Welcome to another
episode of Books of the Book.
00:00:22.25\00:00:24.27
I'm Pastor Mark Howard
of the Emmanuel Institute of
00:00:24.30\00:00:26.54
Evangelism in the Michigan
conference of Seventh-day
00:00:26.57\00:00:28.83
Adventist as well as Goebel
Seventh-day Adventist church
00:00:28.87\00:00:31.09
and I'm here today with
my co-host, my brother Jim.
00:00:31.13\00:00:33.91
Yes, my name is Jim Howard
and I am the Pastor of the
00:00:33.95\00:00:36.70
Detroit Metropolitan
and South Lyon Seventh-day
00:00:36.73\00:00:39.27
Adventist
churches also in Michigan.
00:00:39.30\00:00:41.24
Now we have been studying
in the book of Galatians and
00:00:41.27\00:00:45.45
today we are going to
be talking about bearing
00:00:45.48\00:00:47.13
one another's burdens.
00:00:47.17\00:00:48.74
We're pulling them out of
Galatians Chapter 6 and if
00:00:48.78\00:00:51.68
you have your Bible near
you at home or somewhere where
00:00:51.72\00:00:54.43
you can grab it real quick
I would like to grab it and
00:00:54.47\00:00:57.15
follow along with us.
00:00:57.18\00:00:58.33
We're going to
the book of Galatians.
00:00:58.36\00:00:59.82
You go to the New Testament
Matthew, Mark, Luke, John,
00:00:59.85\00:01:03.04
Acts, Romans, 1 and 2
Corinthians and then Galatians.
00:01:03.07\00:01:06.24
We are actually going to
start right before we get into
00:01:06.28\00:01:09.41
chapter 6, of Galatians 5:25.
00:01:09.44\00:01:15.48
We talked last week
about walking in the Spirit,
00:01:15.51\00:01:19.39
the flesh and the Spirit,
the battle between the two.
00:01:19.43\00:01:22.78
In verse 25 Paul says, "if
we live in the Spirit, let us
00:01:22.82\00:01:26.97
"also walk in the Spirit.
Let us not become conceited,
00:01:27.00\00:01:31.12
"provoking one
another, envying one another. "
00:01:31.15\00:01:33.82
One of the things he is
doing here is trying to draw the
00:01:33.85\00:01:37.22
a connection between the
profession of the Galatian
00:01:37.25\00:01:40.26
believers and
their actual conduct.
00:01:40.29\00:01:43.96
Jim it is so important for
us to realize that as much as
00:01:43.99\00:01:49.10
our works don't justify us,
a Christian who has a living
00:01:49.13\00:01:53.15
connection with Christ will
bear the fruit of the Spirit
00:01:53.19\00:01:57.17
in his works. -
that's exactly right!
00:01:57.20\00:01:59.05
Paul is trying to draw
that out with this group of
00:01:59.09\00:02:02.71
Galatians and help them
to see that if there is a
00:02:02.74\00:02:06.29
disconnect in their actions
that should be an indicator
00:02:06.33\00:02:08.60
to them that there is
something wrong with their
00:02:08.63\00:02:10.61
relationship with the Lord.
00:02:10.64\00:02:11.82
As he points out not
becoming conceited or provoking
00:02:11.86\00:02:15.19
one another and then
he says in Chapter 6:1,
00:02:15.22\00:02:17.35
"brethren, if a man is
overtaken in any trespass,
00:02:17.38\00:02:20.65
"you who are spiritual
restore such a one in a spirit
00:02:20.68\00:02:23.92
"of gentleness,
considering yourself lest
00:02:23.95\00:02:27.05
" you also be tempted.
" - that's right and this
00:02:27.09\00:02:30.90
particular verse is
full of instruction.
00:02:30.94\00:02:34.65
The idea that is being
relayed here is that the
00:02:34.68\00:02:38.02
apostle Paul is
talking about how to restore
00:02:38.05\00:02:41.36
someone who has fallen.
00:02:41.39\00:02:42.98
And he gives a couple of very
important pieces of instruction
00:02:43.01\00:02:46.52
right here in that one verse.
00:02:46.56\00:02:48.04
The first is he says, "if
any man is overtaken in any
00:02:48.08\00:02:51.89
"trespass, you who are
spiritual restore such a one. "
00:02:51.93\00:02:56.01
It is important someone
who is not spiritual not be
00:02:56.05\00:03:00.10
the one to try
and restore someone.
