Sermon:

What To Do With Your Burdens

Gal. 6:2-5
[Some burdens are meant to be SHARED, some burdens are meant to be SHOULDERED,
and some burdens are meant to be SHED. Link included at bottom to formatted text version,
handout, and PowerPoint Presentation.]
We all have burdens. Some have a physical handicap, chronic sickness, or some
abnormality you cannot change.
Some have spiritual burdens. It may be that Hurricane Satan has struck your life and the
surge of sin has soaked your soul, and now you are suffering spiritual consequences.
Some have emotional burdens like depression or anxiety, a heartache over some loss, or a
financial reversal.
Ill.Chinese woman lost her dear son/could not find comfort/went to wise old man and
asked what to do/ go to a home that has no sorrow or grief, and bring back a mustard seed,
and I will restore your son /several days went by, and she returned and said, I have been
so selfish in my griefsorrow is common to every home.
We all have problems and cares, and they weigh down upon us like a burden on the back.
We dont all have wealth, but we all have burdens
[health/talents/own home/children/hair!]
Every day of life here on earth brings to us its own assortment of burdens, and we will be
blessed to study Gods answer to the question, What do I do with my burdens?

1. Some burdens are meant to be shared [by others]

v. 2 Examples of burdens to be shared:
Faults and failures of others
v. 1 When a fellow believer stumbles and falls into sin [not those who CHOOSE to live in
sin], rather than pointing accusing fingers or shooting our wounded, we should reach down
and give them a helping hand to lift them up, and help them get back on track. We are
supposed to encourage/strengthen one another when it comes to faults and failures.
v. 2-3 The only thing which will keep us from doing v. 2, is to think that you yourself are
above ever needing this help. There are people like thatthey feel they are Gods gift to the
church and to humanity, and actually feel good about themselves when others fallwhich is
self-righteousness, or value by comparison. This is self-deception. We all need each other
at times.
Jokepreacher was preaching on this theme, and asked if anyone had ever heard of a
perfect person / man in back raised his hand / I dont know him, but Ive heard a lot about
himmy wifes 1st husband!
But truly, we are all prone to wander, and we all need each other.
Sorrow and grief
At any given time at GBC we have someone under a heavy load of grief. We have had a lot
of great services recently with a great spirit, but always theres someone present going thru
an awful time.

Be kind to everyone for everyone has sorrow some kind.

Tragedy, sorrow, disappointment, depression, and grief will eventually visit the house of
every person.
Ruth 2:13
Then she said, Let me find favour in thy sight, my lord; for that thou hast comforted me, and
for that
thou hast spoken friendly unto thine handmaid, though I be not like unto one of thine
handmaidens.
She was a stranger in a foreign landan outcast. She expected to be ostracized, and to
have to do without. But someone came into her life and comforted her.
Whom have you comforted recently? Who has comforted you?
This is 1 reason God allows sorrows to come to usso we can be comforted, and then in
turn comfort others in need once weve been thru it.
II Cor. 1:4
Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in
any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.
Ill.George W. Truett, 1st Baptist of Dallas years ago told of a lady in his church who had a
baby who died. He tried and tried but could not comfort the woman. Hours of counsel didnt
do it. But then he remembered another lady in the church who had been thru it before. He
enlisted her help, and she did more in 5 minutes than he ever did.
Lets not wallow in self-pity and allow our tragedies to be wastedGod wants to use them
for good in others. Many of you have been thru things that uniquely qualify you to help
others I cannot help!
And lets be patient and kind, understanding that everyone has burdens.
Ill.J. Vernon McGee tells of a church member criticizing him for ignoring him on the

subway. This wasnt his usual way, so he asked when it was. Then he remembered that day,
and the very bad news he had heard, and the burden he was carrying. He apologized as he
told the man the situation. The mans heart broke as he empathized and realized his Pastor
wasnt perfect and had a life of his own, and didnt exist merely for others at all timesand
he apologized and became more patient and kind.
So lift a burden with a kind word or notebecause some burdens are meant to be shared.
Make your Faith Promise pledge to Missions, read their prayer letters, pray for them, adopt
one and spoil thembecause some burdens are worthy of sharing!
Thats v. 2but now look at v. 5it almost seems contradictory.
But I believe this is talking about 2 different kinds of burdens. Some are to be shared by
others, but
2. Some burdens are meant to be shouldered [alone]
v. 5 There are some burdens which no one else can help you with.
Examples of burdens to be shouldered:
Consequences of personal sin
We live in a day and time in which people want to sin and ignore the consequences. [avoid
them]
The attitude today is: its not your faultits the way your parents raised you. [dominating
mother/rejecting father/momma gave you oats too early/made you play with dollies/what
your ex did to you or your boss, etc.]
Im not minimizing the affects our past can sometimes haveIm saying that in Jesus Christ
you CAN get past your past!
When you take on the former attitude too far, you are shrugging off all personal
responsibility for your lifeyou develop a victims mentality and everything
is someone elses fault.

