Your Labor is Not in Vain

Alright, the title of today's sermon is, Your Labor is Not in Vain. Your labor is not in vain. Do you ever have a moment when you just get sick and tired of being a Christian? Funny question, I know. Funny question. But think about it. Do you ever get tired of people problems, life struggles, or your own personal shortcomings? And you sort of throw your hands up and you think to yourself, what's this all for? What am I doing here? Oh, yes. There is eternal life. But what will it be like? Is it going to be more of the same? Is the Christian walk worth it? The answer is obviously yes. After all, this is church. And you came here to hear God's Word. So yes, the Christian walk is worth it. But it's really good to be reminded of that point from time to time. So today, we're going to unpack one verse. We're going to go through one verse today. And we're going to unpack each phrase, sometimes just each word. The context of this verse, it's in 1 Corinthians 15, if you'll turn there. 1 Corinthians chapter 15. The context, 1 Corinthians 15, is the Great Resurrection chapter. It is the chapter where we get a lot of details about our resurrection, the resurrection of our loved ones that we're going to see everybody we ever loved again. It's very encouraging. So this verse we're going to read is couched in the context of the resurrection. And if you don't understand that, you're not going to get the sermon today. The sermon today is hinged on the fact that there is going to be a tomorrow. And the tomorrow that we're going to have is better than today. The kingdom is coming. We're going to be in it. We're going to be resurrected and alive. And if you don't get that, then the sermon will be useless. But with that, I think this sermon will be very valuable. The scripture we're going to unpack today is 1 Corinthians 15 and verse 58. And this verse is anchored in hope, anchored in the hope of a better day, the resurrection. It says in verse 58 of 1 Corinthians 15, Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. So, of course, the context of 1 Corinthians 15 is resurrection, Christ's resurrection and ours. Without his, there wouldn't be an ours. So, verse 58 is the application of the entire chapter. Verse 58 is the reason Paul was driving at by giving us the encouraging resurrection chapter. So we can have endurance with hope, knowing that our work has an eternal value. So, do you ever feel like your efforts? For God, no one noticed. Paul's answer is, everything you do matters, and it matters eternally. Let's unpack this verse word by word or sometimes phrase by phrase. The first word that Paul uses that we're going to focus on is to be steadfast. In other words, anchor yourself in the truth of God. There's a really neat psalm that goes along with this concept. So we're going to look at a psalm in Colossians 1. Psalm 112. It's a little wordy, but I'm going to read the whole things. Verse 1 through 10. Psalm 112. Praise the Lord. Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who greatly delights in his commandments.

His offspring will be mighty in the land. There's a benefit to following God. His offspring will be mighty in the land. The generation of the upright will be blessed. Wealth and riches are in his house. It doesn't necessarily mean in this lifetime, but it does mean it literally. Wealth is a lack of want, a lack of need. And what this psalm is saying is, when you follow God, you will not lack anything.

And his righteousness endures forever. Now, we don't endure forever in this lifetime, which is why I interpret the psalm as the afterlife, not now, because our righteousness doesn't endure forever now, because we all die. Light dons in the darkness for the upright. He is gracious, merciful. This is you, by the way. Of course, God is gracious and merciful. This is the upright person. Is gracious, merciful, and righteous. It is well with the man who deals generously and lends, who conducts his affairs with justice, not treating your friends well and your enemies poorly. No, you treat them all well.

It is well with the man who deals generously and lends, who conducts his affairs with justice. And here is the key three verses, six through eight. For the righteous will never be moved. You don't move off of your belief in God and your following of his words. The righteous will never be moved. He will be remembered forever. God promises here that your efforts are worth it. Your efforts are not in vain. Your struggles and when you overcome and when you win, God will not ever forget. Verse seven, He, the righteous, is not afraid of bad news. His heart is firm. External circumstances do not change your beliefs. In other words, no matter what comes, you're staying with God. His heart is firm, trusting the Lord. His heart is steady. He will not be afraid until he looks in triumph on his adversaries. He has distributed freely and he has given to the poor. His righteousness endures forever. God doesn't forget your labor. His horn is exalted in honor. And then the verse ends with a warning or the chapter, the psalm, ends with a warning. Verse 10, the wicked man, the opposite of a righteous man, sees it and is angry. So you get some opposition in this lifetime. We're going to talk about that a little bit more later. So the wicked look at you when you try to follow God and they're angry with you. It's not your fault. That's what this psalm is saying. That's not your fault. He gnashes his teeth and melts away. The desires of the wicked will perish.

