Sharing the Load

Please open your Bibles to :1-3

Read .

There are burdens that are good, then there are burdens that are bad.

There are some burdens that are necessary in life, and others that need to be released.

10 years ago, we took a group of high schoolers to a place called Rock N Water.

It was 5 days of backpacking out in the middle of nowhere.

Many of you helped out by letting us use backpacks and sleeping bags.

We took the long drive up there, the main site was about an hour east of Sacramento.

The night before the big hike, our guides had us repack our hiking bags.

We had to pull everything out and we received new packing instructions.

1 pair of socks.

1 pair of underwear.

No pillow.

Basically, only the bare essentials.

Now that we had more space in our packs, we could fill our bags with more essential items, like food.

Some of us hiked with watermelons, others with cantaloupe, and others with cans of tuna.

There were burdens that were good, that were necessary.

Then there were burdens that were bad.

The food burdens were good.

It doesn’t sound like fun carrying a watermelon 5 miles, till you are out 5 miles and you realize it tastes delicious.

There were other burdens you would think were necessary, until you looked back and saw they how unnecessary they were.

We wore sandals most of the time, so socks were unnecessary.

We were in swimsuits and getting wet all week, so even underwear wasn’t necessary.

On Sunday night when we got there, there were tears in the students eyes when we were decluttering their hiking bags.

Because we thought we needed those socks and underwear, but in reality they were unnecessary burdens.

The same goes for the Christian life.

There are burdens that we keep.

Then there are burdens that we need release.

The first burden that we see in our text is the Burden of Sin.

Like the socks and underwear during Rock N Water, we don’t we have to have this burden.

Paul says “if anyone is caught in any transgression”,

The language of this is that sin springs upon us like a trap.

Think about how a trap works, think of a mouse trap.

The kind that is composed of a single piece wood with a spring and a metal arm.

You bait the trap.

You put some cheese or peanut butter on it to lure the mouse.

It smells the cheese.

It approaches the cheese.

And just as it reaches for the cheese, the spring is flipped, and the arm comes crushing down on the mouse.

For a mouse trap to work, the trap has to catch the mouse before the mouse gets the cheese.

If the mouse gets the cheese before the trap springs, then the trap doesn’t work.

And that’s the language of the word caught, it means to take first.

Sin makes big promises.

It makes promises of contentment and happiness.

But instead of giving the things that it promises, it catches it’s victim before it can give those things.

And next thing you know the person is caught.

The feelings that come with sin are feelings of being trapped, and the situation being inescapable.

Sin soon confines and traps the person.

That’s the language of , a person is caught in a transgression.

The sin is a trap.

And it is holding the person captive.

Think of the language that a person uses when defending himself over his sin, it’s always as if the person didn’t have a choice in the matter.

The liar says, “I had to lie.”

You didn’t have to lie.

But when you are caught in it, you think you have no other options.

The thief says, “I had to steal.”

The homosexual says, “I was born this way.”

The proud says, “I’m the best there is, no one else can do what I do.”

The blasphemer says, “God is wrong.”

Sin promises much, but in the end the spring is set, and it makes its victims its slave.

The implications of sin is that it is deadly.

Notice that verse 1 says, “if anyone is caught in any transgression.”

It doesn’t use the word sin.

And yes, it’s describing sin.

But Paul is talking about something even greater than sin.

He uses the word transgression, which has an even stronger emphasis.

It’s not just a mistake.

It’s not just a goof.

The other day I saw a road kill on the side of the road, it was a raccoon.

I came home and told Amanda about the roadkill, but instead of saying raccoon, I said that I saw a dead kangaroo on the side of the road.

I meant raccoon, but I said kangaroo.

Yes, these are the deep conversations Amanda and I have.

She said, “You saw a kangaroo?”

I said yes, “A kangaroo.”

She again clarified, “kangaroo?”

Again,”yes I saw a kangaroo.”

And then it clicked, I meant raccoon, but I kept saying kangaroo.