Were in a mess today as we dont take personal responsibility for the choices that we make!
Ill.the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that killers become killers for 2 reasons:
1. A difficult delivery at birth
2. They were rejected by their mother
The article went on to say that if forceps were used on you when you were born you have a
higher likelihood to kill people one day!
I understand that certain things in our past can predispose us to certain things, but we still
make our choices, and when we make our bed, we have to sleep in it!
Your parents lifestyle may have exposed you to adultery [anger, lying, gossip], but you still
have a choice to make when tempted w/ immorality. We can rise above it and break the
cycle if we want to, with Gods help. Theres victory in Jesus if we want it!
But we like to play the blame gameand were world-famous for passing the buck.
Ill.it all started in the garden of Eden when Adam said, its that woman you gave me, God
[and weve been using that one ever since!]and then the woman said, its that snake
[referring to Adam? No, Satan!]
When will we grow up and rise up and fess up and say, Im responsible?!
We can choose to sin, but we cannot choose the consequences!
v. 7-8 We have a free will, and so does God when He reads our meter!
Judgment
This is serious.
Hebrews 9:27
And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
Everyone here will someday stand before Godalone! I cannot stand with you and no one
with me. Your parents wont be beside you or your attorney. We will all have to give an
account.

The saved will be secure, but we still will have to answer at our judgment. Thank God, the
Christians sin has already been judged at Calvary, but we will give an account for how
carefully or how carelessly we lived our Christian life. Some will suffer loss. If you think you
can live a haphazard Christian life and get away with it you are badly, sadly mistaken.
Our service will be judged, our stewardship, our motives, and then rewards will be given for
that which was done truly for Christ, who knows the heart.
The lost will have no hope at their judgment. They will stand before God w/ the burden of sin
still on their back. Theres only 1 sin for which a person will go to hellthe sin of rejecting
Jesus Christ as Savior. If you need to be saved today and you reject the opportunity, you are
inviting this scene to take place, alone before God, and you and your burden will be cast
into the lake of fire.
No matter which judgment you appear atall the veneer and excuses are stripped away
its just you and your Creator.
Shared, shouldered
3. Some burdens are meant to be shed
Psalm 55:22
Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous
to be moved.
Jesus is our great burden bearer. Sometimes we cling to a burden and try to carry it
ourselves. We can be deceived into thinking God wants us to carry something by ourselves
as if we are somehow serving God by doing sobut some burdens He wants to carry for
us, if well let Him.
Matthew 11:28-30
Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. [29] Take my
yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto
your souls. [30] For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
When its more than you can bear and you dont think you can take another step, you can
lay it on Jesus.

For some reason sometimes, we feel like we can make it ourselves. But there are times
when we need to let go and let God!
[use small boy for illustrationlay a burden on his back and have him try to climb the steps
to the platformnot able to make it under the load]
One of these two things will happen when we cast our burden on the Lord:
The Lord will lift the burden
Ive seen people have a health need, and they pray, and it goes away.
Financial needand God provides the money. Its always great when thats how it happens.
But thats not always how God works
Look again at Ps. 55:22 which says, and He shall sustain it ??? No, He shall sustain
thee.
Sometimes the Lord doesnt lift the burdensometimes...
The Lord will lift you [pick up boy carrying the burden on his back...now his burden is being
carried, but by someone else!] [now you know why I used a small guy for this illustration!]
The Apostle Paul is an example of this. 3 times He asked God to lift a burden he was
carrying. We preach about it and say that Gods answer was no, but Ill give you grace. But
really, 3 times God said yesIll lift that burden, and you too!
Some of you are getting bitter toward God because youve asked Him to lift your burden and
it doesnt seem that He hasbut please realize it may be His will to lift you up, and carry
you and that burden through it all. But when we throw a perpetual pity party we dont allow
Him to carry us or the burden either!
He shall sustain THEE!
ill.man walking down road w/ big sack of potatoes on his shoulder / so heavy, sweat on
his brow / somebody pulled up in a pickup truck and offered him a ride / climbed in, but kept
sack on his shoulder / after a while the driver looked over and said, man, put that sack in
the floor and relax / he replied, no sir, Ill not do itits enough that youd carry me to town,

Im not gonna ask you to carry these taters!

And thats just what we do to the Lord sometimes. Some of you today are carrying a burden
the Lord never intended you to carrybut you seem to insist!
I must tell Jesus, all of my trials, I cannot bear these burdens alone
in my distress He kindly will help me,
He ever loves and cares for His own. [then chorus]
Come to the altar today and cast your burden on the Lord [symbolically leave it there], and
also ask Him what Hed have you shoulder/share.
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