Well, good morning, everyone, and thank you, Trevor, for the very kind words of welcome. A joy to be back here at Abbots Cross today on this beautiful Lord's Day morning, and I must say, on this harvest Thanksgiving day, how beautiful the church really is. I don't think I've seen a church more beautifully decorated than your church this morning. It reminds us not only of the beauty, the color of God's handiwork, and as we've been singing, how great is our God this morning, great in his love, great in his goodness to us. Of course, harvest time is a time when the church is not only decorated with all the produce and good things, reminds me of the minister, his little girl, a four-year-old girl, when she saw the church decorated, She grabbed one of the apples and was heading out the door when he spied her and ran after her and caught her. And he said, what are you doing? She says, I'm taking an apple. He said, those apples don't belong to you and they don't belong to me either. Those belong to the Lord. Those are for the church. So sort of sheepishly, she went and she put it back again. But about 15 minutes later, he spotted her going out again with two apples this time, running down the aisle. And again, he ran after her and caught her. And he said, didn't I tell you those don't belong to us? She said, that's right, daddy. I went to the front and I asked the Lord could I have an apple? He said, sure, take two. So I don't think the apples are for taking this morning. They belong to the Lord. I'm inviting you please to open your Bible with me in Galatians chapter 6. just recently I was asked to do a review on a commentary in the book of Galatians and as I read chapter 6 I really was taken with the first nine verses of this chapter and it struck me as I was thinking of coming to this harvest Thanksgiving Sunday here amongst you and the Lord really spoke to my heart through this portion of scripture and so I that's what I want to share with you here this morning Galatians chapter 6 Verse 1 begins, Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such a one in the spirit of meekness, considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if a man think himself to be something when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. but let every man prove his own work. And then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone and not in another. For every man shall bear his own burden. Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teaches in all good things. Be not deceived. God is not mocked. For whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. for he that soweth to the flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption, but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. And let us not be weary in well-doing, for in due season we shall reap if we faint not. As we have, therefore, opportunity Let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith. And amen, God always blesses to us the reading of His sacred word. As the pastors prayed this morning, we live in a very beautiful and prosperous part of the world. This county, Antrim, the coastline, is something that we gladly show to our friends who visit us here in this, in this, our land. punctuating the beauty of the Antrim coast is the little island of Rathlin. Rathlin, it is noted for its beautiful scenery, the warmth of its community, and if you've been there, the variety of the wildlife, the puffins and other birds that are on that beautiful island. However, another thing about Rathlin Island, it's known for its history. And one of the great features of the history of that island takes us back almost 800 years to the days of Robert the Bruce. Robert the Bruce, the champion of Scotland. In his conflict with the English he was defeated. He not only fled Scotland but found refuge on Rathlin Island, in a cave on Rathlin Island. There in that cave he was quite despondent, despondent because he had tried to free his land and he had failed. despondent because they had already executed his brother. The English had taken captive his wife and his daughters and you can imagine the thoughts that filled his heart. Somewhat downhearted and wondered how he could get his wife back again and how he could recapture his land and return to his bonnie Scotland. It seemed almost impossible and he felt that he should really flee to the Holy Land. That was the only alternative. It is while he was pondering on those things that he noticed a tiny spider hanging from a spider's thread from the roof of the cave. As it swung, it tried to make a link to a rock nearby, but it failed. It tried again, and again, and again, and each time it failed. Six times the little spider tried, On the seventh occasion, the little spider swung, and there it made contact with the other part of the rock and began to build its web. That tiny spider was not lost on Robert