00:03:00.13\00:03:02.77
The reason is because
when the Spirit of God comes in
00:03:02.80\00:03:05.96
to someone's heart, it
gives a certain humility or
00:03:06.00\00:03:10.10
acknowledgment of our
own weakness that enables us
00:03:10.14\00:03:14.21
to be able to
empathize with someone else.
00:03:14.24\00:03:16.74
It makes me think of
what the Lord Jesus said in
00:03:16.78\00:03:19.36
the book of Luke and I
thought maybe we could turn
00:03:19.39\00:03:21.94
to that passage, Luke
6:41. Where Jesus says,
00:03:21.97\00:03:28.06
"and why do you look at
the speck in your brother's
00:03:28.09\00:03:30.90
"eye, but do not perceive
the plank in your own eye?
00:03:30.94\00:03:33.75
"Or how can you say to
your brother, brother let me
00:03:33.79\00:03:36.24
"remove the speck that
is in your eye, when you
00:03:36.28\00:03:38.69
"yourself do not
see the plank that is in
00:03:38.73\00:03:40.86
"your eye? Hypocrite!
First remove the plank from
00:03:40.90\00:03:44.16
"your own eye, and
then you will see clearly to
00:03:44.20\00:03:46.84
"remove the speck that
is in your brother's eye. "
00:03:46.88\00:03:50.04
So Lord Jesus here is
outlining the fact that when we
00:03:50.08\00:03:53.21
see something that
somebody else is doing wrong,
00:03:53.25\00:03:58.38
and we don't see our own
weakness then we are going
00:03:58.42\00:04:02.48
to end up fumbling
through it and perhaps driving
00:04:02.51\00:04:06.54
somebody away
instead of restoring them.
00:04:06.58\00:04:09.12
So we need to be
able first to see that our
00:04:09.15\00:04:11.66
own house is in order.
00:04:11.69\00:04:13.28
We need to first spend
time with the Lord Jesus so
00:04:13.32\00:04:16.34
that we can gain the
Spirit of God in our own heart
00:04:16.37\00:04:19.27
and have the right attitude,
the right spirit before
00:04:19.31\00:04:22.18
we seek to restore someone.
00:04:22.21\00:04:23.42
That is an important
point, Paul of all people is
00:04:23.45\00:04:26.95
qualified to be the
one addressing this.
00:04:26.98\00:04:29.71
Not because he is an
impossible but because he is
00:04:29.74\00:04:32.46
and spiritual man, for example.
00:04:32.50\00:04:33.68
Go to 1 Timothy 1,
which to me is one of the most
00:04:33.72\00:04:36.94
incredible
passages in the Bible.
00:04:36.98\00:04:38.25
Really it's a humbling
passage to me where the apostle
00:04:38.28\00:04:42.90
Paul in 1 Timothy 1:15
tells this young apprentice
00:04:42.94\00:04:47.58
Minister, "this is a
faithful saying and worthy of
00:04:47.62\00:04:51.53
"all acceptance, that
Christ Jesus came into the world
00:04:51.56\00:04:55.44
"to save sinners,
of who I am chief. "
00:04:55.48\00:04:58.71
Now this was written
near the end of Paul's life.
00:04:58.74\00:05:01.38
This was 30 years of
ministry for Christ, the most
00:05:01.42\00:05:05.10
diligent labor for
Christ and yet he says not I
00:05:05.13\00:05:08.78
used to be the chief of sinners,
00:05:08.81\00:05:10.82
but I am the chief of sinners.
00:05:10.85\00:05:12.79
You see Paul understood that he
had no righteousness in and of
00:05:12.83\00:05:16.81
himself, we read last
time in Romans chapter 7 where
00:05:16.85\00:05:19.51
he says in my flesh
dwells no good thing.
00:05:19.55\00:05:22.32
He wasn't trying to
vaunt himself or point out
00:05:22.36\00:05:26.41
his goodness, Paul would
have said, I'm miserable,
00:05:26.45\00:05:29.64
I'm wicked, he saw the
condition of his heart.
00:05:29.68\00:05:32.81
He knew it was only by
the grace of God that he was
00:05:32.84\00:05:35.46
anything different and
because of that, you know Jim
00:05:35.50\00:05:38.04
when we realize that the only
good in us comes from Jesus.
00:05:38.08\00:05:41.96
When we realize that we
don't have inherent goodness,
00:05:42.00\00:05:44.31
it changes the way
we treat our brother.
00:05:44.34\00:05:46.67
It is impossible to hold a
grudge against somebody else
00:05:46.70\00:05:51.03
if I feel like
I'm worse than them.
