Bearing Burdens Fulfilling the Law of Christ

Gal 6:2  Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ

Baros = βάρος = weight, burden

• Mat20:12 burden of the day
• Acts15:28, Rev2:24, 1 Thes2:6. Spiritual, moral Christian responsibilities 
• Gal6:2 Our weaknesses, temptations 

 

 

There’s no such thing as a life without burdens. If you are irresponsible the burdens are still there, just ignored. 

 

We know life has burdens because we are living it - by experience 

But we know the Christian life is about burden-bearing because of Jesus - by example

 

Carrying burdens is what we, as Christians, do.

He gave you a church because He knew burdens would be heavy.

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Examples: Work, life, the hand you have been dealt. Food, clothing, shelter 

Pray and ask for prayer 

• Jesus did amazing things (water from wine, raising the dead, etc) but the one thing that the disciples ask Jesus what to do is how to pray.

Relate and be relatable

• Don’t compare a person’s burdens to another
• The heaviest burden is the secret one
• Jesus asks a lot of questions of how they are doing
• If you listen for someone for 15 min you have a friend

Get involved where you can

• Make a meal, do tasks
• Be creative, show up, be weird
• Show up to someone’s house with a rake

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The weight of as-yet unmet positive expectations we have for ourselves 

Rev2:24-25 I have no other burden for you…

It’s heavy to keep the faith; hold fast

 

Build Christian relationships that share your highest goals

It’s too easy to build relationships based on shared interests, etc.  But that’s not what you need.

Paul had Barnabas, Peter had John : They needed those relationships

 

The way to get someone to bear your burdens is to be that to someone else. 

Heb10:22-25  …let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another…

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Gal6:1-2 bear burdens in the context of temptations

 

Gentle intervention, Don’t shame , 

Temptation  =   to fall aside of 

If Aaron sees Wes single-handedly carrying a fridge off his truck, he won’t say: best of luck, not my problem 

 

Confession

We have too many Christians repented but not whole.

James5:16 

You can be forgiven in secret but made whole in community

Compare: Repentance versus confession 

 

I will be fundamentally different 12 months from now means we are going to 

• make friends of confidence and security
• make friends of gentleness and support
• become first then pursue relationships of mutual burden bearing

 in the Body of Christ

 

Not just to have our burdens lightened, but so we can sync up and feel this is how it is supposed to be

 

Pick the right people to be a listener for and to confess to. Are they 

• In the Body of Christ
• Gentle
• Respectful
• Compassionate
• Confidential

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