DeBruce. He felt that though he had tried once, he should never give up. He would try again, and of course, I think some of us may know the story of Robert the Bruce and the Battle of Bannockburn and how he defeated the English. And all because, like a spider, he decided never to give up. And that is why I was struck by this verse 9 that we've been reading together this morning, where the Apostle Paul, writing to these Galatians, said this word. Listen to it. And let us not grow weary in well-doing, For in due season we shall reap if we faint not. Let us not grow weary in well-doing, For we shall reap in due season if we do not lose heart. I find it quite amazing that throughout the Scriptures so much word is given to us about being encouraged, not to be dismayed, never to faint, never to give up. As a matter of fact, the Bible reminds us there in the book of Isaiah that they who wait upon the Lord, they shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings as eagles. They shall run and not be weary. They shall walk and shall not faint. I think the Bible gives us these admonitions because we are so prone to be discouraged, so prone to faint and to lose heart. And that is why this comes to us this morning. Not only the admonitions of the Bible, but we know that great men and great women of the Bible also were discouraged, and sometimes they fainted. You remember Abraham on his pilgrimage, building tents and building altars, and yet when famine came, he lost heart and went down into Egypt. He was giving up, he had lost heart. It not only happened to Abraham, we know that it happened to Elijah. Elijah on Mount Carmel, the champion for God. And yet, for the fear of a woman, the Bible tells us he fled to Beersheba, the extreme south of Israel, just because he lost heart and sat down onto a juniper tree and just wanted to give up. Fainting. It happened to Jonah. Jonah, after the revival in Nineveh, when he saw multitudes turn to the Lord, And yet because of favoritism, that is, he wanted God to punish the Ninevites and to send blessings to Israel. And so it is, he sat down under a gourd because he had lost heart. And so we could go on. Abraham, I say, Elijah, Jonah. What about Peter? Peter not only lost heart, the Bible tells us that he denied his Lord with oaths and curses. It is so easy for these people to give heart. Our Lord Jesus taught us that men ought always to pray and not to faint. The Apostle Paul was writing this word to the Galatians because they were losing heart. As a matter of fact, earlier in this letter he had written these words, he said, you did run well, what did hinder you? Why are you giving up? Some of you I know are marathon runners. I've never tried to run a marathon, and I doubt I ever will. But they tell me that for the marathon runner, the middle mile is the hardest mile. That is, you've run so well, but somehow or other you get to the point when you want to give up. And that is exactly what was happening to these Galatians. And Paul was telling them never to give up, not to become weary. don't lose heart, in due season you shall reap if you faint not. And Paul is telling them that they are to stay focused, keep following, be faithful, and you shall reap in due season. Now as I read this verse, verse 9, I saw it in the context of what Paul was saying here at the end of this Galatian letter You see, he was telling us that, first of all, we should never grow weary in sharing. Listen to what it says in verse 2, He was speaking here, not only of burning the burdens of the fellowship, but also of those who have failed in their lives. Verse 1 reminds us that you who are spiritual, we are to restore those who have who have fallen by the wayside. We should never grow weary, beloved, in sharing one with another. We'll come back to that in a moment. It is not only we should never grow weary in sharing, but it reminds us here that as Christians we should never grow weary in sowing. Impatient people don't make good farmers. Farmers may sow in the springtime, but it can be a long wait until the harvest time. And so often we who are impatient, we want it to happen now, we grow weary, we lose heart. My friend can I say that the Christian life is for the long haul. The Bible tells us in Hebrews chapter 12 it says, for consider him lest ye grow weary and faint in your minds." Our blessed Lord Jesus, He ran the race that was before Him, and we are to keep looking on to Him. And beloved, this morning can I say, let's not grow weary in shoring in the fellowship. Let's not grow weary in sowing in the field, sowing the seed of the Word of God, sowing in the Spirit in our lives. Let's not lose heart in doing that. not only not losing heart in sharing, not losing heart in sowing. Listen to what it says in verse 10. And as we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith. Let's not grow weary in serving with