The wicked will not be rewarded, but you are. The Apostle Paul said something similar in Colossians chapter 1 and verse 23. Let's go there. Colossians chapter 1 and verse 23.

If indeed you continue in the faith stable and steadfast. There's that word again that we're looking at in Psalm or in 1 Corinthians 15 and verse 58. The first word we're talking about is steadfast. You not moving from the way of God, the Word of God. You holding on fast to it. It says, if indeed you continue in the faith stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard. And what is that hope in the gospel? Jesus Christ rose from the dead, and therefore so will you. We're going to read something in Hebrews about that a little bit later. Which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and which I Paul became a minister. So what does steadfast mean? It means firmly fixed, unshaken, by changing circumstances. How fickle do you find yourself when life goes wrong? When relationships go bad? When financial circumstances change? When health-related crisis come up? Does that change your faith? That's what Paul is saying in this resurrection chapter, this hopeful chapter, where he draws this conclusion of how when we have this hope in the resurrection we should be, his very first point is don't let circumstances change your faith. Don't let it change what's inside your heart. Our steadfastness comes from and is rooted in God's word. That we heard in Psalm 112 that we just read.

The righteous person keeps God's commands, it said. In other words, your righteousness comes from God. Relating back to the point that Paul was making in 1 Corinthians 15 and verse 58, the resurrection hope in Christ is the anchor that keeps us from drifting away, that keeps us from throwing our hands up and saying, eh, this isn't worth it. So don't drift away because of hardship or changing circumstances in your life. Let's go to Hebrews, Hebrews chapter 6 verse 19. Hebrews 6 will read verses 19 and 20. We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul and hope that enters the inner place behind the curtain. Now, we don't get to go behind the curtain. So what is this talking about? This is the curtain inside the temple that separates the holy place where the priest would do his, you know, all the blood sprinkling and the sacrifices. And only once a year on the day of atonement would he go behind this curtain. That's the curtain Paul's talking about here. We have this to be sure and steadfast anchor of our soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain. We didn't go there. Listen to verse 20, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become high priest forever in the order of Melchizedek. We have a champion, a captain, who has gone out before us, who conquers all in our path. So your labor is not in vain. You don't labor all the way until you almost get to the end and then fail. You're not going to fail. Jesus Christ has gone before. So what does this word, steadfast, lead us to? What conclusion can we draw from the very first word in 1 Corinthians 15 and verse 58? Old, fast, sound doctrine rooted in the hope of eternal life. It can't separate doctrine from hope, from the love we're supposed to express, from the obedience towards God. No trial or false teaching should ever shake you. And you will get false teachings. You will get them put in your face from loved ones, co-workers, neighbors.

Be steadfast and do not let circumstances or other people change your point of view. Why? As a resurrection is coming. And you're guaranteed to be in that resurrection should you keep your course. The second thing that Paul said... We're gonna have to move this along. All right, get your pens ready because we're gonna book through this. The second thing Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15 and verse 58, after steadfast, was be immovable. And you know what? Those two words are almost the same. They're very similar. So why did Paul sort of repeat himself? It means firm under pressure. First, you don't move off the word of God. And then you don't let pressure change those circumstances in any way in your heart. How do you accomplish that? Well, Paul gives the answer... Well, Luke actually gives the answer in Acts chapter 20. And he's quoting Paul here. Luke 20 verse 24. Luke chapter... Luke, I'm sorry, Acts chapter 20 verse 24. Luke is the author. Acts 20 verse 24. But I do not account my life of any value. This is how you become immovable. Listen to the... Listen to his logic here. I do not account my life of any value, nor as precious to myself. If only I may finish my course and the ministry I receive from the Lord Jesus to testify to the gospel of the grace of God, what does that mean? Is your life meaningless? Is that what that means? That seems a bit counterintuitive, doesn't it? Since, after all, God is the one who made your life, who created your life, all life matters. When I'm exercising in the morning and I'm walking along the sidewalk in my neighborhood and I see a bug crossing the street, I don't crunch on that bug. I don't step on it. Because that bug is life from God. And he's where he's supposed to be, doing his job that God assigned him to do. All life matters. I try to do no harm to any life when I'm out in it. God created the life. So what did Paul mean? I count my life of no value. And how is that the solution to being immovable? John Gill's commentary gives a good point on this verse. I'm going to quote from John Gill here. Quote, Life is a very valuable thing. No outward temporal enjoyment or temporal enjoyment can be dearer than to a man than life. This, therefore, must not be understood in an absolute sense, as if the apostle despised his life and esteemed it meanly. When it was the gift from God who had been not only so imminently preserved in providence, in other words, God gave him his life and provided for it, but has been useful in the way of grace to so many valuable purposes. But it must be taken in comparative sense, not a literal sense, a comparative sense, with respect to Christ and the gospel. In other words, my life is not as valuable as the next one to come. The gospel is Jesus Christ died, was resurrected, paid for our sins, that we might live forever. So my current life, comparatively, is not as valuable as the next one. I value the next life more. That's what Paul means.

