Galatians 6:1-5 Community
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The Loving Burden Bearers
The Loving Burden Bearers
One of my very favorite things on Sunday mornings is this greeting time. I don’t know if it is your thing or not, some people may really hate it and find it awkward but I love it. And not because it gives me a chance to put my mic on or hit the record button or move stands around. I really do enjoy seeing the community that is displayed among the body of Christ. And today is 5th Sunday, which is again, another part of the community that we share here together.
I don’t think it is any coincidence that we are talking about this today. Over the last month we have been talking in our home group just what church discipline is supposed to look t from the perspective of God’s Holy Word and not on how it looks or how it makes us feel. When a sin happens, whether it is with a spouse, or a child, or a friend, what do we as brothers or sisters in Christ do about it? Do we bring up a sin? Or do we let it go? How do we, or do we bring up someone’s obvious sin to someone else?
Many people have been offended, turned off, burdened by a well-meaning Christian who has tried to help someone deal with sin.
Because many people have been offended, turned off, burdened by a well-meaning Christian who has tried to help someone deal with sin. I could ask for a raise of hands of people who know someone who was offended by someone else who was trying to help them with their sin.
Now We must never lose focus that sin is serious, it’s deadly, but many of us hang on to it thinking that it’s just this little thing and I can keep it to myself.
1500 Illustrations for Biblical Preaching Sin, Response To
French aristocrat Baron Richard d’Arcy kept a strange pet in his home: a two-year-old lion. One night in 1977, the baron tried to make his pet enter the bathroom, where it usually spent the night, but it refused to go and leaped on its master. In a matter of minutes, the lion had clawed the baron to death.
Christians should deal with sin definitely and drastically. We must not permit any “pet” sins, since that means we are playing with evil. Only by severe dealing with a sin can we be sure that we will not become the victim of it.1282
Sin is dangerous and it needs to be addressed but it must be done so in the spirit of gentleness with the goal of restoration.
I don’t think it is any coincidence that we are talking about this today. Over the last month we have been talking in our home group just what this is supposed to look like from the perspective of God’s Holy Word and not on how it looks or how it makes us feel.
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. 2 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. 3 For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. 4 But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. 5 For each will have to bear his own load.
I think we need to start off with the idea that we are a community, we are a family. God sees us not just as his individual children, it goes deeper than that. God sees us as part of a family, or a body and when one part of the body suffers we all suffer. One of the issues that we need to talk about is the issue of sin. Now where is the church supposed to land when it comes to sin in the church?
The problem is that the church, historically has many times landed on two extremes: either they end up on a witch hunt and do not treat people with love, or, they chose to look away and do nothing about it. I should say that some churches really get it right. But we don’t hear about those, we only hear about the one’s that do it poorly.
We have to take sin seriously. And there are those who will say that someone else’s sin doesn’t affect me. But they would be wrong.
Someone’s personal sin doesn’t just affect them, it affects the whole church.
If we go back to what we were talking about last week in chapter 5, Paul does not describe a particular sin. He lists a group of sins which are not exhaustive but representative; meaning he didn’t list all the sins that are bad (because all sins are bad). He lists types of sins and you can go back and read them when you get home in 5:20-24. There he lists 4 that can be characterized as sexual sins, false worship, interpersonal relationships and sins of personal excess.
And if you notice, Paul calls out sin, and just like Paul calls it out, The bible tells us to call out sin.
The bible tells us to call out sin. People say, but Jesus says not to judge but that isn’t what that verse talks about. We as Christians, as those walking with the Lord, who know the truth are called according to Scripture to call out sin. Commanded to go and help them and restore them with their sin.
verse 1 if anyone is caught in a sin you who are spiritual should restore him.
People say, but Jesus says not to judge but that isn’t what that verse talks about. Judging means not doing anything but pointing a finger and not helping.
Believers are warned against judging others unfairly or unrighteously, but Jesus commends “right judgment” (, Where Jesus says “Do not judge by mere appearances but judge with right judgement.
We as Christians, those walking with the Lord, who know the truth are called according to Scripture to call out sin. Commanded to go and help them and restore them with their sin.
That really is the point. We get so hung up on the calling out someone’s sin because we will be branded as judgmental, but there is a purpose in this judging. The purpose is Restoration.
Word is Katartizo is a Greek medical word used for setting a broken bone. It means to restore to its former condition.
Restoration. Word is Katartizo is a Greek medical word used for setting a broken bone. It means to restore to its former condition.
That word Gently, I don’t want you to be confused because that word doesn’t mean softly, or gentle like to touch, if you are putting a shoulder back into socket it takes strength, its hard. What the word means is humbly. That is such a key here. Humbly.
The legalist is the finger pointer, the one who points it out and doesn‘t do anything except maybe gossip about it. I fear that this is why some of you right now are having the knee jerk reaction that you are having because you have very possibly experienced someone judging you unlovingly. You have been judged, gossiped about and ignored.
You would feel the way you feel. This is a huge problem with the church because you have heard and I have heard about people who have been wronged by the very people who are supposed to be helping.
