SERMON: “Bearing Burdens Together, Part 1” (Gal. 6:1–5)
“Bearing
Burdens Together, Part 1” (Gal. 6:1–5)
Series: “Together in Discipleship” #1 Text: Galatians 6:1–5
By: Shaun Marksbury Date: July 27, 2025
Venue: Living Water Baptist Church Occasion: AM Service
I.
Introduction
Have you ever received a call or a text from someone in this
church just checking in? During the
week, I certainly try to answer as many calls and emails as I can. Sometimes, they’re from scammers, of course,
so I try to have some fun with that. The
more important ones come from members, though.
They may be going through something and want prayer and advice. Others may have biblical or theological
questions. These are all precious, but
they raise a question: “What if every member felt that care regularly?”
We are launching a new ministry opportunity in September that
I hope you will pray about. As your
pastors, we’re painfully aware that we could do better at meeting needs and
fostering discipleship. With only two of
us, we could use some help, and we should be training up help. Some of you have already thinking about how to
fill this gap, and we don’t want you to feel alone. That’s where a care group ministry comes in,
where trained members will regularly contact you to communicate care, check on
absences, and help us meet needs like meals, visits, or even counseling. Today, I’m asking everyone to pray about being
involved — whether as a leader, a volunteer, or simply a recipient of this
care.
Our passage shows us why this kind of ministry matters. Galatians, written by Paul, emphasizes
freedom in Christ through the Spirit, not legalism. He does that by showing how
Christians can think that they are sometimes perfected by fleshly endeavors. In chapter 5, he shows the contrast of the
flesh and the Spirit, leading to that memorable passage on the gifts of the
Holy Spirit. In chapter 6, Paul
concludes with practical instructions for living out this freedom in community.
Galatians 6:1–10 shows us that bearing one another’s burdens
in love is how we fulfill Christ’s law, and our care group ministry will make
this a reality by connecting us through care, checking in, and meeting needs. We’ll just look at the first five verses this
morning, where we’ll see that we are called to restore one another (v. 1), and we
are called to bear one another’s burdens (vv. 2–5). Let’s unpack this passage to see how it calls
us to this ministry.
II.
First, We Are Called to Restore One Another (v.
1)
Brethren, even if
anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in
a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not
be tempted.
We must note from the start that Paul addresses the “brethren.” He is talking to the church here, both at
Galatia and at any church that may be reading this. This is looking at the family of God, bound together
by Christ. This sets the tone: we’re not a club or a charity, but a spiritual
family called to care for one another.
Now, within the family is a hypothetical but very real
scenario — someone being caught in a trespass.
Now, don’t think of the word “caught” as meaning so much being seen in
sin, though that can happen. For
instance, maybe someone walks in a room an catches you looking at something on
the computer that you shouldn’t be.
That’s one meaning, but the term here but likely means being
overtaken or ensnared by a sin.[1] That’s why the King James renders it
“overtaken in a fault.” One commentary
explains, “The thought is that of someone running from sin but sin, being
faster, overtakes and catches him.”[2] This can happen to any believer, and it isn’t
necessarily deliberate rebellion.
It is a moment stumbling, though, and it may result in a discouragement,
a doubt, or a general failure to walk by the Spirit. That’s why it’s interesting that the term here
is not necessarily “sin” (hamartia in Greek) but “trespass” (paraptōma).
This word carries the idea of a misstep
or falling aside. Think of going out on
a four-wheeler and accidentally crossing onto private property — it wasn’t
intentional, but it is a trespass.
We can sometimes engage in premeditated sin, but sometimes,
it’s more of a failure to stay vigilant. Understand that vigilance doesn’t involve
fleshly power.[3] That was a mistake that the Galatians made —
they needed to rely on the Holy Spirit.
When Christians rest in the flesh, they will find their will faltering
and tainted by sin. As such, a church
member may begin to miss services due to shame over a personal struggle or a
life crisis. These are the moments Paul
has in mind.
What should other Christians do? The conventional thought is that the pastor
should call, and we try to do just that.
However, there may be other issues; an emergency in someone else’s life may
distract us, or we may become sick, or we simply fail to remember as we address
the needs the week. Moreover, Paul doesn’t
say “just the pastors,” does he?
I want us all to see how we are to see personal ownership
here. He says, “you who are spiritual” are
to act. Now, before you think that this
is addressing an elite group within the church, or perhaps a sarcastic jab on
Paul’s part, this is a challenge for all of us.
In the context of Galatians, it refers to believers walking by the
Spirit (Gal. 5:16, 25), those bearing His fruit (vv. 22–23). There are some who might not feel ready
for this, but being “spiritual” is the goal of every Christian.
This is not necessarily about your maturity level. It’s tempting to say, “I can’t address that because
I haven’t been walking with Christ long enough.” Yet, how much ministry would happen until we
all have decades of experience under our belts?
