How to be the Church

At the 1992 Olympic games, one of the greatest moments in sports history occured.

Derek Redmond was a member of the British track team and ran the 400 meter.

Redmond was the holder of the British 400 meter record, and in the first round at the ‘92 Olympics he had the best time.

In the semi-finals Redmond began the race like any other, until about 250 meters in when his hamstring snapped.

Redmond fell to the ground in agony as the rest of the runners finished the race.

Being a champion, he pulled himself to his feet and began hopping toward the finish.

The 2 and a half minute video of this race is hard to watch.

The pain he is enduring to finish is more than anyone is expected to take

In the background of the video you can see a spectator running onto the track

What’s different is that security seems to try to stop him and then lets him go.

The spectator was his father Jim and the rest of the story always brings me to tears

Jim took his son by the hand, put his hand around his waist and in Derek’s own words, this is what happened:

He said, “OK. We started this thing together and now we’ll finish it together.”

He managed to get me to stop trying to run and just walk and he kept repeating, “You’re a champion, you’ve got nothing to prove.”

Jim caught up, took his son by the hand and put his other arm around his waist and they finished the race together.

This is such an iconic moment is has been used by the Olympics in their “Celebrate Humanity” ad campaign

Visa used the video in their “Go World” ad’s promoting the Olympics and had the words "he and his father finished dead last, but he and his father finished" narrated by none other than Morgan Freeman

And Nike used it in their commercial entitled “Courage”

What does this have to do with Galatians?

Paul is now telling us how to be the church.

Specifically he’s showing us that we cannot finish alone!

We need each other

Galatians 6:1–10 ESV

1 Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. 2 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. 3 For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. 4 But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. 5 For each will have to bear his own load. 6 Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches. 7 Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. 8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. 9 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. 10 So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.

Last week we learned about the lusts of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit.

Essentially what the last part of Chapter 5 tells us is how to live a life marked by the Spirit.

He follows that encouragement to live by the Spirit now with guidance on how to live in community with flawed people

including ourselves

Recognize we are siblings

It’s not insignificant that first word of chapter 6 is “Brothers”

Live in Humility

Restore

Carry

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Live In Righteousness

You reap what you sow

Do good