It is great to see all of you today on this Sunday
morning. I'm thankful to be here to preach. Of
course, it is a great honor any time I get to
preach to my church family. And I just want to
just extend here a thankful piece of gratitude
for you guys. I'm just so thankful for you. for
all of you, for this church family, thankful
for Pastor Joe and for Shay and of course Joel,
just the ways that they lead this church, so
thankful for the deacons and how faithfully they
serve and of course all of you church family
members who just give so much to what we're doing
here and you see what we're doing is so much
more than just a social gathering. We see the
eternal impact that the Lord is doing. and you
guys are a part of that. And it's just a privilege
to be a part of this church. So I'm thankful
to open the word of God with you guys to get
together today. After Pastor Joe mocked me, I
thought it was time to end my Nazarite vow and
get a haircut. So I will not be mocking Pastor
Joe. I will turn the other cheek from the pulpit
today. I would also mention that I've not had
a cup of coffee, so the reliance on the Holy
Spirit today will be of the utmost extent. But
I'm thankful, of course, to deliver the word.
Two things before we open God's word. First,
Jordan and Katherine White are now officially
married as of yesterday. And we're thankful that,
yeah, you can clap for that. Just celebrating
the gift that that is of marriage. And we're
thankful for them as they begin their new life
in Arkansas. And just wanted to make a note about
that. Secondly, I wanted to make a note. Some
of you guys are familiar with Camp Gilead and
the Mallory family. Wanted to make a note that
this last week, Kimberly Mallory, the director
with her husband, Josh, she just went home to
be with the Lord. She's been battling for many,
many years, some critical illness, cancerous
diseases, and a lot of pain, a lot of struggle.
And in light of the hardship of her going home,
the pain is gone. She is with her savior. and
that is worth thanking the Lord for and worth
just thanking her for her life. So I just wanted
to make a quick note about that. I know people
from Bellevue Community Church were very familiar
with the Mallories and maybe even some of you
have friends and maybe you know the Mallories
personally. So just wanted to make a quick note
about that and just extend just prayers for the
Mallory family, for Camp Gilead, and of course
thanking the Lord for saving her and bringing
her home. So with that note, let's open our Bibles
to Galatians chapter six. Galatians chapter 6
and in doing that I want to start by posing a
question for us all. What is a gospel -shaped
church? Or we could say a gospel -shaped family.
Is it a church that merely knows the indicatives
and the truths about the gospel? Is it simply
a truth that knows that God is gracious and loving
and all holy and powerful and good? Is it a church
that Reads the Bible and preaches the Bible every
single week or is it that and more? What I believe
God's Word shows us is that mere head knowledge
is not enough Knowing truth knowing the depths
and the riches of theology and doctrine pales
in comparison to the true experience of Applying
those graces and knowledges in our lives. That's
what I believe God's worth sets forth A church
that knows the doctrinal truths is one thing,
but a church that is experiencing and delighting
in the truth that is found in Christ is entirely
another thing. And this is what Galatians, I
believe, sets forth for us, is that we find a
Christ, we find a Savior, we find a God who is
abundantly gracious, but that grace does not
leave you and I the same. It is a grace that
is transforming. There's a redemption that is
like the one of Exodus, but it is cosmic. It
is eternal. We've been freed from sin's power.
We've been freed from the law's demands on our
lives. That's what Galatians chapters one through
four show us is just how amazing this gospel
is. In fact, how unique it is, how exclusive
it is. There's no gospel like it. And if we ever
think that we could come up with another gospel
or any angel or any man, we deserve to be anathematized,
as Paul says in Galatians chapter one. Jesus
is the one Messiah. He's the Messiah that's embedded
in the Old Testament, the messianic figure that
goes all the way back to Genesis chapter three.
