Leave No One Behind
Notes
Transcript
In the military we have heard that no man will be left behind in battle.
No man will be put out on his own without defense to support him.
We are in the army of the Lord, right?
Yet a lot of times we as Christians leave our own on their own if they fall.
In the military, they one that has been overtaken by the enemy is fought for and squadrons are sent out to recover those that are captured.
What do we do as Christians?
Do we sit back and talk about all the mistakes that they made and how they should have done this or should have done that and they wouldn’t have got caught up in that sin.
The scripture that I want to read this morning is found in Galatians 6 and we will talk about how Paul views this subject.
1 Brothers, if a man is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore such a one in the spirit of meekness, watching yourselves, lest you also be tempted.
2 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
3 For if someone 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 burden.
The church, Christians in general are good about kicking someone while they are down.
Is this scriptural?
Are we supposed to point out all the wrongs of a person?
Are we appointed by God to call out everyones faults and tell them how bad they are?
No!
We are to follow scripture and restore them, help them, and go get them!
Flesh That Hinders Us
Flesh That Hinders Us
13 You, brothers, have been called to liberty. Only do not use liberty to give an opportunity to the flesh, but by love serve one another.
14 For the entire law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
15 But if you bite and devour one another, take heed that you are not consumed by one another.
We are called to live a life of liberty in Christ and not have to worry about the bondages of sin, but some like to use this as a license to do what ever they want to do.
We should not allow our flesh to take the liberty that we have been given by Christ to sin.
The liberty through grace has been given to us so that we should not be stuck on our past sins that we have recieved forgiveness for.
We should also give the grace that we have been given as well.
There is a list of sins of the flesh that follow that we will not get into, but there is a long list that we are to watch our for.
This is to be applied to our neighbor as well.
We are to “…love our neighbor as ourself.”
Can we say that we have had a friend to fall and slip into sin and we have treated them the same way that we would want to be treated?
When the flesh is allowed to temporarily have control, it can cause problems that can become hard to control.
The scripture warns us here
15 But if you bite and devour one another, take heed that you are not consumed by one another.
If you are not careful in your attacks, you yourself can be consumed by the fight.
The fight can become the ultimate goal at times that can shadow the real problem all together and become part of the problem.
We do have a solution that we should follow as we go farther down in the scripture.
Spirit That Guides Us
Spirit That Guides Us
Are you lead by the Spirit?
Do you allow the Holy Spirit to guide you in all your decisions?
We should, but most do not!
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 meekness, and self-control; against such there is no law.
24 Those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and lusts.
25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
26 Let us not be conceited, provoking one another and envying one another.
When we allow the Spirit to guide us and point us in the right direction, we have to submit to His instructions.
Just reading the list of the fruit of the Spirit should show us that there is no selfishness in a spirit led person.
24 Those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and lusts.
If we are in Christ, then we are to put aside our own passions and lusts to be like Christ!
Imagine there is somewhere or something that you want to do, but it does not line up with what the Lord has asked you to do right now.
What do you do?
Do you go fishing or do you go talk to someone about the Lord?
Do you stay in bed or do you get up and meet with the Lord?
Do you stay home and cut grass or do you come to church and allow God to use you?
There are many decisions that we have to make each day through out the day that determines whether we are lead by the spirit or by the flesh!
Do we always make the right decisions?
No!
If we walk in the Spirit, will will not be conceited, provoking each other or envying each other.
Why provoke each other to do things that we are not supposed to do?
Provoking; causing annoyance; irritating.
Envying; desiring to have a quality, possession, or other desirable thing that belongs to another.
How should anyone feel good about making someone else feel any of these?
When We Fall
When We Fall
What happens when we fall?
This is an important question to ask yourself.
Do you sit and soak in your failures or are you one to accept that you made a mistake, learn from it and move on?
There are some that like to have something wrong with them all the time.’It has become their identity.
If there is nothing wrong then they don’t get the attention the feel they deserve.