That’s a goof, that’s a mistake.

The consequences of that mistake were Amanda had to clarify what I meant; I wasn’t being clear.

But Paul isn’t saying someone is caught in a goof, he says transgression.

The word literally means to walk around corpses.

Sin catches you and leaves you in a position of death.

It leaves you in a position of stinking rotting death.

When you are caught in transgression, it’s like a nightmare filled with zombies.

We are talking about a sin against God.

There are no little mistakes before God.

The consequences of our transgression is that we are held captive in death.

The wages of sin is death.

Sin is one of those burdens we don’t want to have.

You don’t need it on the journey.

Especially if we think about what Christ has done for us.

He has paid for our sins.

One of my favorite books is Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan.

It’s one of those books I usually read through once a year.

There comes a point where the main character, Christian, approaches a cross, and the burden that he was carrying, his sin, fell right off his back.

And that’s what Christ has done, He has removed the burden of sin from us.

He has released us from the trap of sin.

So now understand the folly of going back into sin.

It’s to pick up the burden that has already been paid for, and essentially put it back on.

Sin is described as a trap.

It springs suddenly.

The consequences are deadly.

I want you to know that though they are deadly, and dangerous, even when temptation springs like a bear trap, covered with leaves, biting at the knees, you are not defenseless.

Look at , it says, “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”

There is a promise there, God will always provide a way out.

That’s not saying you will never be tempted.

And He’s not saying you will not fall to sin.

What He is saying is that there will always be a way out of sin.

But there is always a way out of it.

Think about the sins you struggle with, there was a way out.

Could be the power button on your computer.

The sink to pour out the alcohol.

A moment to compose your thoughts and calm down.

I’ve often been surprised how often a worship song comes to mind as I am wrestling with bad thoughts.

I then have a decision:

Do I embrace the song and let it be the song of my heart?

Or, do I push that aside and run into sin.

God always provides an exit from the trap of temptation, and it is your responsibility to take it.

We must be on guard.

Be alert.

I love Paul’s language in and .

He talks as if we have spiritual armor.

A breastplate of righteousness.

A helmet of salvation.

When you are in combat you put these things on.

You don’t cast them aside.

They will save your life in battle.

In your fight against temptation, always be aware of the resources that God has given you.

Frequently evaluate your life.

Is there anything in your life that is unnecessary?

A burden that you are carrying that you don’t need.

It is hindering your growth in Christ.

That is a burden.

Then get rid of it.

He talks as if we have spiritual armor.

A breastplate of righteousness.

A helmet of salvation.

When you are in combat you put these things on.

The next burden is one that we put on.

When we went to rock and water, we did add some weight to our bags.

The weight was cans of tuna and salmon.

Rice cakes.

Fruit.

Melons.

First Aid supplies.

These were necessary weight for a safe journey.

This next burden is one we put on, The Burden of Each Other.

“Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness.”

So a brother, a fellow Christian is caught in a sin, who is responsible to help that person?

We seem to have for

And you see Paul’s answer, “you who are spiritual should restore him ...”

Some have wondered whether Paul was being sarcastic when he said, “you who are spiritual”.

Because remember, the Galatian church had grown proud in their flesh.

They were becoming legalistic and thinking they were on another plane of existence.

So maybe Paul is sarcastically saying, “If you’re so wise and spiritual, you help ...”

Regardless, of Paul’s sarcasm, the truth remains, you are responsible to bear the burden of each other.

In chapter 3 Paul says that the Galatians were converted, they began by the Spirit.

At the end of chapter 5 Paul repeatedly talked about the Holy Spirit.

He said we are to walk by the Spirit.

We are to be led by the Spirit.

We are to have the fruit of the spirit.

We are to keep in step with the Spirit.

The conclusion is you are spiritual.

All Christians are spiritual people.

So a brother or sister, falls into sin.

Who is responsible to help that person?

Paul says, “you who are spiritual ...”

You are.

You who are spiritual.

