“Operation Restoration”
(Gal. 6:1-5)
Good morning! Great to be with you as we break open God’s word to see what He has in store for us today. I’m reminded daily of God’s blessing and faithfulness to me and my family and it’s my heart’s desire to be faithful to him in what He has called me to do in proclaiming His word. I would just like to say that the work of a minister of the gospel today is one of great difficulty I have found out in these 2 and a half years I’ve been in the ministry. There are so many issues and so many things that happen in people’s lives that make it hard to know just what to say at times.
I’ve found out that some of the things I’ve said in the pulpit people just don’t like (and they’ve let me know it). But I told the Lord when I surrendered to preach that I would always take my call seriously and I’ve tried to. I always want to say things that will help folks in their walk with the Lord Jesus but I don’t ever, ever, ever just want to just entertain or tickle the ears of those listening. I want to always preach the whole counsel of God.
This morning I want to tackle one of those delicate issues, one that we need to be reminded of quite often. I want to speak this morning about brotherly restoration of those who have fallen into sin. And before I get started I want you to know that this is not aimed at any particular person or persons. I just want us to be aware of the need for restoration within the body of Christ. I’ve entitled today’s message, “Operation Restoration”. Turn if you will in your Bibles this morning to the book of Galatians chapter 6. We’re going to be looking at verses 1-5. The book of Galatians was written by the apostle Paul under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. It deals with a number of important issues including the one we’re going to look at this morning. (Read/Pray)
The very first thing I want us to see in this passage is the word “man”. We need to realize that that doesn’t mean the male gender only. Jesus said, “Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” He didn’t just mean men there, it includes women also. This passage of scripture is referring to men and women so when we use the word “man” or “brother” I want you to know that we’re including both genders.
Some versions use the word “someone”. It’s the Greek word “Anthropos” where we get the word anthropology, which means the study of man. It basically means “A human being.” People just like us who has the same desires, the same passions, and the same urges as we do. They have a fleshly body so therefore they’re going to face the same temptations we do because the scripture tells us in I Cor. 10:13 that all temptation is common to man.
Well, this passage of scripture refers to the Christian who has given in to temptation, fallen into sin and his fellowship with the Lord has been broken. We all know them. We may have been there or may be there now. Well, what is the attitude of the church to be? Do we ignore them? Do we criticize them? Do we withdraw from them? Do we spread rumors about them? Do we write them off? Sadly to say some do but that’s not what the word of God says. Look at verse 1. There are some guidelines for us to follow. First of all we are to,
I.Let Those Who Are Spiritual Handle The Matter .
This is talking about those who are walking in the Spirit, those who are guided by the assistance of the Holy Spirit. In other words, those who walk close to the Lord Jesus. These are the ones to handle delicate matters like this. But you know what happens most of the time? The wrong person approaches this individual and starts condemning them up one side and down the other and only pushes them farther away. I think sometimes as Christians we shoot our own wounded and leave them to the buzzards.
The kind of person that has to approach a sinning brother or sister has to be patient and loving and let them know they care about them. Another thing is this, their life has to be right with the Lord Jesus before he can confront someone else about their condition. They can’t be full of arrogance and pride and a lack of self control because you know as well as I do that won’t get them anywhere when talking to an individual. No one likes to be talked down to! Those who are spiritual have to be the one to confront a fallen brother or sister. The second thing verse 1 tells us do is to,
II.Restore The Individual In The Spirit Of Gentleness or Meekness.
I like the way the apostle Paul lays it out here. He kind of goes against the grain from what we normally do. We usually come at someone who’s messed up with hardness and indifference and rejection (That kind of holier than thou attitude). All that does is down someone. No wonder people leave the church and turn to the world for some kind of compassion. Now I know there are times when we have to be alittle forceful with someone to try to straighten them out but when you get down to it those times are more rare than necessary.
But a spirit of rejection is not what scripture is telling us to show. It’s a spirit of gentleness or meekness, to be tender, warm, loving and caring. We need to discuss their problem, but with them and not other people. Folks, over the years I’ve talked to a lot of people about their difficulties and I’ve always found that it’s better to do it one on one. It’s easier for them to open up, they feel less threatened. They don’t want to be pushed away. They want to be accepted. That doesn’t mean we agree with what they did or accept what they did as okay but we need to take one step at a time. Now, verse 1 uses the word “restore”. You know what that word means? That word literally means, and I want you to get a picture of this in your mind, “to set the broken bone” or “to mend a net that has a hole in it.” That’s what a sinning believer is – a broken bone in the body of Christ and it needs to reset so it can grow again properly.
