios idios is used in the New Testament 113 times 60 one of those times it's translated in a different way sixty-one of those times adios is translated own o/w in so read verse 9 again let us not grow weary in well-doing for in our own season we shall reap and faint not I've got a season where God will cause me to reap I've got a season when God will return everything I've put out I got a season we should know somebody tell them I've got a season I've got a season there's a window when God knows it's time for me to reap that the Paul argues us that the reason you are to keep doing a right it's cuz you know God will never let you do right and not reward that due season my season is on the way now here's where God are not getting a little bit of an argument because I get that there's due season what I want to know is when is it coming I I believe the Lord will reward I'm just trying to figure out and what bothers me is that in the world I know how to identify the season when the leaves turn I know it's fall when the rains come it's spring when the cold wind blows it's winter when the Sun's up early and it's warm out I know it's summer I can identify those seasons how do you identify due season how do you know when the Lord is going to cause you to reap your righteousness how do I know when God's going to repay me from being nice to them somebody's has a real question that's real question I I there there's a marker to let you know when you're about to introduce season but you're not gonna like it let me tell you how you know you're about to walk into due season I've got to share with you how Paul writes verse 9 in the Greek because the English translate so you don't see it verse 9 reads like this let us not grow weary in well-doing for in due season we shall reap if we faint not the word weary and faint come from the same root they're almost the same word so here's a better way to read it let us not grow weary in well-doing for in due season we shall reap when we get weary again let us not grow weary in well-doing for in due season we shall reap when we get weary let us not give up on doing right coz in due season we will reap when we want to give up on doing what's right how do you know you're about to introduce season because you're getting tired of doing right how do you know you're almost at the breakthrough cuz you're at the brink the breakthrough is on the other side of the break but you can't get to the breakthrough till you get to the brink which means you got to push to the place where you feel like you just can't do it no more and the Lord says when you're at the place where you feel like you just can't do it anymore that's not where you quit that's where you push one more again because the breakthrough is on the other side of the break okay okay okay I knew I knew she wouldn't get in he'd miss it and you you wouldn't get it so let me explain it like this I'm back in the gym now and I've working out with my trainer his name is Justin but I don't call him Justin he gets a lit up set with me Marcia because I call him Legion now now he he clearly doesn't come to church enough to know why I call the Legion I called him Legion Legion if you don't remember it in mark 5 Jesus runs up on a man that is filled with demons and Jesus asked the man his name he says my name is legion Legion is somebody filled with demons I called my trainer Legion because he is filled with demons what he does to your pastor is demonic I told him the other day we were working out I said you ain't going to hell but you're gonna take a tour for what you did to me today take that guy don't ever send them when the hell just something gonna take a tour you you're gonna take a tour for a day you going yeah for a day you gonna visit hell so we're working out the other day doing chest and we're bench-pressing I got 185 on the bar he's like okay we get we got 10 reps and we're done so I lift up 185 and started cranking them out 1 & 2 by 3 I'm slowing down and you know it's about to be a bad set for I'm pushing up and 5 the weight is moving by 6 I'm praying the Jesus give me strength by 7 I'm holding it and I'm trying to keep my arms straight and the weight just keeps coming down I can't fight it I can't stop it it's coming down and I'm getting mad cuz I'm looking at him and he's looking at me and I'm going [Applause] man get this thing off of me it's coming down he literally puts two fingers on the weight and starts playing like he's lifting it up I'm struggling my legs are kicking I'm trying to push this thing up with all I got I just pushed as hard as I could he grabbed it put it back on the rack and said good job I got up man good job mark I'm sorry I'm just being real I said man I'm paying you to help me lift he said no you're paying me to make you strong and in order to make you strong I've gotta let you struggle with something that's too heavy so that when you push it up you'll finally be able to handle it can I tell you about the God we serve he's trying to make you strong you've got to push through and get through I'm making you strong by pushing you to the brink of wanting to quit because every time you go to the brink the brink goes further out so what you couldn't handle then