00:05:51.07\00:05:54.08
This is why the apostle
Paul was saying in the book of
00:05:54.12\00:05:59.88
Philippians 2:3, "we are
to esteem others better than
00:05:59.92\00:06:04.17
"ourselves. " He cites the
example in the life of Jesus.
00:06:04.20\00:06:08.03
The whole idea is that
when we really realize our own
00:06:08.06\00:06:12.37
sinfulness then it helps us
to have compassion on others.
00:06:12.40\00:06:16.67
That's what it
means to be spiritual.
00:06:16.71\00:06:18.02
That's right, so when
the apostle Paul says you who
00:06:18.05\00:06:20.79
are spiritual,
there is a lot in that.
00:06:20.82\00:06:23.03
It is important
that we be spiritual.
00:06:23.07\00:06:25.35
The first key point that
we would like to draw out and
00:06:25.39\00:06:28.49
the second is you who are
spiritual restore such a one
00:06:28.53\00:06:31.60
in a spirit of gentleness.
00:06:31.63\00:06:33.80
The second component here
in restoring someone is that we
00:06:33.83\00:06:36.95
need to do it in a
spirit of gentleness.
00:06:36.98\00:06:38.68
It makes me think of the
Lord Jesus in Matthew 12:20
00:06:38.71\00:06:43.17
the Bible speaks of Jesus
as one who would not break
00:06:43.20\00:06:47.54
a bruised reed, and would
not quench a smoking flax.
00:06:47.58\00:06:52.71
He was not needlessly
abrupt or he didn't say things
00:06:52.75\00:06:57.03
in such a way that they
would be void of that tact.
00:06:57.06\00:07:00.24
He always spoke the
truth, but He spoke it in love.
00:07:00.28\00:07:04.32
One time in my early
experience when I was really
00:07:04.35\00:07:08.04
recognizing certain
wrongs in different people,
00:07:08.07\00:07:11.88
wrongs in the church
I was trying to navigate
00:07:11.92\00:07:15.65
how to handle those I recognized
I wasn't doing it quite
00:07:15.69\00:07:19.83
right when I read a
statement in the book called
00:07:19.86\00:07:21.99
'Thoughts From The Mount
of Blessings' and I thought
00:07:22.02\00:07:24.11
I would read that
statement to our viewers.
00:07:24.15\00:07:26.27
It says, "no one has ever
been reclaimed from a wrong
00:07:26.30\00:07:31.21
"position by censure and
reproach, but many have thus
00:07:31.25\00:07:36.13
"been driven from Christ. "
00:07:36.16\00:07:38.51
So no one is won
over when we censure them.
00:07:38.55\00:07:43.21
When we reproach them,
but many people when that is
00:07:43.24\00:07:47.78
our spirit will
actually be driven from Christ
00:07:47.82\00:07:50.51
instead of won to Him.
00:07:50.55\00:07:52.04
So when I read that I
thought wow, I need to be very
00:07:52.07\00:07:56.24
careful that when I'm
trying to highlight some
00:07:56.27\00:07:59.57
thing that needs
changed in church or to restore
00:07:59.61\00:08:03.00
someone who is in need of
change themselves, who has
00:08:03.04\00:08:06.36
been overtaken by temptation,
not only am I spiritual
00:08:06.39\00:08:09.68
but that I'm also gentle.
00:08:09.71\00:08:11.34
That's right and you are
going to mention I thought
00:08:11.37\00:08:15.29
that there was one other
component there that says
00:08:15.33\00:08:19.21
it calls for restoration.
00:08:19.25\00:08:21.10
Oh, that's right! The
reality is, though we must be
00:08:21.13\00:08:25.21
spiritual, and though we
must be gentle the command
00:08:25.24\00:08:29.28
here is that we must restore.
00:08:29.32\00:08:31.61
So sometimes we want
to say, you know what?
00:08:31.64\00:08:34.33
I'm going to leave
that to the Holy Spirit.
00:08:34.37\00:08:36.99
This particular person is
going through a difficulty and
00:08:37.02\00:08:40.40
I see that difficulty
and they have begun to fall
00:08:40.43\00:08:43.77
and are drifting from
Christ so we see the need.
00:08:43.81\00:08:48.22
But because we are
afraid, or because it might
00:08:48.26\00:08:52.61
inconvenience us, we
think well it is up to the Holy
00:08:52.64\00:08:55.87
Spirit, the Holy Spirit
will have to lead them back.
