Alicia Alliance Church

Series: KEEP MOVING WITH HOLY PURPOSE | Theme: Persevering While God Is Working Behind the Scenes | Main Text: Galatians 6:9

Warm greetings, AAC family and friends. As your pastor here at Alicia Alliance Church, I thank God for how He is leading us as a church from the Cross to the Commission. We are now in Part 5 of our series, KEEP MOVING WITH HOLY PURPOSE. Over the past weeks, we have been learning that following Christ is not a random walk; it is a holy journey marked by His calling, His presence, and His purpose.

We began by talking about discovering God’s purpose in Christ, then we looked at walking by the Spirit, surrendering our plans, and trusting God in seasons of delay. Each message has been building a simple truth: God is not just moving us forward; He is shaping us as we move. Today, we come to a very personal and practical word for all who are tired, discouraged, or quietly asking, “Lord, does what I do still matter? ”

The title of today’s message is: DON’T STOP WALKING—GOD IS STILL WORKING. Our main text is a familiar but powerful reminder from the Apostle Paul:

“And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.”

Galatians 6:9 (ESV)

Let’s allow the Holy Spirit to speak to our hearts today. This is not just a verse for preachers or leaders. This is a word for every disciple on the Disciple-Making Journey (DMJ) — those who are learning to Discover Christ, Mature in Christ, and Journey with Christ.

When You Feel Like Nothing Is Happening

Imagine a farmer here in Zamboanga Sibugay. He wakes up before sunrise. He tills the soil under the heat. He plants the seeds. Days pass, then weeks. The field still looks almost the same — brown soil, a few small green shoots. He checks the sky, prays for rain, checks the soil again. But there are days when he goes home with aching back, empty hands, and one nagging question in his heart: “Is this worth it?”

Some of you feel like that farmer. You have been praying for your children for years. You have been serving in ministry faithfully, even when people don’t say “thank you.” You have been giving, forgiving, showing up, doing the right thing — but outwardly, nothing much seems to change. And in the quiet moments of the night, or in those early mornings on the tricycle ride to work, your heart whispers, “Lord, does this still matter?”

Others feel like a runner on the last stretch of a marathon. You started with energy, passion, and vision. But now your legs are heavy. Your breathing is shallow. People you started with have already stopped, gone home, or taken another path. You look ahead and the finish line still seems far. Part of you wants to slow down, maybe step aside.

That is the moment Galatians 6:9 steps in. It is God’s gentle hand on your shoulder saying, “Anak, don’t stop walking. I am still working.”

The Honest Weight of Invisible Faithfulness

Let’s talk about the pain we often don’t say out loud in church. Some of you are experiencing ministry fatigue. You prepare lessons for your small group, but attendance is inconsistent. You serve in the worship team, but you wonder if people are really worshiping or just watching. You lead a ministry, but sometimes it feels like nobody notices the effort behind the scenes.

Others are carrying the weight of unanswered prayers. You have prayed for healing, for reconciliation, for breakthrough. You know Jesus as Savior, Sanctifier, Healer, and Coming King, but right now, it feels like heaven is silent. You see others receiving their answers, their promotions, their miracles, while you are still waiting.

Some of you are doing the right thing at work or in your business — being honest with finances, refusing corruption, treating people fairly — and yet the one who compromises seems to be the one getting ahead. You feel overlooked, passed by, unseen.

And then there is the ache of invisible faithfulness. You are the parent who keeps showing up: cooking, cleaning, listening, praying, blessing your children. You are the caregiver to an elderly parent who no longer remembers your name. You are the quiet intercessor who cries out to God for the church, for our community, for our nation. You wonder, “Does anyone see? Does this matter?”

Friend, if that is you, hear this: God sees what others overlook. He measures not just what is visible on stage but what is done in secret. He counts every tear, every prayer, every act of obedience. Galatians 6:9 is written for people just like you.

Unpacking Galatians 6:9: A Word for Tired Walkers

Let’s walk slowly through this verse and allow the Spirit to apply it to our hearts.

1. “Let us not grow weary” — Weariness is real, not shameful.