fervency, beloved. There's a great world out there. The world needs Christ. My friend, thank God the Bible reminds us that as believers, we have not only the seed of God's Word, but we have the treasure in earthen vessels. And there are impoverished people all around us. They need that treasure. And therefore, the Bible tells us, as you have opportunity, never grow weary in serving God. Never grow weary in serving the community. Never grow weary in reaching out into the world. Let's never give up. Sharing in the fellowship. Sowing in the field. Serving with fervency. The Apostle Paul in verse 14 said this word, but God forbid that I should glory. Save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ by whom the world is crucified unto me and I unto the world. Let's never grow weary in speaking about Jesus. Let's never grow weary in making much of the cross. Let's never grow weary, my friend, in expressing our love for our blessed Lord. Let us never give up. Do I say that to someone this morning, perhaps? That's where you are. You've given up. That's where you are. You've been falling, fainting by the way. So much of this Bible, as I've said, is given to us that we are to strengthen our hands. That we are to strengthen those legs, not to be weak-kneed in God's work, but just to keep at it. And perhaps I'm speaking to some this morning and you've been fainting, falling. Discouragement has plumped at the edge of your Christian life. And taking away your testimony, can I just at this harvest time bring this word of the Apostle Paul, let us not grow weary in well-doing. Let's not grow weary in doing that which is right, because in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. I want us to go back over those very briefly this morning with you. Because when it comes to this matter of sharing, you'll find that the Apostle Paul, he said these words, If you know anything about the book of the Galatians, it's written to counteract the heresy of those legalists. People who were wanting to reintroduce the law of Moses and bring new believers onto the law of circumcision. and thereby bringing them into the bondage of keeping to the letter of the law. The Apostle Paul was indicating to them that we have been liberated from the bondage of the law and brought into the liberty of life in Christ, life in the Spirit. And that is why in chapter 5 he is reminding us that now that God has liberated us from the flesh and given to us a brand new life in the Spirit, then thank God we can share in the law of Christ. The law of Christ is a higher law. You see, the law of Moses is a word. It's a commandment to keep. But the law of Christ, my friend, is a principle. It is a person who is within our hearts. That is why this Bible speaks to us of the fruit of the Spirit. You do not try to produce the fruit of the Spirit. It is the Spirit of God who produces that fruit in and through us. And therefore, where once we were trying to keep the law, now it is the law of Christ that is a living principle in us. And can I say, that's what makes us share one with another. And do you know why? Because in this new life in the Spirit, God has blended us all into one body. That's why we need to share in the fellowship. The Bible tells us that we're not only in a body, but we are stones, living stones in a building. No one building is made up of one stone. Why, every brick is built upon another, joined to another. The Bible reminds us that we are knit together, we are joined together. And beloved, in a fellowship can I say that is why we all need each other. I remember in Brazil a lady sent to me one day as I give her an empty tin and she gave to me a half a turtle and I asked her how much, how much do I need to pay? She says, you don't pay me anything, you give me the tin, I give you the turtle. And what I said, the tin didn't... She says, young man, in this life you've got to learn that you need one hand to wash the other. And you know that is true. I don't do many things with my left hand. but sometimes to use my right hand and need my left hand. And that's exactly how it is in the body of Christ. You may feel that you don't have a right hand position in a church or in a fellowship, but my friend, can I say that the role you play is vital in the body? It is needed in the body, and that's why we need to share one with another. I was struck as I thought of this of the Apostle Paul, The Apostle Paul was undoubtedly the greatest preacher, the greatest missionary who ever lived. And yet, you will find that he said that he was a debtor to many others. And if you were to go to Romans chapter 16, you will find that he speaks there of those who helped him, and succored him, and served him, and stood by him. And do you know what he does? He mentions 33 different people. Isn't that amazing? As a matter of fact, if you turn your Bible to Romans chapter 16, and look