I trust you have had an excellent week since we last visited. Some of you have asked me about my mom, Lois Alene Cooper. As you might be aware, mom fell a few weeks ago and broke her leg bone where it connects to the hip. She required surgery, but is now doing great and feeling fine. She is in a rehab hospital in Cincinnati and her therapists plan to get her walking at some point this week. Thanks for your continued prayers for her. Mom will be celebrating her 81st birthday this Thursday, January 24.
Also my wife, Miss Bessie, is having a hard time recovering from an illness. She has what is known as viral syndrome. As I understand, it means that several different viruses were operating in her body at the same time. She was already weakened from her total knee replacement back in November. What we have not mentioned before is that she received blood during her surgery due to severe blood loss. Again, this weakened her and made her system ripe for invading viruses. She is still experiencing a three week headache and nausea. Miss Bessie thanks you for your prayers for her. At the end of the blog, I’ll give you both of these Cooper ladies addresses in case you’d like to send a card.
Yesterday was a tremendous day at Friendship Harmony. The attendance was excellent and it was a really good service. This church is a preacher’s dream. It is very easy to preach here, because the people are behind the preacher. Whether it is me, or Bob Felber, or Jim Pickens, this church prayerfully supports whoever is breaking the bread of life. It is also challenging to preach here. The folks at Friendship Harmony are well read in their Scriptures, so the preacher had better be on his toes. It causes us to study harder and dig deeper, and for that I am grateful.
I preached a message titled, “Hold Up Thy Neighbor, Hold Up Thyself.” The notes are below, and the message will be on www.youtube.com later this week. I’ll send out a special edition of this blog when it is posted. Also at that time, I’ll explain how to find it on youtube if you do not already know. At this time, three prior messages are posted.
Hold Up Thy Neighbor - Hold Up Thyself ©
Galatians 6:1-5
By Pastor Vic Cooper
01/19/13
Intro: Paul tells us that one responsibility of believer’s toward one another is to restore another in times of hardship and failure. He tells us that in so doing we must also guard ourselves.
I. Restore your brother/sister. v1
A. Restore> Gk. Katartizo> to repair or adjust
1. In secular Greek, the word is used as in setting broken bones.
` 2. In the New Testament the word is used for mending fishing nets.
B. Restoration of another must be conducted with meekness. Meekness; gentleness
1. Accomplished by first showing concern.
2. Concern must be followed with kindness.
Concern is a feeling; kindness is an action.
3. Genuine caring means you must be real.
C. During the process you must keep an eye on yourself. Why?
1. Judgmentalism says, “You failed, I never could!” This is arrogant, stupid, and dangerous.
II. The law of Christ. v2
A. Believers are not under the law of Moses, but are under the law of Christ. What is it?
1. Mark 12:31 “…Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.
2. Paul had already reminded this to the Galatians in 5:14.
III. Guard yourself. v3
A. Refers back to v1, “considering thyself.”
IV. Test you deeds. v4
A. Proving (testing) your own works is “considering yourself” of v1, and keeps one from self deception; v3.
V. No contradiction here. v5
A. v2, bear one another’s burden.
B. Bear your own burden.
Which is it?
C. Both!. Two different words are used in the original.
1. v2, burden --- a heavy, crushing load; one man cannot carry it without help.
2. v5, burden --- like a soldier’s backpack; one man can, and is expected to carry it. An American soldier’s pack weighs from 35 to 75 pounds.
Conclusion: As you’ve probably noticed by now, the point of all this is not holding up your neighbor as much as it is holding up, ie considering yourself. Why? If you keep your guard, you will not become someone like in verse one who must be restored.
As I mentioned earlier, here are the addresses I promised in case you feel so inclined to send cards.
Mrs. Lois A. Cooper
c/o Forest Hills Care Center
8700 Moran Road, Room North 305A
Cincinnati, Ohio 45244
Mrs. Bess Cooper
Box 3036
Pineland, Florida 33945
Thanks for being such a loyal reader to this blog --- I really appreciate you. If you are new with us, let me extend you a welcome, and I hope we will visit regularly. I’ll send out a special midweek edition when the video is posted and I’ll see you next Monday Morning With Pastor Vic!!!
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