Introduction:
A. I want to begin with a story I used several years ago from Max Lucado’s book, In The Eye Of The Storm (published in 1991). It is a story about a parakeet named Chippie.
1. Chippie the parakeet never saw it coming. One second he was peacefully perched in his cage, and the next he was sucked in, washed up and blown over.
2. The problem began when Chippie’s owner decided to clean Chippie’s cage with a vacuum cleaner.
3. She put the end of the hose into Chippie’s cage to clean the bottom, but then the phone rang.
4. She turned to answer the phone, and barely said “hello” when she heard “ssssopp!”
5. Chippie was sucked into the vacuum.
6. The bird owner gasped, put down the phone, turned off the vacuum, and quickly opened the bag.
7. There was Chippie…still alive, but stunned.
8. Since the bird was covered with dust and dirt, she raced him to the bathroom, turned on the water and held Chippie under the running water.
9. Then, realizing that Chippie was soaked and shivering, she did what any compassionate bird owner would do…she reached for the hair blow dryer and blasted Chippie with hot air.
10. Poor Chippie never knew what hit him.
11. A few days after the trauma, the reporter who had initially written about the traumatic event called Chippie’s owner to see how the bird was recovering.
12. “Well,” the owner replied, “Chippie doesn’t sing much anymore…he just sits and stares.”
B. And it’s not hard to see why.
1. Sucked in, washed up, and blown over…that’s enough to steal the song from the stoutest heart.
2. “Sucked in, washed up, and blown over.” That about sums up how many of us feel at times when life hits us hard. Isn’t that right? You’ve felt that way before, haven’t you?
3. M. Scott Peck begins his book The Road Less Traveled with a three word sentence that is packed with simple, yet profound truth…it reads, “Life is difficult.”
4. And he is so very right. Life is difficult.
5. Life is filled with burdens that must be borne.
C. God’s intention for the church is that we become a community where we bear one another’s burdens.
1. Look again with me at the verse we used as the Scripture reading, and let’s pick up the verses before and after it, to give us some context.
2. Paul wrote, “Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. 2Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. 3If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. 4Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, 5for each one should carry his own load.” (Gal. 6:1-5)
3. Let’s examine the command, and then work toward its application.
I. The Command.
A. In verse 1, Paul gave instructions concerning our responsibility to help other believers who are stuck in sin.
1. He says that we are to come alongside the sinning brother or sister and help restore them in a spirit of gentleness.
2. Then in verse 2, Paul commands that we bear one another’s burdens.
3. The fact that the command of verse 2 follows the command of verse 1, suggests that this is one form of burden bearing.
4. Helping another believer overcome the burden of a certain sinful behavior is one way to help someone bear their burden.
5. But Paul is not implying that this is the only way to carry each other’s burdens.
B. The “burdens” that we are to help others carry include any sort of difficulties that people face.
1. The word that is used here is a general word that literally means “a heavy weight.”
2. Something that was very heavy to carry was referred to as a burden.
3. That’s why certain animals were referred to as beasts of burden.
C. The word that is translated “bear” or “carry” is a word that in the original language meant “to carry or lift something.”
1. The most literal meaning of the words is “to pick something up and carry it away.”
2. As Paul employs it in a figurative sense, he means that we are to reach out to a brother or sister in their time of difficulty and help them in any way we are able.
3. Anything we can do to lessen the weight of the load they are carrying will be a great blessing to them.
D. The verb “carry” is in the imperative, which means that it is a command.
1. And as a command it is to be a continuous, ongoing action.
2. The command is not worded in a way that suggests that it is something we are to do occasionally, but it is something we are to do continually.
E. If you were paying close attention to the reading of Galatians 6:1-5, you might have noticed something that appears to be a contradiction.
1. Verse 2 says: “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”
2. Verse 5 says: “…for each one should carry his own load.”
3. So, which is it? Should we bear one another’s burdens or not?
4. What we can’t see in the English language is the fact that the two verses are using two different words for “bear.”
5. The word in verse 2 refers to heavy, crushing, loads - more than a man could carry without help.
6. The word in verse 5 was used to designate the pack usually carried by a marching soldier.
7. It is the "burden" Jesus assigns to His followers.
8. There are certain Christian responsibilities or burdens each believer must bear which cannot be shared with others.
9. Thankfully, Jesus assured His disciples that such burdens were light. “My yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Mt. 11:30)
F. The final thing I want us to notice about the command is that it comes with a promised result.
1. If we faithfully carry each other’s burdens, then we will be fulfilling the law of Christ.
2. What is the law of Christ?
3. We conclude from Scripture that the law of Christ is the law of love.
4. The law of Christ is to love one another as Jesus loves us.
5. Jesus said, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” (John 13:34)
6. Similarly, Jesus said, “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.” (Jn. 15:12)
7. Paul summarized it this way: The entire law is summed up in a single command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Gal. 5:14)
8. Bearing the burdens of others is a genuine expression of love and ultimately fulfills everything God wants us to be and to do. How about that!
