So Lord, may you graciously help
me this evening, I would turn your prayer for attention to
the last verse in the long chapter that we read, which is 1 Corinthians
chapter 15 and verse 58. 1 Corinthians chapter 15 and verse
58. Therefore, my beloved brethren,
be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the
Lord. For as much as ye know that your
labour is not in vain in the Lord. 1 Corinthians 15 and verse
58. This chapter written by the,
this epistle written by the Apostle Paul is a very long chapter,
and 57 verses of it are making clear the doctrine of the resurrection,
both that it was true of the Lord Jesus Christ that he really
did rise from the dead, his body was really dead and was really
buried in the heart of the earth, and it really did rise again,
But that was a first fruit of our body rising again, and it's
important to note the difference between the Lord Jesus' resurrection
and others that also had been resurrected from the dead before
him, people like Lazarus. You see, Lazarus was risen from
the dead, but he didn't stay alive. he died again later on. And that was true of all those
that were risen from the dead, like Jairus' daughter, the widow
of Nain had her son and so forth. There were others that were risen
from the dead, but the Lord Jesus is the only one who rose from
the dead to never die again. And that's why he is the firstfruits
just like the first fruits is the beginning of the harvest,
isn't it? Jesus Christ raised physically, his body was risen
from the dead, and this is a picture, a token that our bodies will
also rise from the dead. And I think this is really important.
Paul spends many verses on laying down the truth of this doctrine.
And then this last verse that we have quoted for a text, he
applies how this should affect the way we live. The fact that
we are, we look for a bodily resurrection Paul believes that
should have a big impact on our daily lives. Because you see
our text starts with a therefore. Therefore, because of what's
gone before. Therefore, my beloved brethren. He speaks in such loving
terms, such embracing terms, such encouraging terms. And as
the Lord helps me this evening, my desire is that we would be
encouraged. Encouraged in the truths of the
Gospel, the stability of the Gospel, the stability of the
things of God, and the necessity of not being discouraged. You
see, in the end of the verse it says that your labour is not
in vain in the Lord. And that's the thing, isn't it?
So often we can look at our labour and we think, well, it's all
gone to the wind. There's nothing come of it. And
we get discouraged. But you see, the apostle here
is seeking to encourage and to say that our labour is not in
vain. You see, because there's an eternal
dimension to the spiritual life. There's an eternal dimension
to what we're involved with in preaching the gospel. It's not
just for the here and now. It's not just to make a great
name here below. It's for eternity. We're preaching for eternity. We're preaching for souls that
are going to live forever and ever and ever in eternity. This is not just how we get on
before we die. This is an eternal state that
we are preparing for. And Paul sees this fact that
there will be a bodily resurrection, that our spirits that have gone
to heaven first will be joined by our bodies. And this is very
important in the way Paul sees these things. You see, if you
look in John's gospel, chapter five, And verse 25, we have these
words, John 5, verse 25. Verily, verily, I say unto you,
the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the
voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall live. For
as the Father hath life in himself, so hath he given to the Son to
have life in himself, and hath given him authority to execute
judgment also, because he is the Son of Man. Marvel not at
this, for the hour is coming in the which all that are in
the graves shall hear his voice." There's quite a common saying,
isn't it, when you see a grave or where somebody's buried, you
say, oh, that's their final resting place. But it's not. It's not
the final resting place. You see, it's only there in waiting
a resurrection. Marvel not at this, for the hour
is coming in the which all that are in the grave shall hear his
voice, and they shall come forth, they that have done good unto
the resurrection of life, and they that have done evil unto
the resurrection of damnation. See, these are solid truths,
and these are things that surely must concern us. We're not just
dealing with time. We're not dealing just with people's
thoughts in terms of just what seems to be attractive. You see,
Paul is saying there's an eternal dimension to these things. And
it's just not what man say and commend you for in what you're
doing. It's what God thinks. And ultimately
we read that every man's work shall be revealed of what sort
it is. You see, well, we could deceive
one another. We could say things which were
not true. But you see, there's a coming
judgment day when the hearts of everyone will be revealed,
and there will be a perfect judgment. Everything that has been said
that is false, it will be known. It will be declared. And therefore, you see, that
the labor, the spiritual labor is really, really valuable. And
it's eternal. Therefore, that your labor is
not in vain in the Lord. You see, Ecclesiastes, written
by Song of Solomon, by somebody who was so wise and also so rich,
was able to find out what was good here below and what would
