Responsibility in the Body: Bearing Heavy Loads

Galatians 6:2-3

November 22, 1998

 

Church membership has meaning. Perhaps this is an unnecessary statement. Yet quite commonly in our region of the world, church membership has become part of the cultural landscape without corresponding responsibility. Being part of a local church does not always mean a person is involved in the whole ministry of the church.

 

The picture in the first century church was drastically different. All who came to faith in Christ were united to the church. Being part of the church implied that the believer engaged in responsibilities of membership. Many of the New Testament epistles testify of this ongoing, growing, mutually responsive relationship found in the church.

 

So how do you view church membership? Is it tantamount to membership in a social club? Or do you see the church as a genuine extension of the body of Christ in the world, mutually caring for one another as you labor with others for the sake of Christ? Being part of a local church means you have responsibility to bear one another's heavy loads of life's demands. What does the Bible have to say about this responsibility?

 

1.  We do have burdens

 

Burdens are the loads of life which all people face. Believers and unbelievers alike will face those situations and demands which add weight to one's capacity for pressing on in life. There are no specific burdens that are excluded from this biblical admonition. They come in all sorts of packages and are delivered to us in a multitude of ways.

 

(1) Sin/moral issues which need discipline or help for relief

 

It is obvious in our context that the initial burden of concern must be for matters of sin which need the involvement of the body for purposes of discipline. We saw in our last study that congregational discipline covers the gamut of mild encouragement, admonition, interaction, accountability, motivation, warning, and the terminal form of excommunication. All of us are to be involved in helping to discipline each other for the sake of Christ and His church. "Brethren, even if a man is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another's burdens, and thus fulfill the law of Christ."

 

I hope you have given serious thought this week to your own part in congregational discipline. Do not let that phrase distress you or launch your mind into the realms of excommunication. That is the extreme form of discipline, used as only a last resort for trying to bring a brother or sister out of a pathway of sin and moral decline. Most of our disciplining one another will come about as we grow in relationship to each other and address concerns of sin in one another's lives. This is not a matter of judging for eternity but holding one another accountable to live holy lives.

 

In discussing the key passage on discipline in Matthew 18:15-17, Wayne Mack and David Swaveley wrote,

Our Lord tells us in that passage that the solution to sin and conflict in the body is confrontation that increases to whatever level is necessary to bring about change. Most people, including many Christians, shudder when they read about confrontation that may even involve a public rebuke of a sinning brother. The reason they find this repulsive is that it seems to them to be a very "unloving" thing to do. But on the contrary, the Scriptures teach that confrontation is actually one of the fullest ways we can express our love for others. Ignoring broken relationships or other sin in the body is usually the easier road for us, but it would be harmful to those involved and therefore selfish. If we genuinely care for others, however, we will be willing to sacrifice our own time, energy, and comfort in order to help them have a right relationship to Christ and others [Life in the Father's House, 133].

(2)  Broad spectrum of life under Providence

 

But "burdens" as it is used here goes beyond simply the scope of discipline. We see this by the nature of the word and the fact that Paul adds, "and thus fulfill the law of Christ." Such a practice of burden-bearing is considered to be within the whole framework of obedient love to our Lord.

 

The word for "burdens" in verse 2 differs from the word "load" in verse 6. The latter refers to that which a person is expected to shoulder, as in carrying your own backpack as a soldier. Our word, however, implies a heavy weight that is too large for one person to carry alone. It was used in a figurative sense of  "any oppressive ordeal or hardship that was difficult to bear" [Timothy George, NAC, 413]. If we can think of a person carrying a stone for a great distance, then we have an idea of the strength of this word.

 

We might recall the children of Israel in Egypt crying out to God because of the burdens placed upon them by the Egyptian masters. They were facing impossible demands in their work loads as slaves which only brought on greater oppression. It was a load they did not invite but was theirs by the Providential workings of God.

 

What burdens do you face? It may be that your load is unusually light at this time. Then use this as an opportunity for helping others bear their load. Or perhaps your load keeps getting more unbearable, then realize that God has provided for you to be able to bear up under your load. Part of that provision comes through the hands of the church.

 

(3)  All face burdens in some areas, so this passage implies that all will be in need of being on the receiving end of burden bearing

 

"Burdens" can come in all shapes and sizes. It may be a physical burden brought on by ill-health or disease or an injury or some debilitating disease. You find yourself unable to cope with the strain of your burden. Its intensity grows as your capacity for handling it weakens.