And like Israel, we have been redeemed by the
spiritual bonds. of slavery through the work
of Christ. And all of it has been done by God's
grace. Can I get an amen? Amen. The question
then for us is this. If the gospel is truly this
amazing, this powerful, this marvelous, what
now? What now for us? This is what Paul shows
us in Galatians 5 and 6. Galatians five and six
is about having a clear understanding as to how
the gospel shapes the way that we live. It's
the category of now sanctification. If we have
been justified by faith through our union with
him and his righteousness and his death and all
the freedom that comes with that, what kind of
life then is produced and what kind of life will
be brought about through that union with? Christ,
maybe another way to say it is this is how we
apply the grace of God in our lives. What does
it really look like to have the Holy Spirit in
us, working through us? And what we find, of
course, as I said earlier, is that it's so much
more than intellectual Christianity. It's so
much more than that, although knowledge matters
because we are, of course, sanctified by the
grace and knowledge found in Jesus Christ. We
don't want to undermine that. While at the same
time, the Christian life is so much more than
just good works, is it not? That's not what Paul
sets forth in Galatians 5 and 6. What we find
is something much deeper. The gospel brings true
heart transformation. And that heart transformation
brings radical change to the outlook of your
life. And even the very manner in which you live
your life, the way that you speak, the way that
you think, the way that you act, all of it is
now centered on your identity as one who is a
son of God. This is what Paul shows us, and today
we're gonna see a little bit more in Galatians
six. And I wanna start by reading in verse one
together. And the goal this morning, we're gonna
read verses one through 10. We have communion
today as well. And I wanna keep an eye on the
time as well. We're gonna just get as far as
we can today. And we're gonna just trust that
wherever we end, that's where the Lord has us.
And maybe I'll get to come back soon and finish
this in a two part series. But let's start by
reading in verse one of Galatians chapter six
with all of this in mind. Paul writes, 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. Bear one another's burdens and
so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks
he is something when he is nothing, he deceives
himself. But let each one test his own work,
and then his reason to boast will be in himself
alone and not in his neighbor, for each will
have to bear his own load. Let the one who is
taught the word share all good things with the
one who teaches. Do not be deceived. God is not
mocked. For whatever one sows, that will he also
reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will
from the flesh reap corruption. But the one who
sows to the spirit will from the spirit reap
eternal life. And let us not grow weary of doing
good. For in due season we will reap. If we do
not give up, so then, as we have opportunity,
let us do good to everyone and especially those
who are of the household. of faith. The doctrinal
point that I believe Paul shows us here in these
ten verses is this, that the gospel shaped life,
we could say the grace -filled life, is a life
marked by deep commitment and care for the spiritual
well -being of others. I'll say that one more
time, that the gospel shaped life is a life marked
by deep commitment and care for the spiritual
well -being of others. And when I mean others,
I mean other believers, namely. This is what
Paul says is that God's design for the Christian
life is that we are to be involved in a local
church, to be connected with other believers
who are striving, who are serving, who are giving
of themselves, who have also been saved by the
grace of God. And as a believer, It is in God's
abundant kindness, not only just to save you,
but also in this life to give you a new family.
To give you the privileges that come through
being a part of others who are in Christ. To
give you the spirit with others who have the
spirit, who also desire to walk by that spirit
all for the glory of Christ. To give you a family
that you can call your own. And when a church,
has believers like this. When you and I are living
in the grace of God, in the gospel which is sanctifying
us, which shapes us, which inspires us, which
stirs our hearts, what we find is that we find
ourselves becoming a gospel -shaped church. Or
we could say a gospel -shaped church family,
one that is marked by deep mutual commitment
and care for the spiritual being of those within.
with one another. This is what I've been praying
would happen for our church all the more and
I wanna just encourage you today that you guys
have done very well in this. I really do believe
our church is unique in this, that we have applied
these gospel truths in our local church context
well and my encouragement, my plea is that we
would see this done all the more. That we would
go further in this. that we would be this kind
of church that we see here in Galatians chapter
six. But before we do this, we need to recognize
this simple truth, this simple presupposition
behind all of this. And it's this recognition
that you and I need. Not just should, not just
might or want, you and I need godly men and women
in our lives to help us live the Christian life.