But we are called to be loving, loving is telling the truth, calling out the sin, but then being humble in the spirit of restoration. Bringing that person back into a loving community where the worship of God will not be hindered by sin.
You who are spiritual are commanded to help those who have fallen and the concept is that you can’t just let it go. Our love motivates us to help the brother or sister in sin.
So that means it is our responsibility to bring them back. Our attitude has to be, this is my family and we need to take care of this.
It’s like the latest public service announcements, see something say something, see something say something. It’s our responsibility to bring back our brother or sister.
love motivates the christian to fallen bros
18 If I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, in order to save his life, that wicked person shall die for his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand.
God wants those who know Him to help those who have fallen. We can’t just ignore it.
19 My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back,
19 My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, 20 let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.
James
Calling out sin, humbly, It’s the most loving thing we can do (First for the person in sin, then for the whole church) we need to protect the church… because sin will affect the whole church.
We see this played out in the story of Jonah. the whole ship goes down jonah jonah also restored
It’s the most loving thing we can do (First for the church, then for the individual) protect the church… (NT Verse) restore the believer (OT verse)
the whole ship goes down jonah jonah also restored
13 Nevertheless, the men rowed hard to get back to dry land, but they could not, for the sea grew more and more tempestuous against them. 14 Therefore they called out to the Lord, “O Lord, let us not perish for this man’s life, and lay not on us innocent blood, for you, O Lord, have done as it pleased you.” 15 So they picked up Jonah and hurled him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging. 16 Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows.
וְ
Nevertheless, the men rowed hard to get back to dry land, but they could not, for the sea grew more and more tempestuous against them. 14 Therefore they called out to the Lord, “O Lord, let us not perish for this man’s life, and lay not on us innocent blood, for you, O Lord, have done as it pleased you.” 15 So they picked up Jonah and hurled him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging. 16 Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows.
Those men were in trouble because of someone else’s disobedience to God. They were going to pay for Jonah’s disobedience unless they took care of the problem. If they didn’t throw Jonah overboard their ship would have gone down. They would have died, Jonah would have died, the entire city of Nineveh would not have heard the prophecy of the Lord through Jonah.
Sin doesn’t just affect the sinner, but those who are close.
וְ
v2 you who are spiritual, the word is pneumatikos it means one who lives according to the spirit. Not perfect mind you, but one who is living under the influence of the Holy Spirit. That is the person who does it although we are all called to live like that.
Notice what Paul does, the very next sentence says “Keep watch on yourself...” Which means that as God’s children we always need to be on the watch. We always need to be keeping in step with God in our lives. We don’t get the diploma and then put it away. We practice. That is how you remain qualified to lovingly help those in your family when they are caught in a sin.
This is what a Spirit led community look like
be spiritual
gentle
humble
Many people have been offended, turned off, burdened by a well-meaning Christian who has tried to help someone deal with sin.
We must never lose focus that sin is serious, it needs to be addressed but it must be done so in the spirit of gentleness with the goal of restoration.
What does a Spirit led community look like
If we aren’t careful we will forget that God although altogether lovely demands perfection.
He gave us the opportunity for perfection through sacrificing His Son because we can’t do it, but it doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t do it.
Brewsters gives away free ice cream, on pajama day but you have to wear your pajama’s, there is a condition to be met.
God’s condition is that we surrender to Jesus Christ and then live for him. We can’t just bow to every desire and sin and think that we are in the clear.
Sin separates.
The main thing a spiritual community does
Bear one another’s burdens (in particular, sin) through spiritual restoration......in a spirit of gentleness This part of what serving one another means.
13 For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.
We all do it, but what do we do with it?
We compare
This isn’t a Christian thing, this is a human thing. We are all guilty before God without Christ and people feel that guilt whether they realize it or not. And they act out. They point out other people’s sin because it is a lot easier to do that.
Reality shows. People don’t watch them Jerry Springer
Preaching the Word: Galatians—Gospel-Rooted Living Pride and Conceit: Roadblocks to Spiritual Restoration (5:26)
Spirit-led communities, and Spirit-led individuals, do spiritual restoration. But they only do it—or at least only do it well—when they’re not tempted by their own pride and conceit. Thus Paul warns the Galatians, “Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted” (v. 1).
SO we let the person go on in pain without addressing it when a person has a need that needs to be brought out in a straightforward way to bring about healing.
Here is something that is so important to understand. This is such a big deal so please here this. If anything here this...
The Letters to the Galatians and Ephesians Burden-Bearing (Galatians 6:1–5)
The whole atmosphere of the word lays the stress not on punishment but on cure; the correction is thought of not as a penalty but as putting something right
When you discipline your kids its not because you hate them but because you love them. You want them to grow up doing the right things. You are teaching them that this is wrong and this is right. It’s done in a spirit of love.
3 For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. 4 But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. 5 For each will have to bear his own load.
