Burdens

Pastor, teacher, and author Adrian Rogers has introduced people all over the world to the love of Jesus Christ and has impacted untold numbers of lives by presenting profound truth simply stated. Thanks for joining us for this message. Here's Adrian Rogers. Would you be finding in your Bibles, please, the book of Galatians chapter 6? And when you found it, look up here, Galatians.

Chapter 6, in a few moments we're going to read together the first three verses. But I want to talk to you today about burdens. about your burdens. I know you have burdens. The strangest thing in the world, the most rare thing in the world, would be to find a Thinking person.

without a burden. And every preacher needs to understand when he preaches. That on every row in his congregation, is a burdened heart.

Now the question is this. What do you do? With a burden. What do you do? With a burden.

Well look if you will please in Galatians chapter 6 verse 1. My 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. Bear ye one another's burdens.

And so fulfill the law of Christ. For if a man think himself to be something when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. But let every man prove his own work. And then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone. and not in another.

For every man shall bear His own Burden. We're going to see really there are three kinds of burdens. They're the burdens we willingly take up. There are the burdens. We faithfully Bear up.

And there are the burdens we wisely Give up. And it's very important that you understand the distinction in these as we Think together on what do you do. With a burden. Now the first burden I'm going to talk about is the burden we share. That is the burden we willingly take up.

Look in verses 1 and 2 again. He says here, 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, bear ye one another's burdens. and so fulfill the law of Christ. There are certain burdens that we willingly Take up.

These are the burdens That we share. They're not our burden. They're someone else's burden. And what is the burden that our brother has? He has been overtaken.

in a fault. We're not talking here about a wicked man, a bad man, we're talking about a good man, a good woman. who has been sabotaged by sin. You see, the word overtaken means someone who has been prepped up, someone who has been prepped by temptation, someone who has been sabotaged by sin.

Somebody who has been overtaken in a fault. And if you'll think. You know somebody just like that.

Somebody who is a good man or woman who gave his or her heart to the Lord Jesus Christ. And was saved? And walked with our Lord in victory and joy, and then something happened. That person fell. That person Tripped up.

That person is The young people would say, He blew it. And he's carrying a burden, and that's the burden of his sin.

Now what is my ministry? What is your ministry? There's certain burdens that we're to take up. That is, there is the ministry. of restoration.

Look, if you will, here in this passage of Scripture. And uh See in verse 1, the Bible says, restore such a one. The word here for restore is a Greek word that was used to mend a bone. like a doctor would put a bone back in place. To set that bone that has been broken.

And that is the ministry of reconciliation that God has given to us. Do you know someone like that? I mean, think right now. Don't you have someone in your family? Or don't you have someone in your office?

Or don't you know someone in your neighborhood?

Someone who has been ambushed by sin. Let me tell you what the message today is. If you are that person who has fallen, There's hope for you. If you're that person that has not fallen, there is a warning for you. And whether you have fallen or whether you have not, there is a call to action by all of us.

And the Bible says if we're spiritual, We're to restore such a one.

Now I've got wonderful news for you. If you have fallen, If you once walked with God... And you have fallen into sin. God is the God of a second chance. And with a Christian, listen to me.

Failure is not final. I was thinking. recently about all of the saints of God. In the Bible, who fell, and yet by the grace of God, they were restored. Jonah was a prophet, a man of God, and we criticize Jonah so often, but the Bible says the word of the Lord came to Jonah.

That means Jonah was in contact with God. He was the kind of man who could hear the word of God, he was the kind of man that God would choose to preach a message. The word of the Lord came to Jonah. And Jonah was commissioned to go and preach to Nineveh. And you remember that Jonah ran from the presence.

of the Lord. You know the story how he spent the night on a foam blubber mattress, and then God restored Jonah. And he preached the word of God and God used him to hold a great citywide crusade. Thank God he's the God of a second chance. We remember Samson.

The heavyweight champion of the Old Testament. Yet he lost his testimony. He lost his purity. His eyes are put out. He's grinding in the mill, but the Bible says the hair of his head began to grow again.

