Text: Matthew 2:1-10

God’s describes them as wise

Wise men is not an official title, it is how God described an entourage of people looking for the King of the Jews.

Don’t know how many there were.

Don’t know exactly where they came from.

The description is simply that they were wise men who came from the east.  They are the first Gentiles who would come to the Light: Isaiah 42:6

The world is troubled by the active pursuit of Jesus Christ

Herod…troubled…and all Jerusalem… (2:3)

Religion is no threat to the world.  The world is religious. It’s full of idolatry, worship of gods and devils.  But Jesus Christ is the threat.

Seeking the Lord is understanding

* The star will guide the wise men.  Now was the star only visible to the wise men?  No. But no one else was paying attention.

* Proverbs 28:5 Evil men understand not judgment: but they that seek the LORD understand all things.

* Seeking the Lord will put things in their context.

* Seeking the Lord gives the interpretation.

* Daniel 2:16-19

* Understanding is a characteristic of someone seeking God, but being without understanding is a characteristic of someone who does not want God.  Romans 1:28, 31

* Notice who points the way to the Lord.  It is Herod! But the wise men will also understand that Herod is not interested in worshipping the Lord.

God rewards this search with honor

Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

People’s names become associated with their discoveries; it’s the honor given to those who will diligently search out a matter.

Watt – unit of electrical power, 1882, in honor of James Watt (1736-1819), Scottish engineer and inventor.

André-Marie Ampère, (born January 22, 1775, Lyon, France—died June 10, 1836, Marseille), French physicist who founded and named the science of electrodynamics, now known as electromagnetism. His name endures in everyday life in the ampere, the unit for measuring electric current.

Fahrenheit is a temperature scale that bases the boiling point of water at 212 and the freezing point at 32. It was developed by Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit, a German-born scientist who lived and worked primarily in the Netherlands. Today, the scale is used primarily in the United States and some Caribbean countries.

In 1742, Swedish astronomer Anders Celsius (1701–1744) created a temperature scale that was the reverse of the scale now known as “Celsius”: 0 represented the boiling point of water, while 100 represented the freezing point of water.

* It is a characteristic of nobility to be diligent in matters.  Furthermore, it is a characteristic of nobility in God’s kingdom to search out the things of God in this lifetime.

* Proverbs 25:2

* Acts 17:10-12

Wisdom is an active search

Wisdom is not a passive thing.

Wisdom is the active pursuit of God.  The wise men weren’t wise because they thought about God.  Their wisdom was their actively seeking out the Lord.

Wise men would seek him in spite of the unknown

Wise men would seek him at personal cost to them.

Wise men would seek him regardless of distance they had to travel.

Wise men would search the scriptures to find him.

Daniel – Remember discovery and diligent search are characteristics of honourable men.  Here is Daniel, a diligent man who has been promoted because he is a diligent man. Daniel 9:3 …seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth and ashes:

Romans 2:7 …who by patient continuance in well doing SEEK… There is a difference between self ri...

Text: Amos 3:1-8

Amos 3 is a complete sermon preached by Amos.  We’re going to cover the first half of it this morning: verses 1-8.

Privileges enjoyed by Israel (vss 1-2)

* Privilege of redemption

* …brought up from the land of Egypt…

* Redemption

* Birth of the nation was miraculous in Exodus 12:2

* Israel has a spiritual, godly heritage that no other nation has.

* Just a note, in Romans 9 where God talks about choosing Jacob over Esau before the children had done good or evil, this is what God is talking about.  He chose His nation to come out of Jacob, not Esau. Not that He chose Jacob to be saved but Esau to be damned to Hell.

* Privilege of God knowing them

* …you only have I known of all the families of the earth…

* This is why the Old Testament doesn’t record the history of China.  God’s relationship is with Israel when it comes to nations.

* Romans 9:4-5 …to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; 5 Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.

