Together
Notes
Transcript
We’ve been talking about our call to serve others in the church. Today, we’re going to look at a passage in Galatians 6 where Paul challenges us to be for each other, to take care of each other, and to work for the good of everyone.
Dick and Rick Hoyt are a father-and-son team from Massachusetts who together compete almost continuously in marathon races. And if they’re not in a marathon they are in a triathlon — that daunting, almost superhuman, combination of 26.2 miles of running, 112 miles of bicycling, and 2.4 miles of swimming. Together they have climbed mountains, and once trekked 3,735 miles across America. I’d like to show you a video about this incredible father and son team.
Play Video
We’re better together. God didn’t mean for us to be alone. But being around each other on Sunday morning isn’t enough. It’s not enough to come to church, talk about the weather and Alabama football, and go home. We are called to love each other deeply and take care of each other.
10 Love one another deeply as brothers and sisters. Take the lead in honoring one another.
Today, we’re going to look at a passage in Galatians 6 where Paul challenges us to be for each other, to serve together, and to carry each other’s burdens. Let’s read Galatians 6:1-10.
1 Brothers and sisters, if someone is overtaken in any wrongdoing, you who are spiritual, restore such a person with a gentle spirit, watching out for yourselves so that you also won’t be tempted.
2 Carry one another’s burdens; in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.
3 For if anyone considers himself to be something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.
4 Let each person examine his own work, and then he can take pride in himself alone, and not compare himself with someone else.
5 For each person will have to carry his own load.
6 Let the one who is taught the word share all his good things with the teacher.
7 Don’t be deceived: God is not mocked. For whatever a person sows he will also reap,
8 because the one who sows to his flesh will reap destruction from the flesh, but the one who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life from the Spirit.
9 Let us not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we don’t give up.
10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us work for the good of all, especially for those who belong to the household of faith.
The first way we are called to serve together is by restoring believers that have fallen into sin.
1 Brothers and sisters, if someone is overtaken in any wrongdoing, you who are spiritual, restore such a person with a gentle spirit, watching out for yourselves so that you also won’t be tempted.
The Christian Standard Bible says “if someone is overtaken in any wrongdoing” but your translation might read “caught in a sin.” The idea is that a believer is suddenly tripped up and falls into sin. The word “overtaken” implies that the person is surprised, so it’s not a deliberate disobedience.
Paul says those who are spiritual should restore the fallen believer with a gentle spirit. Who are the spiritual Paul says should go to their brother or sister in Christ? It’s the person who is being led by the Holy Spirit; someone who is experiencing the work of God in their lives.
We need to ask the Lord if He wants us to help to restore a fallen believer. And instead of being legalistic and condemning our brother or sister in Christ, we should go to them with a loving, gentle spirit.
8 Above all, maintain constant love for one another, since love covers a multitude of sins.
It’s hard to forgive those that have fallen in their faith, especially if it affects us. But our deep love for each other should enable us to forgive, to restore, and to trust God to help us move on from the hurt.
The last part of this verse warns us to be careful so we aren’t tempted. We should never have the attitude that we won’t fall into a similar trap. Satan is roaming around like a lion that wants to devour us as His prey. He will tempt us in ways we are most vulnerable, so we should walk closely with the Lord and put on the full armor of God every day.
Let’s look at verse 2 to see the next way we are called to serve together.
2 Carry one another’s burdens; in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.
We’re supposed to carry each other’s burdens. What are the burdens Paul is talking about? The word for “burden” (baros) means literally “a heavy weight or stone” someone is required to carry for a long distance. It’s any hardship in our life that’s hard to bear.
Have you ever had to “tote” something? I’m not talking about moving a book from one desk to another. I’m talking about carrying something heavy for a long time. We lived on my great uncles farm in Bibb County while we were building a house on our family’s land. My uncle had cows and I was “farmed out” to help my uncle in return for living in an old house for free! I learned how to tend to the cows and how to cut and bale hay. I’ll never forget having to tote those square bales out of the field, into the truck, and into the barn for storage. It was hard work that wore me out.
I think all of us are toting around some kind of burden. Some have more than others. They’re different sizes and shapes, but they all wear us down. You might be toting a burden from sickness, or money problems, or a family member that’s sick, a mental or emotional burden, a family crisis, or a broken relationship. God didn’t intend for you to carry your problems alone.
