Northside Church - Sydney
GALATIANS 2013 // Week 3: Grace To Serve
You're listening to another great message from Northside Community Church. Friends, we've been working through a series last few weeks entitled Galatians 2013. What is the relevance of the book of Galatians for this modern era in which we live and the subtitle of this particular series is Galatians 2013. It's a celebration of grace. That's one of the central themes of the book of Galatians. And as Christians who receive God's grace, what does that mean for us to be those who dispense God's grace? Those who extend His grace, His forgiveness, His love to others. So Galatians 2013, a celebration of grace. And the key verse this morning is Galatians 6 verse 2. We've got it back on the screen right now, Galatians 6 verse 2. Look at this, "Help carry one another's burdens, and in this way, you will obey the law of Christ. Help carry one another's burdens." What does it mean to be part of a fellowship where you can share at a deep level, share those things that are burdensome for you? What does it mean to receive the burden of others and to help them and encourage them on life's journey? Well, that's the central theme this morning. Let's join together in prayer, shall we? Heavenly Father, thank you for the ways in which you've spoken to us already in this service, and for the ways in which we believe you will continue to speak to us in these remaining moments. There's always a message for people who are open and receptive as we consider your word. May that be the case this morning. May we be both open and receptive, and then have the faith and the courage to put into action those things that you reveal to us through Jesus Christ, our Lord, we pray. Amen. This verse, this key verse, bear one another's burdens or help one another with burdens, this verse has contributed unwittingly to the fact that some churches haven't grown. Does that shock you? Does that surprise you? You say, well, how can that be? I mean, I thought that showing grace and compassion, sharing burdens, these are the sort of things people are looking for in a church. I mean, isn't that the sort of care and practical support that people are craving? Don't people want to be part of an environment where you can be yourself and kind of unpack things and get encouragement? Well, exactly. That's the way it's supposed to be. In fact, all of the research indicates that one of the primary reasons why people join a church is for friendship. It's for community. They want an environment where they can really feel cared for. That's one of the primary reasons. So you'd think that that would be the, this verse would actually help churches to grow rather than to stay small. Well, look, here's the thing. Over the years in my experience in ministry, the leaders in many churches around, well, certainly around Australia, that's the place I know the best, they have been resistant to the idea of churches growing too big in case they get to the point where we don't know each other or we don't know everybody anymore. And that's always been seen as a real threat to closeness and to community within churches. I speak as one who began his ministry back in the 70s when the church growth movement was born. And we all went to seminars and conferences and they brought people out from the United States and churches were being urged to take risks, to put on more staff, to increase their facilities, to come up with programs and ministries that connected with the community as never before. And all of this was under the heading of, let's help churches to grow. And so looking back over my years of ministry, I've always been passionate about seeing the church grow, both numerically and spiritually. And so many, if not most of the initiatives that I've ever been responsible for have been aimed at growing the church. Looking back when I think about it, they've all been aimed to kind of expand the church and grow the church. And I can tell you, I have met, particularly in the early days of my ministry, I have met with pretty fierce resistance to some of those initiatives. There have been real pockets of resistance. Of course, here's the point. Over the years, I have seen irrefutable evidence that there is no link between the size of a church and the level of closeness that you can experience in that church. There's just no evidence that small churches have greater levels of community than big churches. I've seen it. I can tell so many stories. The thing is, churches have closeness. They have community if they desire to have those things. And if they minister and program for those things, I've talked to people in churches of thousands of members who talk with great passion about the closest they experience in their connection group. And I've spoken to people who are part of very, very small churches who crave for intimacy, who want to get to know the people better that they regard it as pretty superficial where they are. So it has nothing to do with size because you can create opportunities for community if you're intentional and if you really desire that either in a small church or in a very large church. Well, look, the churches of Galatia were well and truly caught