* Privilege of God knowing them as a nation.  As an individual Paul would say it this way in Galatians 4:9 But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God… Jesus saying in Matthew 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Israel abandons their blessings (vs 3)

Can two walk together…?  Rhetorical.  Answer is no.

Institutionalizing sin

Take revealed truth from God.  Then directly go against that revealed truth with your administration of public policy.

Jeroboam lays the religious snare in Israel in 1 Kings 12:25-33.  This sin (1 Kings 12:30) shows up another 18 times until the northern tribes of Israel are destroyed by Assyria.  God says Jeroboam made Israel to sin.  It was institutionalized.  It became their culture for generation after generation.

Religious snares

Mohamed is the Jeroboam of Islam and Mecca is its Bethel.

Pope is the Jeroboam of Roman Catholicism and Rome is its Bethel.

Guatama Buddha is the Jeroboam of Buddism and Gaya is its Bethel.

Israel in the north had not walked with God for 200 years since Jeroboam snared them in false religion.

Symbolism over substance

Israel loved to CLAIM God, but didn’t like the reality of being God’s people.

Israel loved the temple, but not the responsibilities that came with the house of God.

Israel loved the idea of having the scriptures, but were not interested in the words of the scriptures.

Israel loved the idea of going somewhere with God, but not actually going anywhere with God.

Israel loved the idea of God being their shepherd, but they weren’t interested in being His sheep.

Some of you love the symbolism of Christianity, but not the reality of it.  Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof.  They loved the form of godliness, but denied any of the power of God’s involvement.

Clear evidence of God’s opposition (vss 4-8)

Because Israel abused their privileges, Israel lost protection from God.  The enemy crept in under religious, institutional, and cultural mask. And now, it’s too late.  The only thing left is for the sin you’ve invited in to finish its work. And a nation that has been hollowed out by contradicting God’s revealed truth simply waits to be carried off by the enemy.

Evidence of the lion’s voice (vs 4)

Lion is roaring so he has his prey.  Young lions are making noise so they are being fed.

Evidence is you can hear the pride.  Romans 1:21-24.

When Amos preaches this,

Text: Psalm 23

The psalm describes who the Lord is to David.  It is the perspective of the sheep. Many of God’s men were shepherds.  If you can imagine a sheep talking, this is what God’s sheep would say. The sheep don’t determine where they graze, that’s the shepherd’s job.  The sheep don’t choose where they will sleep, that’s the shepherd’s job. The sheep don’t when to move on and when or how long to stay, that’s the shepherd’s job.

The Lord is all I want

* …I shall not want.

* That could mean that the Lord provides everything for me.  But it is talking about trust in the shepherd. The sheep has all he wants in the Lord.

* Give me, give me, I want, I want, I want, is the voice of someone who doesn’t have the Lord as their shepherd.

Rest and food are in the same place

He maketh me… because sometimes the sheep don’t want to.

Sheep don’t determine where they graze, the shepherd does.

Shepherd leadership to water

Restoration

Leads in righteousness

Fear is not my business

If I’m afraid either I don’t trust His leadership or I’m not following Him.

Find comfort in the correction and admonition of God.

Death is not what it used to be with the Lord as my shepherd.

Text: Hebrews 13:7, 17

The people needed Moses – I’m going to illustrate this lesson at the beginning with a story from the Bible put into context by pastor James Knox.  He made this point so well with this piece of history. Turn to Exodus 32. The sermon is called Everybody Needs a Moses if you want to listen to the whole thing, but I’m just going to use part of it here to introduce the theme.

If you’re saved you’ve got the Holy Spirit of God.  But apparently that’s not enough – Ephesians 4:8, 11-16.

You’ll go further for God with a pastor than without one – 1 Timothy 1:3-4 – It’s Timothy’s job at the church at Ephesus to make sure the doctrine stays correct and people don’t get sidetracked wasting their time with other stuff.  Then 1 Timothy 5:17.

My job as a pastor is to help you lay up as many eternal treasures as you possibly can.  Here is the end of a pastor’s “conversation” if he has been faithful. 1 Peter 5:1-4.

