Sharing is Caring - Galatians 6:1-10
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Handout
Sharing is Caring - Galatians 6:1-10
Sharing is Caring - Galatians 6:1-10
Good morning Harmony! It has been a busy week, and now that the election is over no matter which side you were on, we can all be thankful for at least one thing - all of the ads are finally over. I certainly hope we have more to be thankful for than that, because no matter who is in the white house, God is still on the throne! Let’s pray.
Sharing is caring, right? That’s the saying? Now most of us think of this in relation to food, or candy, or as children we think of it as toys, and things of this nature. But if you’ve looked at Galatians 6 at all, you already know that isn’t the type of sharing we’re going to be talking about here today.
Back in 2011, I was part of a traveling audit team and had been at this point for a year. Because of that travel, we had extra money coming in each month, and so we had purchased a couple of new vehicles the year before. Now in February of 2011, we were on a trip in Pensacola, Florida, and the first evening into the trip the team got together for PT and we chose to play basketball. Now I am not the most athletic person, but we were doing really well and had already won 2 games. Third game in, I go up for a layup, and I come down wrong on my left ankle and it pops in a way that is really bad, but being the man that I am, I try to walk it off and continue. First step at running and it pops again. I’m out. I had to be helped by 2 others to get me to the hotel room, and then assistance to get to work and medical the next day. Turns out, I had torn both peroneal tendons and the ligament that held them in place - placing me in a cast for 2 months, then after that didn’t work getting surgery, and ultimately being unable to travel for about 6 months.
As a result of that, it became difficult to make payments on our home - which was an hour away from work - and we came to the conclusion to do a short sale instead of a foreclosure. We told our Sunday School class and we had assistance to move all of our stuff from Ripley TN down to the base in Millington TN.
A few months later, at the home we had moved into on base we discovered black mold - a lot of it - had been growing inside the wall for an extended period. So we had to move again - again getting help from the Sunday School class.
Through all of this, we shared our burdens with our brothers and sisters in Christ - our financial burdens, our physical burdens, everything - and we truly saw these next few verses in Galatians lived out in our lives.
Spiritual Watch
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.
Military and police know this well - we set a watch to keep ourselves, our brothers and sisters in arms, and our country safe from attack. they sacrifice sleep, hours at home, food, etc. to maintain this watch and be ever so diligent in those duties to prevent any catastrophe. And it’s hard to stay awake when it’s midnight. It’s hard to maintain focus when you’re hungry. But they do it because it’s a part of the job, and it’s part of their orders. Paul isn’t giving easy tasks. He’s telling us that the battle is coming to us in the form of temptations that lead to transgressions. He’s saying watch out for one another and keep each other safe. Stay awake and watch to keep yourself safe, because like they say on flights, put your own mask on before helping others, because you’re not going to be of any assistance if you’re trying to help others with something you’ve already given in to. We see this principle in
We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves.
Now, if we are strong, or spiritual, we should be helping those who are not as strong in the faith -
“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.
Again, though, if we are going to pursue correcting and restoring a brother or sister to the faith, it requires gentleness - one of those parts of the fruit of the Spirit - as well as not being tempted with the same transgression -
Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?
We must be mindful of our own shortfalls, so that we can effectively disciple those that are falling into fleshly desires. It falls back to what we saw last week of placing it all at His feet daily so that we can walk upright and be able to show that we care. We can’t lead people if we aren’t being led.
2. Share the Bad...
Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
Share your burdens. If you have a problem or a situation, share. It doesn’t matter if it’s physical, spiritual, emotional, stressful, or whatever, share. “But people will mock me or scoff at me or whatever”. Don’t tell those type of people then.
Refer to verse 1. Find people who are spiritually strong and that demonstrate gentleness in their answers to those around you.
Second, if you’re the helper, help - they came to you, and if all you can think of to do is mock or scoff you already know you’re in the wrong. And if you can stop and help then do so, but if you can’t because of abilities or time make sure you get them to someone who can and follow up!
For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.
If you think you can bear it on your own and you can’t, that’s a pride issue. You’re thinking higher of yourself than you are. There’s a proverb for that
Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.
“Pride cometh before the fall” as the saying goes. Eventually all of that pride is going to catch up with us. We have to be able to share our burdens, and we must be able to receive others burdens with gentleness.
And besides that all we do when we fail to share our burdens is suffer longer than we needed to. We cause ourselves to worry more about things rather than allowing others to minister to us in our time of need. Our flesh is telling us that we can do it alone while drowning ourselves in our own burdens.