Moreover, how can we get that experience if we avoid ministry? We should all be practicing walking after the
Spirit rather than the flesh today, and if that is you, then you can play some
role in ministry to one another.
It's not that maturity is unimportant. Differing tasks require differing levels of
maturity. We know someone who is a new
believer shouldn’t become a pastor (1 Tim. 3:6), and engaging in the church
discipline process (if that is necessary) should require some maturity. Eventually, everyone should move beyond milk
to meat, having their senses trained by their maturity (Heb. 5:13–14). But as one commentary explains, “Maturity is
the cumulative effect of the times of spirituality. But any believer, at any point in his growth
toward Christlikeness, can be a spiritual
believer who helps a sinful believer who has fallen to the flesh.”[4] One gains maturity by exercising his spirituality
with others.
So, what task should those who are spiritual do? The word here is “restore,” a term meaning to
mend or repair, like setting a broken bone or mending a fishing net (Matt.
4:21). Think of extreme cases, like church
discipline; in 2 Cor 2:7, we read, “so that on the contrary you should rather
forgive and comfort him, otherwise such a one might be overwhelmed by excessive
sorrow.” This isn’t just referring to
the final stage of church discipline, though; restoration can happen when you
talk to this brother alone, one-on-one, and it can be the best way when someone
is feeling discouraged.
Remember: Restoration aims to bring the person back to
spiritual health, not to condemn. People
who engage in unspiritual, censorious judgment in the church are the wrong
people to be “restoring,” for their hearts are like those of wolves, seeking to
bite and devour through gossip and slander.
Thus, Paul says this must be done “in a spirit of gentleness.” That’s a fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:23), which
is why it’s so important to be spiritual.
As 2 Thess. 3:15 says to “not regard him as an enemy, but admonish him
as a brother.” This also reflects
Christ’s compassion (cf. John 8:3–11). This
process can repair big holes in the net, but also smaller ones that would
threaten to tear into bigger ones.
We could stop there, but we must also read Paul’s warning. He says this should be done with “each one
looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted.” We must consider ourselves honestly, not
making assumptions about ourselves or the other person. This calls for humility, as pride or judgment
can lead to our own stumbling — perhaps into pride, gossip, or even the same
sin.
Church, I hope that you will consider how meaningful this
kind of trusted ministry could be in the church. This is what we would hope is the heartbeat
of a care group ministry. When someone
is absent or struggling, we don’t gossip or judge; we reach out with
gentleness. Imagine a member who hasn’t
been here in weeks, who maybe battling depression or a family crisis. A care group leader’s call — saying, “We
missed you; how can we pray?” — can be the first step to mending their
connection to this body.
This isn’t necessarily about confronting sin like Matthew
18:15–20, though that’s important. It’s
about noticing the hurting and restoring them with love. If more help is needed, that’s where deacons
or elders would step in, but this is a way for all of us to be better connected
with one another’s needs. This is how we
begin fulfilling Paul’s call to restore one another, sowing seeds of care that
reflect Christ’s heart. It will also
help us to see what burdens we need to shoulder with one another, bringing us
to the next point:
III.
Second, We Are Called to Bear One Another’s
Burdens (Vv. 2–5)
Bear one another’s
burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks he is something when he
is nothing, he deceives himself. But
each one must examine his own work, and then he will have reason for boasting
in regard to himself alone, and not in regard to another. For each one will bear his own load.
This flows from what came before, though some of this may be
confusing in context. As we consider
this, we are considering two subpoints.
First, we need one another (vv. 2–3).
Second, we need self-examination (vv. 4–5). Let’s consider the first point.
A.
First, We Need One Another (vv. 2–3).
We all have burdens of differing kinds. The one mentioned in v. 2 refers to heavy,
oppressive loads. Sometimes, you will feel
like you have far more than one person can carry alone, and these burdens could
be manifold. They could be spiritual
failures, as in verse 1. They could also
be life’s crushing weights: grief, financial strain, illness, or temptations. God may have given that to you so that you
will seek help — from Him, as well as from His people.
This is a task God’s people are called to shoulder. Paul echoes Romans 15:1, “Now we who are
strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength and not just
please ourselves.” Sometimes, Christians
who don’t have heavy burdens just fill their lives with activities, or they
become selfish with their time, and they ignore those who do. Sometimes, they think that someone else can
handle it, so they aren’t needed. Or,
they just may feel ill-equipped to help.
Yet, we see here that we are called to help one another.
Sometimes, that can be as simple as a phone call or a text
message (some prefer one, and some prefer the other). Just knowing that there is someone who cares
can mean the world to other believers who are struggling. Sometimes it may be a visit, or something
more. It may be a practical need, or it
may be advice or counseling for some situation.
As you find this out, you can also determine whether you can help, or if
you need to involve someone else.