God gives his people pastor’s to care for their souls.  Hebrews 13:17 – Shepherd’s job is to feed the flock, control disease, keep the predators out, and help the flock reproduce itself.  A pastor’s job is to spiritually feed the flock, control disease, keep the predators out, and help the flock reproduce itself. There is not another calling like it in the world.

Text: Psalm 22

Reproach of Christ

Abandoned by God (vs 1) – Matthew 27:45-46

Despised by the people (vs 6)

Not human and not worthy of humane treatment

1 Corinthians 1:28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:

1 Corinthians 4:10 We are fools for Christ’s sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honourable, but we are despised.

Mock by the people (vss 7-8)

Matthew 27:39, 43

Mocked his trust in God

Dehydration (vss 14-15)

John 19:28

I thirst is the cry of your lost soul in hell if you ignore and neglect the death of the Lord Jesus Christ in your place.

Complaint of the rich man’s soul in hell in Luke 16 is thirst.

Crucifixion (vs 16) – Matthew 27:35

Starvation (vs 17)

Made sport of his only belongings (vs 18) – John 19:23-24

Reproach is what comes with victory over the world

* John 12:31 Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.

* The devil is the the god of this world (1 Corinthians 4:4) and the ruling regime (Revelation 13:4).

Reward of the reproach (vss 26-28, 30-31)

Ruling is directly tied to the reproach of Christ.  Ruling has to do with what trusting Jesus Christ cost you in this lifetime.

He will be King of kings for accepting this reproach.

Faith is the victory that overcomes the world.

Now John sees the KING OF KINGS and LORD OF LORDS and His new cabinet members running things. (Revelation 20:4).  Who makes up this group?

Matthew 19:28 – apostles

Tribulation martyrs – Revelation 6:10-11, 12:11, 15:2

Sacrificial church age saints – 2 Timothy 2:12, Romans 8:17

Faithful – Luke 19:17, 19

Hebrews 11:25-26 Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; 26 Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.

Romans 8:17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

The suffering of an American Christian sounds like an oxymoron because of our religious liberty in this country.  But there is a problem trying to reconcile living in the blessings of God and being told to suffer, moreover, Paul even said in 2 Timothy 3:12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.  The dilemma in American Christianity is where is there any comparison to a martyr who gave up his life in a hostile country and a Christian who seems to live in the blessings of God.

Bible definition of suffer

Suffer in the Bible means to put up with something without changing course.  Job 21:3 Suffer me that I may speak; and after that I have spoken, mock on.

A long distance runner will suffer until they finish the race.

Suffering defined in Moses life as ignoring the pleasures of sin.  Hebrews 11:25 Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;

Bible definition of persecution

We know persecution has to do with physical assault.  But what is the spectrum of persecution defined by the Lord?  The range of persecution is defined as anything from mocking to prison and death.

Galatians 4:29 But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.  Paul says what Ishmael did to Isaac was persecution.  So what did Ishmael do to Isaac? Genesis 21:9 And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian,

Text: Matthew 1:18-25

This section deals with the conception and birth of Jesus Christ and particularly the effect on Joseph.

Miraculous birth

Critics of the virgin birth

The Bible is very clear that Jesus Christ was born of a virgin without any male involved.  Why anyone would pretend to believe the Bible and argue about the virgin birth is ridiculous.

“Christian” critic

Critics of the virgin birth fall into the category of religious Pharisees in John 8:41.

Someone said “virgin” is mistranslated in Isaiah 7:14.  They said it should say “young woman which is stupid since a young woman having a baby is hardly a sign to anyone.

Worldly critic:

If you reject the virgin birth but you believe in evolution you’re just an idiot.  You’d be willing to say life came from nothing, but reject the idea that at least a woman was present for the virgin birth.  Half the genetic material is there wherein your case there is nothing.

