The Three "bears” And Goldilocks (Sermon About Bearing Burdens)

We all know a fairy tale is not real, but I want to talk to you about THREE “BEARS” that the Word of God teaches us about.

The Bible has 3 interesting statements about our burdens.

1) First one is found in Galatians 6:5, "Each one should bear his own burden."

2) Second one is found in vs. 2, where it says, "Bear each other's burdens.”

3) Fourth is found in Psalm 55:22, "Cast your burdens upon the Lord, and He will sustain you."

That is what the Bible says about our burdens, and maybe those three verses say all that need to be said.

But I would like to expand on these three verses for the next few minutes.

HAVE YOU EVER FELT LIKE YOU ARE BEING SWALLOWED BY THE TRIALS OF LIFE WE FACE IN THIS LIFE?

Illus: That makes me think about a story I read about in the U.S. Government Peace Corps Manual for its volunteers who work in the Amazon Jungle.

The page I’m going to read concerns what to do in case you’re attacked by an Anaconda.

The Anaconda is the largest snake in the world. It grows to 35 feet in length and weighs between 300 and 400 pounds. It squeezes it’s victims to death.

So this page is the strategy, the steps to take, if attacked by an Anaconda (an·a·con·da):

1. If you are attacked by an Anaconda, do not run. The snake is faster than you are.

2. Lie flat on the ground. Put your arms tight against your sides, your legs tight against one another.

3. Tuck your chin in.

4. The snake will come and begin to nudge and climb over your body. Do not panic.

5. After the snake has examined you, it will begin to swallow you from the feet end - always at the feet end. Permit the snake to swallow your feet and ankles. Do not panic.

6. The snake will now begin to suck your legs into its body. You must lie perfectly still. This will take a long time.

7. When the snake has reached your knees, slowly, and with as little movement as possible, reach down, take your knife and very gently slide it into the side of the snake’s mouth between the edge of its mouth and your leg. Then suddenly rip upwards, freeing yourself and rendering the snake helpless.

8. Be sure you have a knife.

9. Be sure your knife is sharp.

That is what I would call a situation I would not want to find myself in.

I think if I did I would have to try and out run him before using this method of escape that I just mentioned.

Well…we may not face the fear of being swallowed by a giant Anaconda on a daily basis, but we do face big burdens in life that attempt to swallow us and overtake us and many of us want a way out from those burdens.

Things like…

• ”How are we going to make ends meet financially?”

• “How are we going to resolve the problems in our marriage or overcome the grief of divorce?”

• “How do we forgive someone that has wronged us?”

• “What do we do when a child or loved one has gone astray spiritually?”

We could have lists a yard long of things we are dealing with that drag us down daily.

Burdens and hard times in life are a reality that we may never able to fully escape.

The Lord teaches us how we are to help a brother in Christ who is being swallowed up by the difficulties in life.

Let’s go back to talking about THREE “BEARS”.

The first BEAR deals with our BEARING the burden of a brother. That is…

I. WE "BEAR" THE BURDENS HE CAN NOT BEAR

Look at Galatians 6:1-2, “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 fulfil the law of Christ.”

The Bible makes it clear that as Christians we all have a responsibility to BEAR ONE ANOTHER’S BURDENS!

But look at the words, “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault…”

The word OVERTAKEN gives us the impression this is someone that the devil has sneaked up on and overtaken.

He is now a backslider living in sin.

What’s a Backslider?

A young boy said…

• "Dad, what’s a backslider?"

• "Well, Son, that’s a man who leaves our church and goes to another."

• "But Dad, then what do you call a man who leaves his church and joins ours?"

• "He’s a convert, Son, a convert!"

The idea of backsliding is mentioned quite a few times throughout the Bible.