You who have the Holy Spirit.

You who are walking by the Spirit.

You who are led by the Spirit.

This should be describing all Christians.

You are responsible for other Christians.

There is no spiritual gift of restoration.

You don’t get to say, “I’m not gifted in helping other Christians, so I’ll leave it to someone else.”

If you have the Holy Spirit, you are spiritual, you are responsible.

We seem to have forgotten that the Spirit in your life means something.

Too often when a Christian falls into sin and needs help what do we do?

We turn elsewhere.

We say, “Let the professionals help him.”

“He needs to talk to a doctor, or a psychologist.”

The church at large has sacrificed and neglected her greatest duty, and that is helping people in their transgressions.

The Bible has equipped us for dealing with sin.

Marriage troubles?

.

Parenting troubles?

, , and .

Drugs and Alcohol?

.

Have we forgotten the Holy Spirit?

He’s not some mystical force in your life purely for your benefit.

He has gifted you.

He has gifted you to serve others in the church.

You are to be bearing His fruit.

You are to be led by Him and walk in Him.

He is here to strengthen you in these difficult times.

Who is responsible to help people caught in sin?

It’s not necessarily the professional.

, “… you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness:.

How do we do this? Paul mentions 2 ways, restoration and bearing one another.

“you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness.”

At the base level of conversation, this is about church discipline.

I know the phrase church discipline is big and scary, but it shouldn’t be.

Our minds jump to the hardest parts of church discipline … excommunication.

We think of bringing a person in front of the church and removing them from our fellowship.

That’s the end of a bad situation, but that’s not all of it.

Church discipline begins with you and I.

It begins in our relationships with each other.

Church discipline is about restoration.

When you hear the words church discipline, I’d like you to think restoration.

Restoration is a healing word.

You break a bone.

It’s painful.

They X-ray the arm.

They feel it.

They assess the situation.

They then put it in a cast, or a sling.

The bone is mended.

The goal is restoration.

This is the goal of church discipline, for the Christian who is caught in a sin, to be restored.

And God’s prescription for this process happens in our relationships.

explains this process and it begins with you.

, “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.”

You have a problem with another Christian, what do you do?

You go to him.

You go to her.

You talk.

And if he listens, you’ve gained your brother.

There is restoration.

You have restored your brother.

Restoration begins with a gentle conversation.

Pulling a person aside, addressing their sin.

The elders of Southwest are being trained for biblical counseling, which is helping people through this process, but in reality, the responsibility for biblical counseling belongs to all of us.

All of us should be biblical counselors.

All of us have the responsibility to restore, mend and support one another.

And not in a general sense, but in regards to sin.

This isn’t just someone fell on hard times.

This is a big, dirty, transgression.

And who helps?

You do.

Paul does give a warning though, “Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.”

If you are ever helping pull someone up off a ledge, what you don’t want to do, is lay flat with your belly to the ground, and reach for the person.

Because their weight will pull you.

And will all of your weight going off the edge, you’ll get pulled right off.

So the way that you pull someone up off a ledge is to sit down and lean forward, then you can pull them back safely.

Remember sin is a trap.

It catches people unaware.

And when you are helping someone caught in a sin, you also need to be defensive.

It is all the more important to be in God’s Word and to be growing spiritually.

To put on that spiritual armor.

So if you are counseling or helping a person with marriage trouble, you need to be equipped with passages in the Bible that talk about marriage.

If you are counseling a person caught in sexual sin, you need to be equipped with passages that talk about sexual holiness.

The second way that we help someone is by bearing one another’s burdens, you see this in verse 2, “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”

There are 2 things to think about in regards to bearing one another.

The first is that we carry each other.

There are times the other person is powerless.

They cannot support themselves.

And so you come in … and you have to help them.

You invite them into your home.

You stay up late with them.

Maybe you give them money.

You are carrying their weight - you are bearing their burden.

And what is your motivation through this? Paul says in doing this you fulfill the law of Christ.

What is the law of Christ?