Medical critic:

Another critic said there was no medical proof.  Luke wrote about it as a doctor. Not to mention the responses of Mary and Joseph to the news of a conception tells you all you need to know.  The problem is that critic doesn’t accept the medical evidence they’re given.

Another critic said there is no DNA evidence.  If you had DNA evidence, what would you compare it to to show it was God’s DNA?  Again, while you’re in a lab coat with goggles staring down a microscope to disprove the Bible, Jesus Christ is risen from the dead (See Romans 1:4) proving His divine nature.

God had already created people four different ways by the time you get to the virgin birth

Out of dust in Genesis 2:7

Out of a rib in Genesis 2:21-22. God was dealing with DNA and genetics a long time ago.

Out of husband and wife naturally in Genesis 4:1.

Out of husband and wife beyond child bearing age in Genesis 17:21-22.

A virgin birth is no problem.

There had also been people created out of perversion when the angels – sons of God – had children with women in Genesis 6.

With that said, there are plenty of people who make more out of the virgin birth than is made in the Bible.  There are Roman Catholics who are not saved that believe in the virgin birth. The birth is not what saves anyone, nor is anyone ever told to believe in the virgin birth for salvation.  I’m going to play “devil’s advocate” here for a minute because I want you to think about what you believe and why. Galatians 4:4 simply says made of a woman.

Man God could use

This family has to be a very special family.  God the Father chose Joseph and Mary as the earthly parents of His only begotten son.  Joseph and Mary weren’t picked because they were just any old man and woman.

Purity qualified Joseph for God’s work

…before they came together, she was found with child… (1:18)

Genesis 7:2 Take more of the clean beasts.

Leviticus 10:10 Entire book written to make a distinction for God’s nation of what is clean and what is unclean.

Psalm 24:3-4 Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place? 4 He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.

Psalm 51:7, 10

Isaiah 1:16 Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil;

Isaiah 6

God likes cleanliness.  HOLY Spirit, HOLY Bible. HOLY One of Israel.

Filth makes you unfit for God’s use.

People that don’t know God think it is OK to take off their clothes and fool around with other people: friends, acquaintances, whoever.

Sanctification means to set apart.  When you wash dishes you clean them up so you can set them...

Text: 2 Samuel 15-17

Ahithophel was a wise, well respected counselor in 2 Samuel 15:12 and 16:23.  Ahithophel was David’s friend and confidante. Ahithophel had a son named Eliam who was among David’s mighty men (2 Samuel 23:34).  These families were very close.  Turns out that Bathsheba was the daughter of Eliam (2 Samuel 11:3).

Absalom is David’s son and Absalom has decided to take David’s throne.

Even if it’s justified it won’t be good

2 Samuel 11.  Ahithophel didn’t ask for his granddaughter to commit adultery with king David.  He lost a good son-in-law in Uriah during this horrible episode. He lost a great grandson, the baby, that died as a result of the sin of David and Bathsheba.

Ahithophel had every right to be mad at David.  But would staying mad at David after God forgave him be a good thing to do?

You may not have asked for this, but you’ll be the one holding it if you choose to be.

Maybe the burden wasn’t something you asked for.  Maybe someone handed you an injustice, but it’s your decision to carry it around or not.

That grudge has caused you to take sides against God

2 Samuel 15:10-13, 31-34

Ahithophel became close to Absalom in order to get to David.  Ahithophel didn’t care whether Absalom was king or not.

The grudge infects many people

2 Samuel 16:20-22

Now, you know why this piece of disgusting advice is given?  To publicly humiliate David just like Ahithophel felt when David committed adultery with his granddaughter Bathsheba.

Bitterness becomes all consuming.

The grudge is hatred cloaked in good advice

2 Samuel 17:1-4

You would never admit a grudge, but you would tear that person down every chance you get.  And you would rejoice in their downfall.

The grudge you carry will cause God to work against you

2 Samuel 15:31-34 then 2 Samuel 17:5

First of all God isn’t going to honor your grudge.