at verse 4, what he says about Priscilla and Aquila, my helpers, verse 3, my helpers in Christ Jesus. He says this, who have for my life let down their own necks. Isn't that amusing? I mean, Paul was fervent in the work, but here were people who were sharing with him. sharing with them that they were prepared to lay down their necks, yea, even to lay down their lives for the sake of Christ. That is sharing. That is sharing. Can I just outline it this way? First of all, it's teaching us here that in sharing, sometimes in the fellowship there are those who we need to shoulder. I say shoulder because, in verse 1, it reminds us of those who've been overtaken in faults. Sometimes when a brother or sister falls, alas, in the body of Christ, we sometimes trample them down. I remember Billy Kennedy visiting our church, the late Billy Kennedy visiting Banbridge, and he was speaking of this. He said that in Iraq the armies were killing each other. They called it friendly fire. British soldiers shooting British soldiers. American soldiers shooting American soldiers. They were mistakes but they called it friendly fire. But he says it's been happening in the church for years. They've been shooting each other. But he says I was at a church there not too long ago and He said, I shook hands with this lady, and as I talked to her, she kept shaking my hand. And he said, before I knew it, I was shaking her hand for nearly two minutes. And then I let go of her hand, and she left. And another lady came, and I shook her hand, and I said, good night, and let her go. And she said, you didn't hold my hand as long as you held her hand. But he said, sister, if you'd have slipped into my hand, but she slipped into my hand, I'd have held your hand longer, too. Beloved, in the body of Christ there are some who need to be shouldered alone. They've fallen. And I say that to you this morning because when you see that happen, do not be quick to criticize or to shoot, but rather be there to help them. As a matter of fact, the Bible says here that we are to restore such a one. It is a picture of a broken bone. When a bone is broken, it is not a matter of putting it more out of place. It is trying to mend it. Can I say of Barnabas, that's what he was. He was an encourager, a mender in the body of Christ. When John Mark had given up, while Barnabas was there to help him, we are to share in the fellowship. Don't grow weary in doing that. Not only are we to shoulder those who are failing, we are to share in the fellowship. I've already mentioned the Apostle Paul. And Paul, my friend, was not only a debtor to the Lord who was above him, but he was a debtor to those who were around him, those who stood by him in the work of God. And I say that because as missionaries, how much we've depended on God's servants all over these years. Audrey and I have been with the Acre Gospel Mission for more than 52 years. and to see how people have stood by that work, it is absolutely amazing, simply because sharing, I say this to you this morning, as you share in God's work, do not grow weary, in due time you shall reap if you faint not. However, it's teaching us here also that we are not only to bear one another's burdens, all of us have burdens. The person beside you has got burdens, perhaps burdens you know little or nothing about. Can I tell you the Bible tells us not only the shoulder the burdens of those who are failing and sharing the burdens of those in the fellowship, but thank God we can shed our burden. Listen to what it says in Psalm 55 and verse 22. Cast your burden upon the Lord and He will sustain you. He will not suffer the righteous to be moved. Whatever your burden is this morning, I'll tell you this, our blessed Lord is a burden bearer. Listen to what it says over there in Psalm 38 and verse 4. The psalmist is conscious of his own sin and he says this word as he writes, for my iniquities are gone over my head as a heavy burden, they are too heavy for me, my sin. I thank God this morning that our blessed Lord is a sin bearer. The apostle Peter said, who his own self bore our sin and his own body on the tree, our blessed Lord. And I'll tell you this morning, whatever your burden, you can cast it upon the Lord. And what does he say? He doesn't say he'll take the burden away. He doesn't even say that he'll carry the burden. He says, cast your burden upon the Lord and I will sustain you. He'll carry the burden and carry you. I remember one time traveling through the forests of Brazil on a newly opened clay road. The dust was building up and there in front of us was a little Indian lady, all bent over under a sack of mandioc. It wasn't a sack. It was really mandioc all bundled together with banana leaves. And she was carrying it in the hot sun, bent over. And Pedro, who was with me, said, let's stop the truck and give the lady a lift. and so it was we stopped the