up well and truly caught up in the rapid spread of the early church in the first century. They would have been growing at a fairly fast rate as people embraced the love, the grace, the forgiveness that was available through Jesus. But we're found already in this series. There were some problems. The church of Galatia, or churches of that region, the churches of Galatia, they had some real difficulties because there were some influential Jewish groups who wanted to maintain some of the old rites and practices and beliefs of the old form of religion, the Jewish faith. They wanted to introduce those into the Christian faith and this caused some real confusion and more than a little discontent. And so what's the scene? Well, against the backdrop, against the backdrop of tension and conflict within the Galatian church, Paul raises the subject of burdens. And he addresses this theme in several different ways because Paul acknowledged that within any fellowship, there is a variety of needs, a variety of problems and challenges and sources of worry and tension. That's the way it is here at Northside. It's the way it is in every church. When you think about it, there's a profound biblical truth coming through in this one verse, in this one key verse. What does the verse say, bear one another's burdens? He's talking to Christians. Now immediately it implies in no uncertain manner that among the people of God, we are going to face the rigors of human life. We are going to face problems. We're going to face things that are going to really burden us down. These things when they happen should not be a surprise to any one of us. Paul says it. Paul says they're going to be burdens. Bear one another's burdens. So many scriptures could support that. Now look, a close examination of these verses in Galatian 6 identifies various types of burdens and the appropriate way of dealing with each. First of all, Paul makes it clear some burdens are meant to be shared. He states that in the opening verse of Galatian 6, he refers to a form of burden which requires great sensitivity and compassion on the part of the congregation. Look what he says, my friends, if someone is caught in any kind of wrongdoing, those of you who are spiritual should set them right. But you must do it in a gentle way. That's pretty powerful, isn't it? If someone is caught in any kind of wrongdoing, those of you who are spiritual must set them right. But do it in a gentle way. Now, the wrongdoing Paul is referring to here is most likely related to this mischievous influence of the Judei ises. These people who are trying to infiltrate the Christian faith with some original Jewish thinking. But then again, it could also be a reference to an individual or maybe a group of individuals who may have been caught up in some kind of moral or ethical controversy. Could have been one or the other. Either way, Paul's teaching is clear. Those found to be carrying a burden of sin and guilt need to be cared for with love and with understanding. Yes, there may be a need for a rebuke. Yes, there may be a need for discipline. But neither of these should overshadow the body of Christ's primary responsibility, and that is one of love, understanding, and if at all possible restoration. This is an area of church life that we've not handled particularly well. Over the years, I've spoken to people, thank God, generally people from other churches, not the ones where I've been pastoring, but other churches who've told me of situations where they have been shunned, isolated, in some cases subjected to very severe judgmentalism because of something that's happened in their life that's brought heartache and even shame to themselves and their families. But they've not found anybody within their church to help bear the burden. In fact, it's been a case of, sorry, we can't handle this, we don't know you, we don't want to get involved. Now, look, let's not understate. Let's not try to minimize the effect that sinful behavior has on the church of Jesus Christ. It can be devastating. Sometimes requiring the full force of the law, as we've seen with child abuse, gosh, I mean, that's had to be dealt with in some very severe ways. But no matter how serious the fall from grace, at some point, someone has to extend the love and the grace of God. It might be the prison chaplain. Then again, it might be someone like you and me. There's a moment from the history of Northside that brings all of this into very sharp focus that happened a couple of years into my ministry here in the old building on this site. And we had a visit by some prisoners who were involved in the ministry of Chairos, which is a Christian-based ministry that ministers to the prisons of New South Wales. How many people were here on that morning? I can see, yes, all quite a few old timers, well, not old timers. I mean, you know, my wife Bev's here. Not old timers, but people who go back a fair way. And look, it was me. We'd be advertised that well. And there was a big crowd on board. And I don't know what people expected. I think they sort of thought that, you know, the prisoners would walk in as a group, you know, in prison garble or something. I don't know. But they weren't