“But when I do bring my burden they push me away”. 2 things - one, don’t push people away. But 2, don’t overburden yourself either. If you have the time and ability to help, then help, but if not get them to someone who can and make sure they get the help needed. This is how you get to be the person in verse number 1.
If you do need help though, you’ve got to be willing to work for it.
But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. For each will have to bear his own load.
First, we need to make sure that this is something that is truly outside of our own abilities. It’s discerning “do I need help” or “can I do this” from “I don’t want to do this”. Is our burden one that needs to be shared, or is it one that we are just too lazy to do?
Now church, as a caveat to that last question, notice that the verse doesn’t say that we are to test other’s work, rather we are to test our own work. Different people have different abilities.
Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; for it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.” So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.
The point is that we cannot judge other people’s burdens. Our responsibility is just to help each other out without judgement. Just because we know how to do something or treat something doesn’t mean everyone else does or even should.
I can do a lot of things. But I can’t do heights. I can’t see colors correctly. We cannot judge others by our abilities.
3. And the Good.
We share our financial and material blessings with our spiritual leaders
Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches.
Now first, let me say I am not requesting a raise. Just happens to be the scripture we landed on.
That being said, it is our responsibility to share in our abundance for those that lead us spiritually.
Now if we look at Paul, we see he really didn’t talk about money that often, but when he did he felt it important. Also to note he was less keen to accepting money from his supporting churches, preferring for that money and aid to go to the local pastor and other missionaries.
If we have sown spiritual things among you, is it too much if we reap material things from you? If others share this rightful claim on you, do not we even more? Nevertheless, we have not made use of this right, but we endure anything rather than put an obstacle in the way of the gospel of Christ.
During the whole home shortsale thing, Kristin and I participated in the Dave Ramsay Financial Peace University because of our debt. But the main thing that we got from that experience is that we weren’t tithing. We weren’t sharing what God had provided for us, and through that experience we discovered that we weren’t where God wanted us to be.
Now I’m not saying that our not tithing contributed to our problem. What I am saying is that we were not providing back to those that ministered to us, thus we were not sharing in the good. When we all contribute to the ministry yes, the building can get nicer and the pastor may be able to become full time, but most importantly we can reach more for Christ through funding other ministers - church plants, missionaries, things of that nature - fulfilling the great commission. Share in the financial to share Christ to everyone.
Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common.
Like Paul, I don’t like to talk about money that often, and I intend to do so only once per year. And this ain’t that time, so we’ll just leave it at that for now.
4. Plant Good Seed
Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. 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.
We reap what we sow. WE reap what we sow. Again, Paul talking to Christians here. I have to put that stipulation here because I think this is one of the areas where the world gets the concept that if we do enough good we’ll earn our way to heaven. But that’s not what Paul is saying here. Paul is reminding us that we, who are Christians, live in the Spirit and the true Christian will follow the call and leading of the Spirit to reap eternal life. Because in order to sow to the Spirit we have to first have the Spirit which is the work of Christ to introduce us to the Spirit. Paul’s leaning back on the works of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit, and he’s wanting to drive that home.
He’s reminding us that we shouldn’t keep on sinning as if our salvation was cheap. We’ve now seen that the past few weeks, the works of the flesh do not show Christ to the world. 1 Corinthians 15:33-34 even reminds us to stay away from those people and things that would lead us astray
Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.” Wake up from your drunken stupor, as is right, and do not go on sinning. For some have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame.
Fleshly living still has consequences of the flesh. In other words, we can be forgiven, however there are still consequences. The flesh lies with gratification and self, both of which have consequences that affect us, but the Spirit reaps fruit. If we go chasing the works of the flesh, all we’re going to get in return is the consequences, could be illness, ruin, broken relationships, whatever. It may be that we don’t ever see the consequences here on this earth. But if we reside in the Spirit, remembering and following His leadership, the only consequence is a closer relationship with Jesus and the Church family.
5. Don’t Quit.
Don’t. Quit.
And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.
We cannot stop doing good. Now I know this week has taken a toll on a lot of us, and many of us are left wondering what now?
First, let me say Jesus never left the throne. He was on the throne when time began, and no matter who is our president, no matter who the leader is in Iran, no matter who the next president or king or dictator of whatever country you want to name, Jesus will continue to be King.