And on the other side of that, they do need you.
They need your commitment. They need your care
for their souls as well. And this is what we
see in our text today. How the gospel shapes
the dynamics of church life. How the gospel shapes
the way we view our relationships with each other.
In Galatians 6 verses 1 through 10, the Apostle
Paul calls believers, he's calling us, I believe
today, to apply the grace of God in five primary
ways as we seek to live a life that is shaped
by the gospel in this church family. Five primary
ways that we seek to apply the grace of God.
The first for us, if you're taking notes, it's
found in verses 1 and 2. In verses 1 and 2, I've
given this a thought here that I believe Paul
is showing us, and it's this, to gently edify
your weak brother. The first way we apply the
gospel, we apply the grace of God in our lives,
is by gently edifying your weak brother. You
guys can see in verses one and two, there appear
to be two different cases, two different kinds
of situations that believers could potentially
find themselves in. In verse one, Paul shows
us that there is someone who we could identify
as the spiritually trapped believer. And secondly,
Paul addresses the spiritually burdened believer.
With all of this, he begins this text by an address
calling them brothers, which he recognizes being
another, a deeper understanding to our family
orientation as a church, calling each other brothers
and sisters. But in this first verse here, identifying
this conditional, almost hypothetical situation
of a spiritually trapped believer. I want you
to notice what Paul says. Look with me in verse
one. Paul says, if anyone is caught, like an
animal that's been ensnared or a bird that has
been caught under some sort of trap, it appears
that Paul is saying here, that believers are
able to be tempted and caught in the snare of
sin, to be taken by surprise. Some of the Galatians
were like this, believing lies of the false teachers
as the legalists. And as the, the, the pharisaical
false teachers came into Galatia, they were seeking
to smuggle in works into faith and distorting
the entire gospel. And what the Galatians found
themselves in was a situation of dire need. And
not only were they caught by a certain doctrine,
but I believe that their lives are beginning
to see the implications of that heretical lie.
Maybe you have felt this before. As a believer
in Christ, you can just feel like maybe you can't
say no to a certain sin. Maybe there's a sin
in your life that you've struggled with greatly
in your life. Maybe it's pride, lust. selfishness,
I mean this is how sin works. If you're not aware
of the inner workings of sin, what does sin want
to do? It wants to kill you. And it knows it
can kill you when it can ensnare you, when it
can strangle out the spiritual life that you
have. I think this is common amongst many believers
and we're good at hiding it. We're good at showing
up on Sunday and just having a face and acting
like everything is fine, but our hearts have
not been walking with the Lord. Sin is always
on the hunt. Our flesh is always crouching, ready
to pounce, seeking an opportunity. It wants to
ensnare and entangle to render you ineffective.
Now, maybe to clarify this, what I believe Paul
is not saying here is this. I do not believe
Paul is speaking of someone who is. unwilling
to repent. That would be someone that we recognize
as being an unbeliever. What I believe Paul is
speaking of here is someone who has made the
profession of faith, who has come to Christ in
repentant faith, who is now seeking to live the
life of holiness and obedience to God's Word
to submit more and more to the Lordship of Christ
in their lives, but is struggling. We are sinners.
This individual, what does Paul say? Well, there
are those who could be caught having a difficult
time wrestling with how to get through certain
sin due to a lack of spiritual maturity and strength
in their lives. Maybe this is you today. Well,
there's encouragement to you. For all of us,
because I believe at some time and in some way,
if it hasn't happened yet, we have all found
ourselves in this situation. And as we plead,
and as we pray to the Lord, and as we look to
Christ for our strength, by God's grace, he provides
a remedy. And where is it found, church? He gives
it in the church. He gives it with one another.