identifiable. There were about seven of them I think, as I recall, they just spread themselves out around the congregation. There was one guy who was fairly identifiable. He was a man responsible for them. He had a big Bible in his jacket, kept putting his hand near it. Remember that? I think it was a Bible. He was on edge, that guy most of the morning. No, he was very relaxed. But what happened was this? I think people look around, "Where are the prisoners? Where are they?" And when I introduced them and said, "Ladies and gentlemen, would you please put your hands together for our guests from Long Bay Jail?" These guys stood up from around the congregation and instantaneously burst into an unaccompanied version of Amazing Grace. Amazing Grace. How sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. These guys had all come to Christ through the prison system. So all of a sudden, you're silly. Where are the prisoners here? Oh my gosh, I'm sitting next to one. Oh, okay. That's exactly the effect it had. And people told me afterwards that they thought before the event, they thought, "Oh, prisoners. What sort of prisoners were they allowed to come to a service on a Sunday morning?" Oh, probably parking fine offenders. Jay Walkers. No, no, no, no. Some of the stories came out. These were in for the worst crimes. Some of these guys were in for the worst crimes you can imagine. It was a very powerful moment which kind of brought together, you know, sort of sin and grace. And we found that, you know, in that context, lots of complex issues, but these guys were, for that moment, in that setting, our brothers in Christ. It was an amazing moment, I guess, of reconciliation, among other things. Well, let's get back to this verse. Help carry one another's burdens. Now, moving away from that extreme example of people at Long Bay Jail, some burdens are meant to be shared. And there are those listening to me now in this congregation. And you know what I'm talking about because you in this church family have had the opportunity to share some of your burdens over the years. And you have friendships and relationships here. And you've been able to do that very thing in times of sickness, in times of grief, in times of pain, in times of loss, disappointment, unemployment, failure, despair. You've felt the prayers. You've appreciated the chats that you've had with different people. You've been strengthened by the emails, the cards, the visits, the phone calls. You've been there. You've lived through this. That's body life in action. And we see it. We're on the ministry team and the pastoral care team. We see it every week. Stacks of examples. Friends, I'm so glad to be leading a church where it's okay to admit you've got a burden. It's okay to admit you're struggling. It's okay to admit that you may have really missed the mark badly. I'm really pleased to be part of a church like that. A church with a well-established culture of care and compassion. Some burdens are meant to be shared. But some burdens need to be shouldered. In other words, they need to be managed by the person carrying the load. It's hearing Galatians. In Galatians chapter 6 verse 5, what Paul says, "Each of you has to carry your own load." Now you're saying, "Wait a minute, Graham. That's contradictory. On the one hand, it's bare one another's burdens. And now it's sorry, mate. You're on your own with that one." No, no, no. There's no contradiction here, although there appears to be. We could say, "Isn't this exactly the kind of thinking we see prevalent in modern society, individualism, independent self-sufficiency, apathy, complacency, non-involvement? Whoa, don't want to get involved in that?" That's the default position for so many people today. Look, Paul is not contradicting himself here. What he's referring to is personal responsibility. That's what he's referring to. Personal responsibility. Every believer is responsible for the consequences of their own actions and responsible, ultimately, for the choices we make in life. There's no escaping that. He alludes to this in verse 4. What does he say in verse 4? You can check this at home. Verse 4, he says, "You should each judge your own conduct. You should each judge your own conduct." As we know, this is an area which is very controversial in our society today, personal responsibility. How many times do we see criminal offenders receive life sentences because their legal team has successfully argued diminished responsibility? The crime is committed because somebody is drunk. The crime is committed because somebody is on drugs. The obvious question to ask is, and so the defense is, "Sorry, our client was drunk, he was on drugs." Didn't know what he's doing. But the obvious question is to ask, what about the decision in the first place to get drunk? What about the decision in the first place to get on drugs? Where does responsibility really begin? Well, that's a big issue. Like I saw that today, back to the Galatians, and Paul is saying to them and to us, "Look, the pain, the anguish, the sadness, all the other emotions resulting from certain decisions, they can be shared with others in a loving and a supportive community, but the direct consequences