In other words, Paul is saying, while life is precious and a valuable gift from God, the apostle valued Christ and the gospel more. He didn't despise life in general, but when he was serving quiet Christ, when that service was required—and this applies to you and me— he was willing to give it up without hesitation, because the goal of his life was the kingdom, and it was far more valuable than his own life. So, yes, life is precious, but life eternal is the goal. So make your goal the kingdom, not any accomplishment that you can attain or any desire in this life.

Be immovable, like we read in the Psalms and in 1 Corinthians 15 verse 58. Be immovable. Immovable doesn't mean stubborn. It means resolute to the calling. It means you value the next life more than this one, and you're willing to give this one up if that would be required. Kind of like Daniel did in Daniel chapter 6 in verse 10, when the king signed the order that you couldn't pray to any other god but to his god, Daniel, in spite of the threat to his life, continued to pray to God three times a day in the window up in the tower where everybody could see.

He did it openly to his own peril. We also are supposed to stand firm even when pressured to compromise. Jesus Christ said opposition would come. In John 15 verse 18, he said, if the world hates you, if the world hates me, it'll hate you, too. You will get opposition. Psalm 112 said, the wicked are angry with the righteous. You will get opposition when you live God's way.

Yet we remain firm because we know who we serve, and we value him and his kingdom more than our own life. We know that our labor is not in vain. So the key to being immovable is having a hope in the resurrection and valuing it over anything that this life can offer. Be willing to lose this life to gain the next because you are certain of eternal life that it will be given to you. So I suggest you make a resolution in your head ahead of time. No hardship, no criticism, no worldly temptation to go and experience something that God said not to do will move you from obedience to God. Okay, the next phrase in this verse was always abounding.

In other words, overflowing in the work of God, in the work of the Lord. Always abounding. So after immovable and steadfast, he said always abounding in the work of the Lord. What does that mean? You're not Gary Petty, Steve Meyers, or Darris McNeely. You're not a writer in the magazine. What does it mean? You and I, we're not the Apostle Paul. We don't preach the gospel or do we? Let's look at what it meant by looking at another thing that Paul wrote in Titus chapter 2 and verse 14. So Paul wrote 1 Corinthians 15 verse 58, and he also he would say many things that like the same thing in different ways many times over and over.

That's how you know it's authentic to Paul. That's how we're very confident that Paul wrote the book of Hebrews, because Hebrews has so many passages that are exactly like what Paul wrote in other letters. Too many to be a coincidence. Anyway, Titus chapter 2 verse 14, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and purify for himself a people for his own possession. That's you and I.

We're supposed to be immovable and abound in work, the work of the Lord. And he says, who are zealous for good works? So in 1 Corinthians 15, he said the work of the Lord. In Titus, he said good works, and that makes it more clear what he's talking about.

First, the word for zealous. What does it mean? We don't really use the word zealous in modern language, especially Gen Z and Gen Alpha. Do not use the word zealous. So what does it mean? Burning or eagerly desiring a thing. And not this is according to Thayer, by the way. Not just desiring a thing, and not just acquiring it, but also it can mean defending it or upholding it.

So when you're zealous, you are on fire for something to not only hold on to it, which in this case is God's way, but to defend it if necessary. Okay, that's what Paul is saying here. When you put forth the effort in your Christian walk, what are your good works?

Overcoming internal struggles. That's a good work. Being an example and help others to overcome their struggles. That's a good work. Or just helping a friend or neighbor out with something without requiring anything else in return. That's a good work. Does any of that matter? Yes, that's Paul's point. All of that matters to God, and he won't forget any of it. None of it. Are your struggles worth it? They're worth it. When you put forth the effort in the Christian walk, that effort is not in vain.