Look at what he says right after this. He says,
if we're caught, then what? If we're caught in
any transgression of any kind, of any sin, you
who are spiritual should restore him. I mean
that's the remedy. The word restore means to
mend or repair. A few years ago I was in college
and I had a really bad ankle injury. I actually
broke my ankle playing basketball and my ankle
went backwards. It was bad and I had to go in
and get surgery and they had to go in and they
had to set the bones back in place and it was
not pleasant at all to say the least. But that's
kind of the idea here with this word restore.
It's like there is spiritual surgery being done
on the soul of this weak, caught believer. You're
setting him straight. You're edifying him. You're
building him up. You're bringing him back from
that transgression that he's been caught in.
I don't know about you, but I want a friend like
that. I want someone in my life. To pull me out
of the pit when I'm there a friend who's there
for me when I'm stuck or spiritually numb who
can help me fight the flesh who can help me walk
by the spirit Do you have a friend like this?
Who reminds you who you are in Christ that although
you're a sinner You are a son by virtue of your
union with Christ and you have freedom from sin.
You can say no to it We need people like that
in our lives and if the Lord doesn't Right now,
I have a friend for you like that in your life.
Let me just encourage you with this, that you
can be that to someone else today. I mean, this
is part of discipleship. This is part of shepherding
one another. This is part of small groups, Bible
studies. Everything is to apply these truths
in our lives. But notice also there is a manner
in which we are called to restore one another.
Look down in verse one, Paul says as we're restoring
those who are spiritual, those who've maybe lived
a Christian life a little longer, maybe even
endured through certain transgressions and sins
and trials, he says to do it, this restoration
process, in a spirit of gentleness. I think it's
so easy for us to just wanna drop the hammer,
to wanna just start swinging, be angry, to be
upset, to forget that as... we are sinful people
and how we are called to forgive not just seven
times, but seven times, 70 times, it's easy for
us to lose patience. It's so easy for us to let
our pride and our ego and our frustration get
in the way, especially as a pastor, you don't
feel like your congregation or your students
or your people are where you want them to be,
so you drop the gentleness and you just start
bringing anger and hope that that will change
their lives. But what Paul says is much different.
As a mature believer or as a brother in Christ
or spiritual father or mother, you are called
to walk with this entangled and snared brother
or sister with much gentleness, with much meekness,
with a guiding hand like a surgeon who is carefully
making repairs of the soul. This is not a quick
process. Sanctification takes time. I was reminded
this week of Jesus and how he restored Peter
after he betrayed Christ so gentle, yet so effective.
But there's another condition that he also gives
us in verse one. Not only are we to do it in
a spirit of gentleness, but Paul also says that
we must, what, verse one, keep watch on yourself.
This is so vitally important to keep in mind,
church. In our endeavor to restore one another,
we cannot let our own guard down. We cannot become
so preoccupied with the sin and temptation of
another brother or sister in the goodness of
all that is, in the kindness, in the role that
we're called to fulfill in that, that we turn
a blind eye to our own sin and our own susceptibilities
to temptation. We are called to keep watch. We
need to keep one eye looking back at ourselves.
There's nothing more I believe that Satan would
want to do than to take the good of what you
are doing with another believer, but then cause
that to lead you into sin. So we must keep guard.
We must watch out. This is all wrapped up here
in this first verse for this ensnared cop believer,
and I'm thankful that we have a remedy for that.
But also notice in verse two, under this idea
of edifying the weak brother, this point of restoration.
Paul in verse 2 transitions and he gives us another
situation. He shows us the spiritually burdened
believer. Slightly different from the spiritually
trapped or ensnared believer. Look at verse 2.
Paul says this. He says that we need to bear
one another's burdens. It's not a conditional
statement. It's not a hypothetical situation.
This is reality now. And notice, it's not just
for one brother or for a certain individual.