00:08:55.91\00:09:00.05
The Holy Spirit makes us
spiritual, but apostle Paul is
00:09:00.08\00:09:04.15
saying here the Holy Spirit
wants to use us to restore them.
00:09:04.18\00:09:07.64
So though you must be
spiritual, and though we must
00:09:07.68\00:09:10.71
be gentle we must restore.
00:09:10.74\00:09:12.29
That's right, sometimes
I think, I'm afraid that
00:09:12.32\00:09:16.91
we call tactfulness is
really a fear to address
00:09:16.95\00:09:21.50
somebody on spiritual issues.
00:09:21.54\00:09:23.30
In other words, it
can be uncomfortable.
00:09:23.33\00:09:26.43
Here see brother
overtaken in a fault, that is an
00:09:26.46\00:09:29.02
uncomfortable situation
so I say, I don't want to be
00:09:29.05\00:09:32.61
judgmental, but the
reality of my heart may be that
00:09:32.65\00:09:36.13
I'm not even thinking judg-
mental, I'm thinking about me.
00:09:36.17\00:09:38.84
How am I going to be viewed
and how am I going to feel
00:09:38.87\00:09:41.50
when I'm not
thinking about them.
00:09:41.54\00:09:43.29
I think it is important
for us to understand that true
00:09:43.32\00:09:46.90
love, to find true
love as love to God
00:09:46.93\00:09:49.66
with all your heart, mind,
soul, and strength and your
00:09:49.70\00:09:52.72
neighbor as yourself, that
is true love first seeks the
00:09:52.76\00:09:55.74
honor of God and
that is above anything.
00:09:55.78\00:09:59.12
Then next, loving your
neighbor as yourself, what is
00:09:59.15\00:10:03.11
the most precious thing
we can receive in this life?
00:10:03.14\00:10:07.37
Salvation, so if I love
my neighbor as myself then
00:10:07.40\00:10:11.06
true love leads me to
seek the honor of God and
00:10:11.09\00:10:14.71
the salvation of souls.
00:10:14.74\00:10:16.61
So this idea of
restoration means that if I see
00:10:16.64\00:10:19.09
a brother overtaken in a
fault, I'm not going to be
00:10:19.12\00:10:21.53
in different to that.
00:10:21.57\00:10:22.80
As much as it's an
awkward situation if I am a
00:10:22.83\00:10:26.40
spiritual person, and if I
had that gentleness and love,
00:10:26.44\00:10:30.03
it is going to prompt me
by the grace of God to pray
00:10:30.06\00:10:33.26
prayerfully to come in
close to that person and seek
00:10:33.30\00:10:36.42
to help to reclaim them because
otherwise they may be lost.
00:10:36.46\00:10:40.28
I think that is what the
apostle is saying in verse 2.
00:10:40.32\00:10:42.83
That's right! When you
go to verse 2 where it says,
00:10:42.86\00:10:46.13
"bear one another's
burdens and so fulfill the law
00:10:46.17\00:10:49.37
"of Christ. " And this is how
he talked about this earlier.
00:10:49.40\00:10:54.78
This law that says love
your neighbor as yourself.
00:10:54.81\00:10:57.34
Then he points in verse
14 and of course that is
00:10:57.38\00:10:59.88
a summary of God's commandments.
00:10:59.91\00:11:01.68
He says bear one another's
burdens, sometimes we read
00:11:01.72\00:11:05.34
that and think, oh yeah
that means to help them out.
00:11:05.38\00:11:08.34
To buy groceries that
they need it, shovel the
00:11:08.37\00:11:11.26
driveway if they need it in
the wintertime and that kind
00:11:11.29\00:11:13.13
of thing, and
those are all good.
00:11:13.17\00:11:14.83
But the context is
talking about a person overtaken
00:11:14.86\00:11:19.12
in a fault and the burden
is a burden for their soul.
00:11:19.15\00:11:23.28
It reminds me of an
interview I saw not too long ago
00:11:23.32\00:11:27.38
where there was a woman who
had converted to Christianity
00:11:27.41\00:11:32.12
and her husband owned a
dry cleaning operation in
00:11:32.15\00:11:39.28
Salt Lake City and she was
talking about how she first
00:11:39.32\00:11:43.81
came to church and she began
to see all these people that
00:11:43.84\00:11:48.30
had come in and out of
her store all the time.
00:11:48.33\00:11:50.53
They were so glad you are
here, we are so glad you're
00:11:50.57\00:11:54.56
here and praise the
Lord you are with us.