 

We also experience "burdens" in the form of grief. The loss of a spouse or a parent or a child or perhaps a close friend, weighs down the heart in facing the demands of life. In August of this year I found myself on the receiving end of brethren helping to bear the burden I faced. So many times I've had the privilege to be alongside some of you in a time of grief, trying in some way to express my concern and willingness to help shoulder the load. Then when my dad died, I found you to be assuming that same position for my family and me. I came to understand in a different light what it meant to "bear one another's burdens and thus fulfill the law of Christ."

 

Others face burdens related to family. It may be family conflicts. Or it may be the load of a rebellious child or an angry parent. At times it is a marriage turning sour. Few things can weigh us down more heavily than being in conflict with our own flesh and blood. Where do we turn for refuge? Our refuge is in the Lord and His people. The conflict may still be present, but the capacity for bearing it is increased by brethren standing alongside to help.

 

Some face burdens with emotional duress, perhaps brought on physiologically or other times brought on by some trying circumstance. Others face financial burdens which might come about by loss of job or unexpected reversals.

 

The fact is, burdens are real experiences of life. If you have never faced a burden, then we must question whether or not you have been breathing! Burdens are part of the stuff of which life is made. They serve to teach us that we are not self-sufficient but must have the participation of others in our lives, and primarily, the grace of God.

 

2.  We are not self-sufficient

 

I think of self-sufficiency as drawing a tight, little circle around your life and the things which you find interesting, then keeping everyone else and everything else outside your circle. To be self-sufficient is to make the statement that you really do not need anyone else. You can face life alone. You do not need encouragement, you do not need help, you do not need accountability.

 

Some people never develop and mature spiritually because they remain self-sufficient. Unfortunately, some have the idea that being dependent upon others is a sign of immaturity. I submit to you that just the opposite is true. We have as our example the Apostle Paul himself. Did he not, on several occasions, call upon churches and individuals to help him? Did he not request Timothy to come to him and John Mark to be sent to him? Did he not plead earnestly with churches to pray for him? Did he not gladly receive the provisions of other churches for his needs?

 

(1)  No hint of isolationism with Christians

 

The Apostle understood that the church is not made for isolationism. Christians throughout the New Testament are viewed in relationship to others. You never see 'Lone Ranger' version Christians. It is a ruse of the highest order to think that one Christian does not need another.

 

A casual reading of the book of Acts will help us see this. Let me point out a few texts which express this sense of togetherness which made up the church.

Acts 2:42  

42 And they were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

 

Acts 2:44

44 And all those who had believed were together, and had all things in common;

 

Acts 2:45-47

45 and they began selling their property and possessions, and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need.46 And day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart,47 praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.

 

Acts 4:32

32 And the congregation of those who believed were of one heart and soul; and not one of them claimed that anything belonging to him was his own; but all things were common property to them. [NASB, italics added]

To the Ephesians, Paul explains that they are "fellow citizens with the saints." He compares them to a building which is "being fitted together" and "growing into a holy temple in the Lord." He tells them that corporately, they are "being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit" (Eph. 2:19-22). To the Philippians, the Apostle explains that their conduct is to be worthy of the gospel, expressed by their "standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel" (Phil. 1:27).

 

You cannot bear heavy loads without others. This is true in other areas of life. Last summer I brought from my dad's old home place in Alabama, some stones that had been part of their chimney. I could carry them alone, but not very well! I strained and groaned and ached trying to do this. So when my sons jumped in to help bear the load, I still carried the load but I did so without the same level of strain and agony.

 

Is this not why God puts us in the body? We will have burdens to carry throughout our lives. Some we can handle alone. But others will be too heavy to bear alone. If we have isolated ourselves or put on the face of one who is self-dependent, then we will find ourselves trying to carry something that is much too big for our capacity. God has so designed the body of Christ that we might be helped by one another in carrying the loads of life.

 

(2)  God will bring us to the end of ourselves so that we look to Christ and learn to depend upon one another in the body of Christ

 

It is a humbling matter to have others serve us. For as others help to bear the burdens of our lives, they take on the servant role. I would point out to you that this is exactly what we see our Lord teaching the disciples just before His arrest in the Garden and subsequent crucifixion.