truck and asked her and she said she was going another two kilometers down the road and so we helped the lady on to the back of the truck and then we put the mandioc onto the back of the truck and we got in and took off to take the two kilometers when I looked around even though we were carrying her she decided she still needed to carry the burden there she was bringing the mandioc onto her back though we were carrying her and my friend it's a picture of our blessed lord he not only carries the burden Thank God he carries us. He is the sin bearer. He is the burden bearer. He is the one who said, casting all your care upon him, for he cares for you. Let's not grow weary in sharing. And then it says here, let's not grow weary in sowing. It reminds us in these words, God is not mocked. Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. In verse Verse 8, I want to quote, For he that soweth to the flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption, but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. So much of the Bible is taken up with sowing and reaping. Remember over there in Matthew chapter 13, Our blessed Lord told a story of the sower. Behold, a sower went out to sow. And what he was sowing was the good seed of the Word of God. Our blessed Lord spoke of the ministry of sowing. Psalm 126 reminds us, He that goes forth and weepeth, burning precious seed, he shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him. The Apostle Paul, he told us that if we sow sparingly, we shall reap sparingly. But here it is underlining the principle, the law of sowing. Remember again that Paul has been writing about the law. This, my friend, is not only a natural law, it is also a spiritual law. That is, that as we sow, one day we shall reap. I say that to you this morning because it is telling us here of, first of all, a warning. God is not mocked. He was speaking this word to those who were sowing to the flesh. My friend, if you're not a Christian this morning, you can be sure you may neglect God and discount Him and put Him out of your life. But one day the harvest is coming. One day, my friend, the reaper will come. He is the great Lord of the harvest and the Bible tells us God will not be mocked. Harvest day is coming and it doesn't come at the end of a week or the end of a month. But he is telling us here that we can, as Christians, either we can sow to the flesh or we sow to the Spirit. If you're a Christian this morning, my friend, it is the life of the Spirit. It is life in the Spirit. It is letting the Holy Spirit dominate our lives and let Him live out the Christ life through us. As a matter of fact, when it speaks here of the life in the Spirit and sowing in the Spirit, there are three basic principles, the laws of sowing and reaping. First of all, we only reap what we sow. That is important. You don't plant watermelon seeds and get grapes. You don't plant pears and get apples. You don't plant cabbage and get potatoes. We reap what we sow. I say that to you this morning because it is important what we sow. That is why that psalm reminds us, he that goeth forth and weepeth burning precious seed shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him. What is he planting? He's planting the precious seed. He who goes shall doubtless come again. He who goes weeping shall come again rejoicing. He who goes planting, sowing the precious seed, he shall return rejoicing, reaping, bringing him the harvest. That's what we were singing about this morning. And beloved, can I ask you in your life, what are you sowing? For whatever you sow, that is what you shall reap. If you're a Christian this morning, we are to be sowing in the Spirit. We are to be sowing the seed of God's Word. Let's not grow weary in sowing. We reap what we sow. Listen, we reap more than we sow. I was in Brazil last year. I was in Brazil earlier this year, In September last year, I was sharing at a missionary conference in Brazil. It was going Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and missionaries from all over Brazil were there. The president of the mission met me on a Friday night after the meeting. And he said to me, what about Paul Maynard? Do you remember Paul Maynard? I said, of course I remember. I said, Rita went to be with the Lord. I did her funeral about six or seven years ago. He said, I was an altar boy. This is the president of the mission. I was an altar boy in the Catholic church in the little town of Kanatama. My mother was a daughter of Mary, as they call it out there, devoted to the Virgin. But when I was eight years of age, Paul Maynard led me to faith in Christ, led my mother to faith in Christ. I said, I must tell Paul when I get home. He is now the president of the mission. His mother is with the Lord. Just about an hour later, another member of the mission came to me and said, do you remember a man by the name