really satisfy and the whole recurring theme of that book
is vanity of vanities, all is vanity. Here you see we have
the contrast. Here we have the contrast. You
see the world would say come and enjoy the pleasures of sin
for a season. This is really enjoyable, this
is really fulfilling. But you see, we have this eternal dementia. We
need to be prepared for eternity. And Paul is stressing how certain
these things are. How certain that there will be
a bodily resurrection and that we will be sown in weakness and raised in strength,
for this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal
must put on immortality. There's gonna be a change. And
you see, so this life here below is but a preparation for eternity. And surely this changes the way
we need to think. You see, if we get a bad press
from people, if people say all manner of things against us,
What does it ultimately matter? The judge is God. Therefore,
my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast. Not blown about with every wind
of doctrine, not blown about with all the views of this one
and that one, but solidly based on the word of God. This is where
we stand. This is the word of God. We have a God that is going to
judge the quick and the dead. That means those who have already
died and those who have not yet died. But the living and the
dead are going to be judged. The dead are raised from death
and they're judged. And you see, this is why it's
so important. These things are important because
they're eternal. Therefore, my beloved brethren,
be ye steadfast. These are not negotiable things. It's not negotiable whether these
things are true or not. This is the word of God. And
Paul argues through this whole chapter how that if there's no
resurrection, then the whole gospel falls over. The whole
validity of it is gone. But you'd say naturally, well,
how can this be? How can you go and see graves
that are so old? You think, well, surely, and
some people don't have a grave at all. They're lost at sea or
whatever. And you say, how can there ever
be a bringing together of these things? Well, God can do that. God is the God that formed the
universe out of nothing. I don't see its problem. to our
God to do that. And this is a God that is able
to do these things. And this is Paul's argument. Therefore, my beloved brethren,
be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the
Lord. Always abounding. You see, there's
an encouragement to be involved. in this work, to truly serve
the Lord with the fullness of our capacity, because there is
a coming judgment, because there is a coming time. You see, Paul,
writing to Timothy, he exhorts Timothy so much, gives him this
charge in 2 Timothy chapter 4, verse 2, he says, The Word. Be instant, in season, out of
season. When we have discouragements,
we feel like giving up sometimes. We need this Word. Preach the
Word. Be instant, in season, out of
season. Reprove, rebuke. You see, you say, well, surely,
if we're trying to just please people and keep everybody happy,
let's forget the reproof. Let's not rebuke anybody, let's
not reprove anybody, because we want everybody to be happy.
Paul says, you've got a judgment day. You've got the work, the
trial of your faith, you see, and I'm sorry, The time is coming
when there will be a judgment. You see, I've likened it to this.
When we have exams, often, I know we haven't had them as normally
this year because of the coronavirus, but normally when you have exams,
A-levels or GCSEs, some months before the main exam, you have
a mock exam. And that is basically something
like the real exam, but just to give you a feel and get you
used to the sort of things that are going to be asked, and it's
a very, very good way of learning and training to prepare yourself
for the real exam. But you see here below... Now, if you had a mock exam which
was not anywhere near as hard as the main exam, and basically
was a complete walkover compared to the main exam, Giving a mock
exam like that would be really unhelpful to the students. You
might say, but they like it. Oh, it's nice and easy. That
mock exam was easy. But you see, if it's not faithful,
if it doesn't represent what the main exam is, then actually
it's cruel. Because it's not preparing you
for the main exam. You might think, oh, I could
easily do that. I don't need to do any revision.
I don't need to do any preparation for the main exam. The mock exam
was just so easy. I don't need to do anything. And you see, we need to preach
the Word. We need to preach the standard
of the Word of God, how it is in the Word of God, because this
is the standard that God will judge on. Every man's work should
be revealed of what sort it is. Yes, you may be able to deceive
people. You may be able to get other
people to think something's wonderful when it's a pack of lies. But
ultimately, the truth is going to come out. And eternity is
going to depend upon it. And this is why there's such
a need, isn't there? Preach the word. Be instant,
in season, out of season. reprove, rebrook, exhort, with
all longsuffering and doctrine. And Paul spends 57 verses of
this chapter in doctrine. Then he applies it to how we
should walk as a result of that. For the time will come when they
will not endure sound doctrine, but after their own lust shall
heap to themselves teachers having itching ears, which shall turn
away the ears from the truth, and shall be turned under fables."
