The Gospel-Shaped Church Family

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

Galatians 6 · chapter mention

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

Galatians 6:1–10

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

James 4:6

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.