That's just another way of saying that God gave him a second chance. I think of Simon Peter, the big fisherman. What a wonderful man was Simon Peter. He loved God, he had courage, he had zeal. But he tripped up and he fell.

He was overtaken in a fault. He cursed and swore and denied the Lord Jesus, and what a field day the gossips would have had. There's old Simon Peter, Reverend Peter. That old hypocrite. The rock is nothing but grains of sand.

And yet he was the mighty apostle of Pentecost. Because Jesus looked at him and said, when you're converted, then you strengthen. Your brethren. I think of David. David was a man after God's own heart.

What a man of integrity and love and wisdom and skill and courage was David. And yet David fell into temptation. He sinned egregiously against Almighty God. But while David was a great sinner, David was a great repenter. And God used David in the latter years of his life.

God restored the bones that were broken in David's life. As a matter of fact, David prayed this prayer: restore unto me. The joy of thy salvation, that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. If you ever read the Gospel of Mark, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Remember that the Gospel of Mark was written by a man whose name was John Mark.

John Mark started out to be a missionary and he became a failure. He was a turncoat. He was a dropout. He failed so miserably that the Apostle Paul said, I can't use him again in the missionary journey. I don't want him around me.

He's a failure. And yet, He was restored by a man named Barnabas who was an encourager. And later on in Paul's ministry, he said, bring John Mark. He is profitable unto me for the ministry. He was the man, John Mark, who wrote the Gospel of Mark.

Now look up here and let me tell you something. There is a ministry of restoration. Our God is a God of a second chance. And the Bible says if a man be overtaken in a fault, we are to restore. Restore.

Such a one. In the spirit of meekness, I say it again: if you have fallen, there's hope for you. If you have not fallen, there is a warning for you, and there's a call to action for every one of us. We are to restore such a one. And again, the word restore.

Has the idea of mending a broken bone. I was raised in West Palm Beach, Florida. One of the things that we love to do In the wintertime, my brother and I was to collect coconuts and sell them to the Yankees. Uh I could get a whole dime for a coconut. And of course, you know the coconuts.

A coconut tree is different than other trees. It doesn't have limbs on it, but it has fronds at the top. We learned how to climb a coconut tree like a monkey. I could go up a coconut tree just like that and collect coconuts. I was up a coconut tree, it must have been 30 feet tall.

I had my left arm around a palm frond and I had my right hand disconnecting a coconut when that palm frond let go. It was yellowed and it was ready to fall. The coconut fell, the frond fell, and the boy fell. Mm-hmm. I fell about 30 feet.

I fell on the grass, but my left arm fell on the sidewalk. And then the palm frond came down and fell on the boy, and the coconut came down and fell on the frond. And there I was with my left arm. mangled with a compound fracture and the and the bone actually going right through the skin, protruding. It was a bad situation.

Now, my brother was there, and he saw. What happened to me?

Now I want to ask you a question. As I was lying there, having fallen, and by the way, it was my fault. I was careless. I didn't look. I didn't pay attention that the limb was weak and yellowed.

It was really something that I got myself into, but what did I need? What did a boy squirming on the ground with a broken arm, what did I need?

Well, I didn't need a lecture. Not at that time. What I needed was restoration. I didn't need my brother to say, Adam. Didn't you see the limb was yellow?

I'll tell you something else. I didn't need my brother to ignore me. and walk away and leave me there in agony and pain on the ground. I'll tell you something else I didn't eat. I didn't need my brother to go around in the community and say, did you hear about Adrian?

He fell out of a coconut tree. I'll tell you something else I didn't need. I didn't need for him to come along and shoot me to put me out of my misery.

Now, I'll tell you something else I didn't need. I didn't need them to amputate that arm.

Now, I had that arm in a sling for a while, and you can't tell it, but it's still just a little crooked. But I can use it. Because what I needed was somebody at that time to realize that I'd fallen. I needed somebody to come and help me.

Now what do we do? When we have a member, a brother or sister who is overtaken with a fault. What do we do with broken brothers? It's a good question. Do we ignore them?