Some of us are tempted to grind through on our own. It’s part of our American and southern culture to take care of our own problems. After all, “a country boy can survive.” But refusing to let anyone else know about our burdens or letting them help us is a matter of pride. Paul addresses that pride in verse 3.
3 For if anyone considers himself to be something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.
Don’t think so much of yourself and your ability to handle your problems that you don’t let anyone help you. And don’t be so prideful that you think helping someone in need is beneath you. None of us are able to handle all of life’s burdens alone. First, we need strength from the Lord and the help and encouragement of others.
Remember last week when we talked about being a part of the body of Christ?
25 so that there would be no division in the body, but that the members would have the same concern for each other.
26 So if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.
We’re in this together and we need to help each other. If one of us suffers, we all suffer together. If one of us rejoices, we rejoice with them! The responsibility to carry each other’s burdens isn’t a suggestion, it’s a command. I found a church covenant from a Baptist church in England from 1790. I rewrote it so we can better understand it and I think it’s a beautiful picture of how we should commit to helping each other.
We should show love to those we're connected with through our Christian community. As a result, we'll pray for each other a lot. Whenever we can, we'll come together for spiritual activities. Those of us who are more fortunate will help meet the needs of our fellow believers to the extent we're able. We'll support each other, empathize with those who are suffering in body or mind as far as we understand their situations, and offer advice, caution, and encouragement when needed. We'll look out for each other's well-being and be careful not to cause or take offense. Our goal will be to live out the teachings of Christ. We commit to these practices and any other directives found in God's Word, relying on His grace for strength. Recognizing our own limitations in doing good on our own, we turn to God who empowers the weak, thankful that in Him we find both righteousness and strength. Keep us steady, O Lord, and we will be secure! Amen!
Paul says when we bear each other’s burdens, we fulfill the law of Christ. He’s talking about the gospel of grace that we receive from God when we put our trust in Him.
2 because the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death.
So when we help each other, we are sharing the love of Jesus who was willing to die for our sins. He carried our sins on the cross because we couldn’t do it ourselves. In the same we should help to carry the heavy burdens that others can’t carry by themselves. Let’s look at verses 4 and 5.
4 Let each person examine his own work, and then he can take pride in himself alone, and not compare himself with someone else.
5 For each person will have to carry his own load.
These two verses have to be read together to make sense. Paul is talking about a load that we have to bear ourselves and how we should examine ourselves to make sure we’ve done a good job of carrying it.
It seems like Paul is contradicting what he just said in verse 2 when he told us to carry the burdens of the weak. Here, he’s saying each person will have to carry his own load. It’s confusing until we understand that Paul is using two different words in the original language for burden in verse 2 and load in verse 5.
The burden he tells us to share in verse 2 is a heavy load or overwhelming weight that has to carried a long distance. But the word for load in verse 5 is used to describe a pilgrim’s backpack. We’re supposed to bear each other’s burdens that are too heavy to carry alone, but there is one burden that we can’t share.
Paul uses the future tense of the word carry that means he’s not just talking about our load here on earth, but also after we die. That load is the responsibility to God on judgement day. I can’t carry your load and you can’t carry mine when we stand before Jesus on that day.
Paul isn’t talking about our salvation, but the work we do for the Lord while we’re here. A believe won’t have to stand judgement for their salvation, but they will be judged on our service to God. Paul describes this judgement:
10 According to God’s grace that was given to me, I have laid a foundation as a skilled master builder, and another builds on it. But each one is to be careful how he builds on it.
11 For no one can lay any foundation other than what has been laid down. That foundation is Jesus Christ.
12 If anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, or straw,
13 each one’s work will become obvious. For the day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire; the fire will test the quality of each one’s work.
14 If anyone’s work that he has built survives, he will receive a reward.
15 If anyone’s work is burned up, he will experience loss, but he himself will be saved—but only as through fire.
I don’t know about you, but I don’t want Jesus to be disappointed in my work while I’m here. Only the Lord can judge which works are good and which are bad and it’s not our job to grade each other. Paul said in verse 4 that we should examine our own work and not compare ourselves with others. Jesus is the foundation and it’s up to us to serve the Lord with the best He’s given us and depending completely on Him.