Hebrews chapter 6 and verse 10. And I do love this verse. Hebrews chapter 6 and verse 10. For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown in his name in serving the saints as you still do. Did you notice what that said there? It's not just your work. It's not just your overcoming your internal struggles. It's also all the love you showed to people. When you left an HEB gift card on somebody's seat, knowing that they were struggling, and you didn't put your name on it so that they didn't even know who it came from, and you snuck it on their their seat at church, and you walked away, and nobody saw you do it. God did. God saw that, and he's not unjust. Not only will he repay you in this lifetime, he will never forget you did that. And you do it over and over again because you're immovable. You're steadfast. In fact, you have zeal. You have a burning desire not only for doing that, but you will defend doing that with your life. God won't forget. Abounding. It means overflowing, excelling, going beyond the minimum, doing more than what's required of you. Remember when Jesus said, if you do what's required of you, you're a wicked servant? Go beyond. Abounding. We serve with zeal, as he said in Titus. Because God served us first through Jesus Christ. Let's go to Mark 10 and just look at that. God's not asking more of you than he has already given to you. He's just asking for you to return it. To learn to become like him. Mark 10 verse 45. Even so, the son of man came not to serve, not to be served, sorry, but to serve. He came to work. He was busy. And he served to the point of his own death.

Son of man came not to be served, but to serve and to give his life for the ransom of many. Jesus Christ was zealous. That is what zeal looks like. We're supposed to follow this example. So, ask yourself, am I doing just enough to get by, or am I abounding in the work of God? And the work of God is overcoming and showing love to other people. It's not just preaching the gospel. It's all of God's way. The next thing Paul says in 1 Corinthians chapter 1558 is, knowing that in the Lord. Let's consider the word knowing. Knowing is confidence in God's reward. He didn't say supposing, hoping. He said knowing.

And that gives us confidence to keep going. Galatians 6 and verse 9. Galatians 6 and verse 9. Let us not grow weary in doing good, for in due season we will reap if we do not give up. Paul is saying that we know we have a reward. We know it. We know. We're confident. The reward is promised by God, and God does not and cannot lie. So, your reward is sure. Don't grow weary. Don't give up. Don't get tired of serving God and Jesus Christ. And that's what happens to Christians. We say, yeah, I'm so tired of this struggle. I'm so tired of other people. You know, the church is great. The only problem with the church is it has people in it. You know, I just get sick and tired. Paul is saying, don't grow weary of doing good. Let's notice something else in the book of Revelation. Let's do a little prophecy. Right? We need to throw a little prophecy in here once in a while. Remember in Revelation 14 where it says, their deeds follow them? What does that mean? Let's go there. All right? A little prophecy, a little foretelling of the future. This world that is difficult, that bad things happen in all the time. This world where we struggle to protect our children. It's coming to an end. But notice when it comes to an end, there is a better world coming after in its place, and you get a reward. This is the passage where the three messengers from God keep speaking to the whole earth. John writes in Revelation chapter 14. We'll pick it up in verse 6. Revelation 14 in verse 6. Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead with the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on the earth, to every nation and tribe and language of people. And he said with a loud voice, fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made heaven and earth and the sea in the springs of water. Another angel as second followed him saying, fallen, is Babylon the Great. This world is coming to an end. This is the prediction of that time, just before Jesus Christ comes. Fallen, fallen, is Babylon the Great. She made all nations drink from the wine of her passion, of her sexual immorality. And another angel a third followed them, saying, with a loud voice, if anyone worships the beast and its image and receives the mark on his forehead and on his hand, he also will drink the wine of God's wrath, poured full strength into a cup of his anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of the torment goes up forever. And I know this is all the scary stuff. We'll get to the reward in just a second. And the smoke and the torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest. That is the fire, not the people. This isn't talking about burning in hell. This is talking about God's destruction is permanent. When he says Babylon is done, it will never come back. That's what that means.

To these, the worshippers of the beast and its image and whoever receives the mark of its name, here is the call for endurance of the saints. Here's the call, saints. That's you. This world is coming to an end. A better day is coming. For those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus. And I heard a voice from heaven saying, write this, blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on. Blessed indeed says the Spirit that they may rest from their labors and for their deeds will follow them. God will not forget what you did, what you did for him. What are you going through right now that would discourage you off the path? Your answer should be, nothing! Oh, I'm going through a lot, but it's not going to move me. In fact, not only am I not going to be moved, I'm going to get to work. So the word knowing in 1 Corinthians 15 verse 58 implies certainty. This is not wishful thinking. It's black and white. We know. God keeps a perfect record of every act that is done in his name, as we read in Hebrews chapter 6 and verse 10, and we just read in Revelation chapter 14. Even unseen sacrifices matter. Jesus said, giving a cup of water in his... Listen to this. Mark chapter 9 verse 41. Mark 9 and verse 41. This is amazing to me. Listen to how minute God keeps track of your good deeds. Mark 9 verse 41. For truly I say to you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink, because you belong to Christ, will by no means lose his reward. A cup of water? Are you serious? Yes! Even just giving somebody a drink, God will remember, because he loves that.

