Be A Burden Bearer
Notes
Transcript
Intro; We all have burdens that are sometimes very heavy to bear. Some burdens are emotional, some physical, some relational, and some financial. And those burdens can overcome us sometimes. We all know what the scriptures say about burdens.
7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.
That word “care” means burdens, worries, anxieties, and troubles. So when we give our burdens to God, He answers and lifts the load. But God lifts the load mainly through other christians.
2 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
Tonight we are closing our Believer Building Series with “Be A Burden Bearer”
Text; Gal. 6:1-5
1 Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.
2 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
3 For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.
4 But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.
5 For each one shall bear his own load.
1. Help a Sinner Up; 1
1. Help a Sinner Up; 1
When a person is overtaken [caught] in sin, that person is under a heavy burden. Only God can forgive that sin, but we can help that person get back up.
Restore- adjust, complete, setting a bone [help them get back on track with God]
Brethren is plural, meaning the church. The local church is like a hospital for the broken to help put them back together
Spiritual- “spiritually mature”. Mature believers are those who know how to use the Bible to restore someone who is overtaken by some sin. They restore them gently, or “in the spirit of meekness”.
[Turn to John 21:15-19] In this setting Jesus restores the denying Peter to head of the disciples, not by brow beating him for his sin, but by encouraging him to be loyal and faithful to the end.
When we are called by God to help restore a brother, we don’t need to take the attitude, “I told you so” or “You got what you deserved”, because we could very well be the next sinner that needs help getting up!
2. Lighten the Load; 2
2. Lighten the Load; 2
Bear- carry, pick up, lighten a load
Though this applies to a persons spiritual burden caught in sin [guilt, shame], it goes beyond and considers a persons heavy load in life.
Often life’s burdens are emotional, such as stress, fear, anxiety, worry, or depression.
Sometimes they are physical burdens, such as illness, overwork, or overwhelming problems.
We need to be willing to lighten their load if we can and fulfill the law of Christ.
What is the law of Christ? Love
18 You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.
Matthew 7:12 (NKJV)
12 Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.
14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
8 If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you do well;
9 Two are better than one, Because they have a good reward for their labor.
10 For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, For he has no one to help him up.
11 Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; But how can one be warm alone?
12 Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
3. Check our Motives; 3-4
3. Check our Motives; 3-4
When we have the privilege to bear one another’s burdens we need to make sure we don’t get puffed up with a holier than thou attitude.
Privilege- a special honor, special right given
If God calls you to help someone, its because He deemed you worthy [enables you] for that task. We need never to think to highly of ourselves that we can’t carry someones burden.
In the Gospel of John we see where Jesus on His last night on earth sat with His disciples, and before the Passover Feast He took a towel and a wash basin and begin to wash the disciples feet. After He was done these words were spoken.
John 13:12–17 (NKJV)
12 So when He had washed their feet, taken His garments, and sat down again, He said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you?
13 You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am.
14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.
15 For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you.
16 Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him.
17 If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.
If Jesus didn’t consider himself above serving, how can we?
4. Carry Our Own Load; 5
4. Carry Our Own Load; 5
Everybody needs a burden bearer at certain times but we all need to carry our loads as much as possible. We should not dump on others what we should carry ourselves.
[2] Burden [bar-os] refers to heavy, crushing loads that are more than one person can carry.
[5] Load [Phortion/for-tee-on] refers to a backpack a soldier can carry on his own.
Carrying our own load means we are not to be freeloaders, or moochers, always asking people to help us with things we can take care of ourselves
We don’t need to be a freeloader nor carry the burdens of freeloaders.
10 For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat.
Close;
Give me a stout heart to bear my own burdens. Give me a willing heart to bear the burdens of others. Give me a believing heart to cast all burdens upon Thee, O Lord.
John Baillie