Folks, are you getting what I’m trying to say? We can’t just write off people that have messed up – they need mending! We are to restore them with a spirit of gentleness. If you try to set a broken bone and you’re not careful you’re going to cause more pain than the person is already in and you really don’t want that! They need a tender touch and a gentle spirit. They need to know you care! There’s one more thing found in verse 1. We’re to let those who are spiritual handle the matter and we’re to do it in a spirit of gentleness, but thirdly we are to,
III.Consider Ourselves Because The Same Thing Can Happen To Us.
“ Considering yourself lest you also be tempted.” Now this is an important point because all believers are tempted with all kinds of sin. What I’m tempted with you may not have a problem with and what you’re tempted with may not be a problem for me in a given area. But just because it’s never happened to you don’t think it can’t. The devil doesn’t favor you over someone else, he’ll do all he can to destroy your testimony for Jesus Christ. And if you’re not a strong, mature believer, making an effort to spend time with God in His word and in prayer don’t think you can’t fall into sin because you can and I can too!
We’ve got to love and care for those who have fallen the same way we would want to be loved and cared for if something happened to us. Jesus told us to love Him first and then to love our neighbor as ourselves. That includes those who have fallen by the wayside. The word “consider” there in verse 1 means “to look to one’s self” or “to think about one’s self”, “to give attention to one’s self.” It doesn’t mean here to be selfish or prideful. It means “to keep an attentive eye on yourself so that you don’t get into something you shouldn’t.”
I Cor. 10:12 says, “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.” And when we really consider that, then we’ll try a little harder to reach out to those who have fallen with love and let them know there’s forgiveness and restoration in Christ. The next thing we’re to do if we’re going to restore fallen brothers and sisters is found in verse 2,
IV.We Are To Bear One Another’s Burdens.
“Bear one another’s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ.”
Did you catch what that? If we bear one another’s burdens we fulfill the law of Christ. Well what is the law of Christ? Now listen, don’t miss this, the law of Christ is three little words “Love one another”! You say, “well how do you know that?” Jesus said in John chapter 13 verse 34, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.”
He also said in John 15 verse 12, “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” And Paul has already discussed “the law of love” in Galatians chapter 5 in verse 13-15 where he says, “For you brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another!”
The Lord Jesus gave Himself. He sacrificed Himself to reach out to man. He bore the sins of man for man. We could never do that but we can bear the burdens of each other because we all suffer under the weight of sin – whether the sins are known to others or not. We’re called to be compassionate, to be forgiving, to be encouragers, to pray for folks, and to hurt with them if necessary. Rom. 12:15 tells us to, “Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.” Rom. 15:1 says, “We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.” Folks, ministry is all about other people! And it doesn’t take that much to minister to someone. It may be a little time, a listening ear, an encouraging word, a visit, a phone call or whatever. But the results can be a changed life. Isn’t that worth it?
Phil. 2:3-4 says, “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.” True Christian love leads us not to show somebody else’s problems in order to make ourselves look better. We’ve got to die to self if we want to walk close to the Lord Jesus Christ. I know some Christians whose favorite words are I, me, and mine. They really can’t minister to anybody without telling them everything they know and what they can do or where they’ve been. Sometimes we need to just shut up about us so God can work through us the way He wants to. And that brings me to the next point in verse 3.
V.We Have To Confess Our Own Nothingness
Look at verse 3 (read).
Now I’m not saying we’re nothing. I mean, God created us. We are fearfully and wonderfully made. He has a wonderful plan for all of our lives. What I’m trying to say here is sometimes we think just because we’re faithful in our church attendance, or we’ve read the Bible through 47 times or we’ve led this many people to Jesus or we’ve got a degree in this or that, that we think we’re super-saints. Need I remind you that we are all sinners. Those of us who know Christ as our Savior still have a sinful nature that battles the divine nature within us. Sometimes people who have fallen by the wayside or gotten caught up in sin just feel like nothing and sometimes the reason they feel that way is because we treat them that way.
Do you think God loves you and me more than He loves somebody who has messed up big time? He doesn’t! Now I’m not trying to excuse somebody’s sin. That has to be dealt with before they can be in fellowship with God again. The point I’m trying to make is this – There’s no place among God’s people for super-spirituality or spiritual snobbishness or spiritual pride. Now don’t take this the wrong way, okay? Just because a Christian brother or sister has fallen into sin and you haven’t doesn’t make you and me better than them. Because in the end we all have to stand before a holy, righteous God and give an account of our lives.
