Turning to the 58th verse tonight, we looked at verse 57 on Sunday evening, and then I said I would come back to the last two points, the last two thoughts that we didn't really deal with at length at all on Sunday night, and I don't really want to take the entire time tonight either, a regular preaching session, that we normally have on a Sunday night tonight, but let me give you some thoughts regarding verse 58 as we come before the Lord in prayer tonight. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, for as much as you know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. Over the past number of weeks, I've been reading the life story of John G. Patton. I mentioned that some weeks ago, and Patton was a missionary to the New Hebrides in the 1800s. Those islands in the South Seas were inhabited by a people who had very little by way of civilization and much less, therefore, by way of true religion. They had a vast range of false gods, and with those false gods came a whole range of idolatrous practices and customs as well. They offered incense to their gods. They made sacrifices to them. They tried to appease them. And when storms came or sickness came or some kind of strife came, they always thought it was something that they had done that had displeased the gods. And therefore they tried to do everything to appease them at all times. As a heathen people, they had very little concept of right or wrong. And for days and weeks and at times even for months, Patton and his missionary colleagues lived under the constant threat of immediate death. In fact, some of his missionary colleagues were actually put to death. And there are times when he records in his book times when they had to go along the coast at night in order to escape those who were out hunting for them with their tomahawks and trying to put them to death. It was a frightful time during part of his missionary work there, a very difficult place to serve. But he was convinced that that's where he ought to be. And that was one of three things that kept Patton there, despite the great danger. The first was the unshakable conviction that God had called him to that area and that it was God's will that he should continue. Even though there was sickness, even though there was the threat of death, he had this burning desire to do the Lord's will, this burning conviction in his heart that God had called him, and whether he would live or die in that place, that's where he would stay. The second thing that enabled him to remain in that place was his firm conviction, too, that the people of those islands needed the gospel, and who else would bring the gospel to them if the missionaries were to leave? Not only had this burning conviction of the Lord's will burned in his heart, but a burning compassion for the people also burned there, and that had a great impact upon him, keeping him on that particular mission field. The third thing that compelled him to stay was his conviction that he would spend his life in service for Christ. He would present his body as a living sacrifice, with the full knowledge that someday he would die, and then he would be forever with the Lord. In other words, he didn't count his life dear unto himself. It was a sacrifice he would make to the Lord with the full knowledge that someday he would die, his body would be placed in the earth, if not burned by the heathen in that place, but on the resurrection day he would rise again, and body and soul he would be forever with the Lord. And that third reason was a very important reason to him and when his little child died in infancy and his wife and he were both sick at the time and unable even to be involved in the funeral service for their little child, that was a thought that maintained him throughout those dark, dark days of trial. There would be a resurrection and he would be forever with the Lord. However hard, however trying, however difficult, his life might be, the day would come when he would spend eternity with Christ. And that unshakable conviction, that unshakable promise that he had in the word of God, the faith he had in that promise, was a tremendous help to him, even in the dark times of trial. It was the truth of the resurrection that lay at Paul's heart, or in Paul's heart here, as he writes this chapter, 1 Corinthians chapter 15. As we noted on the Lord's day, it really is a chapter that deals with the resurrection. That's the central theme of his words in this particular portion of the letter. And he reminds his readers that as Christ rose from the dead, so they would rise also. You look back there at the words of verse 20 and see what he says, but now is Christ risen from the dead and become the first fruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. And note the words in verse 20, that Christ is risen from the dead and become the firstfruits of them that slept. The reference there to the firstfruits takes you back into the Old Testament, back into Leviticus chapter 23 in verse 10, and relates to the firstfruits of the harvest. Back then, the first sheaf, taken from the harvest was the signal of the fact that the Lord would give the full harvest and the full harvest then would follow. And what Paul is teaching is that because Christ has risen from the dead, then all those who are in Christ shall follow him, and they shall also rise from the dead." In other words, his resurrection, in