When you feel unnoticed or discouraged, remember, God sees you. God is pleased with you, and your labor has an eternal impact. The next part of that phrase of knowing, Paul says, meaning certainty, is knowing in the Lord, in the Lord, the source and focus of your work.

It's not outside of God. It's not on your own. You're not an independent agent.

In the Lord. Very important phrase. John 15 and verse 5. John 15 and verse 5. Jesus Christ's own words here.

I am the vine. You are the branches. You're not the vine. I'm not the vine. We're just branches.

Whoever abides in me and I in him, he bears much fruit.

For apart from me, you can do nothing. Nothing eternal, that is. Nothing that will be remembered by God.

In other words, don't run off making up your own religion.

Your own ways. Your own definition of what work God will reward.

Don't say stuff like, yeah, God said to come to church in the Sabbath, but I know I can do this instead, and I'll be okay. Nay, nay! Do what God says to do. Don't make up your own religion and say, God will reward me for this. I'm going to define what good is. I'm not going to listen to the word of God. I'm going to change it. And God's still going to reward me. Jesus said, apart from me, you can do nothing. Jesus is saying, don't run off, stay with me. Paul makes a similar point in Colossians. We won't take time to go there. So our work is to be done in the Lord. We're going through one verse today, 1 Corinthians 15 verse 58. It is so packed with weighty information. Work done in the Lord is powered by God's Holy Spirit, meaning you are aligned with God's will. Labor outside of him, outside of his will, is just busy work. You are literally just keeping yourself busy for nothing.

Labor in him has an eternal reward. The goal is not our personal recognition, but God's glory.

Let's go back to 1 Corinthians, but instead of the resurrection chapter 15, let's go back a little ways, set a little context for chapter 15. Let's go back to chapter 10. 1 Corinthians 10, verse 31. 1 Corinthians 10 verse 31. So whatever you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. That's what in the Lord means in chapter 15 in verse 58.

So what conclusion can we draw from this really powerful verse?

You matter. You are seen. And your labor matters. Because of the promise of our personal resurrection, we can be steadfast, immovable, and always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that we're in the Lord. Every act of service, every prayer, every sacrifice counts.

Every time you wake up and you pray to God, every time you study His Word, every time you apply His Word in daily life, every time you sacrifice your time or money or effort for somebody else, every time you're patient, every time you give godly advice, every time you yield to somebody else's obnoxious opinion, even though you're right, every time you invite somebody new out to lunch that you've never hung out with before, every time you behave like a Christian, God remembers.

And He rewards. And that reward is eternal life. I'm sorry, that reward is not eternal life.

That reward is not e... what?

The reward for your labor is not eternal life? No! You don't earn eternal life. That's a gift from God. Wait a minute! You mean there's more? Yes! That's what's so encouraging about this sermon. So, wait a minute. If you're not earning, you're learning. When you do acts for God, when you do the work of God, you're not earning, you're learning. What's the reward? If eternal life is the gift, and there's more, what is the reward? Let's go 1 Corinthians 2. Paul says what the reward is, sort of, in 1 Corinthians 2, before we ever get to chapter 15.

1 Corinthians 2, verse 7. Here's the reward.

But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. Our glory? Our beautification? None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord. But as it is written, what no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined what God has prepared for those who love Him. God's plans and blessings for those who love Him are beyond human comprehension and our imagination. They exceed our all-human capacity. So, looking beyond your current experiences, maintain hope in God's promises, trusting in His ultimate reward. You can't imagine how good of a reward beyond just the gift of eternal life God has in store for all of His children who obey Him. And we can imagine and experience a lot in this lifetime. In the next lifetime, we don't even have the capacity to grasp. So, yeah. Does that make your life in this lifetime less valuable than that? Yes, it does. That's the point. That's the context of what Paul was saying.

In chapter 15 and verse 58, you can't imagine how good of a reward it will be.

The glory and the joy of God's rewards are so profound that earthly experiences and understandings can't fully grasp it.

So, we're just going to finish with one verse. I'm going to read this verse, and then I'm going to walk off the stage. Hebrews chapter 12 verses 1 and 2. I think this sums it up. Hebrews 12 verses 1 and 2. Therefore, we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight. What's weighing you down? Lay it aside. It's not worth it.

Let us lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily ensnares us. Oh, I did it again.

Lay it aside. And let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross. He knew the reward. He looked at it with joy, and he laid his life down. And that's all he's asking of you. The next life is so much better than this. Do not put this life's experiences above that, despising the shame and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. The next life is so much better than this.