Let me tell you something. If there's a member of this church that has fallen, do you know what the member of this church is? He is a member of this body. And when one member suffers, what happens? Every member suffers with it.

That brother, that sister, is a member of this body. We are members of another. And when your arm is broken, you are supposed to hurt all over. What do you do? When a brother has a burden.

What do you do when a sister has fallen? Do you say it's none of my business? What do you do? Do you condemn him? Let me tell you this about the church, and it breaks my heart to say it.

But sometimes people in the church have this tendency. We crucify living saints, we worship dead saints. and we shoot fallen saints. May God have mercy upon us. What do we do when a brother falls?

Do we report him to somebody else? that somebody else might minister to him? What do we do when a brother falls? Do we lecture him and tell him he ought not to fall? Do you know what Jesus Christ said about the Pharisees, the legalists?

These people who were quick to point out the faults in somebody else, some fallen brother. Jesus said of them in Matthew chapter 23 and verse 4, for they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne and lay them on men's shoulders, but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. They push a person further down. They put burdens on men's shoulders rather than lifting burdens. What do we do with a broken brother?

What do we do with a fallen saint? I'll tell you what we do according to this verse. We restore him in the name of Jesus.

Now, I'm going to tell you something else, folks. Don't think I'm talking to you about what the church staff ought to do. Look at it again. Look at it. If a man be overtaken in a fault.

Yee. Which are spiritual, restore such a one.

Now if you don't care Or if you don't feel qualified, you're just admitting that you're not spiritual. If you claim to be a spirit-filled person, The message is for you. It is your responsibility. God called me as the pastor to equip you to do the work of the ministry. And if you're a spiritual person and God has laid someone on your heart, you have a friend, a neighbor, a brother, a sister, somebody that you know who has been tripped up, someone who has fallen into sin, it is your solemn responsibility before Almighty God to restore such a one if you call yourself a spiritual person.

Now, that friend is the ministry of restoration, and I want you to notice the manner of it. Notice how you're to do it. Look at it again in verse 1. Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such a one. Remember, that means to set a bone in the spirit of meekness, considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.

Bear ye one another's burdens. Now, how are you to restore him?

Well, number one, you to restore him gently. gently.

Now, that's in the spirit of meekness. You're not to be belligerent. You're not to be bellicose. You're not to be judgmental. You're to do it in a spirit of meekness.

Do you know what a person with a broken arm needs? I'll tell you one thing from experience, he needs a tender touch. He needs a tender touch. Because he's broken and he hurts. You're setting bone.

And if you're a harsh... and overbearing. And judgmental, God can't use you. I'll tell you something else. Not only are you to restore him gently, but you're to restore him humbly.

Now look at what it says here. The Bible says here that you are to consider your own self also, lest thou also be tempted. Remember, you also have feet of clay. You also are subject to temptation. And the Bible says, if a man thinketh he standeth, take heed lest he fall.

And when you're going around trying to mend a broken brother, Just consider yourself because one of these days you may be the one who needs to be restored. You may not understand the possibility that you might have to fall out of a coconut tree, and it'll happen to you real suddenly. Do you know what sin is? Sin is an undetected weakness. An unexpected opportunity.

and an unprotected life. And you put those things together and down you go. You think, well, I'm just sailing along fine. You may be in serious trouble this time next week. If you have an unprotected life, if you have an undetected weakness, an unexpected opportunity, you may fall into sin.

I've told you before. There are three persons who are sitting in the seat that you occupy this morning. The person you are right now, the person you could be for good, for God and for His glory, and the person you could be in depravity and sin if you take your eyes off of Jesus Christ. And few of us dare realize how high we may rise or how low we may sink. According to what we do with Jesus Christ.

But I'm telling you that when you go to restore a brother or sister in the name of Jesus, number one, you have to do it gently. with meekness. Number two, you're to do it humbly, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. And number three, You are to do it sympathetically. Look, if you will, in verse two, bear ye one another's burdens.