of the action must be borne by the person themselves." I'll give you a couple of examples. If my actions result in strong feelings of guilt, I and I alone am the one who's called upon to choose how I will deal with that guilt. If my actions result in feelings of personal shame, again, I alone must bear the burden of how I will deal with that sense of shame. If I choose to harbor bitterness and resentment, if I develop an unforgiving spirit towards someone, that's my choice. And I alone must be able to handle the consequences of that decision. Paul is saying, be responsible, make wise choices in the first place, because everyone has to carry their own load. Actions and decisions have consequences. We might share the outcome of the decisions, but we bear responsibility for the decisions. It's a powerful but a very clear distinction. Now, some of you are a few steps ahead of me, and you're thinking, "Hey, wait a minute, carrying a load, bearing a burden. Perhaps for a season but long term, it doesn't sound like victorious living." And of course, it's not. That's not victorious living, carrying a burden of guilt, carrying a burden of shame, carrying an unforgiving spirit. That's not how we are meant to live. The reality is, and Paul knows this. He knew this, and it comes through so powerfully in his writing, some burdens need to be shared. Anything in your life and mind that threatens the closeness of our relationship with Jesus Christ, that looks like squeezing out the, or quenching the influence of the Holy Spirit and rendering us less effective as Christians, that's a burden that has to be shared. We are not meant to carry those kinds of burdens. It needs to be given over to somebody else. And if you are one who's given your life to Jesus, you are hopefully very familiar with the words of our Lord when he said, "Come to me, all of you who are tired from carrying heavy loads, and I will give you rest." And friends, that's the promise of our Lord Jesus Christ, but there's more. He also says, "The yoke I will give you is easy, and the load I will put on you is light." Now, here's a question. Have you ever considered what's being said here? And when we know that verse, "Oh, the yoke I give you is easy, the burden is light." Hey, hang on, just a question. Have the burdens you've experienced since coming to Christ always been light? Like compared to the burdens you might have had before that, have they all been easy, light? Come to Jesus, oh, it's been a breeze, just gliding off into the sunset. That's what it says. Jesus said, "Burden is light." What does it mean? What's he really saying? Of course, we know that's not true. You can come to Christ and that can be the beginning of some real heavy burdens in your life. To understand these words of Jesus, we have to know. We have to understand the key. What's the key to an ox or a donkey or any other animal that puts a yoke around their neck and they pull a load. We see this in developing nations, the old way of farming. The key is how that collar, how that yoke fits around that neck. If it has even the slightest imperfection, if it's out of shape or if there's a roughness somewhere in that yoke, even a light load will be painful. I'm not a farmer. I've worked that out. If that yoke is not a great fit, even the slightest burden it's going to grab, it's going to pull, it's going to be painful. But if that yoke fits absolutely beautifully, if it's a snug, really tight fit, you can lean into that, press into that and with a degree of comfort, pull a really heavy load. Now, that's the point. Jesus is not saying that the load is necessary light, but how you pull it, the strength I will give you to pull that load with the yoke I give you will make it appear to be light by comparison. Vince, I know some of you understand exactly what I'm saying here because that's the relationship you have and we can all have with Jesus Christ. I'm so glad I'm in a church where it's okay to have burdens. I'm so glad I'm in a church where burdens are meant to be shared appropriately within relationships, within connection groups, within friendships. Some burdens have to be shouldered only we can bear the responsibility for them. Choose carefully. Choose wisely. Every decision has a consequence and some of those choices only we can bear. But we're not meant to bear those things in a negative, destructive way that pulls us down and renders us less effective because all burdens in the end are meant to be shared. And sometimes the only one you can give them to those deep, dark secrets of the heart, the only one you can give them to is Jesus Christ. But I'm here this morning to tell you that as lovingly and as convincingly as I can, he is the one who says come to me, all you who are burdened and I will give you rest because the yoke I put on you is easy. It's comfortable. It presses into me. Read my word. Pray. Worship with my people. Take communion. Live your life in partnership with me and those heavy burdens will appear light because the yoke I give you is easy and it'll make the burdens seem lighter. That's the Christian faith. Do you know that lifestyle? Do you know that Jesus Christ you can this morning? That's bad and prayer, shall we?