This is general for every believer. We are called
to bear, to uphold, to come underneath the weight
of one another's burdens in our lives. In context,
this could be referring to believers dealing
with the weight of their own flesh. That is certainly
true, is it not? Living in sin and temptation
for a believer is a weighty thing. Despite knowing
all that you have been forgiven of in your sin,
you feel guilty, you feel ashamed that you would
dishonor the name of Christ. So this most, I
would believe, certainly includes sin, but I
also believe it can just refer to the normal
burdens of life as well. Trials, the loss of
life, poverty, abandonment, persecution, I mean,
Paul knew this, did he not? He needed others
in his life. He had Christ, his sufficiency was
from him, but he also knew the gift that having
a brother like Timothy or Silas was, or having
someone like Barnisman who was of great encouragement
to him, all of this to help carry the burdens
and the heaviness that often come with life.
We know this church. The Christian life is not
just us on a beach in Hawaii with a guitar and
a ukulele singing, singing the hymns for eight
hours every single day and every single night,
right? As we live the Christian life, as we're
faithful to God's word, as we are proclaiming
the gospel of Christ, there are burdens with
that. The burdens that we are called to carry
and thankfully not alone, we can lean on one
another. This is what the grace of God. will
naturally prompt your heart to do. You recognize
this, church. You recognize how great the burden
of your sin was and how Jesus restored and rescued
you from your sin. And the more that truth becomes
real, the more you experience that in faith,
and the more you delight in that, the more it
becomes an impression on your heart, the more
you will desire and delight to do that for others
as well. This is how we really show our love
for each other, right? Paul says right after
this, this is how we fulfill the law of Christ.
In chapter five, right before this in verse 14,
for the whole law is fulfilled in one word, you
shall love your neighbor as yourself. This is
how we do that, church. It's by coming alongside
our brothers and sisters, we pray together, we
serve together, we fight together, we cry together,
we even die together if it comes to it. All for
the name of Christ. Maybe to end this point because
I know this was gonna be the longest one in order
to do this There's something that needs to happen.
Well, I think first for us practically it's this
Seeking restoration with other believers. It
demands openness It demands honesty. It demands
transparency with other believers into the struggles
and the burdens of your own life My call for
you today church is this, in light of this text,
find trustworthy spiritual men and women. Seek
accountability from them. Ask them to come after
you with gentleness if they see sin in your life.
Share and confess areas where you feel that your
flesh may be pulling you the most. Maybe on the
other side of this it's this, be the spiritual
leader who desires to carry burdens and see your
brothers and sisters in Christ restored. Be intentional
with other believers go deeper with them. Don't
just talk about sports Don't just talk about
the things happening in life. Those things are
good It's good to talk about these things, but
get real with one another Talk about spiritual
things get into each other's lives open the Bible
together and commit yourselves to one another
This is how we can walk by the spirit with integrity
And hopefully if you've experienced the transforming
grace of God in your life, you desire to have
this accountability in your life to help you.
We leave no men behind. Secondly, this morning,
secondly, as we seek to apply the grace of God
in our lives, as we are people who are in Christ,
not only do we need to gently edify your spiritual
brother or our spiritual brothers, but secondly,
we apply it this way, rightly estimate. your
spiritual condition. Rightly estimate your spiritual
condition. In verses three through five, Paul
does give us another layer to this burden sharing
and restoration process. He says, for if anyone
thinks he is something when he is nothing, he
deceives himself. I mean, it's pretty straightforward,
right? Nothing will cloud our judgment more in
our lives than pride. It's true. Pride is so
dangerous. If you have a high view of yourself,
what does Paul say? Well he says, you are deceived.
If you think you are something, when in reality
you are nothing. I don't think Paul here is being
self -deprecating. I think Paul is just establishing
the reality that apart from Christ, what do we
have? We have nothing, we have no glory of our
own. We will live this life, we will die, and
apart from Christ, The glory that we supposedly
had in this life will remain here on earth and
we will be nothing more than a name But in Christ
there is reason to boast so for the wine maybe
even you today if you think you're something
I Know the feeling I know I know what that feels
like the tendency to think that man. I'm really
something today I'm really I'm doing good today.