G. So that’s the command, now let’s work on its application.
II. The Application
A. Before we get into specific burdens that must be borne and how to bear them, let’s make an important observation.
1. Christians have burdens to bear.
2. There is a common and popular idea among some Christians and churches that says that Christians are exempt from difficulties, troubles and burdens, but that is not a biblical idea.
3. The Bible is pretty clear about the fact that Christians will face adversity.
4. James 1 says, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.”
5. We notice that even great people of faith had their share of suffering – consider Job, and the apostle Paul for example.
B. And so, as Christians, we too will have burdens to carry.
1. Our burdens may very in kind and intensity, but all of us have burdens of one kind or another, that occur at one time or another.
2. I like the story told of a woman who had lost her son and could not get over her grief.
a. She went to see an old wise man and asked him what to do.
b. He told her to go find a home that has no sorrow or grief and bring back a mustard seed from that home, and he would restore her son to her.
c. She threw herself into that search for many days and then returned to the wise man.
d. When she approached the wise man she simply said, “I have been so selfish in my grief…I have discovered that sorrow is common to every home.”
3. Look around you in the congregation today and understand that all of us have burdens.
4. There is a heartache in every person’s life.
5. We all have problems and cares that weigh us down and are a burden to bear.
C. What are some of the burdens we may need help bearing?
1. There is the burden of sorrow and grief.
2. There is the burden of sickness and aging.
3. There is the burden of emotional difficulties and emotional scars of the past.
4. There is the burden of a difficult marriage.
5. There is the burden of children with special needs or rebellious spirits.
6. There is the burden of unemployment or under-employment.
7. There is the burden of the consequences of lawlessness and sin and foolishness.
8. These are just a few of the many kinds of burdens that people need help carrying.
D. Now that we know that God wants us to help people with their burdens, the question is: HOW?
1. Once we have a heart that is willing to help carry the burdens of others, then two very important things are required to bear the burdens of others:
2. First, we have to know that a brother or sister has a burden.
3. Second, the person with the burden has to be willing to allow us to help them.
E. Coming to realize that someone has a burden requires active involvement in each other’s lives.
1. If we are not open and honest enough about our struggles, then no one will know what our burden is.
2. If we are not observant enough or interested enough, then we won’t notice what someone is struggling with.
3. If we are not spending enough time with each other, then we won’t have the opportunity to be close enough to others to know what their burdens are.
4. All of this requires time and effort to develop relationships – real community.
F. Once we have an idea that someone needs some help carrying their burden, then that person needs to let us help them.
1. How often are we willing to help others, but unwilling to let them help us? Why is that?
2. Pride gets in the way, doesn’t it?
3. We feel like we need to do it on our own or we are embarrassed.
4. Or we feel like our faith in God alone should be enough. We should just depend on God and no one else.
G. Doesn’t the Bible say something like that – that we should cast our cares upon the Lord?
1. Yes it does.
2. Psalm 55:22 says: Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall.
3. 1 Peter 5:7 says, “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you”
4. We should take our troubles to the Lord, no matter what they may be.
5. And we should trust that the Lord will give us the grace and strength we need to endure.
H. But we should recognize that God often uses other people as His agents to help us carry our burdens.
1. God helps us carry our burdens through his people.
2. This is what Paul said happened in his own life: For when we came into Macedonia, this body of ours had no rest, but we were harassed at every turn—conflicts on the outside, fears within. 6But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus, 7and not only by his coming but also by the comfort you had given him. He told us about your longing for me, your deep sorrow, your ardent concern for me, so that my joy was greater than ever. (2 Cor. 7:5-7)
3. Isn’t that amazing, Paul knew that God comforted him through Titus.
4. Ultimately, we are God’s eyes, ears, tongues and hands to help others.
I. So let’s be sure we are cultivating relationships that are close enough that we can share our burdens, and know each other’s burdens.
1. And let’s love each other enough to want to help those who are burdened, and let us be humble enough to be willing to receive the loving assistance of others.