It’s to love one another.

, “For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

Now notice who you are loving?

It’s the brother or sister who has been caught in sin.

Our proud self wants to say, “He made his bed, now he has to lie in it.”

It’s his problem, let him deal with it.

But the law of Christ is to love one another.

And here, loving one another means loving Christians who are caught in a sin.

How do you do this?

By remembering how Christ loved us.

When did He love you and how did He love you?

He loved you when you were a sinner.

And how did He love you?

By carrying your sins, by bearing your burden, before you even knew you needed it carried.

Up until now, I’ve been talking mainly to the Christian, and encouraging him to support other Christians.

Now I’d like to talk to those who are in sin.

Your sin has caught you in a trap.

It’s a deadly trap.

You’ve heard God’s Word tell us to support one another.

If you are in the trap of sin, you need help, where do you turn?

Let others help you.

Let others carry you.

Let others bear your burden.

I can speak from experience, on both sides and say this is a blessing.

Part of God’s plan for Christians is them, for you to be in fellowship with one another.

Your pride says you can do it on your own.

Listen closely, your pride says you don’t need anyone.

That you can manage your sin on your own.

God says you need the church.

You’d be surprised how some problems get resolved just being around other Christians.

Some situations get cleaned up just being around the church.

Coming to Bible Study.

Staying for CU.

Going out to lunch together.

Watching and observing how Christian marriages work.

Other situations need something a bit more strategic and intentional.

A cup of coffee with an honest friend, with some honest words.

Maybe sitting down with a elder for some counseling.

God has given you the church to help you.

God has given you the church to carry you.

And you have seen our motivation for bearing one another, it’s the law of Christ in verse 2, it’s love

I can speak from experience, on both sides and say this is a blessing.

I’ve been a burden to others.

I’ve been carried by people.

And I’ve carried others.

I’ve gotten to help people in their struggles.

And these are some of my favorite moments as a Christian and as a pastor.

So for you who are under the burden of sin, let others carry you.

They are here to support you.

Let them fulfill the law of Christ by loving you in your sin.

We are a burden, you are a burden that is good to carry.

There is one last burden to address in this text.

This is one that we need to let go of.

It is The Burden of Pride.

Verse 3, “For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.”

We live in a culture that’s private.

We are individuals.

We are more and more comfortable all by ourselves.

You can get by with almost no human interaction.

You can do your grocery shopping online.

You don’t have to go into the store.

Your bank is online.

I remember a friend of mine once saying that the worst invention for the neighborhood was the garage door opener, because now you can drive into your house without ever having to wave to a neighbor.

It’s easier to do thing by yourself.

We get too comfortable being by ourselves.

Now there is someone who falls into sin.

It’s sin.

Paul calls it a transgression.

It’s ugly.

Remember that word for transgression is like walking around rotting corpses, it stinks.

A fellow believer pursued something that was wicked.

It was wrong.

The trap was set, and now they’re caught in it.

What do we do?

We’ve trained ourselves to be isolated.

People have become unwelcome burden.

We build these walls around our lives so we don’t have to deal with anyone.

Someone falls into sin, and we say, it’s their problem, let them deal with it.

It’s their fault.

Maybe you put yourself in their shoes and you say, “ I never would have put myself in that situation.”

And that’s probably true, you wouldn’t have.

In verse 3, Paul says, “For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.”

Here we see the burden of pride and it’s deceptive practice.

It’s deceptive because it blinds us and causes us to forget.

We forget 3 things.

First, pride forgets your own depravity.

If you think you are something, when you are nothing, then you are proud.

We forget that we used to live in sin.

We forget all those passages that describe us in our former life.

says that you were dead in your trespasses and servants of Satan.

You.

Not just the fool caught in sin.

But you.

says you were so bad that you deserved Hell.

Hell is what you deserved.

Not just Billy, who’s caught in a sin.

But you.

says that prior to your conversion you weren’t a person with a good heart, who just messed up.

