A Challenge to Be Faithful (1 Cor 15:58)

INTRODUCTION:

January always represents a time of tough decisions and a reminder of the challenges of life.

A New year causes us to reflect on last year, and resolve to do things better and wiser in the coming year.

Sometimes those goals are financial goals.

We

Sometimes those goals reflect in our Spiritual lives-

Sometimes those goals reflect in our Spiritual lives-

- I have long list of books I wanted to read last year, but I am resolving to read this year.

- Cassie and I have thought a lot about how to better train up our children.

It also represents a lot of ministry planning -

for myself, and those who are involved in the planning ministries of the church.

There are difficult decisions to be made regarding the

There are difficult decisions to be made regarding the

church calendar

the church budget

Building and maintenance decisions.

The Focus of Children and Adult ministries

Outreach decisions.

Perhaps, tonight you feel some of those pressures.

Personal Pressures.

Of finances and Spiritual Growth

Perhaps you feel -

Church pressures as your Pastor keeps calling you to for help, service, asking what you think about some of those church decisions.

And you wonder if it is all worth it.

Is there an end to the madness our plans being frustrated.

Is it worth

represent a passage that challenges us

- regarding what we plan for

- and how strongly we should contend for it.

1 Corinthians 15:58 ESV

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.

PROP: May I challenge us to Faithfully Contend for the Gospel as we plan our new year.

I recognize that in our lives there are so many things that contend for our time and energy.

It is so easy -

- to want to focus on something else this coming year.

to try

It is so easy -

to get overwhelmed with life.

to get tired of year after year working towards a goal.

to wonder if you should hold back.

But our text reminds us, of what we really should be fighting for.

We can wonder i

It comforts us, if we think our fight doesn’t have the results that we wish it did.

CAVEAT:

I know our text has the word “Therefore”, but I would like to hold off in explaining the importance of that word.

So let’s begin by looking at 3 commands of our text to live faithfully -

We are commanded -

(1) To Be Unwavering in our Work for the Gospel!

Our text says - Be steadfast, be unmovable.

What can move us from the Work of the Gospel?

(a) Sin -

Colossians 3:5–11 ESV

Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.

Colossians 1:5–11 ESV

because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing—as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth, just as you learned it from Epaphras our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf and has made known to us your love in the Spirit. And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy;

Col

(b) Apathy -

Revelation 3:15–17 ESV

“ ‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.

So even when our hearts are tempted by sin,

or our hearts are prone to wonder

May we instead be steadfast and immovable.

Not let the passion of the moment

Or

The exhaustion of the the work

Move us from the work of the ministry.

If you want to put anything on a resolution list this year -

put the challenge to be steadfast and immovable.

But further- We are commanded to -

(2) Abound in the Work of the Ministry.

1 Corinthians 15:58 ESV

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.

ILLUSTRATION:

In our society,

we often regulate our pastors to this duty.

Pastors should be abounding in the work,

but we are just the ordinary people.

But is this verse about Pastors or every believer?

You want to put something onto your resolution sheet -

I will abound in the Work of the Gospel.

I will abound in the Work of the Gospel.

That means a dedication

- to a personal walk before God.

- To being witnesses of the Gospel

To Serving one another and encouraging one another

Of facilitating those three - so hospitality, building maintenance, strategic planning, ....

What ever it takes to abound in the primary three, may we abound in the Work of the Lord.

But finally, we are commanded to

(3) Remember that True Success is Revealed in Eternity.

(3) Remember that True Success is Revealed in Eternity.

1 Corinthians 15:58 ESV

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.

We are to remember - our work is never in vain.

Ooh, it feels pointless and exhausting.

But what we can’t see is the true fruit of our work.

But what we can’t see is the true fruit of our work.

That is found in eternity.

Remember,

I said lets consider the word “therefore” latter.

Let’s go back to the word.

What does “therefore” refer to?

And this word is meant to be a concluding challenge from what Paul has spoke about in the previous sections.

In fact, this a major conclusion in the Book of 1 Corinthians.

So - why should we be -

1 Corinthians 15:58 ESV

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.

Because Christ died for our sins, and then rose the 3rd day. ( )

The resurrection should change the direction and focus of our lives.

Paul emphasizes that the resurrection demonstrated God’s victory over sin and death.

But he empahsizes

1 Corinthians 15:56–57 ESV

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

And then he says,

1 Corinthians 15:58 ESV

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.

CONCLUSION:

So may I suggest, the resurrection teaches us that none of us abound in the Work of the Gospel in vain.

Because in Eternity the true fruit of our work will be found.

In other words, be encouraged even if the going gets tough and the work seems pointless.

CONCLUSION:

I challenge you to make sure you have this resolution this coming year.

When you struggle and suffer.

When you feel like your Spiritual life is a mess,

or maybe not a mess, but just empty.

When we have our business meeting next week and we have to make hard decisions,

May we remember this command

1 Corinthians 15:58 ESV

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.

I challenge us too,

leave tonight ready to Faithfully Contend for the Gospel.