Galatians 6:3-
Paul says… keep watch on yourself. Because no person is above temptation and no person is above sin so we have to regularly think about the fact that we will stand before God and do we consider that we have a responsibility not just to our own life, but in the lives of those we fellowship with.
But always, doing what Paul says… keep watch on yourself. Because no person is above temptation and no person is above sin so we have to regularly think about the fact that we will stand before God and do we consider that we have a responsibility not just to our own life, but in the lives of those we fellowship with.
Preaching the Word: Galatians—Gospel-Rooted Living Keep Your Eye on the Judgment (6:5)
Gazing at the final judgment ought to be a regular part of our Christian discipleship.
You can’t just sit on a pedestal and point casting down judgement, the spirit here is that you take care of yourself so that you can care for others.
Preaching the Word: Galatians—Gospel-Rooted Living Keep Your Eye on the Judgment (6:5)
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil” (2 Corinthians 5:10).
But more than that, keeping our eye on the judgment is a great antidote to conceit and thus a great help to bearing burdens rather than judging one another.
IF we think about the fact that we all will face God’s judgement it has a way of putting this idea of restoring someone in gentleness.
10 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; 11 for it is written,
“As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me,
and every tongue shall confess to God.”
12 So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.
And so we make sure that if we are going to restore someone in a spirit of gentleness that we are always keeping watch on ourselves.
This is what verse 5 means. I want to point it out really quick just because you may look at it and go what?
5 For each will have to bear his own load.
Preaching the Word: Galatians—Gospel-Rooted Living Practical Steps toward Better Burden Bearing
Spiritual restoration is—or at least ought to be—part of the regular business of any small group. If you’re in a small group and this kind of work never happens, it may be time to ask some honest questions about the depth of spiritual maturity of the group, or the depth of intimacy and commitment within the group.
I pray you understand this today. I pray that you get what scripture is saying here. Not always easy to hear.
1500 Illustrations for Biblical Preaching Sin, Response To
French aristocrat Baron Richard d’Arcy kept a strange pet in his home: a two-year-old lion. One night in 1977, the baron tried to make his pet enter the bathroom, where it usually spent the night, but it refused to go and leaped on its master. In a matter of minutes, the lion had clawed the baron to death.
Christians should deal with sin definitely and drastically. We must not permit any “pet” sins, since that means we are playing with evil. Only by severe dealing with a sin can we be sure that we will not become the victim of it.1282
1500 Illustrations for Biblical Preaching Sin, Response To
What would you think of a doctor who, on discovering you had a tumor buried deep in your body, responded, “Take two aspirin and you’ll be just fine”?
How about a fireman who responded to a three-alarm fire by saying, “It’ll probably burn itself out soon enough,” or a policeman who, on arriving at the scene of a robbery, merely shook his head and said, “Boys will be boys”!
In each case the response is inappropriate to the situation. Is your response to sin also inappropriate?
Confronting sin in someone else’s life is really hard. Especially when we are sinners ourselves. But, that is why Jesus says to make sure to take the plank is out of our eye and then to go and help remove the speck from our brother.
1500 Illustrations for Biblical Preaching Sin, Toleration Of
Sin, Toleration of
For two years the hydraulic earthquake stabilizers in the thirteen-story “Nuevo Leon” apartment building in Mexico City were left out of service. Then, unexpectedly, at 7:30 A.M. on September 19, 1985, a devastating earthquake shook Mexico City. The thirteen-story building began to sway. Without hydraulic stabilizers to cushion the shocks, the building continued to sway until finally a third of it broke loose at the foundation and fell over sideways. Another third came crumbling down, floor on floor, crushed like a tin can. Only one third was left standing. For fifteen days rescuers dug through the rubble to search for survivors. Unfortunately, for most, the results of neglecting the inner defects were tragic.
So it is with our inner spiritual life and sin. To neglect the one is to open ourselves to the tragic results of the other.1289
Who do you know who is caught up in sin? Are you going to walk away from here today knowingly disobeying what the Scriptures say? We have made sin so private that we never want to deal with it but the word, the law of Christ is to love one another and share with one another.
The most loving thing you can do is bring someone who is in sin back to God. IF you ignore it that is the worst thing.
How can I help someone else out when my own sin is
How can I help someone else out when my own sin is
Everyone should carry his own load. There is your own load that you need to carry while you bear one another’s burden.
We need to be burdened for one another. If you are hard, calloused, don’t feel anything… respond by saying, I want to have God soften my heart when it comes to others sin. That their sin is not just their problem but my problem as well because they are family. It’s my responsibility.
Do you have someone who loves you enough, do you love someone enough to bring up sin in your life even when it was difficult for them because they wanted your well being.
Invitation
Maybe you are the person who got caught in a sin. You are trying to live for the Lord but you got caught up in something and you know it isn’t right and you want to be made right. Can I pray for you?
Or maybe you really understand for the first time what it was that Jesus did for you and you want to surrender your life to Jesus. We can do that right now too. If you have never been baptized the scriptures say, Jesus says that when you trust in Him for your salvation that baptism is a really important part of that and we can have a conversation about that too.