It says you had a diseased heart, that no one understood.

Pride forgets this about yourself.

Here we are not wanting to help the person caught in sin … and we forget that at one time we too were caught in sin.

We act as if we were never in that kind of situation.

I’m surprised by how many Christians I’ve met who acknowledge they’ve sinned, but won’t admit that they deserved Hell.

They would never admit that at one time they were at war with God.

Don’t ever forget your past.

They will admit they messed up, but not that bad.

In , Paul said, “The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.”

Can you make that statement?

Can you acknowledge that you were the chief of sinners?

If you can’t, then you are blind to your sin, and you’ve never owned up to it.

Your brother or sister is caught in a sin.

Your pride forgets that you once were caught in that same situation.

And whatever the offensiveness of the sin that your brother is in, you too had offensiveness.

The stench of your sin was awful.

And there’s one point where Bunyan is at his lowest.

But pride forgets.

“I was never that bad.”

He had heard the Gospel, but had rejected it, and in so doing rejected Christ.

The solution to this blinding pride, is to tell yourself the law.

Look again at God’s commands.

He compares himself to the great sinners of the Bible.

See your sin.

He sees David, and his affair with Bathsheba.

And you’ll find, you’re not that different from your brother.

And Bunyan sees himself as worse.

David was a great man of God, but sinned in his own pursuit of pleasure.

The second thing that pride forgets is your lack of righteousness.

We not only needed sin removed, but we needed righteousness added.

Pride looks back on our life and sees our accomplishments.

Think of those of you in the church.

When you look back on your life do you see some amazing things?

Just in my short time in the church I’ve seen us:

Feed homeless people.

Build homes in Mexico.

Teach English in the Czech Republic.

Serve our community.

Give counseling to the hurting.

And on and on the list goes.

But these actions don’t earn us favor in God’s eyes.

Pride forgets.

says these great deeds are like worthless rags.

When the rich young ruler came to Jesus he was a nice guy.

He had done lots of good deeds.

No one could question his character.

Even Jesus’ disciples could see no problem with his character.

To them, he was above reproach.

And yet Jesus saw right through him.

Those good deeds would not bring him into eternity with God.

We need a different righteousness.

Martin Luther called it an alien righteousness.

It’s alien because it’s a foreign righteousness.

It’s not in you.

It has to be imported, rather imputed.

The great work of Jesus is not only that He died for our sins, but He lived for our righteousness.

says, “... by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.”

So if you are not willing to carry a brother or sister, because you’ve judged them to be sinners who haven’t earn their keep … you’ve forgotten that you were just like them and you haven’t earned anything.

You were a sinner - undeserving.

And unrighteous - needing righteousness.

The third blinding affect of pride is that it forgets Jesus.

We are fooled into thinking that we make it into heaven on our own works, and by our own effort.

Forgetting, that we needed Christ to carry us.

And so when we look at others, we say, they just need to work harder.

But no one gets to heaven by working harder.

The best Christian is as the worst sinner.

All of us have to be carried into glory by Christ.

How do we avoid the burden of pride?

By celebrating Christ every day.

By humbly telling yourself the Gospel every day.

By being thankful always.

Thanking God for His work in your life.

I’ve recently had a couple of couples make a list of 75 things they are thankful for.

The nd result is that we see

Each of them had to make a list of 75.

You’d be surprised how hard it is.

At about 50, you have to start getting creative, and its there where you realize how utterly helpless you are, and your daily dependence upon Christ.

The Christian life is a journey.

It’s long.

Don’t bring unnecessary weight on the journey.

Remove what is sinful.

We look forward to making it there.

And with the Gospel as your motivation, consider others and carry the weak.

Along the way are fellow pilgrims on the road.

Some are struggling.

And you debate whether or not you should help them.

Pray

If you look behind you, the pathway started in a hospital.

It’s in that hospital, where Jesus is carrying lifeless bodies.

There He gives them life.

And puts them on the narrow path that leads to His kingdom.