00:11:54.60\00:11:56.71
She said I addressed them
at one point and told them
00:11:56.75\00:12:00.57
if you guys are so glad
how come all those years you
00:12:00.61\00:12:04.22
were coming into our store
and you never said anything
00:12:04.25\00:12:07.83
to us about the Gospel?
00:12:07.86\00:12:09.77
So they said to her, you
seem so happy in your experience
00:12:09.80\00:12:14.39
and we didn't
want to disturb it.
00:12:14.42\00:12:15.92
But she said, I was lost
in my experience, I was lost.
00:12:15.95\00:12:20.62
So the whole idea is
bearing one another's burdens,
00:12:20.65\00:12:24.73
we need to have the same
burden for souls that Jesus
00:12:24.76\00:12:28.77
had, that burden that led
Him to give Himself to seek and
00:12:28.81\00:12:33.25
save the lost.
00:12:33.29\00:12:34.60
Exactly, you know the
verse actually says that.
00:12:34.64\00:12:37.68
The end of the verse
says, "and so fulfill the law
00:12:37.72\00:12:41.29
"of Christ. " You
mentioned earlier the idea of
00:12:41.33\00:12:44.74
the Golden rule, do
unto others as you would have
00:12:44.77\00:12:48.15
them to do unto you.
00:12:48.18\00:12:49.50
What will we want someone
to do to us but to help us
00:12:49.54\00:12:53.40
if we had fallen, if
there is eternity at stake we
00:12:53.44\00:12:57.26
would certainly
want someone to help.
00:12:57.30\00:12:58.79
Yeah we always think
that, I wish they would smile
00:12:58.82\00:13:00.52
at me and I would smile at them.
00:13:00.55\00:13:01.67
I wish they would give
me preference and let me sit
00:13:01.70\00:13:04.39
in the front seat, you
know these little things.
00:13:04.42\00:13:07.07
Instead of thinking
in terms of salvation.
00:13:07.11\00:13:09.44
The whole picture that
he is painting here is to
00:13:09.48\00:13:12.69
bear burdens and when
you think of fulfilling the
00:13:12.73\00:13:15.49
law in line of Christ,
but thought that keeps coming
00:13:15.53\00:13:18.25
to my mind is that
Christ is a burden bearer.
00:13:18.29\00:13:20.49
There is one passage maybe
we can look at in Isaiah 53
00:13:20.52\00:13:23.63
that touches on
this point beautifully.
00:13:23.67\00:13:25.89
Isaiah 53:4 it says,
"surely He has borne our grief's
00:13:25.92\00:13:32.38
"and carried our sorrows.
" See there, He is bearing
00:13:32.42\00:13:37.15
our burdens, "yet we
esteemed Him stricken, smitten
00:13:37.19\00:13:40.99
"by God, and afflicted.
But He was wounded for our
00:13:41.02\00:13:44.32
"transgressions, He was
bruised for our iniquities,
00:13:44.36\00:13:47.70
"the chastisement of our
peace was upon Him, and by
00:13:47.74\00:13:50.88
"His stripes we are
healed. All we like sheep have
00:13:50.91\00:13:53.57
"gone astray; we have
turned, everyone, to his own
00:13:53.61\00:13:56.39
"Way; and the Lord has
laid on Him the iniquity
00:13:56.43\00:13:59.82
"of us all. " The Lord
Jesus is the one who bears
00:13:59.85\00:14:03.49
our burdens, He is the
one who ultimately teaches
00:14:03.53\00:14:06.55
us what we ought to do
when it comes to somebody
00:14:06.59\00:14:09.57
else being
overtaken in trespass.
00:14:09.61\00:14:11.37
That is right He is our
model and that should be what
00:14:11.40\00:14:14.69
we are seeking an
incidentally that kind of heart
00:14:14.73\00:14:17.98
religion, and that
kind of burden bearing is
00:14:18.01\00:14:20.00
impossible for somebody
with an outward religion.
00:14:20.04\00:14:22.90
- That is exactly right!
Paul is drawing and saying
00:14:22.93\00:14:26.06
your circumcision and
your salvation by circumcision
00:14:26.09\00:14:29.07
is not bringing in to you
the fruits of righteousness.
00:14:29.10\00:14:31.70
Well we are going to come
right back after the break.
00:14:31.73\00:14:34.30
We have to take
a break right now,
00:14:34.33\00:14:35.83
But join us as we return.
00:14:35.86\00:14:38.12