Community Church Sermons

Year C

July 7, 2013

Seventh Sunday after Pentecost

Planting Goodness

Galatians 6:7-10

Rev. Martin C. Singley, III

Senior Pastor

A story is told about one of our church members whose house was located adjacent to a tee box on one of our golf courses. His next door neighbor – an airline pilot – had specifically chosen to build his house on the next lot down the fairway because – even with the bad golfers we have here – there was no chance they’d be hitting his house with their tee shot. Or so he thought.

Coming home from one of his trips, the pilot was shocked to find three golf balls on the deck facing the fairway. “No way could anyone be THAT bad as to lose three golfballs here!” he muttered to himself.

But after his next flight, the same thing…FIVE golf balls on the deck!

He went over to his neighbor’s house – our church member – and complained about how he’d never seen such bad golfers before and if anyone put a ball through his window they’d pay for it, etc., etc., etc.

As a true Christian, our church member listened to the man, letting him vent all that angry steam. After a time, the guy cooled down and went home to get some sleep because he had a flight the next day. Early the next morning, the man ate breakfast, dressed, got into his car and drove away to the airport.

And as soon as he rounded the corner his neighbor – our church member – snuck over to the deck next door - carrying his bag of golf balls…

“A man reaps what he sows,” the apostle Paul writes to the churches of Galatia. I suppose that applies to practical jokes because those who play them reap lots of laughter from people like me – and maybe you - who are not his victims. The victim on the other hand may see it differently.

One of the important lessons Paul needed to teach the young Galatian Christians is that your life really does count for something. What you do – or don’t do – what you say – or don’t say - has an impact upon the lives of people around you. You and I know this to be true even in simple social settings where someone comes into a room and just lights it up with joy with their conversation and presence. And then there are those who come along and as soon as they open their mouths the temperature goes down 10-degrees and a good-time is turned into a bad time.

Your life – your words – your thoughts – your actions – matter.

I remember a little 8-year old named Isaiah. Isaiah played on one of those “hash league” teams set up to help little kids learn the game of baseball. Our daughter Bethany played on the same team and she – along with most of the other kids – did pretty well. Once in a while, one of them would hit a home run and everybody would go out afterwards to celebrate with ice cream.

Everybody except Isaiah.

Isaiah was virtually deaf – had two hearing aids – and no one at home to teach him anything about baseball. When Isaiah came up to bat everybody cheered for him, but the result was always the same: strike one, strike two, strike three…okay Isaiah one more…strike four, five, six…

Well, all season long Isaiah struck out. A couple of the dads, though, took him aside in-between innings and tried to teach him to keep his eye on the ball, and stay balanced, and swing to just make contact with the ball. But with his hearing disability and – well, complete lack of ability – Isaiah I’m sure set the league record for most strikeouts in a single season.

But one day…

Isaiah came up to bat. Strike one, strike two, and – PING! Isaiah hit the ball! It bounced out to the left side of the infield where the 8-year old shortstop was doing a handstand with no clue about what was going on. It rolled out to left field where the outfielder was picking dandelions and then holding them up for his mom to see.

And to the cheers of all his teammates, Isaiah started running. He ran to first. He ran to second. He ran to third. He ran all the way home!

A homerun!

His teammates picked him up and celebrated. The parents chanted, “Isaiah! Isaiah!”

And his mom cried.

He ran to her. “Did I do good, mom?” “You did GREAT Isaiah!”

“Can we get ice cream?”

What those two dads had done with a little disabled boy who was not even their own, mattered. It mattered to them. It mattered to the kids on the team. It mattered to the other parents. It mattered to Isaiah’s mom. It mattered to Isaiah.

But most of all, it mattered to God.

You see, Paul’s message to the Galatians is not just about how our words, actions, thoughts, behaviors matter to each other – as much as they do!

They also matter to God.

God sees. God knows.

And God blesses.

Sometimes people get tired of giving themselves away. There in Galatia, Paul felt a need to write, “Don’t become weary in doing good.” There were people in that community – like there are people in ours – who’ve spent a lifetime doing good for others. And now they’re tired. Being a person whose life is aimed at doing good for others can be really hard work. And so often the good things we do go unappreciated - or unnoticed.

But listen to the Bible.

God notices. God appreciates. And God blesses you for the good you do.

And listen to this promise: “At the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up!”

Why I can look out at this congregation and see people who are going to get one heck of a big harvest of goodness for all the good they’ve sown and continue to sow every day. Vacation Bible School leaders and guides – Garrett, with your beautiful music – those beautiful souls who come down here every week to clean the bathrooms, and my office – not to mention the hundreds and hundreds of you who go out to build houses, sort clothes, deliver meals and in countless ways sow seeds of goodness in peoples’ lives.

“Therefore,” Paul writes, “as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”

This week, I wonder if you could try something neat. All you need is a calendar, and something to write with. In the box for each day, write these words:

“Do Something Good for God Today.”

Monday. Tuesday. Wednesday. Thursday. Friday. Saturday. Sunday.

“Do Something Good for God Today.”

Set it up as a pop-up notification on your iPhone or Droid if you’re into that sort of thing. That way when your phone buzzes in the middle of your opponent’s backswing you can simply say, “Its God…reminding me to do something good for him today.” I mean, what can they say to that?

Don’t look for recognition. If you play your life to the audience of the world you WILL be disappointed.

So perform your good deeds for an audience of one.

The God who loves you.

The God who notices.

The God who will bless you far more abundantly than you can ever give.

I used to know a guy named Johnny Ruebeck. He owned and operated J and J’s Pest Control Company – the J and J stands for John and Jesus.

John was one of the most giving men I’ve ever known. His favorite saying was, “You can’t outgive God!”

That’s the promise in today’s Bible lesson.

So don’t grow weary of doing good.

At the proper time you will reap a harvest if you do not give up!

Therefore, as you have opportunity, do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

Your life matters! It really does!

So turn your eyes upon Jesus, and then go and do something good for God today.