of Paul Maynard? I said, Paul Maynard, I said he lives in Newton Abbey, he lives in Carrick, Fergus really. He goes to Monkstown Baptist Church, I'm going to be there next Sunday. He said, when I was six years of age, Paul led me to personal faith in Jesus Christ. I was only a boy. Would you please tell him I'm now 55 years of age and I'm serving God here in the Amazon?" I said, I'll tell Paul. You are the second person to tell me that tonight. The next morning, another man came to me by the name of Abraham. Abraham would be his name. He said, Pastor Victor, I remember you and Audrey all those years ago when you came to Connaughton in 1966. But my best memory of Cana Tama is through a man called Paul, Paul Maynard. Do you know him? I said, I remember Paul. He lives in Toledo, Mississippi. He said, Paul led me to faith in Christ when I was seven years of age and he didn't know a thing about it. What a joy it was for me coming back the next Sunday to remind him those children's meetings and teaching the word of God to those boys and girls. Why it brought the bountiful harvest. We reap more than we sow. I did Rita's funeral, those seven years ago, and she didn't know a thing about those boys and girls who had trusted Christ. And now there are missionaries in the Amazon serving the Lord. Let's not grow weary in sowing. You who are in Sunday school, those amongst boys and girls and youth, We shall reap if we faint not. Do you know the Bible says, we've been reading it at home these days in the book of the Revelation, blessed are the dead who die in the Lord, for their work shall follow them. We reap what we sow, we will reap more than what we sow. But my friend, we will not reap when we sow. The great Lord of the harvest has declared that the day will come when he will bring in the harvest. And therefore I say to you, Keep sowing, don't grow weary. And I remember Geraldo, a man with leprosy. He couldn't walk to church, so we used to take church to him on Sunday afternoon. And there, outside his little home in the jungle, we would have a Sunday service for Geraldo. One day, Geraldo, he looked at me and he said, Pastor Victor, when you go to your land, will you thank the people there who sent the missionaries? Would you thank the people there who prayed for me in my condition, no hands, no feet? Would you thank the people over there who sent money to buy my medicines? Then grabbing a Bible in his arms with no hands. He said, will you thank the people who sent Bibles for us and tell them that here on earth I'll never see them, but one day in the tabernacles of glory we'll be there. to give thanks to God. Let's not grow weary. Let's not grow weary in our sharing. Let's not grow weary in our sowing. Let's not grow weary in our serving. What does it say in that verse? As you have opportunity, let us do good unto all men, and especially those who are of the household of faith. Beloved, can I remind you what our blessed Lord did? His three years of ministry were summed up in these words of the gospel writer when it said, he went about doing good. When you serve others, you are most like your Lord. Christlikeness, my friend, is not sanctimonious language that we bring around ourselves or the habits that we adopt, but Christlikeness is the humility of Christ prepared to serve others. Pour out your life for others. As a matter of fact, this word of the Apostle Paul about well-doing is reflected in the words of our Lord Jesus when he said that that day when we gathered home, I trust we'll hear the Master say, well done, thou good and faithful servant. Why? Because you kept on doing that which is good. Keep on serving. Serving the church, serving the community, reaching out into the world. Let us not grow weary. And then can I finally say, let us never grow weary in speaking of Jesus. God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of Christ, my Lord. Last evening I was at a, a nightly dinner and the couple sang that hymn at last and did my savior bleed and did my sovereign die. Would he devote that sacred head for such a worm as I? One verse says, Thus might I hide my blushing face, While His dear cross appears, Dissolve my heart in thankfulness, And melt my eyes to tears. The cross of our blessed Lord. Let us pray. Our Heavenly Father, how we thank Thee for our blessed Savior. Though we read He was weary in the flesh, yet we thank Thee that He came from so far and did so much for us. We say with the Apostle Paul this morning, He was the Son of God who loved us and gave Himself for us. Our Father, bless Thy Word to all of our hearts this morning. And we ask of Thee, dear Lord, that Your blessed Holy Spirit in our lives may produce Christlikeness by our sharing and sowing and serving and making much of the cross Bless this congregation, each person here present, for these things we pray in our Savior's name and for Jesus' sake. Amen.