J. A few weeks ago I drew our attention to the movie, “Lord of the Rings.”
1. I mentioned that one of the things I appreciate the most about the movie is the camaraderie that Frodo had with his friends as they helped him carry out the mission to destroy the powerful, evil ring that was a threat to all mankind.
2. The journey had been long and arduous and many of them did not complete the journey.
3. In the end, both Frodo and his friend, Sam, were at their physical and emotional limit.
4. As they climbed the mountain toward the cave entrance that would lead to the place Frodo must drop the ring, Frodo couldn’t go another step - He could not even stand.
5. All of Sam’s encouraging words were no longer effective because Frodo just didn’t have any more to give. He was exhausted.
6. Since he was the only one who could carry the ring because of its mysterious power to tempt and overwhelm, there was only one thing to do.
7. Sam said, “I may not be able to carry the ring, Mr Frodo, but I can carry you!” And he put the exhausted Frodo over his shoulder and carried him the rest of the way to their goal.
8. Brothers and sisters, that is how the family of God is supposed to work.
9. We can’t take the burdens away, but we can bear one another.
10. We can lift each other up and make sure that no one gets left behind – that no one is alone.
K. I like the powerful story of the Quecreek Mine Rescue.
1. On July 25, 2002, nine coal miners entered Quecreek Mine in Somerset County, Pennsylvania.
2. About 9 p.m., the miners were drilling near the abandoned Saxman Mine and when 50 million gallons of water released into their own shaft, cutting them off from the surface.
3. In a desperate race against time, more than 200 rescuers worked to save the trapped miners.
4. The men were trapped in a small chamber just over four feet high and 18ft wide, in frigid 55 degree water.
5. The area of entrapment was approximately 240 feet underground and about one and a half miles from the mine entrance.
6. The miners “decided early on they were either going to live or die as a group.”
7. They were all rescued as a group some 77 hours (3 days) after being trapped in the mine.
8. The 55 degree water threatened to kill them slowly by hypothermia, so according to one news report: “When one would get cold, the other eight would huddle around the person and warm that person, and when another person got cold, the favor was returned.”
9. Miner Harry Mayhugh told reporters, “Everybody had strong moments, but any certain time maybe one guy got down, and then the rest pulled together. And then that guy would get back up, and maybe someone else would feel a little weaker, but it was a team effort. That’s the only way it could have been.”
10. What a great description of the way the church is supposed to work.
L. So how can we bear one another’s burdens?
#1. We should never pass up an opportunity to pray for someone.
#2. Always offer a listening ear and a shoulder to cry on.
#3. Communicate positive and encouraging words.
#4. Look for simple, obvious, and practical ways to help.
a. Visit those who are shut in or in the hospital – ask if there is anything you can do.
b. Look for ways to help those who are advanced in age.
c. Look for ways to help those who have young families or families with special needs.
d. Look for those who are struggling emotionally, socially, or financially.
#5. Most importantly, just be there, and offer your heart – your love - your life – be in relationship.
M. I want to end with an old song that the younger ones probably haven’t even heard of, and us older ones probably haven’t heard in a long while.
1. When you get home look it up on YouYube.
2. The song is “He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother.,”
3. It was a hit single for the Hollies in 1969 and for Neil Diamond in 1970.
4. If you know it, sing along with me…
The road is long
With many a winding turn
That leads us to who knows where
Who knows where
But I’m strong
Strong enough to carry him
He ain’t heavy, he’s my brother.
So on we go
His welfare is of my concern
No burden is he to bear
We’ll get there
For I know
He would not encumber me
He ain’t heavy, he’s my brother.
If I’m laden at all
I’m laden with sadness
That everyone’s heart
Isn’t filled with the gladness
Of love for one another.
It’s a long, long road
From which there is no return
While we’re on the way to there
Why not share
And the load
Doesn’t weigh me down at all
He ain’t heavy, he’s my brother.
He’s my brother
He ain’t heavy, he’s my brother.
N. I hope and pray that that will be our sentiment – our commitment to each other.
1. That we will love each other enough to carry each other’s burdens.
2. That our love for each other will cause us to feel that no burden is too heavy to help a brother or sister to bear.
3. “He ain’t heavy, he’s my brother.”
4. “She ain’t heavy, she’s my sister.”
Resources:
“Bear One Another’s Burdens,” Sermon by Mark Fuss, SermonCentral.com
“What To Do With Your Burdens,” Sermon by Jerry Shirley, SermonCentral.com
“Helping People in Need,” Sermon by Chris Jordan, SermonCentral.com
“Carry Each Other’s Burdens,” Devotional by Peter Kennedy, pkennedy@devotional.com