What we have to recognize is the fact that we are totally dependent on the grace of God to get to heaven through His Son Jesus Christ not on what we have or haven’t done.
Our confession is in Jesus Christ and no one else. And if you think you’re something super duper when you’re not you’re deceiving yourself my friend! And when a believer understands that then they’re ready to reach out and help restore a fallen brother or sister. And let me say this here, somebody who has fallen into sin is a lot more likely to listen to someone who knows they’re on the same level as them and not someone looking down on them.
When we look down on someone thinking we’re better than them we’re no better than the Pharisee who looked down on the Publican and told God, “Lord I thank you that I’m not like other men, including this tax collector here.” Proverbs 20 verse 6 says, “Most men will proclaim his own goodness, but who can find a faithful man?” If we’re going to reach a brother or sister who has fallen into sin and restore them back to spiritual help we’ve got to get the focus off of us before we can do it.
We’ve got to realize who and what we are and what God has taken us from where He’s taking us to by His grace. Folks, in ourselves we’re nothing, but He’s everything! Jesus said in John 15 verse 5, “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” Paul says, “If anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.” The next thing I want us to see about restoration is this,
VI.We Have To Examine Our Own Works And Conduct
Look at verse 4 (read).
This is referring to behavior more than anything else, what we say and what we do. The reason the apostle Paul included this verse in this text is the simple fact that we are to be keeping a close eye on our own lives before we can look at the life of somebody else. Now, when we see a believer that is doing something they shouldn’t be doing we really should confront them about it but before you confront them about it make sure you’re not doing the same thing in your own life!
Jesus said, “Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye and not consider the board you have in your own eye? First get rid of board in your own eye then you can see more clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” (Matt. 7:3-5)
You know, there’s so much evil flying all around us and the flesh is so weak that it’s really hard for us to keep ourselves unstained somewhat by it. The flesh wants acceptance and recognition and honor and position and approval. It wants us to try and do and experience and have. Here’s what I’m trying to say – temptation is all around us, ALL OF US! And if we don’t watch it and we lower our guard, we can get caught up in something and before you know it we’re in pretty deep. Folks, I’ve seen it happen. It’s a good thing to constantly examine our own lives. And when we do that we are more likely not to compare ourselves to somebody else. Don’t make somebody else look bad to make yourself look good. It’s a joy to see others living as they should but when we are living the way we should then there’s real call for rejoicing and that’s what Paul’s saying in verse 4. But finally,
VII.We Are To Realize Our Own Duty And Responsibility.
Look at verse 5 (read).
As fellow believers we have a responsibility to the body of Christ. So when we see or hear of a brother or sister that needs restoration we can’t just run them off or throw them out of the church or never speak to them again. We can’t do that – after all they are a part of the body. Now as a minister I realize that there are those who become hard-hearted because of their sin and require church disciple. And it takes a lot longer to reach those I know. But you know what? There are other believers who have gotten into things that they know they shouldn’t have and they’re genuinely sorry and are making real efforts toward repentance but they’re scared to come back home because they fear rejection from the rest of us.
Verse 5 is a warning. Every believer has to bear their own burdens and in order for us to do that we have to get our eyes off of other people’s failures and realize we have failures too. We are not to ever take sin lightly. It has to be dealt with! I’m just trying to say this morning that there are brothers and sisters that are out there hurting and many of them want our love and help. Will we give it to them and help them find their way back home?
If Operation Restoration were a secret mission and the secret agent was given instructions they would probably sound like this,
1. Let those who are spiritual handle the matter.
2. Approach them in a spirit of gentleness.
3. Consider yourself because the same thing can happen to you.
4. Bear one another’s burdens.
5. Confess your own nothingness.
6. Realize your own duty and responsibility.
( Every head bowed and eyes closed please as we prepare for decision time )
This hasn’t been a easy message to preach, it was difficult to prepare. I wanted to be sure to say everything the right way and not confuse anybody or anything like that. I just wanted us to be aware of this great need among us today.
Now I know I’ve mainly spoken to believers this morning but maybe you’re here and you’ve never trusted Christ as your personal Savior. Now is your opportunity to do that. Maybe God has spoken to your heart about restoration. You can find that here this morning in the Lord Jesus. Maybe you just want to come to the altar and pray for someone who’s strayed from God or I’d love to pray with you or maybe there are other needs in your life. Whatever they are Jesus is waiting for you now.
