Burdens
Galatians 6:1-5
INTRO.- ILL.- An airline company was disturbed over a high percentage of accidents so they decided to eliminate human errors by building a completely computerized plane. "Ladies and gentlemen," came a voice over the PA during the initial flight, "It may interest you to know that you are traveling in the world’s first completely automated and computerized plane. Now just back and relax because nothing can go wrong....go wrong....go wrong....go wrong....."
Wanna bet? THINGS DO GO WRONG IN LIFE! And you don’t have to live very long in this world to find this out. And for some people, things seem to go wrong more often than not.
Psalm 55:22. Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.
We are told to do three different things with our burdens. This is not a contradiction, but rather God wants to show us that there are different kinds of burdens.
I don’t know what your need is this today, but I do believe that God has given this message for someone in this congregation this today. Perhaps it is to serve as preventive maintenance. In order to keep you from falling beneath a burden that is waiting down the road.
Let me say, by way of introduction that I can’t make your burdens go away, but I hope that, with the help of the Lord, I will be able to help you recognize the different types of burdens that you’re likely to face as you travel down life’s road.
I Burdens to Shoulder- what kind of burden is this.
Our personal responsibility. Matt 6: 20. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
Romans 6: 13. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
1st Corinthians 7: 4. The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife. 5. Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.
2nd Corinthians 13: 5. Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?
Ephesians 5: 18. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;
19. Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;
20. Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;
Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.
F. 1st Thessalonians 5: 9. For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
10. Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.
11. Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.
12. And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you;
13. And to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. And be at peace among yourselves.
14. Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men.
See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men.
Hebrews 13: 17. Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.
2nd Thes 3: 6. Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly,…
James 4: 7. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
· Your separation
· Your Prayer life
· Your Soulwinning
· Your Bible reading
II. Burdens to Share Shared-
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. 2. Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.
Gal 5: 14. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
III. Burdens to be shed-
If you can’t control the burdens cast them upon the Lord.
A. Conclusively - "Casting" - This verb refers to the act of "throwing or casting" something. It is in a form that refers to a one time deal. We are told here to "once for all, throw our burdens to Jesus!" When the worries of life press us down, we do not have to bear them alone! Thank God, there is One Who is stronger than we are and Who is willing to carry our load.
B. Completely - Notice how much or our burden we are supposed to give to the Lord. "All you care"! He tells us to give Him everything! We are not so much as to keep even the smallest part of a burden to ourselves. We are told to give it all up to Jesus!
C. Confidently - How can we do this? With the absolute confidence that He cares for us, Heb. 4:15. When we are burdened, it touches the heart of God and He is moved on our behalf. Please notice that this verb is in the "Present Tense, Active Voice and the Indicative Mood." You may wonder what this means for you, well Present Tense means ongoing activity. Active Voice means the Lord Himself is involved. Indicative Mood means that it is a fact! Put it all together and we find that Jesus Christ, Himself, is actively involved in caring for us. Why the interest? Well, He has made quiet an investment in us (Ill. The Cross) and He will see to the needs that arise in our lives.
Shed - Psalm 55:22. Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.
The Word cast means to fling, or hurl with force. Getting them as far as we can.
We have a burden baring God. He bore our sin in his own body on Calvary.
Matt 27:32 … a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to bear his cross. One of our teachers in Bible college tried to tell us that Jesus didn’t carry his cross all the way to the top of Calvary. Luke 23: 26. And as they led him away, they laid hold upon one Simon, a Cyrenian, coming out of the country, and on him they laid the cross, that he might bear it after Jesus. That word after refers to position not chronology. John 19:17 And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha:
Don’t you know that is Jesus can bare the sins of the world that he can bear the burden that we face from day to day.
Most of the things we worry about never happens. Hurricanes, Tornadoes etc.
If we can’t do anything about the situation, then we need to cast that burden upon the Lord. And there is a danger if we refuse to do that.
If God’s carrying you, why not let him carry your burdens.
We take our burdens to the Lord, but we don’t leave them there.
Sometimes we think it’ s a sign of spiritual strength when we can carry a load of burdens, but in reality it only makes us weaker, in fact it makes us subject to the attacks of the Devil.
I Peter 5: 7. Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. You noticed the wording there didn’t you. It’s very much like the wording in Psalm 55. The burden in Ps. 55 is not a pile of wood, it’s emotional cares of life.
Why does God want us to cast our burdens upon the Lord? Look at verse 8. Be sober, be vigilant;…
Sober – calm cool and collected
Vigilent- to be alert of your surrounding.
Why ?? …because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, (lions don’t roar until after the kill.) walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Lions, Crocodiles
Devour, means to destroy. The devil doesn’t come to nag and to aggravate. He’s looking for the one that has not learned to cast their burden upon the Lord.
One man said, "I like people who crawl in sick rather than those who call in sick."
Fanny Crosby, blind from birth, wrote over a thousand hymns. SHE DIDN’T GIVE IN TO HER CONDITION OR CIRCUMSTANCES! She just did it!
Sometimes we have to ignore the pain, the hurt, the negative feelings and bear our own burdens!
Ps. 55:22 "Cast your burden on the Lord, and He will sustain you."
It’s like the little girl who said, "I go to church every Sunday so that when they carry me in one day, the Lord wonât ask, ’WHO IS IT?’"
