Help Others On The Road Series

HELP OTHERS ON THE ROAD

Gal. 6: 1-10 (p826) January 30, 2011

INTRODUCTION:

I remember a couple of years ago being at Mom's on a Friday to cut grass and the riding lawn mower wasn't acting right…and before you call me a womp about using a riding mower…it's almost 3 acres. The engine was running fine, but the transmission was slipping and the belt needed to be adjusted…the first step was to take off a cover plate…not at problem…the second step was to get both rear wheels off the ground….problem!!! I tried lifting one side and scooting a cinder block under it with my foot…I tried (not intelligently) to pick up the back end and set it on the cinder block alone. It was too heavy to move by myself. It was too big a job for one person.

So I went inside and got my big brother Sam. We lifted the rear of the tractor together and set it on the cinder block…then after I adjusted the pulley and belt we lifted the tractor blade off the block and put it on the ground.

Sam is an awesome big brother. He even took Mom and I out to eat after I was done…

After we get through I thought…you know there are some things that are just too heavy for someone to carry alone…It’s the Christian principle we see here in Galatians 6…when it comes to sin, spiritual burdens and struggles some of them are too big for us to carry alone.

Solomon, the preacher writes in Ecclesiastics 4: 9,10 "Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work. If one falls down his friend can help him up, but pity the man who yells and has no one to help him get up."

Pity the man (I hear Mr. T's "Pity the Fool in the back of my head…who falls down…He stumbles, he trips, he's hurt…"He's Fallen and he can't get up"

He alone, no first alert call button, and there's no one to help him get up…Could anything be worse?....Well maybe if two or three people showed up and just kicked the stuffin' out of him while he was alone.

As we take the next step: As we follow Jesus into the unknown, we must be aware of others who are on the journey with us…some who need…

II RESUCE FROM A DEADLY TRAP

I don't know why it happens, but many times when someone falls into the trap of sin…people immediately respond with judgment, autism, the cold shoulder and the condescending "Look"

1.

Folks I'm not saying that we should treat sin lightly…I just don't think we should treat sinners as if we aren't!

"Brothers…(He's writing to Christians about Christians) if someone is caught in a sin…." You who are spiritual should restore him gently."

The word picture in the original geek is "A Snare" An animal caught in a trap.

Satan isn't nearly as powerful as God! But he is powerful…We are warned to be self-controlled and alert…Our enemy, the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." (1Peter 5: 8

He's not a kitty-cat…He's an enraged lion...Paul lets us know how he operates in Eph 6:10-12

Eph 6: 10:12 (p830)

Satan plans, he schemes, he works with his dark forces, behind the scenes preparing snares, laying traps.

…And we know for sure…"someone's going to get caught…."How do we know?...because every single one of us has stepped into the snare and I'm going to address what our test addresses….Christians caught in the snare, and those of us who claim to be spiritual that find them caught.

We will always be prone to sin, because of our nature, even after the Holy Spirit moves in, sin still attracts, we still are drawn to its pleasure…even if it only last a "season"

But there are those times as Christians…getting caught in Satan's snare is more likely…

…1st when we're baby's in Christ…newer Christians with not a lot of foundation or roots. In fact I often warn new believers…be careful because after your commitment publically here Church…Satan's goanna test that commitment privately in the world.

…the 2nd is close to the lst…it's after a spiritual commitment…Satan will test it…and God will let it be tested….After Jesus baptism came the wilderness and Satan's temptations. Often when God's Spirit moves in us to take the next step….following Jesus into the unknown Satan wants us to trip over worldly stuff early in the journey.

…And the 3rd scares me the most when it comes to the church…it's when we get so proud of who we think we are that we believe "no snare or trap" will catch us. Its why God's word warns "Pride goes, before the fall and a haughty Spirit before destruction" (Prov. 16:18)