Verse 6 seems a little out of place, but Paul encourages those who benefit from the teaching they receive from pastors and teachers to take care of them in return.
6 Let the one who is taught the word share all his good things with the teacher.
It fits with the idea of working together and bearing each other’s burdens. It also echoes Jesus’ teaching that a worker is worth his keep. The main responsibility I have here at Enterprise is to preach and teach the Word of God. Everything other ministry dovetails into this main one, but God chose to use preaching as a way to share the Gospel.
21 For since, in God’s wisdom, the world did not know God through wisdom, God was pleased to save those who believe through the foolishness of what is preached.
There is a special relationship between those who teach the Word of God and those who hear and receive it. Paul says many times that a pastor should take care of his church and they should take care of him.
Let’s look at verse 7 and 8 next.
7 Don’t be deceived: God is not mocked. For whatever a person sows he will also reap,
8 because the one who sows to his flesh will reap destruction from the flesh, but the one who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life from the Spirit.
Paul is warning us about the consequences of sin in our life. The phrase “God is not mocked” means literally to turn up your nose in mockery or contempt. You can’t outsmart God. You will pay the consequences when you sin. The seed you plant in the spring is the same thing that will grow out of the ground in the Fall.
This is a warning to anyone who hasn’t asked God to forgive them for there sins and trusted Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Those who refuse to do that will reap the consequence of death and destruction. Those who trust God will reap eternal life. Friends, it’s that simple. Everyone in this room has a decision to make and no one can make it for you.
God created you and loves you deeply, but our sin separates us from Him. The Bible says all of us have sinned and rebelled against God. The price for that sinful rebellion is death and being separated from God forever after we die in a place called Hell. It’s a place of eternal torment.
God doesn’t want any of us to suffer that judgement. He loves us so much He sent His son Jesus to be born as a man, to live a perfect life, and to die for us on a cross. He took everyone’s sin on Himself because He’s the only one who could do that.
He died, but He didn’t stay dead! He rose from the grave three days later and He’s still alive today! All you have to do to be saved from the judgement of Hell is to believe in Jesus Christ, ask Him to forgive your sins, and trust Him as your Lord and Savior. If you haven’t made the decision to follow Jesus, please do it today! You’ll have an opportunity to come and pray during our time of response in a few minutes. Please don’t wait another day.
The last two verses in this passage is a great encouragement for us to keep working together and not give up.
9 Let us not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we don’t give up.
10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us work for the good of all, especially for those who belong to the household of faith.
I know this church has been through a lot and we continue to face challenging times in our church family. It’s hard to keep going, but we can do it together! Just like a farmer has to wait patiently for the harvest, we have to wait for God’s time to see the fruit of our labor.
William Carey was a missionary that arrived in India in 1793. He had a burden to reach people that had never heard of Jesus. He preached the gospel week after week, month after month, for seven years without a single person giving their life to Christ. Even though he was discouraged, he kept sharing the gospel. Carey baptized the first Hindu convert on December 28,1800 and it was just the beginning of an amazing work God was doing through him.
So we’re going to preach the Gospel every week here at Enterprise Baptist church. We’re going to look for every opportunity to minister to the lost in our community and all around the world in cooperation with the Southern Baptist Convention. It might take a year or maybe ten, but we can’t give up!
Finally, we should take every opportunity to work for the good of everyone. When we share food and clothes, when we pray with someone, when we take them to the doctor, when we grieve with them during a painful time in their life, when we serve in the church, we are building the kingdom of God on the foundation of Jesus Christ.
While we are commanded to serve and work for everyone, Paul reminds us that there is a special obligation to help other believers. We’re family after all. Look around you and you’ll see brothers and sisters in Christ. We’ve been adopted into God’s family and we should work especially hard to help each other.
We’re all in this together. We’re bound together through our faith and united in our love. Can we commit to helping each other like the father who helped his son in the video we watched earlier? Are you willing to take every opportunity presented to you to help someone in need? Will you help carry someone’s burden this week? Will you slow down long enough to see where God is working around you and step out in faith to join Him?
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