Yeah, a lot. Yeah, I like what I see I'm something
right now. Yep. I like that No, Paul says you're
a fool You're nothing. You have been completely
duped. We need to have a right estimation. We
need to have a right view of ourselves. This
is what Paul was so focused on in all of his
New Testament epistles. He states this so plainly.
In Romans 12 .3, Paul says, for by the grace
given to me, I say to everyone among you not
to think of himself more highly than he ought
to, but to think with sober judgment. In fact,
the Proverbs are full of this. The Old Testament,
remember Proverbs 3 .7, be not wise in your own
eyes. Fear the Lord. Let's fear the Lord, right?
Okay, yeah, Philippians 2, 3 through 4, Paul
also says, do nothing from selfish ambition or
conceit, but in humility count others more significant
than yourselves. And of course, the familiar
verse in James chapter 4 verse 6, God opposes
the proud. but gives grace to the humble. If
you wanted to do a study through 2 Corinthians,
I would encourage you to do so and just look
at how Paul viewed his ministry in his own life.
His sufficiency in 2 Corinthians 3 .5 was not
in himself, but his sufficiency was from God.
He viewed his own life as a jar of clay, as a
trash bin, as a toilet, so that the surpassing
power of God in the message of the gospel would
be exalted and not him. He says in 2nd Corinthians
10, 17, and 18, let the one who boasts, boast
in the Lord. In 2nd Corinthians 11, 30, if I
must boast, I will boast in the things that show
my weakness. Man, this is not how we think. It's
not how I think. But for Paul, what God spoke
to him and revealed to him was this, my grace
is sufficient for you. For my power is made perfect
in weakness. Why? we often struggle in the Christian
life is because we are so susceptible to forgetting
this church. But how, in light of this estimation
of being weak in ourselves, being strong in the
Lord, I wanna ask, how does this relate to our
text here in Galatians 6? I mean. How does having
a realistic view of ourselves relate to what
Paul says here in verses four and five? Well,
let's look what he says. He says we deceive ourselves
if we think we're something, right? But verse
four, let each one test his own work, and then
his reason to boast will be in himself alone
and not in his neighbor. Isn't that interesting?
Paul's saying, yeah, the boast will be in you,
not in your neighbor. I mean, I think there's
a couple ways that we can understand this. First,
I think it's simple that if you think you're
something when you're nothing and you really
have some pride and you think that you can carry
the burdens of other believers, oh my friend,
you are deceived. You are not gonna do well in
that endeavor. I wish you well. You're like that
guy at the gym who's like, hey dude, I'll spot
you, man. I got you right here, let's go. the
guy's just got huge weights on both sides, and
you're trying to spot him, the guy can't get
the weight up, and then you're trying to pull
the weight, and you can't get it up either, and
it's just chaos, right? You know, that's kind
of the idea. We could understand it that way.
Prideful people are not helpful in burden bearing.
We need humble people. But there's another side
to this that I think Paul is also addressing,
and it's this. It appears that the way Paul speaks
of confidence in boasting here, maybe in a more
nuanced fashion as opposed to maybe 2nd Corinthians
and other texts. It appears as if Paul is saying
that believers can think that they are doing
much better spiritually than they actually are
by virtue of those that are helping carry the
burdens for them in their own life. You guys
tracking with me? They think they are strong
when in reality They just have spiritual individuals
in their life who are carrying far too much of
their burdens for them. They think that they're
really walking in the spirit, yet they are doing
it vicariously through the spiritual walk of
those around them. And I think this is a great
deception. And this is why Paul caused us to
test, right? Let each one test, examine his own
work. Really take a good look put put it under
the heat put it under the light right now your
soul your spiritual reality the condition of
where you are at Apart from anyone helping you
just be real with where you are at Believe that's
what Paul is saying. Where does your confidence
come from? Does it come from those around you?
