LIFT UP THE FALLEN

Gal 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.

Ezek 3:17-21
17 Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and
give them warning from me.
18 When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn
the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood
will I require at thine hand.
19 Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in
his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.
20 Again, When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a
stumblingblock before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and
his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand.
21 Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely
live, because he is warned; also thou hast delivered thy soul.

I. RESTORATION TO THE CHURCH IS NECESSARY WHEN ONE HAS FALLEN AWAY.

A. It is possible to fall away.
1. Gal 5:4 Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are
fallen from grace.

B. Sins disrupt our relationship with God.

1. Isa 59:1-2 Behold, the LORD's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that
it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his
face from you, that he will not hear.

C. Only Christ can reconcile anyone to God.

1. Isa 53:6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the
LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

2. 2 Cor 5:18-19 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath
given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto
himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

II. GOD’S PLEA.

A. Hearken to Him.
1. Prov 1:24-33 Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man
regarded; 25 But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof:
26 I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh;
27 When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and
anguish cometh upon you.
28 Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me:
29 For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD:
30 They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof.
31 Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.
32 For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them.
33 But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.
B. Come to Christ.
1. Matt 11:28-30 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 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. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

C. Return to Christ if you have left Him.

1. Rev 3:19-22 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I
stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and
will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne,
even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. He that hath an ear, let him hear
what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

III. CORRECT ERROR.

A First, our own errors.
1. Matt 5:23-24 Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath
ought against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy
brother, and then come and offer thy gift.

2. 2 Cor 13:5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not
your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?

3. Rev 2:5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else
I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.

B. Help others to be stronger.

1. Heb 10:24-25 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not
forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and
so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

2. Luke 17:3-4 Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he
repent, forgive him. And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn
again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.

C. God holds the door open for the repentant.

1. 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from
all unrighteousness.

2. James 5:16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The
effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

3. 2 Cor 2:1-11 1 But I determined this with myself, that I would not come again to you in heaviness.
2 For if I make you sorry, who is he then that maketh me glad, but the same which is made sorry by me?
3 And I wrote this same unto you, lest, when I came, I should have sorrow from them of whom I ought to
rejoice; having confidence in you all, that my joy is the joy of you all.
4 For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote unto you with many tears; not that ye should be
grieved, but that ye might know the love which I have more abundantly unto you.
5 But if any have caused grief, he hath not grieved me, but in part: that I may not overcharge you all.
6 Sufficient to such a man is this punishment, which was inflicted of many.

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7 So that contrariwise ye ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be
swallowed up with overmuch sorrow.
8 Wherefore I beseech you that ye would confirm your love toward him.
9 For to this end also did I write, that I might know the proof of you, whether ye be obedient in all things.
10 To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes
forgave I it in the person of Christ;
11 Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.

4. Hebrews 12:11 Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless
afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.

A REMINDER

■ Gal 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.

■ James 5:19-20 Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; Let him know, that he
which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of
sins.

■ Rom 15:1 We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.

~ Joseph Stewart and Charles Yawn ~