Be a Burden Bearer

Good Morning

Thank you for having us here today on this balmy January day.

My wife is here with me today, her name is Beth. We have 6 children. 4 boys and 2 girls. They are 9, 10, 15, 17, 20 and 23. We are praying that we get snowed in here today! LOL just kidding. I surrendered to the call to ministry a little over 2 years ago. I ran from the calling for years before I finally gave in and surrendered. I used to not like getting up in front of people and talking. I failed speech in high school and college because I wouldn’t get up and talk in class. I have been amazed at how God has changed and equipped me to be able to do what He has called me to do. I am still learning and growing daily, but I know that He is faithful to finish what He has started.

I am going to pray and we will get into our verses today.

Pray

We will be in Galatians 6:1-5 today.

A little back story on Galatians. It was written by Paul. Paul was born in Tarsus in the province of Cilicia, not far from Galatia. Galatia is in the region that we know today as Turkey. This is the only letter from Paul that is addressed to churches in more than one city. Paul wrote this letter to counter the Judaizing false teachers who were undermining the NT doctrine of justification by faith. They were teaching that the Gentiles had to first become Jewish proselytes and submit to all the Mosaic law before they could become Christians. Paul wrote this to defend salvation through faith alone. This is the only letter that Paul wrote that does not have a commendation for its readers. This obvious omission reflects the urgency that he felt about this false doctrine that was being spread and defending the essential doctrine of justification.

The central theme of this letter is justification by faith. John MacArthur breaks this letter into 3 sections.

1 - The Preacher of Justification chapters 1-2

2 - The Principles of Justification chapters 3-4

3 - The Privileges of Justification chapters 5-6

Our verses are in the privilege section. We are going to look at bearing one another’s burdens. It is truly a privilege to walk with a brother or sister through trials and tribulations. Let’s look at our verses and see about bearing burdens.

Galatians 6:1–5 (NASB 2020)

1 Brothers and sisters, even if a person is caught in any wrongdoing, you who are spiritual are to restore such a person in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you are not tempted as well. 2 Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ. 3 For if anyone thinks that he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. 4 But each one must examine his own work, and then he will have reason for boasting, but to himself alone, and not to another. 5 For each one will bear his own load.