Or does it come from your own faith in Christ?
Maybe you've helped someone move before and you're
helping carry a couch. You've got four guys carrying
this big couch. You never know how to get it
through the door. It takes like five times to
get through the door, you know? The guy who owns
the couch calls his buddies over. Everyone lifts
the couch, and then everyone's lifting, carrying,
and then all of a sudden you realize, wait, he's
not even lifting anything. He's just got his
hands on the couch, and he's the guy that owns
the couch, right? I mean, you know what I'm talking
about, guys. We carry the couches. We help each
other move, especially you young adults. You
do it like every other weekend, it feels like,
right? I mean, this is the deception, right?
The four other guys are the ones lifting. The
one, his hands appear like he's lifting, but
he is not. If a brother or sister in Christ is
helping restore you or bear the burdens in your
life, this is an amazing thing. But Paul gives
us this reminder that the obligation is still
on you to seek repentance and spiritual strength.
At the end of the day, you cannot rely merely
on the spiritual walk of others so much that
you neglect your own walk in the Spirit. If you
fail, if you fall, if you walk away from the
Lord, it's not their fault at the end of the
day, although they may have had a part to play
in it, it is your fault. You bear the penalty,
you bear the responsibility. This is why we must
test our work. This is why we must examine our
life. This is why we must take action as others
are helping us so that our confidence, as Paul
says, would not be in our neighbor, but would
be in our self alone, in our faith that is in
Christ individually, not corporately. You guys
tracking with me? Others may help carry the burden
for you, but at the end of the day, it is your
burden to carry. It's like in Pilgrim's Progress,
right? No one carries the heavy burden on Christian's
back except Him. Evangelist points the way, others
provide help, but at the end of the day, Christian
must carry his own burden and only Christ can
ultimately take it away. So what with all this?
Well, how you view yourself will impact the way
you live your life. For Paul, he did not see
himself as anything or anyone special, right?
This is why he says, each will have to bear his
own load in verse five. For Paul, he had his
own ministry and his own bearing of his own life
and ministry and us similarly today. So it's
that balance for us church that we want to bear
with one another's burdens. And as we do that
together, as we're bearing with one another's
burdens, as we're carrying the life. burdens
and struggles and trials that come each day.
We also recognize that we gotta go. Like I gotta
get after it today. Like I got a family to take
care of. I've got a spouse to love. I've got
a job I gotta do. I've gotta be on mission for
Christ. Like these are things that we take personally
on an individual level as we seek to live for
the Lord and it all demands humility. So I don't
even ask you this morning to examine and test
your life a little bit as you are bearing the
burden on your own, even the trials that God
has sovereignly placed in your life. God's infinite
wisdom with each of us to give us specific things
that we struggle with. It's for a purpose. We
don't get prideful in that. We trust Him with
that. But we need to have a right estimation
of our own spiritual maturity in areas where
we need to grow. Third, Third, in verse six,
as we apply the grace of God more in our lives
together as a church, third, we are called to
generously encourage the faithful teacher. Generously
encourage the faithful teacher. As a pastor,
I know this can be always something that's a
little odd, and I'm almost thankful that Pastor
Joe's not here preaching this, because I get
to just encourage him while he's not here with
you guys. Look what Paul says in verse six. How
do we apply the grace of God, the gospel, in
the way we live with one another? Well, he says,
in regards to the teacher of the word, let the
one who is taught the word share all good things
with the one who teaches. The word share there,
it's actually the word, it's the root from that
is koinonia. But you guys remember the word koinonia
is the word fellowship. It's the word for the
gathering, right? The participation. It is the
support that we all have through our faith in
Christ. And Paul is calling all believers to
consider what they can offer to the one who teaches
them the word. I mean, you think it's simple.
We all need encouragement. We all do, but certainly,
most definitely, the preacher and teacher of
the word needs encouragement. Who better to provide
that support than from the one to whom he teaches,
right? I mean, that is the object of Paul's point.