Bearing burdens fulfills “the law of Christ.” Jesus defined this in John 13:34: “A new
commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved
you.” As Paul wrote earlier, “For the
whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, ‘You shall love your
neighbor as yourself’ ” (Galatians 5:14; cf. Romans 13:10). This isn’t a one-time act, but as you have an
ongoing commitment to walk alongside others, you can be sure that you are
fulfilling this.
Verse 3 warns against an obstacle: “For if anyone thinks he
is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.” Pride is a stumbling block to ministry — whether
it’s the pride of thinking we’re above others’ struggles, or the pride of not
opening up to others. We’ve talked a bit
about the former, but consider the other side to this. Some people just don’t tell us that they are
in need, and it may be because they think they are something — that they can handle
the situation on their own — when they cannot.
We cannot prevent burden-bearing. Whatever the case, a person can lead his own mind
astray, creating a fantasy of self-righteousness.
Bearing burdens means we don’t let anyone carry their heavy
loads alone. Maybe it’s a family
struggling with medical bills, a widow grieving, or someone wrestling with
doubt. A care group leader’s call or
visit — offering a meal, a ride, or prayer — lifts that weight. This isn’t just for pastors, though they’re
involved; it’s for all of us. Imagine a
barn-raising, where everyone lifts together — we can have a handful of care
group leaders each contacting 10 or more members weekly to ask, “How can we
help?” This fulfills Christ’s law of
love, showing the world what His family looks like.
But v. 3 reminds us to stay humble. If we think, “They got themselves into this
mess,” we’re deceiving ourselves, just as we are if we’re thinking we don’t
need this. We all need help sometimes,
bringing us to the last point:
B.
Second, We Need Self-Examination (vv. 4–5).
Paul continues, “But each one
must examine his own work, and then he will have reason for boasting in regard
to himself alone, and not in regard to another.” The word “examine” means to test or prove,
like refining metal (cf. 1 Pet. 1:7). This
isn’t introspection, endless looking at oneself, but a consideration of what
God says in His word.[5]
Believers must assess their
actions against Scripture, not by comparing themselves to others. Some Christians don’t serve because they see
others and feel inadequate; others serve for the wrong reasons, feeling as
though they’re in competition to be noticed by others. Yet, Paul says here to examine the self, with
each person seeking “an objective look at himself and his accomplishments.”[6] As 2 Corinthians 10:12–18 warns, comparing
ourselves to others leads to folly; our standard is God’s Word.
Are you growing in Christ,
having a victory over a sin or engaging in some good work that that you didn’t last
year? That is a good reason to
boast. If you were someone who didn’t
come to church that much, but now you do, that’s growth. If you’re starting to see new fruit of the
Spirit in your life, that’s a sign that you are learning to become
spiritual. You may see needs when
compared to other people, but don’t judge yourself according to another. On the other hand, you may think you’re
spiritual because you do something better than another person — what has the
Lord done specifically in your life?
That brings us to the question
of boasting. Ultimately, anything that
you do should be in the Lord. Rejoice in
the cross and in the Spirit who is at work in you. And if you understand that simple truth, then
you are ready to help others!
Verse 5, then, isn’t contradictory:
“For each one will bear his own load.” Unlike
“burdens” in verse 2, “load” refers to a lighter, personal responsibility, like
a soldier’s pack (Matt. 11:30). We each
have some kind of load we bear, and like good soldiers, we are accountable for our
own duties — prayer, obedience, service.
Romans 14:12 reinforces this: “Each one of us will give an account of
himself to God.” Some have much more to
carry, though, and we can help (and that is part of our load, too).
IV.
Conclusion
We’ve seen part of a picture today, one of a church where no
one walks alone. We restore gently, bear
burdens together, and examine ourselves to serve faithfully. This is the heart of our care group ministry,
launching in September, Lord willing. Starting
with 4–6 leaders, we’ll ensure every member is contacted weekly to communicate
care, check on absences, and meet needs.
This isn’t a program — it’s a way of life, fulfilling the
law of Christ by loving one another as He loves us. This not only practically helps the pastors
in our contacts, it helps us to disciple everyone better, and even identify
people who can be in future ministry roles.
As such, I’m asking you to act today:
- To
pray for this ministry and the leaders we’re recruiting.
- To
consider if God is calling you to serve as a leader or volunteer to
meet needs like meals or visits.
- To
reach out this week to one person you haven’t seen lately — call or
text to show care.
Let’s be a church that mends broken nets, lifts heavy loads,
and grows together in Christ.
[1] John F. MacArthur Jr., Galatians, MacArthur New Testament Commentary, (Chicago: Moody
Press, 1983), 177.
[2] Donald K. Campbell, The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures,
1985, 2, 609.
[3] MacArthur, 177.
[4] Ibid.
[5] Timothy George, Galatians,
The New American Commentary, (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers,
1994), 30:417.
[6] Campbell, 609.