The grudge you carry will ruin your life

2 Samuel 17:23

It will eat you up from the inside out.  Even while you seem to have it all together you’ll be stewing in the devil’s pot.

James 3:14-15 But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. 15 This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.

James said, Lie not against the truth.  That means bring that thing to light.  Admit the problem! You keep saying to yourself and to God that’s not the issue when it is.

Text: Hebrews 13:5-6

Covetousness is to have a strong desire for something you don’t have.  It is to lust after something. Romans 7:7 …for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.  “I want, I want, I want” is the voice of covetousness.

Now, you can covet good things like Paul says covet earnestly the best gifts of the Spirit.  But generally that’s not the course our desire takes.

The second word to define is conversation.  Conversation is your way of life. It is your manner of life.  Galatians 1:13 For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews’ religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it.  Ephesians 2:3 …we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind…  So conversation is a way of life.

Conversation with covetousness

* You can be occupied with what God has done for you or you can be occupied with what you don’t have and what someone else has.

* Occupied with things you don’t have

* Joshua 7:21 When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them; and, behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it.

* Millions of people will sit on their couch, in a/c, running water, transportation, fridge with food, good plumbing, while a digital window tells them 24 hours a day about things they don’t have but need.  Every 3 minutes you’re told about something you don’t have but will make your life better. Then you watch a TV show with people who look better than you, have more money than you, fornicate, murder, cuss, with other people who look better than you and have more money than you.

* The kids in front of screens all day, this generation will grow up to be the most covetous idolatrous generation this country has seen.

* Colossians 3:5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:

* Then you listen to a sermon an hour or two a week trying to convince people inflamed in covetousness that Jesus Christ is the answer and the Bible is your meat and serving God is where joy is.

* Inability to make good judgment

Exodus 18:21-22 in order to make good judgment you can’t be covetous.

If you want stuff, you’ll set aside judgment in order to get more or not lose what you have.

Listen to God’s word, but won’t practice any of it

Ezekiel 33:30-3

People leave saying that was a good sermon about missions.  The preacher says we’re going to be taking up an offering for this missionary, and the same people who said that was a good sermon on missions say they don’t have the money to give.

Measure spirituality and blessings by stuff and possessions

1 Timothy 6:3 If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; 4 He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, 5 Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.

Money is not a spiritual thermometer.  This is a theology of covetousness. It is literally a prosperity gospel.

Psalm 10:3 For the wicked boasteth of his heart’s desire, and blesseth the covetous, whom the LORD abhorreth.

People with regrets are covetous people.

Coveting what you don’t have leads to a multitude of bad options.

Theft, adultery (you want someone’s wife or husband),

Text: Matthew 1:1-17

Office is the Prince, not the King (yet).

Generation of Jesus Christ is in contrast to the generations Adam

* Genesis 5:1…generations of Adam… but note Matthew 1:1 The book of the generation of Jesus Christ…

* Notice the singular “generation” compared to the plural “generations” in Genesis 5:1.

* Ecclesiastes 1:4 One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever.

* Repetition indicates imperfection.  As opposed to something being done once and for all time.

* Eternal because it is a spiritual generation as opposed to the temporary limitations of a carnal generation.

* Psalm 14:5 …God is in the generation of the righteous…

* Psalm 22:30 A seed shall serve him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation.

* 1 Peter 2:9

* Matthew 5 is going to describe characteristics of Jesus Christ’s eternal generation.

* Miraculous birth into this generation

First birth in the genealogy is the miraculous birth of Isaac

Promise of God when the flesh was too weak to do the job

Reformation won’t do.  Must be born again of the Spirit of God.

Matthew 1:16 Jesus is the name of the man and Christ describes the Spirit in the man.

The thing God is trying to produce is a people for Himself to fellowship with forever.

Generation of Jesus Christ was also in the fulness of time

Generational timing

Matthew 1:17.  For some reason, the Lord thought it significant to point out the number of generations from Abraham to Jesus.  And a breakdown of how those generations divided out.