 

In John 13, we find Jesus rising from the supper table, stripping himself of his outer garments, girding Himself with a towel, then bending at the feet of each disciple to carefully wash them. How humbling it must have been for the disciples to see that the Lord was taking on the role of a servant, as the lowliest person in the house, to meet a simple need in their lives. Afterward, Jesus explained to the disciples, "You call Me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am. If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you" (John 13:13-15).

 

Yes, we must learn to live ultimately in dependence upon Jesus Christ in everything we do. But God has so designed the body of Christ that we also learn in another dimension to be dependent upon one another. I do not mean that we cannot function or carry on spiritually without someone holding our hand or leading us along. Certainly, we are to mature and press on without having someone to goad us each step of the way. But as we do, we will find that there are issues in life which require us learning to depend upon others.

 

It may be that we are strong in a particular area in the Christian faith and in service, but these strengths only serve to cover our weaknesses. We are in need of the others whom God has placed in connection to us in the body to help us through such weaknesses, to fill the gaps of our lives, to help bear the burdens we face.

 

(3)  It is a "sign of pride" to think we do not need others

 

Timothy George is right on target in his statement: "The myth of self-sufficiency is not a mark of bravery but rather a sign of pride" [414]. While the ancient Stoics extolled the virtue of self-sufficiency, the New Testament exposes it as the evidence of pride. For in relationship to burden-bearing, Paul writes in our text, "For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself." The self-sufficient mind exaggerates one's capacities for facing life's demands. It bolsters a mentality which thinks that others are not as worthy as oneself, therefore they are not needed.

 

There is vulnerability which takes place at the point of letting others be involved in helping to bear your burdens. It means that people will realize that you are truly a needy person. Sometimes we have difficulty admitting this. Yet when we do, we begin to discover the magnificent design of the church. The divine intent for the body of Christ on earth is expressed in great beauty as we are involved in meeting one another's needs.

 

I quoted from I Corinthians 12 last week from the passage which explains our unique relationship to each other in the church. One passage keeps sticking in my mind as I consider this second portion of our text. "But God has so composed the body, giving more abundant honor to that member which lacked, that there should be no division in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another." Then he adds brief illustrative comments to help us see how this works out in everyday life. "And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. Now you are Christ's body, and individually members of it" (I Cor. 12:24-27). You have been appropriately fitted in this body of believers so that you might give aid in just the right fashion to others in the body. This is God's design for you!

 

3.  We must give care for each other

 

Not only are we to be on the receiving end of burden bearing, but we are to be on the giving end as well. As we show our true love and care for others in the body of Christ we will bear their burdens.

 

(1)  All have responsibilities for others in the body

 

"Bear one another's burdens, and thus fulfill the law of Christ," presents us with a command that includes every believer. All of us are responsible for others in the church. Let that simple truth sink into your mind for a moment. Realize that burden-bearing is something which everyone can do...and must do.

 

Many of the church growth strategists of our day tell us that people are looking for a church where they can maintain anonymity. They want to be able to walk in unobserved, sit through the service, and slide out without notice. That may be what some want, but that is not how the New Testament declares the church to be! The church is to be a community of believers, living in relationship to each other, mutually caring for one another's needs, learning to love each other, practicing forgiveness, holding one another accountable for holy living, and joining hands in carrying out the great commission. Ignoring responsibility for others in the body means that you have defaulted in your church membership.

 

It is obvious that to fulfill such a responsibility, we must take the time to get to know one another. You may not be able to know everyone well within the church, but at the very minimum, you should seek to develop relationships with as many as possible. Spend time talking with others. Discover the richness of fellowship that is ours in Christ.

 

(2)  Present tense, "bear one another's" shows how this is to be a lifestyle which we develop

 

When Paul told the Galatians to "bear one another's burdens," his command was not an emergency measure which needed to be implemented, then upon completion they could go back to their normal lives. Instead, the present tense verb "bear," implies that this is an ongoing ministry which we have with each other in the body. The word means to "keep carrying" one another's loads. Leon Morris has written, "Paul is not counseling believers to perform an occasional helpful act, but to live their lives as helpful people, always ready to lift the burden from other people's shoulders" [p. 178].

 

How about your own involvement in this area? Do you seek to give yourself in ministering to others, trying to help lift burdens as you are able? Some of you excel in this area! I commend you and that the Lord for the godly example you provide to this body of believers. Perhaps some of us can pick up the pace of seeking to help shoulder the load in other's lives.

