Galatians 6:4-10
Healing A Broken Church
We continue looking at the first ten verses of Galatians 6. Paul
dealt with a doctrinal error of the greatest magnitude in the first
four chapters, namely must we keep the Law to be saved. He answered
that question with a big NO. In the last two chapters, Paul attempts
to put these broken churches back together again.
Thankfully, our church does not have an issue at this present time;
but if or when an issue arises, I pray we will look to the counsel of
these verses.
Several things struck me as I thought on this chapter.
1. How difficult it is to keep a church together. Remember this is
not A church but a REGION of churches; yet false doctrine spread
through them like a virus, splitting and fragmenting the churches.
Years ago, this church split. Then, although the splinter church
seemed strong and growing, they eventually fractured and died. It
is hard to keep a church together. Let the church remember that
when the devil comes whispering in our ears. Stay the course.
Follow the Book.
2. Paul’s determination to put these churches back together again.
a. Paul dealt sternly with the churches to expose and to remove
the error; but with the same diligence that Paul used to
rebuke the error in the first four chapters, he attempted to
mend the churches in the last two chapters, even to the place
of changing his writing style.
b. Typically, Paul would spend the larger portion of his epistles
teaching doctrine and then, toward the end, preach about holy
living. However, in this epistle—although Paul does give us
great challenges about walking in the Spirit, helping our
fellow Christians, and unifying the body of Christ—it is all
related back to the error found in these churches. He never
quit talking about the error or the people’s spiritual
condition and duty to repair. For example, in the last verses
of this epistle:
Gal 6:12 As many as desire to make a fair shew
in the flesh, they constrain you to be
circumcised; only lest they should suffer
persecution for the cross of Christ.
13 For neither they themselves who are
circumcised keep the law; but desire to have
you circumcised, that they may glory in your
flesh.
3. Paul did not address this letter to a pastor but to the church. In
fact, no individual’s name is mentioned in the entire book—which
in itself seems to have been a deliberate action. Perhaps Paul
send a separate letter to the leaders; but even if he did, this
one is directed to the people. Why? Perhaps Paul understood that
a broken church can only be repaired by the people. Leaders can
and should lead. A pastor can put ointment on the wounds or
gasoline on the first; but ultimately it is the people that
determine what kind of fellowship a church will be. So, every
command given in these verses to repair these broken churches was
to the members, not to their leaders.
What are those commands? There were eight of them.
I. \\#1\\ Restore the Fallen
Gal 6:1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a
fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an
one in the spirit of meekness; considering
thyself, lest thou also be tempted.
A. Inside these churches are those who were wrong, those who were
wronged, and those who did the wronging.
B. Paul’s goal was to move everyone to the category of right with
God and serving Him.
C. In some situations church discipline may need to be applied to
some, but most of these people were the ones who were wronged.
D. It would be the Judiazers who came to this region with their
false doctrine that needed to be discipline.
E. Most of these people needed to be loved and encouraged.
II. \\#2\\ Bear Another’s (Burden) Hurt
Gal 6:2 Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so
fulfil the law of Christ.
A. The load that Paul spoke of here was not physical or financial.
1. It was emotional.
2. Like a betrayed spouse cast away by his mate, this church
had been torn asunder and fragmented.
3. Only those who have loved their church and been loved by it
can understand the deep hurt that they gone through.
B. In this hour, walls must come down and each must feel the hurt
and pain that the others are feeling.
C. I do not know why, but companionship, even in suffering,
helps; hence the admonition:
Romans 12:15 …weep with them that weep.
III. \\#3\\ Don’t get Proud
Galatians 6:3 For if a man think himself to be
something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth
himself.
A. This phrase does not stand alone but with the last one as seen
by the connecting conjunction "for."
B. If we swell with pride, thinking we won, and allow our brothers
and sisters to hurt, we will lose all.
C. When a church is broken, there is no place for pride.
1. Even if the church has been alert enough to stay on the
right track and not follow the path of error, pride would
not be advisable.
2. Humility, thankfulness, and a greater dependence on God
would be in order but not pride.
3. But certainly there is no room for it in a church that
allowed the devil to break and bruise it to begin with.
IV. \\#4-5\\ Put Forth the Effort. Do the Work.
Gal 6:4 But let every man prove his own work,
and then shall he have rejoicing in himself
alone, and not in another.
5 For every man shall bear his own burden.
A. This section has a command, a reward, and a precept.
B. \\#4\\ The COMMAND is "prove your own work."
1. To prove means to test, to examine.
2. The thought is it was time for people to quit talking
about their walk with God and start showing it.
3. No situation separates the spiritual from the carnal any
more than a division within a church.
4. In such times, every person who is walking in the Spirit is
called upon to prove his walk.
5. Hurt makes it difficult to want to do right.
a. We all understand the conditions of the flesh.
(1) To pick sides.
(2) To respond in kind.
