Small Group Questions: Week of 1/23/22

Bear One Another's Burdens

“6 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.
6 Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches. 7 Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. 8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. 9 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. 10 So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.”

Verses 1-5 of this passage, Paul urges us towards both humility and accountability. We are to call out one another with gentleness when caught in transgression, but are simultaneously told to “keep watch on yourself, lest you be tempted”. We are called to spiritually step on one another's toes, calling one another out, while also knowing there will be times we need our own toes to be stepped on. In verse 2, we see this expectation of the Christian life being lived within the context of community continued, as Paul urges us to bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. None of the things he has mentioned so far in this passage can occur if our spiritual walk is being done solo.
 
Verse 6, Paul says that the recipient of teaching should, “share all good things with the one who teaches”. This is commonly thought to be an admonition for the church to financially care for those in charge of teaching the word. His main point in this verse being we should care for those given the task of caring (spiritually speaking) for us. In verses 7-8, we see the theme of sowing and reaping, a common theme that is woven throughout Scripture. This is not to be confused with a karma-based religion, IE; “I do this so that I will get that”, rather it is a recognition that those that “sow to the Spirit” will one day reap eternal life, while those that “sow to his own flesh” will reap corruption (sometimes that justice is tasted on earth, sometimes only in eternity).
 
Paul closes the passage with a reminder “not to grow weary in doing good”. Who among us has not grown weary? There are all kinds of reasons we might grow weary. Maybe we feel tired, we don't feel appreciated, we have been hurt by fellow Christians and become jaded? Or maybe the work of the Christian life just seems too heavy a burden to bear. But Paul says, “as we have opportunity, to do good to everyone, especially those who are of the household of faith” The temptation to grow weary is real and present, but let us not give up. Charles Spurgeon once said, “If the Lord Jesus Christ can put up with you, you ought to be able to put up with anybody.” When we think of carrying each other’s burdens, our primary disposition cannot be, “Who is going to carry my burdens?” but “Whose burdens do I need to be carrying?” May our congregation is marked by those who grow the fruit of the Spirit, bear with another patiently and humbly, and don’t grow weary of doing good.
 
Questions: 

• How should we approach brothers and sisters that are caught in sin? Are only certain people supposed to do this?
• What are potential dangers in correcting anothers sin? 
• In verse two, what do you think Paul means by “the law of Christ”? What is that?
• What does it mean to bear one anothers burden? Have you ever experienced this in your own life? 
• What responsibility does the church have toward their teaching elders? 
• If we reap what we sow, does that mean if we always do good, we will always receive good? Why or why not?
• Have you ever “grown weary in doing good”? What encourages you to not grow weary in the Christian life even when you feel like giving up?

Bonus Question - Baptism Sunday

• How does believers baptism give us a picture of the regeneration that occurs for those in Christ?