Second, believe it or not, the Galatians were dealing with similar issues in their community. But worse, because they were being beaten, imprisoned, even executed. They had legalism of the Jews on one side of them and they had the complete carnal flesh on the other. And Paul is telling them to keep the faith.
And third, we aren’t doing good for those presidents or kings. We’re doing it for The King. We’re doing it because we know, at the end of the day, the victory is already ours. We’re just waiting for the “due season” of the triumphal return of Christ to take His throne. We’re called to do good to everyone, but we’re especially called to do good to those who are Christians - all Christians, regardless of the denomination. If they profess Christ as Lord, we’re supposed to support each other.
Now here’s a story of a man who persevered -
William Carey. William Carey was the first Baptist pastor who saw the Great Commission as a command for every generation of Christian. In other words, the rest of the Baptist preachers thought he was coo-coo. So he and this group of 3 others decide to follow God’s call and be the first Baptist missionaries, and they head from England to India in 1793, studying Bengali the entire 5 month trip.
So the first hurdle cleared, he raised the funds from a bunch of people who thought he was nuts and he’s made it to India. But it doesn’t stop there.
In India they had to find jobs because they had seriously underestimated the cost of living there. They survived in gang ridden marshy area where they had to deal with malaria, tigers and cobra snakes.
Now be honest, if we were there, most of us were out before we even left on the trip. And I’ve been at sea for 5 months, it ain’t no picnic now, and it certainly wasn’t then. If you were still in it after that, where are you now that I’ve mentioned gangs, malaria, tigers, and cobras?
Now do that for 7 years without one soul being affected for Jesus. 7 years until the first salvation and baptism. By the time he passed, he could only count about 700 salvations in a country of millions in the 41 years he was on the mission field. Only.
William’s due season was long awaited. He knew he couldn’t stop doing good. William was walking in the Spirit, being led, to persevere to the end.
We all are to strive to do as Paul writes in
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
As time today comes to a close, we must consider a few things. And we have to consider them in the first person, with our heads bowed and our eyes closed.
How am I doing at bearing my fellow brother and sister’s burdens? Do I help out, or do I just try to find a way to leave the conversation?
Do I support the church in it’s mission, either materially or spiritually?
When times get hard, can I faithfully say that I have the perseverance to press on and finish the race, or do I quit because the finish line is still too far away?
We have to be honest with ourselves on these questions. And if you answer them positively, that’s great, but we also have to remember that we are going to be challenged - there are going to be events and people or things that make all of these hard, but that’s the reason it is hard, to develop us and help us to stay on course -
Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
The other thing we need to consider is do I know Christ? If the answer to that question is anything other than yes, God is pulling at your heart strings to come to Him. If you don’t know how to do that I’m going to make it simple today - Admit to God that your a sinner. Romans 3:23 says we all are sinners, and because of that we are separated from Him for eternity. But John 3:16 tells us that God loved the world, and He loved it so much that He gave His only Son just so that you and I could have a relationship with Him if we believe in Him and what He did. What did He do for me? Romans 5:8 tells us that while we were still sinners, Jesus died for us, and then Romans 10:9 tells us that He rose from the dead, proclaiming victory! Thing is, He can’t force you into a relationship with Him. He calls you, and He’s calling you today.
You know you need Jesus, you know that He loves you more than anyone ever could - Romans 10:9 and 10 says
: “…if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.”
So the first step was admitting to God that you’re a sinner. The second step is to believe that Jesus came to die and be raised from the dead for your sins. The last thing is to confess Jesus as Lord. Don’t hold yourself back from the greatest decision you could ever make. This is your time. If that’s you, if God is calling to you to draw into a relationship with the only perfect father, answer Him today. If you don’t know how to start, you can come get me, or get someone else’s attention, or you can even just pray right where you and admit to God that you are a sinner and that you believe that He can save you and choose Him as Lord of your life.
Now is the time, the altar is here, come as He calls.
Heavenly Father
Questions for the week:
Have I set the watch over my heart? Am I looking out for those brothers and sisters around me, or do I just let them go because it’s “none of my business”?
How am I at sharing when I have needs? Do I keep it to myself, or do I let others share in the burden and minister to me? How am I at discerning when I need help verses when I am able to do something on my own?
Do I provide for the church, or do I just show up on Sunday. Do I give joyfully? Do I serve to the full extent God has called me to?
Am I following the Spirit, or am I allowing myself to be led astray by those that God would call “bad company”?
Am I persevering, or am I flaky? Do I consistently do these things, or do I quit when things get hard?