"Bearing Burdens"

Welcome/Prayer

Music Ministry

Count Your Blessings

We are So Blessed

Come Thou Fount (Above All Else)

Word of God: Galatians 6:1-5 [Gem Evans]

Message: “Bearing Burdens”

God created us and God knows best what we need in life

In the very beginning, God created everything from nothing

Genesis gives us the story

After God created man in the form of Adam

Adam was placed in the Garden of Eden to take care of it, but not eat of the forbidden tree

Matthew 1:2

Then, God makes this great decision in Genesis 2:18

Genesis 2:18 ESV

18 Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.”

We were made FOR relationship

We were made to depend on each other for help

We were made to help others

We are NOT made to make it alone

We are NOT made to show the faults in others

Often in family counseling I remind families that spouses have a primary responsibility to

Come alongside their spouse

To be strength where their spouse might be weaker

That coming together as one means filling in the gaps

and it means accepting the help of their partner

Not that THEY are less, but that the new united couple is MORE

That’s basically what Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 tells us when the author is lamenting about oppression in general and says:

Ecclesiastes 4:9–12 ESV

9 Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. 10 For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! 11 Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? 12 And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

Oppression is NOT new and the benefit of having a partner to stand against oppression is not new

In fact, God, designed us to work together for a unified purpose

Much like my example of couple in marriage, we each have a role to play, a job to do

As Believers, our role is clear

We are NOT to be the ones tearing others down

We are to be the ones who provide a positive way out and away from the problems of today

Even, especially, when the problem is personal behavior

If society would live by Galatians 6:1,

There would be maybe a lot less on Social media

The so-called news media would go out of business

And the average person would have enough free time to solve the problem of hunger and ?

Let’s look at Galatians 6:1 again

Galatians 6:1 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.

If you someone is caught in a transgression (sin) it is not godly to

Ruin their reputation

Get them fired from their job

Breakup all their relationships

get the voted off the island

Get them canceled from their TV show

Or even embarrass them

No. Galatians 6:1 tells us that we are to ‘restore them in a spirit of gentleness’

That doesn’t happen very often, does it?

In fact, it is common in the culture now for enemies to search your past statements and if they would be considered a transgression or violation of current societal norms

Even if that behavior was accepted as normal back in the day

You can be held accountable, fired or cancelled today because you didn’t know and act correctly for the future

To be fair

If we would all act in a manner pleasing to God, then most of those statements or actions of the past that get you in trouble today

Wouldn’t be a problem

So, what is the role for each of us Believers?

To stand with and love our neighbor

To not give in to temptation

And to help our neighbor so they don’t give in to sin

How important is helping our neighbor avoid sin?

Turn in your Bibles to Matthew 18:7 and mark this passage

Anytime you see “Woe to”, you don’t want to be that guy, right

Matthew 18:7 ESV

7 “Woe to the world for temptations to sin! For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes!

Sin is in this world, and that is just the way it is

Ever since the original sin of Adam, we know we will have to deal with sin

but “Woe to the one by whom temptation comes!”

Believers should be supportive of godly behavior for those around us

We cannot stoke the flames in disagreements

We cannot cause others to sin

If those around us end up sinning in any way,

Scripture is clear,

Then “woe to us”

We are in big trouble with God

What does that look like?

If you listen to your friend complain about something their spouse is doing

and you take any side but God’s side in the situation

Then woe to you

If you spread rumors or gossip and relationships are effected

then woe to you

and if you just can’t keep yourself from forwarding ungodly memes or messages on Social media

Then we need to continue by reading Matthew 18:8

Matthew 18:8 ESV

8 And if your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than with two hands or two feet to be thrown into the eternal fire.

I guess, that’s why some people refuse to have social media accounts

and likely more of us should consider cutting social media out of our lives as well

I have to spend a minute on the significance of bearing burdens in a godly way

Allowing a loved one or friend “vent” is common and can be helpful

What believers can’t do is allow the venting to lead into another venting session

We can’t stoke the flames or hold a grudge

We also can’t let someone stew in their misery of develop into anger

We can let someone vent, but then need to lead them to a godly method of dealing with the issue

If we become an echo chamber where we join voices to complain and anger,

then we sin and have helped lead another to sin

Woe to us

Consider appropriate prayer at the end of venting

Giving the problem over to God

Trusting God to have the solution

Asking God to make clear the path through this problem

Then hold the other accountable for trusting God’s perfection

And don’t let them stew in their anger

But letting someone stew, ruminate or stay in misery too long can certainly lead to sin

Romans 8:28 tells us that all things work together for good

So we must choose to look for ways to allow God’s goodness to be present in what we do and say

You should never watch a loved one shoot heroin into their veins just because it feels good to them

or because you don’t know the exact steps to helping them give up the drug

or lacking understanding of addiction

Let there be no doubt that some people are addicted to chaos, misery and anger

We do NOT serve the Kingdom of God well by watching someone feed that addiction

any more than if we were to give heroin and a needle to a drug addict

Galatians 6:2 tells us to

Galatians 6:2 ESV

2 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

This is a direct reference to what we studied several weeks ago in Galatians 5:14

Galatians 5:14 ESV

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

So, bearing or helping to carry the troubles of other people is one way to show God’s love

and a simple explanation of how to do this is found in Romans 15:1

Romans 15:1 ESV

1 We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves.

For everyone who feels like they have their spiritual act together

Paul is clearly telling you that the MORE together you are the higher the requirement for you to bear the burden of those around you

You are literally obligated to help others find the peace of Christ in the middle of their turmoil

When Paul told the Galatians in Galatians 6:3, I doubt he could know how much it would apply to society in 2021

Galatians 6:3 ESV

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

We live in what I think of a the “Me” generation

In other words, narcissism is rampant

So many believe the world revolves around them

With little or no consideration of their impact on those around them

This is even true among Believers in Christ

But if you are blessed with sincere humility and faith

then you know that life is NOT about YOU

Obedient believers in Christ live to serve God

Which means to love His people and show them the love of God

So that one day they will accept Jesus as their Savior

You will have to give an account to God for your action and inaction Romans 14:12

Romans 14:12 ESV

12 So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.

We should never boast to others

Be ready to Boast on God

and always be honest about how you are doing compared to the holiness to which God has called you

Open your Bible to, 2 Corinthians 13:5 and post this on your mirror

2 Corinthians 13:5 ESV

5 Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!

Let us all be certain that the mirror we use to view our lives is not a “fun-house” mirror

Full of distortions

Instead, let us see ourselves in the fullness and inerrant accuracy of God’s Word

Because we each will be judged by God

Even, perhaps especially, when we fail to help those around us carry their burden

Just as they do not carry their burden alone, we do not carry ours alone

No, as Paul said in Galatians 6:5,

Galatians 6:5 ESV

5 For each will have to bear his own load.

Brothers and sisters, Carry your burden well

Deal with the sin in your life

then you will be able to help others with their burden

That we may all one day hear God say

Well done my good and faithful servant

Amen!

Call to Commitment: “Alleluia”

Benediction