Paul does not pretend that we never get tired. He assumes we will. The phrase “grow weary” speaks of being drained, discouraged, tempted to lose heart. God is not scolding you for feeling tired. He is inviting you not to live inside your weariness.

In the DMJ, especially in the stage of Maturing in Christ, there will be seasons where your feelings do not match your faith. You may not feel passionate, but you keep obeying. You may not feel strong, but you keep leaning on His strength. That is spiritual maturity — not the absence of weariness, but the choice to keep walking with Jesus through weariness.

2. “Of doing good” — Faithfulness in the ordinary.

“Doing good” here is not just about big ministries or public acts. It includes daily obedience: loving your spouse, raising your children in the fear of the Lord, showing integrity at work, serving in church, blessing your neighbors, sharing the gospel in simple conversations.

Sometimes, discipleship feels like small, repetitive steps: reading your Bible, praying, joining your small group, serving in a ministry team. But in God’s eyes, these are not small. This is how we Discover more of Christ, Mature in Christlike character, and Journey with Christ into our community as witnesses. This is where our slogan comes alive: Empowered Believers. Transformed Communities.

3. “In due season” — God’s timing is different from ours.

This is the part we struggle with the most. We love “we will reap,” but we wrestle with “in due season.” In Greek, it speaks of the appointed time, the right moment in God’s calendar. God is never late, but He is rarely early by our expectations. He is working behind the scenes in ways we cannot see.

Think again of the farmer. For weeks, the seed is underground, unseen. But even when the farmer sees nothing, the seed is not doing nothing. It is breaking, rooting, reaching down and then up. The most important part of the process is hidden. In the same way, much of what God is doing in your life, your family, and our church is happening beneath the surface. Just because you don’t see it yet doesn’t mean God is not working.

4. “We will reap” — The harvest is certain, not maybe.

Notice the strong promise: “We will reap”. Not “we might” or “we could”, but “we will.” God is staking His character on this. When He says there will be a harvest, there will be a harvest. It may not always look like what we expected, but it will always be good, wise, and worth the wait.

Sometimes the harvest is external — souls saved, lives changed, ministries growing. Sometimes the harvest is internal — deeper peace, stronger faith, Christlike character, a heart that loves like Jesus. Remember, our Fourfold Christ is our Savior (He saves), Sanctifier (He transforms), Healer (He restores), and Coming King (He will complete what He began). In every season, He is working toward a harvest.

5. “If we do not give up” — Keep walking.

This is the only condition in the verse. The issue is not God’s faithfulness, but our perseverance. The enemy does not have to make you fall into a big sin; he just needs to convince you to stop. To stop praying. To stop believing. To stop loving. To stop serving. To stop walking with Jesus.

But the Holy Spirit is whispering today: “Don’t stop. Take one more step. Trust Me one more day. Sow one more seed. Pray one more prayer. I am still working.”

Illustration 1: Seeds Under the Soil

In many of our barangays, planting season is a familiar picture. After the seeds are scattered and covered with soil, the field can look lifeless. If you didn’t know better, you might think nothing is happening. But under that thin layer of earth, a miracle is underway. The seed is dying to itself and coming alive in a new form.

Your prayers may feel like seeds buried in the ground. Your acts of service may look small and hidden. But in God’s economy, no seed of obedience is wasted. Even when you see nothing, something is happening beneath the surface. God is aligning hearts, opening doors, softening soil, preparing conditions you cannot control. Don’t dig up in doubt what you planted in faith.

Illustration 2: Joseph – When Obedience Seems to Backfire

Consider Joseph in the Old Testament. God gave him dreams of leadership and influence. But instead of promotion, he experienced betrayal, slavery, and prison. In human eyes, it looked like Joseph’s obedience backfired. He honored God in Potiphar’s house; he was falsely accused. He interpreted dreams in prison; he was forgotten.

For years, it seemed like nothing was happening. But behind the scenes, God was positioning Joseph to be in the right place at the right time. One day, in God’s “due season,” Joseph was called before Pharaoh, interpreted a dream, and was promoted to second-in-command over Egypt. Then Joseph could look back and say to his brothers, “You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good” (Genesis 50:20).