his resurrection, we have the harbinger, or indeed the guarantee, of the gathering together of the Lord's people, the entire company of the Lord's people, with Christ in glory. Because Christ has risen, our resurrection is sure as well. Because Christ is in heaven. Our position in heaven is secure too. And that's what Paul is arguing in the chapter. Christ's victory is our victory. So we looked at, especially from verse 57 on Sunday evening. So we have this great hope. this great comfort. Christ has risen, he entered into heaven with a glorified body, and because Christ is there, all those who die in Christ, all those who are in Christ, shall enter into heaven with a glorified body as well, and we shall be forever with the Lord. And believe me, that's a tremendous comfort. Tremendous comfort for those who are unwell. those who are facing terminal illness, those who are of the Lord's people in that kind of circumstance. With all the trials and all the fears and all the anxiety that kind of a situation brings to them, if they can be reminded and if they can get a hold of that, that the day will come when they will have a new body and they will be with Christ, which is far better. That's a tremendous comfort for the people of God. Not just for those who are unwell, it's also true for those who are well and strong and healthy at this time and have work to do for Christ here on earth. That's how the chapter finishes. Paul doesn't end with the theology. There's always a danger of knowing the theology and just stopping there. And I think that's a great danger in these days. We can sing we're going home to glory soon to see the city bright and that's as far as we go. that we have the theology in our mind and then we leave it there. But the theology of our resurrection, the truth of our future, the glorious prospect we have with Christ ought to mean something to us tonight. Not just in the hope that we have of the resurrection, it ought to impact how we live here on earth at this particular time. I was reading through some of Martyn Lloyd-Jones writings the other day and noted that he was afraid, in his generation in the 50s and 60s, he was afraid of a generation missing the practical application of the truth of God's word. And at that time he felt, in England at least, there was some fresh interest in the doctrines of grace and Calvinism. And he felt that there was a danger that they would be so caught up with the theology that they would miss the practical application of that theology. And that's always a danger for us. But Paul deals here, he doesn't finish with the theology, he makes a very practical application. Look at verse 57, verse 58. But thanks be to God which giveth us the victory. through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be you steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, for as much as you know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. Now, there are two things there. One, he says, but thanks be to God. We have the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ, and Paul starts verse 57 with a word of thanks. And we ought to thank God that we have the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. If ever a people ought to be thankful, it is the Lord's people. Christ has lived for us, Christ has died for us, Christ has risen for us, and we are in union with Christ, and we are partakers of that great victory that Christ has wrought. Now there's a reason to be thankful. But verse 58 goes on and gives us a therefore. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast. And these are words that relate to our life here now on earth. Not just the attitude of our hearts in our thanksgiving, but the very action of our lives. And that's very, very important. As far as we can tell, and who knows, but most of us are not going home to glory tonight. Maybe at times you long for that day and you think often about it. But as far as we can tell, we have some days, weeks, months, years, whatever the Lord gives to us, still here to live on this world. So there are things that we need to do, things we need to think about in light of our victory through the Lord Jesus Christ and in light of the fact that someday we shall be forever with the Lord. We looked on Sunday evening at the conqueror, Christ gained the victory. We thought also then on the comfort of that because that victory has been given to us. Can I look there at the second, the third part, at the challenge of this text? Verse 58, therefore my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord. The truth of our resurrection and our final glory with Christ ought to put the issues of life in context. The language of this text suggests to me that there are many things that would shake us. Many things that would move us, many things that would hinder us in our service for God, in the work of the Lord, as it's put here. And while the work of the Lord is a good work, I don't think this has to be confined to those in what we call full-time service. Every child of God is involved in the work of the Lord. And while the work of the Lord is a good work, this fight in the good fight of faith, this living for Jesus Christ is a good work, it's not always an easy work. Christian life is not always an easy life. There are trials and temptations, there are oppositions, there are obstacles to face. It would be good, it would be nice at times if everything in the Christian life and every aspect of your life, every department of your life was easy and smooth and went the way we would like it to go, but that's not always the case. There are temptations, there are trials, and there's a temptation very often to lose heart, to lose our zeal in the Christian life, to lose out with God in our Christian life. But I think verse 58 challenges that. In light of our future resurrection and in joy, eternal glory, and in light of the fact that we have the victory in Jesus Christ, what are we to do? Well, we're challenged here to do three things. We are challenged to be steadfast. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast. That word comes from a Greek word that means to sit or be settled. It's translated that way in Colossians 1, 23, where the word settled, what does it actually mean? It surely means that we are to be settled in the faith and in the doctrine of the resurrection. Matthew Henry made this comment, that they should be steadfast, firm, fixed in the faith of the gospel, that gospel which he had preached and that they had received, namely that Christ died for our sins and rose again the third day according to the scriptures, and fixed in the faith of the glorious resurrection of the dead, which as he had shown had so near and necessary a connection with the former. They were to be settled in the gospel, the gospel that Christ lived and died and rose again and that they would rise as well. In other words, they were to be firm in their understanding of the gospel and the glory that awaited them. They were to be as those who would sit on that or sit still in the blessing of that. They would be settled in that particular truth. That's important for us. We're not to be blown about by the devices of the devil We're blown off course, we are to be affixed people, steadfast people, understanding that the gospel that Paul preached, the gospel that's revealed here, and our resurrection, and our future glory, those things are absolutely certain. We live in a world where these very truths are being denied. And Satan would have the Christian live in hopelessness. Now the world cries out, where is your God? Where is the coming of Christ that's spoken about? And when you have men giving dates for that, and the dates come and go, and nothing happens, that fuels that kind of idea from the world. And Christians can get disheartened. They can start to be shaken in that kind of thing, and the devil wants us to be in despair. He wants us to be in a state of hopelessness. But we must not think that way. What Paul is saying here is be steadfast in the truth of the gospel. Keep your mind fixed on this as you journey through the world with all of its hardness and hardships and difficulties and trials and temptations. Never lose sight that this doctrine is a true doctrine. Therefore be steadfast. The victory is ours and we will one day be raised from the grief and be forever with the Lord. Don't let the devil blow you around on this issue. Be steadfast. Then he tells them also to be unmovable. Comes from the word that has the idea of being removed or being stirred to a place elsewhere. Being taken somewhere else. In other words, Paul is exhorting them by this phrase, be steadfast, unmovable. He's exhorting these believers not to give up or shift over to another idea. It's interesting actually that the word unmovable is not used anywhere else in the New Testament, but it comes from a same root word that's used also in Colossians 1.23. I want you to turn over there just for a second to see how it's put in that verse. It's the verse that has the phrase steadfast as well. It says in verse 23, if you continue in the faith, ground it and settle, there's the word steadfast, it's translated settled there. If you continue in the faith, ground it and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel. There's the same idea, be not removed away, be not taken away, be not moved away from the hope of the gospel. That's what he means when he uses a similar word, or at least from the same family of words, this word unmovable. Don't be drawn away from this truth. Now there were some in Paul's day when he writes this letter who were denying the resurrection, denied the resurrection of Christ. Look back in Corinthians 15 back there to verse 12. Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen? And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain and your faith is also vain. There were some among them who were saying the resurrection is not true. And when they say the resurrection is not true, what are they trying to do? They're trying to get the believers to shift position onto something else, to some other idea. They want to remove them from the truth of that gospel fact onto something different. And Paul is saying you be settled in this. And don't be moved on to some other false doctrine, some other heresy that others are bringing to your attention. Don't let yourself be moved away. And that's important for us as well. There's always a danger that we waver in the light of the world in which we live. But let's be firm and fixed and settled and steadfast on this great matter. Be steadfast, be unmovable. Then he tells them, challenges them, always abiding in the work of the Lord. It seems a strange combination of words, be steadfast or be settled and don't be moved. And then he tells them, but