I can tell you from experience. that a person with a broken bone is hurting. If a man is truly a believer, I'm not talking about an unsaved person. I'm talking about a child of God. I'm talking about somebody who knows Jesus Christ as his or her personal Savior.

If that person. has a broken bone. If that person is a child of God and has fallen into sin, that person is hurting.

Now if he's not hurting, he's never been saved. Friend, if you're a child of God, and you're living in sin, you're hurting. And what you need is some sympathy.

Now what is the hurt that this kind of a brother has?

Well, first of all, He's out of fellowship with God. He's out of fellowship with God. The fellowship with God is broken. That's what David said. He said, Oh God, against thee and thee only have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight.

I'll tell you something else that burdens him. His conscience is smitten. King David said in Psalm 34 verse 4, For day and night thy hand was heavy. Upon me. There's another burden.

It's the burden of shame and humiliation. That's the reason that some people don't come back to church. There's shame to come. They're afraid of what the Pharisees and the legalists there at the church. We'll say about them.

Broken fellowship with God. Their conscience is smiting them. They are shamed and humiliated. And then, on top of that, the devil moves in with accusations, and the devil says, See? You're no good.

See, you never were saved. See, you deserve the judgment of God. You would be better off dead. And the devil, the accuser of the brethren, moves in on this fallen brother. And then there's that inward misery that he carries within his heart.

I've told you before. The most miserable man on earth is not an unsaved man. The most miserable man on earth is a saved man out of fellowship with God. A person who's known the Lord, a brother, a sister who's been overtaken by a fault and he has a spiritual, broken body. And the Bible says, We which are spiritual ought to restore such a one in the spirit of meekness.

And why do we do it? What is the motivation for taking up somebody else's burden? Let me give you some reasons. First of all, he's my brother. He is my brother.

That's what the Bible says, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such a one. And if he's in a body of Christ, just like my brother helped me when I fell out of that coconut tree. That person is your brother, your sister. Secondly, we're members of the same body. When one member suffers, every member suffers with it.

I'll tell you a third reason. Look at it here. The Bible says, bear one another's burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ. What is the law of Christ?

Well, just go left to chapter 5 and verse 14. Look at it. For all the laws fulfilled in one word, even this, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. Would you want somebody to restore you? What is the law of Christ?

The law of Christ is love. And if you're spiritual, The Spirit of God will produce that love in you, for the Bible says the fruit of the Spirit is love. I'll tell you another reason. Do you know why we need to restore him? Because this word restore not only means to set a broken bone, it also means to mend a net.

It was used for the mending of a net.

Now you know what we're in? We're in the fishing business. We're in the business of bringing people to Jesus Christ. We want this community to know Jesus Christ. When a member of this church or any church professes faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and then falls into sin and is not restored, you know what that is?

That's a hole in the net. That's a hole in the net. I cannot tell you the number of times I have visited and tried to bring a person to Jesus Christ, and you know what has kept that person from coming to Jesus Christ? They point out the sins. in the life of some member of this church or some other church.

There's a hole in the net. Which is more important? To restore the saved or to win the lost? Don't try and answer it because you can't answer it. That's like saying which wing of a bird is the most important.

The right wing or the left wing? Friend, I wouldn't say a bird cannot fly with a broken wing. And if we would get those who are saved right with God, We get a lot of the lost saved.

Sometimes we can't reach the goal for stumbling over our own players.

So which is more important? They're both important. We want to win the lost.

So why do we restore the saved to get these people right with God? All of these things are reasons. that we ought to restore. A brother.

So there is the burden that we take up. There are the burdens that we share when we go to an individual with a broken heart to win him to Jesus Christ.

Now, there's another kind of burden. Not only is there the burden that we Take up. The burden that we share. But there's the burden that we bear up. the burden that we shoulder.

Look, if you will, again in this passage of Scripture. In verse 5, for every man shall bear his own Burden.

Now is that contradictory? Verse 1 says, Bear one another's burdens. Verse 5 says Every man shall bear his own burden. There is no contradiction there whatsoever. Two different words are used for burden in the Greek language.

In verse 1, The word for burden is used as a burden which is a heavy load.

