Preparing for Sunday

I am sitting in The Coffee Mill. I have been looking over my sermon notes and reading through a couple more commentaries before I finalize my outline for Sunday morning. My sermon text is Galatians 6:1-10 (actually begins back in 5:26). Paul has worked through Galatians pointing out the importance of the gospel and how one is saved (justification by faith alone). In chapter five he began dealing with the outward implications of being born again and ended with being led by the Spirit (which produces specific fruit found in 5:22-23).

I am very excited about this sermon for Sunday because he is also going to deal with how Christians are to live within community with one another. Galatians 6:2 is very important, "Bear one another's burden, and so fulfill the law of Christ." Since I do not want to spoil my sermon for Sunday, let me quickly say one very important thing. If we are going to live as a community of believers, then we must learn that we are not in this thing alone. If we were not conceited or envious (5:26) of others and realized that we are created and molded by God to be unique in His image, and yet, part of the corporate body of Christ, then maybe we would start to love one another enough to carry each other's burdens.

I like what John Stott has said about this in his commentary on Galatians, "Very different is that love which is the fruit of the Spirit, which Christians exhibit when they are walking by the Spirit. Such people have no self-conceit, or rather are continually seeking by the Spirit to subdue it. They do not think of themselves more highly than they ought to think; they think soberly (Rom. 12:3). They Holy Spirit has opened their eyes to see both their own sin and unworthiness and also the importance and value of other people in the sight of God. People with such love regard others as 'more important' and seek every opportunity to serve them."

Brothers and sisters, do you love others in this way? Are you willing to carry burdens with your brothers and sisters in Christ?