Freedom in Christ - Week 6

Galatians 6:1–2 NIV

Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

STORY - Having to do manual, repetitive work, like data entry. Eventually you get so used to the repetition that you don’t even think.

There is one advantage to living rules based - it’s very, very clear when somebody’s done something bad. because there’s a rule for it.

And it’s also really, really simple to know what’s “right” and “wrong”. Because you’ve already got the lists.

The trouble is - God didn’t want it to be that way.

When faith is about rules, there’s no need for relationship

When church, and life, are based purely off rules - there’s no need for relationship. We need God once to give us the set of rules, then after that - we can handle it ourselves.

If you have the rule that everybody should eat meat no matter what, then there’s no space for God to step into somebody’s life and say, hey, I don’t think this will actually be good for you.

STORY - I have a friend who God told him to give up Coke.

Or even worse. If you’re trying to figure out what to do in life, or where to go, or what you should do - God wants that process to be a dialog.

But imagine if we were just like, ya ok, here’s my extensive set of rules, I’ll just follow this flowchart until I get to the bottom, and do that.

God wants to talk to us, to guide us.

So Paul knows the pragmatics.

If we’re rejecting works-based living, then we need to account for people not always nailing it 100% of the time.

We need a system to help people who have gone a bit astray.

Paul says, if somebody goes off - the Spirit will use us to lead them back to gentle restoration.

This scripture here for ‘caught in a sin’, it’s not referring to a person who is plowing headlong into sin and living the wild life. It means a person who is generally obedient, but they’ve made a mistake.

We’re still called to love people that have gone off the rails, and try and reach people - but the picture in Paul’s mind here is of a group of people where everybody is generally trying their best, and we’re collectively helping each other to bring the whole group of us closer to God.

And part of this process is in watching ourselves.

STORY - Ever got into an argument with someone?

So we’re watching two things. We’re looking at the other person, and trying to find ways to help and to restore. And we’re looking at ourselves, and making sure we’re still on the level.

And this is where the fruit of the spirit is super useful. Just keep asking ourselves those same questions. ‘While i’m dealing with this person - am I loving? Am I joyful? Do I have peace? Am I patient?’.

and if we aren’t - recognize that we’re also bringing something unhelpful to the table.

And that doesn’t mean, we need to say, ‘I’m not fully peaceful so i’m just not ever going to help this person again EVAR’. But we recognize the impact of our own sinful nature on our own actions.

If someone is presenting a lot of difficulties, and we’re struggling to connect with this person and they’re putting up a wall and shutting out our suggestions, and we get frustrated and start attacking the person and voices get raised - Check ourselves. Pray for our own peace. Back ourselves up a bit.

But this is a reactive thing.

What does proactive spirituality look like? One where we’re actively committed to growing together as a body?

4 Words.

Carry Each Other’s Burdens

Jesus accused the pharisees of missing this one.

Matthew 23:4 NIV

They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.

Now, it’s important to say:

We should watch ourselves while we help

So that we don’t get caught up in sin.

But I think this has more than one meaning.

The first is obvious - don’t participate in sin. In our efforts to help someone course correct, we shouldn’t go off course ourselves.

But there’s a second meaning - we should be really careful to avoid temptations like, idolatry, discord, hatred, division. It’s really easy to turn even a good thing into an idol, or a source of division.

So, Paul says this process about living collectively as christians is about carrying each other’s burdens.

What does this look like?

It’s simple. Carrying each other’s burdens is about

Being a helper rather than a gatekeeper

When we know the right path, it’s our job to try and make sure as many people make it there as possible. If someone needs to course correct, help with wisdom and guidance. If someone is struggling with temptation, help keep them accountable out of love.

In any way someone else is lacking, we need to be overflowing.

But Gatekeeping is fun, because it makes us feel superior. Like, we’re the ones that know the truth, and somebody else doesn’t, and we did good by reminding them of that.

Here’s a good rule of thumb

Don’t be a part of the tear down without being a part of the build up

Because Jesus didn’t come to simply tear down. He came to build up.

Romans 14:19–20 (NIV)

Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.

Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food.

This example here, paul is talking about clean vs unclean things - and specifically food. Paul says - we know the truth. But we shouldn’t tear someone else down, push someone else away, for the sake of preserving our concept of how it works.

The truth is -

you have no idea what kind of burden other people carry

Part of the reason I’m so ridiculously focused on making sure we’re a welcoming and loving place for families with young children is simple - we need to reach the lost, people outside our walls, and a young mom struggling to bring a bunch of unruly kids who didn’t grow up in the church so they don’t know the “expectations”, she doesn’t need more burdens - she needs more burden carriers.

Every parent has been called by God with a gigantic calling. With one of the hardest callings that exists. And we should be trying to lift their burdens, rather than add to them.

In all my years, I’ve never seen a person grow a strong faith both in themselves and their families by somebody else judging their kids. But i’ve seen it lots and lots and lots of times when somebody else loved their kids.

That person who struggles with self-respect or self-care, and drags themselves here but maybe they look unkempt. They don’t need people telling them how to dress. They need people saying, hey, we’re so glad you’re here. Welcome.

Someone who struggles with drugs, or alcohol, or addictions. They don’t need a place to be cast out of - they need a place to be welcomed into.

We will never, ever, ever usher in the kingdom of God by judging people out of it. If we try to do it that way, we’re no better than the pharisees that crucified Jesus. ‘Don’t worry Lord, we caught that Jesus guy, and we got rid of him!’

Carry each other’s burdens. But this also means that we need to

Share our burdens with each other

You’d be amazed how many times that I’ve seen someone else struggling, and I come alongside and connect with that person, try and address what’s up - and it’s something else bigger and harder that’s just spilling over.

We’re meant to be a community of burden bearers. But that involves having extra transparency about our own faults, our own weakness, our own failures.