 

(3)  Our covenant with each other expresses such a lifestyle

 

The members of our church, like so many before us, have entered into a written covenant with each other. Our church covenant expresses this ongoing relationship of caring for one another in the body.

We commit:  

       To, by the aid of the Holy Spirit, walk together in Christian love;...

       To watch over one another in brotherly love, remember one another in prayer, aid one another in sickness and distress, be sympathetic in feeling and courteous in speech, slow to take offense, but always ready for reconciliation and to secure it without delay.

One thing that will certainly work against our being faithful to the covenant relationship we have is to begin to "think more highly of ourselves than we ought to think" (Rom. 12:3). As Paul wrote, "For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself." It is interesting that the parallel text I just quoted from Romans 12 has a context of believers living in relationship to each other, exercising our spiritual gifts for mutual edification, and treating each other with the love of Christ. The point is clear: if you have an exaggerated view of yourself, you will not be apt to show care to others in the body. It is when we learn to walk in humility, seeing that all we are, we are by the grace of God, that we begin to give ourselves to others for care and service. It is an example of the reality of the saving grace of Christ at work in us, as we give ourselves in service and love to one another.

 

4.  We are to fulfill the law of Christ

 

Paul considers this practice of burden-bearing to have a Christ-centered focus. It is something we do for others, yet it focuses upon obeying the law of Christ. "Bear one another's burdens, and thus fulfill the law of Christ." In an epistle that addresses the abuses of the law and strikes clearly against legalism, Paul explains that true faith in Christ is not a lawless faith. Instead it gives evidence to its reality by fulfilling the law of Christ.

 

(1)  Essentially, the law of Christ involves the ethical demands of the gospel

 

I am reminded of Calvin's statement. "We are justified by faith alone; but not by a faith that is alone." Works go along with our faith. That is the clear testimony of Scripture, especially as we have noticed in the epistle of James. The effect of the gospel in a person's life will show up in corresponding ethical dimensions. The gospel affects the way we live and the way we treat others. Some of the most selfish scoundrels in the world have become the most loving, gracious servants through the power of the gospel!

 

What is "the law of Christ"? Martin Luther declared that "the law of Christ is the law of love." We see it throughout the New Testament in the teaching of our Lord. He spoke of forgiving others, bearing other's burdens, giving to others. He demonstrated it continually in reaching out to those whom others had forsaken or given up on, caring for them, healing them, showing them His own infinite kindness. As we seek to live for Him and live unto Him, we cannot help but give ourselves to following after the way He walked. That was a way of love.

 

The law of Christ is a qualifier which shows that service to others is not a harsh demand, but an act of worship. Our care for others is to be done in the name of the Lord. We can look at this as an obligation or as an act of worship. Our attitude toward serving others and bearing other's burdens will determine whether such acts are done lovingly or legalistically.

 

(2)  We are not following after Christ if we fail to show concern for others

 

"Fulfill" is a strong word. We are to bear one another's burdens, "and thus fulfill the law of Christ." As Morris expressed it, this word "points not to a half-hearted fiddling round the edges of a task, but to accomplishing it wholeheartedly" [178-179].

 

If we are to "fulfill" something, then it means that there is something lacking, something still left undone. We are to attempt to show the same care for others which Christ showed on earth.

 

(3)  Such action demands involvement

 

This is where we see that being a church member demands involvement. The idea of a non-participatory church membership is foreign to Scripture and is actually anti-Christian. Martin Luther reminds us, "Christians must have strong shoulders, and mighty bones, that they may bear flesh, that is, the weakness of their brethren" [360]. Being in the church means that you are part of the unique community of faith which will be available to help you through the struggles of life, and you in turn will engage in helping to bear other's burdens.

 

Conclusion

 

Have you taken seriously this responsibility and privilege to be involved in helping to bear other's burdens? You might think, 'But I cannot do anything to help some else'. I want to affirm to you that you can and that others in the body are dependent upon you.

 

It is marvelous that everyone has a place in the body of Christ. We are all gifted in different ways. We have different interests. We have different strengths and weaknesses. But we all come together to help bear the heavy loads of life. May the Lord enable each of us, regardless of our age, to be faithful in bearing the burdens of our brethren.

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