always abide in something else, always abide in the work of the Lord. Of course, the two thoughts are connected. If we're firm and settled in the doctrines of the gospel, then we will abound in the work of the gospel. If we're firm and fixed in what we believe and what scripture teaches, and on the truth of our resurrection, the glory we will have with Christ, then we will abound. This is what Paul is teaching. That word abound or abounding is a favorite word of his. He often talks about abounding in faith and in love. Abounded in faith and love. And the more we abound in faith, the more we abound in love. The more we understand of the gospel, the more we love the gospel, the more we love those who are in the gospel and those who are in Christ. There's an abounding. And the more we are steadfast and unmovable in regard to the gospel, the more we will abound in the spreading forth of the gospel. The Greek word means to super abound or to excel. has the idea of going on in something, abounding, going more and more in the practice of it, giving yourself entirely to it, not restraining yourself, not holding yourself back, but giving yourself to the gospel, to the work of the Lord. You see what he's challenging these believers to do, and I think there's a very interesting message that comes across here. He's been speaking about the resurrection, speaking about future glory. Now he tells them you be steadfast and unmovable, and always abounding in the work of the Lord. So though he has told them you're going to enter into future glory, while you remain here on earth, that promise of the resurrection is not an excuse for idleness. You're here in this world, you have a life to live, you have a work to do, you have a service to render, you have a Christ to follow, you have a gospel to preach, you have souls to reach. I abound in the work of the Lord. And always abound in the work of the Lord. So the thought of our future glory is no excuse for idleness for us. We are to labor. And the word labor is referred to in the text, the end of the verse, For as much as you know that your labor, so this abounding in the work of the Lord has to do with our labor. We are to labor in the work of the Lord. Paul talks in 1 Corinthians chapter three about being laborers together with the Lord. There was the party spirit. Some were saying, we're of Paul, son of Apollos. And Paul says, well, we are laborers together. He that sows and he that waters, they're nothing, but it's God that gives the increase. And we are laborers with him. And now he tells them, be steadfast, be unmovable, but always abounding in the work of the Lord, in this labor for God. And that, believer, is the challenge of this age. That's the challenge we face as the Lord's people. We ought to give ourselves aboundingly so, aboundingly so to the work of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We're going home to glory soon. Even we live, three score and 10, or four score, five score, even we live to our 100 and beyond it. It's not a long time really. And our time here on earth is short. Our time to do something for the kingdom of God and for the work of the Lord is a brief time. So here's the challenge. Here's the challenge of our position in Christ. Here's the challenge of the fact that we have a conqueror and we have a comfort of the gospel in that that victory that Christ has gained has been given to us. And we have the victory through him. Here's the challenge that that presents to us. We have a work to do for him now as the followers of Jesus Christ. So let's be steadfast, unmovable, and at the same time always abounding in the work of the Lord. So you have the conqueror and you have the comfort and the challenge. Notice lastly the confidence. He says at the end of the verse, for as much as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. Now that's the third time Paul talks that way in this chapter. Look at verse 14. Talking here about the resurrection of Christ And he reminds the believers in Corinth that if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is vain also. So what he's teaching us here is that if Christ is not raised, our preaching's empty, it's worthless. If Christ is not risen, then our faith is also worthless. But the opposite of that is true. As Christ has risen, our preaching is not vain, As Christ has risen, our faith is not in vain. And as Christ has risen, our labor is not in vain either. See the impact of the resurrection. Here's the confidence we have because Christ has risen, Christ has finished the work his father gave him to do. lived a perfect life, died his atoning death, was buried, on the third day he rose again as a testimony that the father had accepted his sacrifice, the work was done. And because Christ has done that work, our involvement in that, his work, in the spreading forth of the gospel, is not in vain. Our service for God is not going to be in vain. Now what does that mean? Let me go back to 1 Corinthians chapter 3, back to that passage I mentioned just a moment or two ago, and notice the connection here. He tells him, verse six, dealing with this fraction and contention that's in the church. Verse six, he says, I have planted a palace water, but God gave the increase, so then neither is he that planteth anything, neither he that watereth, but God that giveth the increase. Now he that planteth and he that watereth were