Galatians 4:4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

From the promise of land (Abraham) to the acquisition (David) is 14 generations.  From the acquisition to the loss of the land to the Gentiles (Nebuchadnezzar) is another fourteen generations.  That was according to the law. From the loss of the land to the birth of Jesus Christ the promised seed would be another fourteen generations.  42 generations from Abraham

Other instances where judgement would be complete after 42

42 cities set aside for the Levites in Numbers 35:6 – administration of judgment

42 years to clean out the house of Saul in 2 Samuel 2:10 – purging of a household

42 children killed by bears for mocking Elisha in 2 Kings 2:23-24 – satisfied judgment of mockers

42 months given to Gentiles to trample underfoot, Revelation 11:2, 13:5 – judgment of God on the Jews religion

Generation – Matthew 1:1, 3:7, 11:16, 12:34, 39, 41,42,45, 16:4, 17:17, 23:33, 36, 24:34

Generation of Jesus Christ is the legal document in the court of Almighty God

The Bible is the legal document in the court of Almighty God

Daniel 9:25 notes that Jesus Christ is the Prince, not yet the King of kings

Daniel 8:25

Acts 3:15

Revelation 1:5

Bible traces Jesus Christ’s genealogy to the throne of David

Genealogy of a prince of utmost importance.  Is he the rightful heir?

Matthew 1 is the legal record linking Jesus Christ to the throne of David.

Bible has the official land grant to Abraham

Genesis 12

Oldest title to a piece of land in history.

Bible is the law book for the Judge of all the earth

John 12:48 He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.

Revelation 20:12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was open...

Text: Galatians 6:7-10

Most times I’ve heard this passage preached I’ve heard it from the negative perspective as a warning about sowing to the flesh.  But today I’d like to try to be an encouragement to you and look at these scriptures from the positive side of promise and abundant life.

Harvest is certain (vss 7-8)

God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap.

This is a natural law; it is observable and useful.

So evolution is not true.

Sowing and reaping is one of the great themes of the Bible.

If a man plants cucumbers, he does not expect to get peas. He cannot plant an apple tree and expect to get oranges.

Hosea 10:12 Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.

The apostle Paul often referred to this principle of sowing and reaping.  2 Corinthians 9:6 But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.

Take courage that what you sow you’ll also reap.  When you ask whether or not serving God is worth it, take courage.

Embrace abundant life in the Spirit (vs 8)

Fruit takes time, enjoy the process (vs 9)

Be not deceived into thinking quitting on your service to God is the answer.

There is the need for patience and perseverance. Not be weary in well doing.

And the world run by the devil wants to wear you out by erosion over time.

Don’t need you to fall into gross sin, I just need you to get tired of doing good God’s way.

(That can mean you doing good YOUR way.  That is the definition of legalism.)

The reaping will come at the proper time.

Some fruit grows faster than others.

Some fruit yields 30, 60, 100 fold of itself.

Our garden that got overgrown with weeds and stopped producing fruit.

Fruit takes time.  Learn to enjoy the process while you look forward to the abundant life that is the fruit of the Holy Spirit.

Learn to sing while you weed your garden.

Learn to pray while you water the garden.

Learn to praise God while you plow the ground.

Learn to sing while you scatter the seed.

The fruit will come with its own opportunities

Fruit is defined in the Bible as having the seed in itself.  Genesis 1:11 And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.

Greater and more opportunities appear as fruit appears.

Take advantage of opportunities – as we therefore have opportunity

2 Corinthians 9:8-11 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work: 9 (As it is written, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor: his righteousness remaineth for ever. 10 Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;) 11 Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God.

Remember, don’t faint, keep up the service to God and as the fruit appears more opportunities will appear in it.

What does do good mean?  It is in context with what Paul has been talking about.

6:1 – restoration in Christ

6:2 – burden bearing in Christ

6:6 – generosity in Christ