Labouring In The Lord

Laboring in the Lord

“Therefore, my brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.” - I Corinthians 15:58

Sometimes in life, we have a hard time getting others to understand our message!

A group of clergies were discussing the raising of Lazarus in the Gospel of John, chapter 11. One pastor asked, "Why did Jesus ask the people to push away the stone, when He could perform miracles?" Another pastor hastily replied, "Involvement of the work of your labor, of course!"

But God always gets His message to His peoples!! Since the beginning of time, God has had a way of getting His message to everyone.

1) In the Garden He spoke personally with Adam.

2) He used a dove to deliver a message of faithfulness to Noah

3) He used a donkey to deliver a message of rebuke to Balaam

4) He used Ravens to deliver a message of provision to Elijah

5) He used a great fish to deliver a message of chastisement to Jonah

6) He used a rooster to deliver a message of repentance to Simon Peter

In the Old Testament, God used prophets to communicate His message to His people. In the New Testament, John the Baptist came preaching repentance. Jesus then came with that same message of repentance and so much more! When Jesus was about to ascend heaven, He commissioned the Apostles to go and teach the good news to all the ends of the earth. And by teachers, preachers, and faithful Christians throughout the ages, the message of salvation through Jesus was handed down all the way to you and to me. Then on top of that, we have the Holy Spirit to speak to us as well! God has always had a message for His people and that is still true today. God has a message for each person here:

Somewhere between 53 and 55 A.D, God sent a message to His people in the church at Corinth. He used the Apostle Paul to deliver this message to them. And this message that was delivered to the Corinthian believers, still applies to us today. The Lord used Paul to teach many subjects in his 1st Epistle to the Corinthians. Let's meditate in the message that is found in 1 Corinthians 15:58. “Therefore, my brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”

I. It is an Urgent Message - "Therefore, My Beloved Brethren "

Usually when we send a mail or post to others with an important mail, we would stamp it with red letters that read "TIME SENSITIVE... DELIVER IMMEDIATELY!!!". That was the case for Paul as well. This was a time sensitive message! To understand the urgency of this message, we must consider the context of the verse. Notice that this verse begins with "therefore". This refers us back to the previous section of this chapter. In the previous verses, Paul reveals the return of the Lord Jesus at hand. I Corinthians 15 is one of the most detailed account of "the Rapture of the church"

Look with me to verse 51-52, “Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed - in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”

When Paul wrote these words. He did not know when the rapture would happen, however he just knew THAT IT WOULD HAPPEN! Though the letter was written 2,000 years ago, we still also don't know WHEN this will happen. But if you believe in the sureness of the scriptures, you know THAT it will happen!

Why is this an urgent message?

1) Because of The Suddenness of This Event

- "in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye" (1 Corinthians 15:52) - This event could take place at any moment! Jesus will come for His people and He will come unannounced. His people will be here one moment and the next, they will be gone! There is no time to prepare. You will not have time to fix your mistakes.

2) Because of The Selectiveness of This Event

- When Jesus comes, there will be millions who are left behind. It would be a selective event. The Bible says, in Matthew 25:33, “And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.” Jesus is coming for His bride and His bride alone! He is only coming for those who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ with their whole heart. Others will have to endure the horrors of the Great Tribulation.