But then there are those legitimate problems that come up and need attention.
What is the next step when your find that you have fallen.
Determine if it was a mistake or a habit that is forming.
Determine if it was a mistake or a habit that is forming.
We do need to realize that son can be a slow process that gradually happen over time, but also that it can come on you suddenly!
The suddenly of sin can be just as real as those that are slowly moving in on you.
We should have up our guards that protect us from the attack, but what happens when the enemy gets through?
We call for help!
the church has taken the approach in some cases of if they have fallen then they have to be put out of the church and leadership of any kind.
While this is true to a point, it’s how we go about this that can become more of a problem then the sin itself.
1 Brothers, if a man is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore such a one in the spirit of meekness, watching yourselves, lest you also be tempted.
If we as the church do not follow this protocol, do you think that those who fall will come to us and ask for help.
The first thing we do is tell them how bad they are and how wrong they are and how they should have done this or that.
They know that, that is why they have come for help!
We are to restore them spiritually with the spirit of meekness and awareness!
Meekness: mild, moderate, humble, or submissive.
What part of meekness comes across as haughty or prideful, or boastful?
We must keep in the spirit of Jesus when we correct or help others.
A lot of times we get upset because they didn’t do what we said, not the fact that they didn’t do what the scripture said.
What do you do when someone around you falls?
We pick them up, dust them off, and check them out to see if they are hurt.
Why should it be any different spiritually for those that fall spiritually.
Pick them up, dust off the after effects of the sin that they were involved in, check them out to see if the sin has caused any damage to their relationship with Christ.
This is what discipleship will do for those who come back to the Lord.
They need someone to stand by their side and help them through the challenges of their new life.
How many of you have stood by someone and walk with them through a rough patch in their life?
I bet you gained something from the experience as well.
Because, while you are helping those through their problems and being there for them, you should be on guard, watching for the enemy to come back and try to take you out.
We are to be like Christ!
I do not think Christ would have walked by a hurting person that wanted help.
Neither should we!
Bear One Another’s Burdens
Bear One Another’s Burdens
Greek word “baros” which means to go down under a load.
Pick up pole to carry alone!
When there is someone that you know going through a great pressure, we are to go down and under gird them and help support them.
We are to lift them up spiritually.
How many people would still be in the ministry or even in church today if the church had gone down to help support them in times of testing rather than kicking someone while they were struggling?
Listen, I know some are private and don’t want anyone to know their business, but there is reason for that.
The busybodies have caused more problems than solutions.
But...
No man is an island!
Have someone help carry pole.
You are not alone!
See what happens when someone comes along to help you carry your burden?
The load gets lighter!
You are able to move a little easier and get a lot farther than if you were carrying this by yourself.
Let someone help you!
To many times we get this attitude of “I got this!”
When the whole time your sinking and about to drown under the load of your problems.
There is an old joke about the man who is stuck over the side of a cliff and prays that God would send someone by to help him, but refuses person after person for one reason or another until He prays one more tie for God to send by someone to help.
God told him that He has sent by this one and this and this one but your keep refusing the help.
God has sent people by your way to show you the way or to help you carry the load, but you keep refusing the help.
God says let Me help!
During a military campaign, a wounded soldier is never left on the field hoping he will survive, and if so he is later rescued.
The other soldiers risk their lives to save their fallen comrade.
May we as the church take on this mindset.
We are in a war for eternity, and we can no longer afford to lose soldiers!
Alter
Alter
What troubles you this morning?
Are you drowning in problems that have just about pulled you under for the last time?
God has sent you help again, will you accept Him this morning?
Do you know someone that is struggling to stay a float and you want to help, but you need the boldness and meekness to go to them?
God wants to give you that boldness/meekness this morning.
Are you drowning in sin and need Jesus to put you back on the straight and narrow this morning?
Jesus say come!
He stand this morning with arms open wide to receive you just the way you are!