Lip Service or Heart Service

Title- Lip Service or Heart Service

Passage- 1 Corinthians 15:58

Attention-

What exactly is thanksgiving

Besides a national holiday

I think that in our culture thanksgiving is nothing more than an idea or an abstract feeling

And there are at times feelings attached to thanksgiving

Another misconception is that thanksgiving is just about verbalizing my gratitude or jotting it down on a card

Again, that has it’s place in being thankful

But if we degrade thanksgiving down to just a feeling or some words jotted down on a card we are falling far short of what the Scriptures depict thanksgiving to be.

This chapter ends with the final results of thanksgiving.

We need some background to get to where we want to end so...

Introduction

Here in chapter 15 Paul has been explaining the resurrection to the Corinthian believers.

That through Christ’s resurrection we have victory over sin

That in the future all those that put their faith in Jesus’ resurrection will themselves be resurrected

That it is through the resurrection that we not only have a future hope in heaven but we are empowered to live a holy life in the present

In verse 57

1 Corinthians 15:57 KJV 1900

But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul tells his readers to be thankful for the victory we have because of Jesus’ resurrection

Now biblically thanksgiving is often more than just a verbal affirmation

Because of our thanks we often are encouraged to believe, act, or not respond in certain ways.

This thanksgiving is no different

After building a case for the resurrection Paul says that thanksgiving is in order…but thats not all

Because of your thanksgiving you ought to be a certain type of Christian

That thankfulness ought to change who you are and in turn change how you live.

And this thanksgiving and this changed living is all in light of the truth that Jesus rose from the dead

What is the main driving point (CPS)?

Any victory in our lives, all the way from salvation, through sanctification, up to glorification is all based on the resurrection of Jesus Christ

The everyday moments of our lives are empowered by Jesus Christ

Why does the CPS matter, what is the consequence?

This truth ought to deeply impact how we live our daily lives

Transition

This morning I want us to take a look at verse 58 and find what this understanding and thanksgiving ought to be producing in us.

I. Be ye steadfast

Explain

This word quite literally means unwavering or firmly established

Bridge to today

In a country like Japan they do not have the land mass to build out…so they build up

There are challenges to building up when you live where there are earthquakes...

To remedy this you need to find a way to keep the building movement to a minimum

You need it to be unwavering....

How do they accomplish this?

The foundation

When the building is constructed upon the proper foundation it can withstand the earthquake

In buildings in locations like this there is a lot of new technology

Everything from pendulums to shock absorbers

But they all rely one common theme

A properly laid foundation

ly laid foundation

Relevance

How does this affect us?

There are things that come into our lives and without the proper foundation, Jesus Christ, we could fall

Why does this matter?

Paul discusses this in Chapter 3

1 Corinthians 3:4 KJV 1900

For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?

1 Corinthians 3:5–11 KJV 1900

Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour. For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building. According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 3:

Jesus Christ must be our foundation to be able to withstand the trials and difficulties of this life

Ephesians 2:20 KJV 1900

And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;

Ephesians

The foundation that we build is begun with Jesus Christ

Transition

Paul not only says to be steadfast…he goes on to say

II. Be ye unmovable

Explain

We live in a society that prides itself on its mobility…on its ability to get up and go whenever we want

Don’t like your job, get a new one

Tired of being married to your spouse, replace them

We are able to not only move when we want, but we are free to change our thinking whenever we want.

Bridge to today

We have used this illustration before but it fits here as well

How often has science changed about what foods are good for us?

Eggs, green vegetables, chocolate, salt

Relevance

Did you ever wish you could have a place to go when life got difficult to get some answers?

Go to the Lord

Read His Word

When

Pray

Jesus said in

Matthew 24:35 KJV 1900

Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

Isaiah 40:8 KJV 1900

The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: But the word of our God shall stand for ever.

Of God himself the Scriptures tell us in

Psalm 119:89 KJV 1900

LAMED. For ever, O Lord, Thy word is settled in heaven.

Hebrews 13:8 KJV 1900

Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.

In a world of fake news and untrustworthiness we can go to the Lord and to His Word and find something unchanging....something that is to be trusted

Why does this matter?

Transition

The steadfastness and un-movableness ought to be displayed by lastly...

III. Be always abounding in the work of the Lord

Explain

Here Paul is telling us to be the best we can be

The wording here means “to excel” or “to be engaged”

Bridge to today

While we were living in northern Wisconsin still we owned a Jeep. It was nothing fancy, but it was a good reliable vehicle for us.

Until....one day we were driving along and the engine started to rev up and then go back down.

We were experiencing a transmission that was not fully engaged.

What can you do with a vehicle with a transmission that does that?

Not much, at that point the vehicle is untrustworthy until you can get the transmission to fully engage

We took it to a shop and had them look at it and they were able to fix it.

Relevance

Why bring up this Jeep with a transmission problem

Because there are times in our spiritual lives we are about as trustworthy and useful as that Jeep was.

When we are not fully engaged in the work of the Lord we are of no use to Him

When we are fully engaged in His work we can produce fruit in our lives, but first we need to be always abounding…we need to be fully engaged

Why does this matter?

That starts each morning by making the choice that each day, each hour is a gift from Him and to be offered as worship to Him

How?

Through prayer and Bible study

Singing…even if you are alone

service

Gift giving

Charity

Evangelism

Striving to live a holy life

The list goes on

Again, how do we accomplish this?

We don’t…Christ does through us

Conclusion

Review of the Principles and the Sermon Proposition

Everything we are, everything we have, everything we will be is all based on the truth of Jesus Christs resurrection

We ought to be thankful for that truth, but we are encouraged by Paul to allow that thankfulness to produce steadfastness, un-movableness, and fully engaged service in our lives.

Visualize Audience Implementation

I don’t know how this directly applies to your life, but I would challenge you as we close to pray and ask the Lord if you are steadfast, unmovable and always abounding

Visualize Audience Implementation

Look at your life and examine it to see if your thankfulness is just lip service or if it is actual fully engaged service to the Lord

How thankful are you for the resurrection?

The real question is, does it show in your life?

Closing Hymn