In other words, they'll just preach smooth things, things
that won't really ruffle anybody, and they can carry on in their
sin, they can carry on in their deceit, they can carry on lying,
they can carry on in these things of saying one thing and doing
another. Yeah, they can just carry on because they're not
reproved. But you see, Paul then says,
for I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure
is at hand. I have fought a good fight. This is the apostle Paul about
to lay down his life, really, because we understand that he
didn't die a natural death. He was put to death by the Roman
emperor. For I am now ready to be offered,
and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good
fight. I have finished my course. I have kept the faith. Henceforth
there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness. You see, if
the end, if there was no resurrection, and if all Paul was looking at
was death and that was the end, then in Paul's words, we are
all men most miserable. We've spent all this effort and
all this time, and what's to show of it? Vanity of vanities,
all is vanity. But Paul says, no, there's an
eternal dimension. Souls are going to stand before
the judgment seat of God and give an account. Ministers are
going to give an account of what they've preached. Pastors are
going to give an account of each of their flock. And you see,
henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness,
which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that
day, and not to me only, but unto all them who love his appearing. Therefore, my beloved brethren,
be ye steadfast, unmovable, that means there's a settledness,
not blown about by every wind of doctrine, settledness in the
truth, in the work, but always abounding in the work of the
law. This is high standard. This is
not a take it easy. Always abounding in the work
of the law. But you say, how are we gonna
keep going? You see, that's why the encouragement
at the end, for as much you know that your labour is not in vain
in the Lord. Isn't that the best way to stop
somebody working? Is to give them the idea that
what they're doing is a waste of time. There's no point. There's nothing gained by what
they're doing. That's the best way to discourage somebody. Paul
is saying, your labor isn't in vain. Your labor has eternal
consequences. Yes, the people that are running
around this world and gathering, heaping up to themselves great
riches, like Asaph saw in Psalm 73, he looked at them and they
were getting on so well and they were really doing something that
he didn't consider to be vain at all. There's something really
worthwhile doing, as he looked on. They were getting on very
well. But you see, when he looked at it carefully, when he went
into the house of the Lord, he realised that all that they were
heaping up was emptiness. And they were going to suddenly
be cast into destruction, as in a moment, they're utterly
consumed with terrors. You see, it's not substantial. But this labour is not in vain. To be involved in the work of
the Lord, to be seeking seeking the furtherance of the gospel,
in whatever way that is. And each of us can be involved
in the Lord's work in their separate ways. For as much as you know that
your labor is not in vain in the Lord. You see, even the Lord
Jesus, when he came to this earth, he was discouraged in one sense. by the lack of fruitfulness amongst
the Jews. We have that in prophecy in Isaiah
49. Isaiah 49 verse four says, then
I said, I believe this is a prophecy of the Lord Jesus. Then I said,
I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for naught
and in vain, yet surely my judgment is with the Lord and my work
with my God. You see, he looks at it and he
says, because in John's gospel it says he came unto his own
and his own received him not. He came from heaven's glory to
preach the unsearchable riches of Christ to the Jews and they
didn't want it for the most part. Surely I've labored in vain and
spent my strength for naught. But there's a yet. Surely my
judgment is with the Lord. and my work with my God. And
then it goes on in verse five, and now saith the Lord that formed
me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him.
Though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the
eyes of the Lord, and my God shall be my strength. And he
said, is it a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant
to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved
of Israel. I will also give thee for a light
to the Gentiles that thou mightest be my salvation unto the ends
of the earth." So you see there was this, Romans picks it up,
you see the rejection in part of the Jewish church was to the
bringing in of the Gentiles. And the Jews were also then to
be gathered as well. And so you see this was a great
salvation that the Lord was doing, but it was discouraging. It was
discouraging at first, wasn't it? He came unto his own and
his own received him not, and he was discouraged. But then he realised, as it were,
as he says, that his labour, that he committed it to his father.