you can easily handle now somebody you've been through so much that your break is so far out there there's some stuff you ought to be able to handle right now that's just easy talking about me I can handle that not liking me yeah I don't give a the Lord has we're making stronger by pushing you to the brink let's not grow weary and doing right and doing well because in due season in our own time we will reap if we faint not he says the Holy Ghost will help you hold on God is making you stronger and watch this last one and you will reap hear me beloved I say this without fear of contradiction there is no way for you to do right by God and not reap now the problem is that Paul uses a verse in chapter 6 there's probably one of the most misinterpreted verses in all the Bible the Saints know it it goes like this be not deceived God is not mocked whatever a man souls he shall reap the Saints know that verse that's the verse we use we want God to get somebody [Applause] you know someone's done you wrong but because you Christian you ain't gonna get them back but you're gonna let them know that's all right God ain't marked everything they've done to me [Applause] the problem with that is that it establishes a form of Christian karma and what you sow you reap that's not what Paul was saying we misinterpret that passage because it sounds good but I'm gonna argue with you to whatever a man's soul says not what a man reaps here it is number one cuz there's some stuff and you soul that you have never reached there ought to be a merciful Amen right there I've sold some dirt that God did not let me read I've sold some ratchet that God did not let me read I've sold some iniquity that God did not let me read is there anybody here who knows that God kept you from reaping everything you sold that's the mercy of God no Paul says it's not about what you read keep on reading he says cuz if you sow to the flesh you're in corruption if you sow to the spirit you reap eternal life the sowing is not about reaping what you sow it's not about what it's about where here's a Paul wants the child of God to know so into the spirit and not into the flesh let your works of righteousness be an investment in your spiritual life and not the fleshly life the real just is this why do you do what you do why are you nice to them that hate you why would you pray for someone who uses you why would you help someone who can't help you back Paul says you do it one of two ways you can do it because you expect them to reciprocate and the problem is when you sew into flesh flesh can never reciprocate hear me beloved there are some people who are utterly incapable of reciprocating your righteousness no matter how kind you are to them they will never be kind to you no matter how much you love them they will never love you back no matter how much you pray for them they'll never pray for you so I don't do it sewing into the flesh I do it sewing into the spirit which means my motivation for being righteous is not you the reason I'm righteous is because I'm a relationship with him so even if you're never kind even if you never reciprocate even if you never say thank you even if you never extend an offering of help I do it because I'm in a relationship with God and when I sow into the spirit I reap from the spirit it's a matter of motivation when I do right to be right with God I reap godly things if I do it to be right with you I'm always gonna be frustrated we reap from the spirit what do we reap from the spirit chapter 6 has receded by chapter 5 and in chapter 5 when Paul talks about the Spirit he lists the fruit of the Spirit that when you do right because you want to be right with God you reap the things only God can give you there are some things beloved people in church on your job and your family can never give you joy peace faithfulness gentleness kindness self-control steadfast long-suffering these are things God gives you that you can never get from someone else here man peace is not a gift anyone can give you it is something that only comes from the Spirit of God so Paul says don't grow weary in well-doing the Holy Spirit will help you hold on in due season we shall reap God's gonna push it to the brink but the breakthrough is right next to the brink and he said make certain you know you will reap not from them but from God and God will give you what they never can what about with me let us not grow weary in well-doing for in due season we shall reap if we faint not Lord remind us that we can invoke the power of the Holy Spirit when we're frustrated with doing right and it seems like no one is responding remind us that we have a season with our name on it but in order to walk in that place where you've helped us we've got to get to the brink and when we get to the brink we get stronger hey Lord let me know that reaping is coming it may not be from him it may not come from her but it's always from you in Jesus name we pray amen

Channel: Alfred Street Baptist Church

Views: 100,484

Rating: 4.8155909 out of 5

Keywords: Alfred Street Baptist Church, 2018, Ain't No Quit In Me, Rev. Dr. Howard-John Wesley, Galatians 6:7-10

Id: 7CsIsPC3KYQ

Length: 38min 46sec (2326 seconds)

Published: Mon May 07 2018