Joseph’s story shows us that the pit, the prison, and the delays were not wasted chapters. They were necessary steps in God’s larger plan. In the same way, your delays, detours, and dark seasons are not wasted in the hands of a sovereign God. He is weaving a story that is bigger than your current pain.

As disciples on the DMJ, we Discover Christ as the One who is with us in the pit, we Mature in Christ as we learn to trust Him in prison-like seasons, and we Journey with Christ when, like Joseph, we use whatever position God gives us to bless others, feed the hungry, and serve our communities. That’s what it means to move from the Cross to the Commission.

Don’t Stop Walking: What Perseverance Looks Like Today

So what does it look like, very practically, to “not give up” while God is working behind the scenes?

1. Keep sowing in prayer. Even when you feel nothing, say, “Lord, I trust You.” Set aside time daily to talk with God. Bring your weariness honestly. He already knows. Let your prayers be like seeds scattered over your family, your workplace, our church, and our town of Alicia.

2. Keep showing up in community. Don’t isolate. Join a small group. Stay connected to your ministry. When you are tired, that is not the time to disappear from the body of Christ. That is the time to lean on brothers and sisters who can help carry your burden.

3. Keep serving where God has placed you. Whether you are serving in “Empowered to Serve,” teaching in Sunday school, helping in technical and media, or simply encouraging others in the pew, your part matters. This is how God uses Empowered Believers to build Transformed Communities.

4. Keep trusting God’s timing. Surrender the calendar to Him. Instead of asking, “When, Lord?” begin to pray, “Lord, while I wait, make me more like Christ.” Remember, sometimes the greatest miracle is not what God changes around you, but what He changes in you.

A Pastoral Call to Respond

As we close, I want to speak directly to your heart.

1. Don’t give up on what God has called you to.

Maybe you are close to quitting a ministry, stepping back from serving, or giving up on a person God has placed in your life. Before you decide, bring Galatians 6:9 before the Lord and ask, “Lord, is this a time to stop, or a time to trust?” Listen for His voice. If He has called you, He will sustain you.

2. Recommit to your Disciple-Making Journey (DMJ).

Where are you right now?

• If you are in the Discover stage, maybe you are new to faith or returning after a long time away. Your next step might be to meet Christ personally as Savior and to explore what AAC believes. Reach out. We would love to walk with you.

• If you are in the Mature stage, commit to habits that help you grow: daily Scripture, prayer, joining a small group, or a discipleship class. This is where roots go deep, like seeds under the soil, preparing for a strong harvest.

• If you are in the Journey stage, ask the Lord how He wants to use you beyond yourself — in your workplace, your school, your barangay, even in church planting and missions. Join us as we move from the Cross to the Commission together.

3. Take a concrete step this week.

Don’t just read this and move on. Take one step:

• Come to church this Sunday and worship with us at Alicia Alliance Church.
• Join a small group or ministry team and grow with others.
• Reach out to our pastoral team if you are struggling, tired, or on the verge of giving up. We are here to pray with you, listen to you, and walk with you.

We are one family on this journey. You are not alone. #EmpoweredBelievers #TransformedCommunities #ProclaimChrist

A Pastoral Prayer for the Weary

Let me pray for you:

Lord Jesus, our Savior, Sanctifier, Healer, and Coming King, I lift up every person reading this who feels tired, unseen, or discouraged. You see their tears. You know their sacrifices. You hear their prayers, even the ones they can no longer put into words.

Strengthen the weak hands and steady the knees that give way. Breathe fresh hope into hearts that are close to giving up. Remind them that You are still working, even when they cannot see it. Let Galatians 6:9 be more than a verse — let it be a living promise in their spirit.

Help us as a church to walk together on the Disciple-Making Journey — to Discover You more, Mature in You deeply, and Journey with You boldly into the world. Use Alicia Alliance Church to raise up Empowered Believers who will bring Your light into our homes, workplaces, and communities.

And for those who are right now on the edge of quitting, whisper to their hearts: “Don’t stop walking. I am still working.” In Your powerful name we pray, Jesus. Amen.

From the Pastor’s Desk
Rev. Ricardo H. Obida
Lead Pastor, Alicia Alliance Church
Alicia, Zamboanga Sibugay