Something that is painful, something that bows you down. The word in verse 5 is the Greek word portion. Which has the idea of a backpack. It's something that a soldier might wear that he would keep his implements in. It's something that a woodsman might have on his back that would preserve and save his life.

And there are certain burdens that God gives us. And these burdens are not meant to bow us down and break us down. They're meant to lead us on and to help us in God and His mercy. Will lay upon us certain burdens. And God knows we're to have those kind of burdens.

And Jesus spoke of those when He said, Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. And there's certain burdens that we shoulder.

Now what does he mean by this? He means by this that there's certain things you cannot shove off on someone else. There's no such thing as proxy religion. There are certain burdens that we cannot escape. There are certain personal responsibilities.

For example, There is nobody who can repent for you. There's nobody who can worship For you? There's nobody who can receive Christ. For you? There's nobody who can serve God on your behalf.

You say, Well, Pastor, I come to church, I put money in the offering plate. That's what I pay you to do.

Well, I've got news for you. You don't pay me. And you say, well, I thought we did. No, you don't. You give your money to God.

God pays me. I am not a hireling. I am not a substitute. I am not somebody that you say, well, I'll pay you to do the preaching and the praying and the soul winning.

Now, don't misunderstand me. I'm grateful. for your gifts. And I'm grateful for the way that this church takes care of its pastor. Don't misunderstand what I'm saying.

But what I am saying is I'm not a hireling. The hireling flees. The good shepherd gives his life for the sheep. And you cannot pay somebody else for your responsibility. Every man must bear his own burden.

And if you're a spiritual person, If you're a child of God, There are people out here in this community who need your love, who need your care, who need your ministry, who need your helping hand, and there are burdens that need to be lifted. And it's your responsibility. Yes, I think it's a good idea. shall bear His own burden. They're the burdens that we take up.

Those are the ones we share. They're the burdens. That we bear up. Those are the ones we shoulder. Let me quickly go on.

There's a third category of burdens. Their burdens that we take up. There are burdens. That we bear up. And thank God they're burdens that we give up.

There's another category of burdens. There are certain burdens that we roll on the Lord.

Now, I'm going to leave our text here. And I want you to put in your margin some. Yeah. And verse 22. Listen to this.

Cast. Thy burden upon the Lord. and he shall sustain thee. He shall never suffer. The righteous.

To be moved. I want to remind you: if you were to read this 55th Psalm, it was written by David, who was a king. He was wealthy, he was godly. He had the wisdom of age. But burdens come to the high as well as to the low.

Burdens come to the rich as well as to the poor. Burdens come to saints as well as sinners. Burdens come to the old as well as the young. And we have burdens. And these are burdens we were never meant to carry alone.

The Bible says cast Your burden upon the Lord. Peter told us in another way: cast all your care upon him, for he careth. For you. I love that old song we used to sing, I Must Tell Jesus. I must tell Jesus.

I cannot bear my burden alone. I must tell Jesus. I must tell Jesus. Jesus can help me. Jesus alone.

There are the burdens that we take up. These are the burdens we share. They're the burdens we bear up. These are the burdens we shoulder. But they're the burdens.

That we give up. These are the burdens we shed. We just roll them on Jesus. Have you got a broken heart today? Have you got a burden?

There's somebody who cares. I may not know. Maybe your wife, your husband doesn't know. Maybe your mom, your dad. Have no idea.

Maybe say my pastor can never understand, there is one who knows. There's one with the nail prints in his hand. He's the one I serve, and he's the one who sent me here to tell you today. Cast your burden upon me. I'm the one who cares for you.

If I'm sufficient to carry your sin, I'm sufficient to carry. Your sorrows. I get a lot of mail. I gotta. Letter a while back from a person in Nevada.

I said, well, who do I know in Nevada? Here's what the letter said, and I'll not share the name. Pastor Rogers? I was at a total and complete bottom. I had just left my motel room in Memphis.

Tennessee. I had been beaten and choked. by someone very close to me. Not a boyfriend, lover, or husband. I was lost and crying.

