Parkerville Baptist Church
Jason says, “As a community of God’s people we are called to take care of one another and esteem each other more than ourselves. We are also called to bear each other’s burdens. I wonder what comes to mind for you when you think about caring for other people. Perhaps it’s a desire to ‘fix’, ‘heal’ or ‘restore’ the other. I wonder if this is what we are called to do or is this something God does, and if so how does God heal and when does He restore? Come along on Sunday to hear more.”
Galatians 6:1-5 NIV
The church at Galatia had lost sight of the Gospel
Galatians 3:1-2 NIV
The Galatian believers start to keep the law as a requirement for salvation and it is notable by Paul's comments that this caused a sense of competition and disunity in the Galatian church.
Galatians 5:15 NIV
Galatians 5:26 NIV
The Gospel
There is a connection here to unity and the gospel. Throughout this letter Paul is correcting the Galatians view of the Gospel and he knows that if they understand the gospel then there will be unity in the body.
I think it is accurate to say, anytime there is disunity in the body it is because we have lost sight of the gospel.
To live out the gospel means we can bear each other’s burdens.
Is bearing each other’s burdens fixing each other, healing each other?
Even as Paul uses the word to “restore” what does that mean to you?
What does “restore” mean? Does it mean to fix to heal?
What does restoration mean? The NLT renders it like this to “humbly and gently help that person back onto the right path."
Are we the ones who are fixing or is it God? Is the Holy Spirit?
How does this look?
How would you want to be treated if you were going through a difficult time?
How would you want to be treated?
I think many might come to a passage like this and say what would I do If I were to come along side someone who had stumbled, fallen, sinned or even someone who just has a weight / burden upon them.
Or perhaps you might be thinking how I would approach someone.
Maybe the question should be:
How would I like someone to approach me If I stumbled, if I had sinned, if I had a marriage breakdown, if I got drunk one night and made a fool of yourself, if I committed adultery, If I became sick, If I lost a spouse, my wife, my husband, my child?
How would I like to be cared for?
Would I like to be judged?
Would I like to be condemned?
Would I want to be fixed?
Or would I like someone to care for me, to be gentle, to be kind, to listen, a shoulder to cry on?
We are called to fulfill the law of Christ, or perhaps it could be said in this way. Love your neighbor as yourself. As you would like to be treated, treat others the same in the context of Christ’s love.