The one who is taught is to deliver the sharing,
the encouragement that is generous. But also
notice here, I think this is also a great reminder
for us. The one who teaches, what is he called
to teach? Well, Paul says in verse six, he is
taught, he is called to teach the word. I mean,
this is why we teach the Scriptures, the Word
of God, every Sunday, church. This is not a TED
Talk. This is not a podcast. This is not just
a time for me to just get you motivated to go
live your life and do well. It's not a time for
me to make promises and over -promise things
to you in your life that are not found and anchored
in the truth of God's Word. It is time to unleash
the Scriptures. And that's what the teacher,
the faithful teacher will do. He will teach the
word of God. And in doing that, as you and I
have been taught the word of God by many faithful
teachers for years and years, I was reminded
just this week of the people that God has brought
into my life who have taught me the word, either
from the pulpit or in small group settings, classrooms,
whatever it may be, giving me understanding to
who our God is through the scriptures. And I'm
just so grateful for them. And I want to encourage
them in the way that Paul says we can encourage
them is this. Share all good things. Share. Give.
And notice what we're to give. Not just good
things, all good things. It's a call to be generous.
Things that are not bad that are good. What kind
of things? Well, various kinds of things. I think
this could be spiritual things. I think it could
be relational things. I think it could be material
things. Whatever you think would encourage and
enable the teacher of the word to keep going.
That is what you should pray about sharing with
the teacher of the word. We see this theme throughout
the New Testament regarding full -time teachers
and pastors. The scriptures tell us in 1st Timothy
5, 17, let the elders who rule be considered
worthy of double honor, especially those who
labor in preaching and teaching, as well as in
1st Corinthians 9, 13 and 14. Do you not know
that those who are employed in the temple service
get their food from the temple? In the same way,
the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the
gospel should get their living by the gospel.
You know, it could be seen in a lot of ways.
It could be something massive, of course. I think
that's where our minds go. It could be a massive
gift of great benefit to a minister of the word.
But church, I would also call you to consider
to not underestimate the power of a simple encouraging
text or card or message. Doesn't even have to
be to one of your pastors. Just anyone who has
shared the truth to you before through the word
of God. Just thank them. I mean, that is encouraging.
If the Spirit of God has worked in your heart
through that agent that God has placed in front
of you from his word, share all good things,
whatever that is, do it. That's what Paul is
saying here. That's what he's pleading the Galatians
and with us to do. Wouldn't you find this encouraging
if you were a teaching, if you were a teacher
or a discipler of others in the truth? I think
by doing this church, that by encouraging and
sharing what we have with faithful Bible teachers,
this is a very practical way for you to be involved
in gospel partnership. You are using what God
has given you for something bigger than yourself,
and this is highly encouraging. So with that,
my call and what Paul is calling us to is that
we support faithful teachers, not as way of payment,
but participation in gospel ministry. and do
it in a variety of ways, however God has blessed
you, let's be that kind of church. Well, there's
two more points, but we are out of time today,
church. Maybe Pastor Joe will let me come back
and we'll do the fourth and fifth point another
time, but let me pray for us and then we're gonna
go to a time of communion together now. Our father,
we. are reminded this morning of the immense
privilege it is to be a part of your church,
to know you, to be found in you, to have a righteousness
not of our own, but that belongs to your son,
Jesus Christ. It is inspiring, Father. It is
motivating. What grace we have received from
you that we cannot even fathom fully in this
life. But Father, I pray that that knowledge
of your grace and kindness would not stick merely
in our heads. but that it would transform us
from the heart in the way that we love one another,
in the way that we care for one another, the
way that we come alongside one another in our
church. I wanna be that kind of church father,
the church that you desire for us. So Lord, we
pray for help in this, we pray for wisdom, that
you would walk with us as we seek to give you
glory in everything that we do as we submit to
your will. We pray all this in your son's name,
amen.