I asked two men for change to get a cup of coffee, I think. They both turned me down. But now I know in my heart that that was a blessing from God. For you see, mister Rogers, I saw a young man with a small child getting packing boxes. I hesitated because of being rejected again.

But the more I looked, I felt like I should approach this man. Mr. Rogers. I asked this man for change for coffee. He asked me What was wrong?

I was crying. And I was a mess. I told him nothing. I just needed to go and have a cup of coffee.

Well, this man asked me. Did I know Jesus? I started really crying. I also started talking. He helped me so much.

He prayed with me. And I ask God to accept me as His child. He was a wonderful, caring person. He loves God so much. and believed so very much that he helped this sinner.

Find her way to her father. Mr. Rogers. I'm not going to say that it has been easy because it has not. I have a long way to go.

But I'm not rushing it. for I walk each day with God. I'm holding on to his robes. For I never want to feel alone. Again.

I don't know if I will ever know who that man was. But I truly am glad that he was placed in my life that day. I love him. For being a Christian. I don't know who that man was either.

I'll tell you something, he knew something about burdens. He knew something about lifting burdens. He knew something. about bearing burdens. And he knew something about teaching people how to roll burdens.

On the Lord. They're the burdens we share. There the burdens were shoulder. They're the burdens We share. Maybe today.

You know somebody who is a broken brother. He needs you. Ask God to lay that soul upon your heart. They need you. They're in misery.

And then maybe you're here today. And you've got a burden. I read about a man who had a very fine dog. He trained the dog quite well. And the dog was one of these dogs like a Labrador that loves the water.

The dog was out there in the lake, frolicking and playing in the lake. The man wanted to go, and he called the dog, and the dog wouldn't come. He called him several times, it wouldn't come. He was a well-trained dog, but he just would not come. And the man said, I know what I'll do, and he got a stick.

Threw it out in the water. And when the dog saw it, He swam over, got the stick. and came back. and laid it. at his master's feet.

It just may be. that God has given you a burden. It just may be that that's what he's given you. Because it can't get your attention. It just may be.

That God has given you a burden.

so that you might come and lay it. at your master's feet. That you might cast All your care upon him. Because, friend, he cares for you. And he sent me here to tell you: if you are a broken brother, there's hope for you.

A fallen sister, there's hope. And if you are a spiritual person, There's a burden of responsibility for you. And if your poor heart is aching and breaking. There's a Savior who loves you. Cast your burden upon the Lord.

He'll sustain you. He really will. He will. Bow your heads in prayer. Heads are bowed, no one moving.

I wonder how many here today would say, Pastor Rogers. I know Jesus Christ as my personal Savior and Lord. And I have the absolute assurance by the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. If I died today, I'd go straight to heaven. I'm saved and I thank God for it.

If you can give me that testimony while heads are bowed, eyes are closed, would you just lift your hand and hold it up? Thank you so much. Take it down.

Now, if you cannot In all honesty, say, I know that I'm saved. Let me talk to you. I believe I'm talking to someone right now who would say, Pastor Rogers, I couldn't lift my hand. But if a person can know that they're saved, If a person can know that they're right with God, I want to know it.

Well, if you do If you'll pray a prayer like this, dear God. I'm a sinner and I'm lost. And I cannot save myself. But I know, Lord, that you want to save me. Lord, I believe that Jesus paid for my sins with His blood on the cross.

And I believe that he purchased my salvation with that gift of love. And now by faith, repentance and faith, Lord. I just opened my heart. And I receive Christ as my Lord and Savior. come into my life today.

Forgive my sin. Save me. Pray that, folks. Mean it. Lord Jesus.

Come into my life. Forgive my sin. Save me today, Lord Jesus. Ask him, and I promise you, on the authority of the Word of God, He'll do just that. Father, I pray that many.

We'll come to Jesus today in His wonderful name. Amen. If you would like to learn more about how you can know Jesus or deepen your relationship with him, simply click the Discover Jesus link on our website, lwf.org. For a copy of this message or additional resources, visit our online store at lwf.org. or call 1-800-274-5683.

Thank you.