And his father was going to indeed, behold, my servant shall deal
prudently. There was going to be a great
effect. And of course, the Lord Jesus coming to this earth did
affect that great work of salvation. But there was discouragement
there too. As he looked over Jerusalem, oh, Jerusalem, Jerusalem,
that slayeth, that killeth the prophets and stoneth them that
are sent unto thee. There was a sorrow. But as we gather here tonight,
may there be that realization that we need to continue always
abounding in the work of the Lord. But you say, well, there's
no point. We're not getting anywhere. There's
so much discouragement. always abounding in the work
of the Lord for as much as ye know. It's a certainty, you see. There's no uncertainty in this
verse. We know that if we are laboring
and doing the labor that God has graciously given us to do,
we're saying, Lord, what will thou have me to do? And we're
seeking to do it with the best of the ability that God gives
us. in prayer and going forward in that way, we may look at it
and it seems to be coming to nothing. But God has said, and
let God be true and every man a liar, God has said, for as
much as ye know, that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. See,
there's an encouragement there, to keep on keeping on. not to give up, looking unto
Jesus, the author, and the finish of our faith, that we may be
able to go on and realize that there is, you see, we live in
a world of so many lies, so many lies and so much deceit, and
you think, well, will there ever be the truth come out? Yes, there
will. The truth on every situation will come out. Nobody will pull
the wool over the eyes of God. Nobody will be able to twist
the judgment of our God. You see, He judges with those
eyes of a flame of fire. And that's why we need to be
diligent, you see, with one another. Because this is the standard
that they'll be judged against. We read in Psalm 126, verse five,
they that sow in tears shall. Weep in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth,
bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing,
bringing his sheaves with him. But you see, it's not always
here below that we see it all. I mean, you think of John the
Baptist. How discouraged John the Baptist was. He was the great
forerunner of the Lord Jesus. And there he is in a prison,
Art thou he that should come, or look we for another? He sends
his disciples. And then sometime later, Jesus
did encourage him with the poor have the gospel preached unto
him and so forth. He gave him an encouragement
that, no, John, you weren't wrong. But you see, soon after that,
he's beheaded. Well, you say, if the end is
death, then where's the benefit? You see, John the Baptist will
be able to say, his label was not in vain in the Lord, because
there is a resurrection. There is that after time. And you see, we need to then
live for eternity. Live before God that sees us,
that hears every word we say, every telephone call that we
take, every email that we send. Everything is known to God. He
sees the truth. He knows the truth, and he will
judge the truth. Therefore, my beloved brethren,
be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the
Lord. There's so much reason to be
discouraged, but this is what we've got to do to realise that
God is faithful. God is a faithful God. And you
see, we need to be given that grace to walk faithfully in the
fear of the Lord and to serve him and to labour in the work
of the Lord and to truly seek to further that. Now, whether
that's in prayer or just how it is in each individual's cases. But you see, the point is that
the church of God is to be a church. that are seeking the furtherance
of the gospel, are seeking... It's that prayer, isn't it? The
pattern prayer. Thy kingdom come. That's the prayer of each of
the Church of God. It's not just the ministers.
Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as
it is in heaven. a desire that the will of God
be done, a desire that we show forth his praise, a desire that
we give a cup of cold water to one that is weary, a desire that
we do these things and you say... We read that if you give a cup
of cold water, you should not lose your reward. You see, Paul
was able to say that there's a crown of glory. prepared for
me, but not for me only, but for all them that love is appearing.
There's an encouragement. There's an encouragement, you
see. Oh, there's many things to discourage, but this is the
truth, and we stand on the truth. This is the word of God, and
this is what will enable us to go on, and to carry on, and to
confess our sins. We are sinners, we come short,
but we keep going. You see, you can have that situation. There can be a fight being watched
in the ring, and you have the gladiators that are fighting
and really are fighting in the center, and they're taking the
blows, they're taking the losses, and the others can be looking
on and just commenting on how they did this and how they did
that, or whether they could have done that bit better, and they
could have done something else a bit better, But the people
in the ring, they're the ones that are really taking it, you
see. And they're the ones, and we are to be, we are to suffer
for Christ's sake. We're to be in the ring. Not
just standing spectators, commenting on whether somebody is or isn't
doing the right thing at any time. We are to be those in the
ring that are seeking to serve the Lord in our day and generation.
We come short daily. Sin is mixed with all we do. Therefore, my beloved brethren,
be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the
Lord, forasmuch as you know that your labour is not in vain in
the Lord. The Lord has said that those
that seek me shall find me. He has made a way whereby his
people, washed in his precious blood, will be with him. but
they are going to be people who there is this great need to abound
in the work of the Lord. Not to be lazy, not to be with
our feet up, to be abounding in the work of the Lord when
there's so much discouragement. For ye know that your labour
is not in vain in the Lord. May the Lord add his blessing,
amen.