Real Spiritual Identity Series

Introduction:

A. The story is told of a man who was looking for a job and noticed that there was a “help wanted” sign at the zoo.

1. He inquired about the job and discovered that the zoo had a very unusual position that they needed to fill.

2. Apparently, their gorilla had died, and until they could get a new one, they needed someone to dress up like a gorilla, and pretend to be one.

a. The man was told that the gorilla suit was very realistic, and that all he had to do was sit, eat and sleep like a gorilla.

b. The pay wasn’t bad and the man needed the job, so he decided to do it.

3. The man put on the suit, took a position at the back of the cage and pretended to sleep.

4. After a while, the man got tired of sitting, so he walked around a little bit, jumped up and down and made a few gorilla noises.

a. The people who were watching him seemed to really like that.

b. When he would move or jump around or climb the tree, the people would clap and cheer.

c. This was becoming quite fun and he was really drawing a crowd!

5. So, playing to the crowd, the man in the gorilla suit grabbed a vine and swung from one side of the cage to the other.

a. As he swung higher and higher, the cheers got louder and louder.

b. Then all of the sudden, when he had swung to the highest point, the vine broke and he flew over the wall of the gorilla cage and landed in the lion’s cage next door.

6. The man in the gorilla suit frantically looked around and saw a huge lion not 20 feet away, and he looked very hungry.

a. So the man in the gorilla suit started jumping up and down, screaming, “Help, Help, get me out of here! I’m not really a gorilla. I’m just a man in a gorilla suit! Help!”

7. The lion quickly pounced on the man, held him down and said, “Will you shut up! You’re going to get both of us fired!”

B. I wanted to start with that silly story to get us thinking about the fact that sooner or later, our real identity becomes obvious to everyone.

1. Sooner or later we all get found out and our cover is blown.

2. So the question for each of us is: who are we and who are we trying to be?

3. Are we children of God who are saved by grace, and who are filled with the Spirit and are trying to keep step with the Spirit?

4. Are we really people who are sowing to the Spirit, or are we actually people who give lip service to the Spirit and are really sowing to the flesh?

5. These are critical questions that have eternal consequences.

C. Today, as we continue in our study of the book of Galatians, we come to the first ten verses of chapter 6.

1. In these verses, Paul gives us what appears to be three random thoughts: bearing burdens, sharing with one’s teacher, and sowing and reaping.

2. At first glance, they seem so random and not only seem unrelated to each other, they seem unrelated to the situation at Galatia.

3. But I believe that after a close examination, we will see that they are both related to each other and to the challenges that were being faced by the churches of Galatia.

4. What we see Paul doing in this present section, is giving some concrete illustrations of what it means to live as a Christian who is guided by freedom in the Spirit.

5. In other words, how should really spiritual, Spirit-filled, Spirit-guided people be living?

6. Let’s see how Paul answered that question.

I. Spiritual People Bear One Another’s Burdens (6:1-5)

A. Galatians 6 begins: Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. 2 Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. 3 For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. 4 But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. 5 For each will have to bear his own load.

1. In these verses Paul explains two ways we can bear the burdens of those around us and they are: restoring the fallen, and helping the hurting.

2. As we explore these activities of spiritual people, we need to keep in mind that they are not ministries reserved for preachers, elders and leaders; rather, they are ministries for all spiritual people who are willing to get involved, and become burden-bearers for Jesus!