(3) To react in the flesh.
b. But doing so is not of the Spirit.
c. I could put you in an automobile and drive you to the
homes of people who got hurt and reacted.
(1) In some cases, they felt justified in throwing
away their marriages.
(2) In some cases, they felt justified in throwing
away their jobs.
(3) In some cases, they felt justified in throwing
away their churches, their pastors, their
friendships.
d. But I have never seen doing what felt good to the
flesh heal them or help them.
6. Let me tell you a secret about going to church.
a. You will get hurt.
b. Don’t take that as a revelation.
c. You are also going to get hurt at your bank, your
grocery store, and your doctor’s office.
d. Any place that you frequent and invest yourself, you
will get hurt.
e. The goal is not to protect yourself from getting hurt
because the only way you can do that is to quit giving
yourself.
f. The goal is to walk in the Spirit so that when you do
get hurt, it will be for the right cause and you can
respond with the right attitude.
7. Faithfulness, like faith, shines the brightest in hard
times.
C. \\#4\\ The REWARD - You can rejoicing.
1. I have tried to express this truth before, but I am sure
I have ever found the right words.
a. The same heart that can hurt also loves.
b. The same heart that weeps also laughs.
c. The same heart that gets sad also rejoices.
2. You cannot cut your heart off from the negatives without
also cutting your heart off from the positives.
a. If you won’t open your heart to hurt, you will also
shut your heart down to love.
b. If you won’t open your heart to sadness, you will also
shut your heart to happiness.
c. If you won’t open your heart to tears, you will also
shut your heart to laughter.
3. The reward for putting yourself out there—regardless of
how you personally feel—is you will have joy.
D. \\#5\\ The Precept
1. "Bear your own burden" here means "Do your own work."
2. Some see a conflict with this statement and the one made in
verse 2.
a. I don’t. I believe they are speaking of two different
kind of burdens and two different responsibilities.
b. I have already mentioned that I believe the burden in
verse 2 is the hurt of others.
c. But it really doesn’t matter what kind of a burden it
is, the message is the same.
(1) If you can help another, help them.
(2) But no matter who helps or who gets helped; in the
end, every person must carry their own load.
V. \\#6\\ Teach the Word
Gal 6:6 Let him that is taught in the word
communicate unto him that teacheth in all good
things.
A. Again, this exhortation was given to a group of fractured and
split churches, but it will preach in any situation.
1. It will preach in broken church, but it will preach in
united churches.
2. It will preach in a church, but it will stand just as tall
in a workplace, or a community, or the government.
3. The truth should never take a backside to error.
B. At all times good people who know the truth must share it; but
how much more in a time of crisis?
C. If you have been afforded the privilege to be instructed in
truth, especially the truth of God’s word, be sure to pass
it along to others.
1. You do not have to be a preacher to share the truth.
2. If you know it, share it.
3. Don’t be haughty when you share it. Just share it.
VI. \\#7-8\\ Don’t Follow the Flesh
Gal 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for
whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the
flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the
Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
A. No matter in what situation you apply these verses, they will
always be a warning.
1. You can divide God’s church with error if you can, but
there is a God in heaven to whom you will answer.
2. Kick a Christian when he is down if you wish, but there is
a God in heaven to whom you will answer.
3. Know the truth and keep silent if you will, but there is
a God in heaven to whom you will answer.
4. Use a pandemic to misdirect billions of dollars to your
political agenda if you like, but there is a God in heaven
to whom you will answer.
5. Kill babies while they live in the safety of the womb and
call it a right if you dare, but there is a God in heaven
to whom you will answer.
B. No matter what the situation, God will never be mocked.
1. God has established a principal and woven it into the
fabric of creation.
2. It is spelled out in verse 8.
a. You sow to your flesh and you will reap corruption.
b. You sow to the Spirit and you will reap life.
VII. \\#9\\ Don’t Quit
Gal 6:9 And let us not be weary in well doing:
for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
A. Sometimes the journey seems long and never ending, but don’t
quit.
1. Don’t quit on God.
2. Don’t quit on serving God.
3. Don’t quit on helping others.
4. Don’t quit on your church as long as church is following
God.
B. This verse contains a promise.
1. If we don’t quit, sooner or later we will reap a harvest.
a. For some it is sooner.
b. For others it is later.
c. But the harvest will come.
2. If we will be faith to God, God will be faithful to us.
VIII. \\#10\\ Do Good
Gal 6:10 As we have therefore opportunity, let
us do good unto all men, especially unto them who
are of the household of faith.
So let’s do good for one another. That is everyone but it is
especially directed to the Christians to do good to other Christians
and in the context, it is especially directed to the spiritual
Christians to do good the hurting and fallen Christians.
One day, ten million, billion years from now as man reckons time, we
will not care what divided us; but we will still remember those who
loved and helped us. Let’s make some eternal memories at the GPBC.
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