one, and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labor. I want you to think of the picture he's using here. He's talking about laboring, but he does so under the picture of those that sow and those that water. And he talks about God giving the increase. So there's a sowing of the seed, there's a watering of that seed, and then there's the giving of the increase, which ought to make us think of a harvest. There will be a harvest. Now think of Psalm 126. And remember those great words of the psalmist. And he spoke of going forth bearing precious seed. and he goes forth weeping, he shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, and he's bringing his sheaves with him. His labor in the harvest field, his labor in the going forth of the sowing of the seed, and in the weeping, his labor was not in vain. When you look at Psalm 126, and read the words of that Psalm, they that sow in tears, shall reap in joy. And there it's plural. But in the final verse it goes to the singular. He that goeth forth and weepeth bearing precious seed shall doubtless come again with rejoicing bringing his sheaves with him. And surely the picture here is a picture of Christ. Christ came as the man of sorrows. He came bearing precious seed and he will come again bringing his sheaves with him. And the whole thought here is of the success of the work of Christ. Christ is the successful sower. Christ is the one who brings and secures and guarantees a successful harvest. He died for his people. He rose for his people. He will save his people. He will gather the harvest of his people in, and that harvest of his people, not one will be lost. The harvest is secure. Therefore, as we are laborers together with him, and we abound in the work of the Lord, our labor is not in vain. It ties in with Christ as the firstfruits. Because he is gathered in and in glory, all his people shall be as well. And for what you have in verse 58 of our chapter, 1 Corinthians 15, is a massive encouragement to the people of God. It's a massive confidence booster as we live in this world with all of its trials and all of its sin and all of its wicked dimensions. We look across the world and we think and we look across this nation and you think how on earth can we have any impact for God, any impact for good on this nation? And left to ourselves, we can't. But we have the victory through the Lord Jesus Christ, and in Christ our labor for him is not in vain. As we get a hold of the gospel, Christ died for our sins, Christ was buried, Christ rose again according to the scriptures. And all those who are in union with Christ are safe in time and eternity. We've got a hold of that. and we're steadfast and unmovable and always abounding in the work of the Lord, we have this great promise, our labors not in vain, because we are co-laborers with the very Lord of the harvest himself, the Lord Jesus Christ. Perhaps you think, what difference can you make? What difference can you make at work? What difference can you make at school? What difference can you make at home, in your community, in your neighborhood, whatever? What difference can you make among family members who are not saved? Our labor in Christ and for Christ is not in vain. Therefore, we can give ourselves to this work with real confidence, always abounding in the work of the Lord. No wonder this has been called Paul's triumphant chapter, because he bursts with praise, he bursts with gladness, and traces it all back to the work of Christ. As we come to pray tonight, we can pray with confidence on the basis of what Jesus Christ has done. Believer, that ought to thrill our souls, that ought to help us in prayer. There is much to do. There's much in the work of God we need to abide in, in our own hearts, in our own homes, in our own communities, in the house of God here. Let's not grow weary in our well-doing. There's always a danger of losing heart. Always a danger of losing heart. Let's not lose heart in the work of God. But that's a bind. Let's give ourselves to it because we have the victory in the Lord Jesus Christ. So I pray the Lord will bless these thoughts to our hearts. Tonight as we get to prayer now, the Lord will come and help us at the throne of grace, pour out his spirit upon us. May we be able to see his reasoning here from the resurrection, the arguments of the resurrection, take them to heart, make them a blessing to our own souls, and march on, go forward. and abound always in God's great work, knowing that as our faith is not in vain, neither is our work, and God's work will prosper. We're going to get to prayer. I'm going to ask Jeremiah to lead us off in prayer. It's good to see the young people are with us tonight, and I'm glad you're here. Those who are back for college, we welcome you as well. And those who are back for seminary, we welcome you. And let me encourage you to pray tonight. We're here as the Lord's people. And let's use this time as wisely as we can. So if you've never prayed before, you find prayer intimidating or hard in a public setting like this, well, I'd encourage you even just to pray and thank the Lord for saving your soul. Let's use the time as wisely as we can. And young people, you feel free to pray too. And let's look to the Lord to bless us as we wait before him at this time. So we'll ask Jeremiah to lead us off, and then one after another, let's use this time as we wait before the Lord.