STABILITY IN UNSTABLE TIMES
(1 Corinthians
15:57-58) [57]But
thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
[58]Therefore, my beloved
brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord,
forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
Introduction:
A. The Corinthian Church was a
carnal (fleshly) church and spent both their time and resources upon their
natural, temporal desires. Paul loved
this carnal, worldly church as it is the only one that Paul expressed his love
for.
1 Corinthians
16:23-24 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ
be with you. (24) My love be with you all in Christ Jesus.
Amen.
B. Chapter 15: 1-49, Paul speaks
of their great salvation through the gospel.
Verses 50-57, the victory that has been won as one day all the church of
God will be at
C. The Holy Ghost admonishes the
church to be heavenly minded in verse 58 because the real treasures are those
that are eternal, not temporal. The
therefore ties this verse to the preceding verses and is a summation or
conclusion. His plea is based upon our
blessed position in the body of Christ, the hope of His soon return in the
rapture, and our eternal change.
D. “My” denotes ownership. “Beloved” denotes our dearness to both the
Apostle and our Saviour. “Brethren”
denotes a family relationship which is important because our dependence is not
only upon the Saviour but also upon each other!
1. Steadfastness – deals with the
possibility of quitting - Galatians 6:9 And let us not be weary in well
doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. (People are quitting on every
hand. Pastors, missionaries,
evangelists, SS teachers, soul winners, church workers, etc.)
2. Immovability – deals with the
possibility of being swayed - 2 Thessalonians 2:15
Therefore,
brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught,
whether by word, or our epistle. (We are in the midst of the “falling away.”)
3. Abounding – deals with
possibility of sitting down instead of serving - 2 Corinthians 9:8 And God [is] able to make all
grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all
[things], may abound to every good work.
(The closer to the end of the church age, the more we should labor. Unfortunately, it is just the exact opposite
is true.)
4. Knowledge – deals with the
understanding that our labor is not in vain - Matthew 10:40-42 He that receiveth you receiveth
me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me. He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a
prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man
in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward. And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of
these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I
say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward. (Though we are in the gleanings stage
or the Days of Noe, God is still in control of the harvest)
5. Reward – God will certainly
reward us with fullness - 2 John 1:8 Look to yourselves, that we lose
not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward. (full reward) for our labors (Parable of those who labored through the
heat of the day for a penny while others entered the fields much later and
received the same.)
ALL OF THIS IS GOING TO TAKE TWO THINGS:
1. It Takes A Real Conversion – 1 John 2:19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for
if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they
went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.
2. It Takes A Real Conviction –
Jesus is coming again just like He said!
SOME THINGS WE NEED TO CONTINUE IN:
1. We Need To continue In One
Accord
Acts 1:14 These all continued with one accord in prayer and
supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his
brethren.
2. We Need To Continue In Prayer
Acts 1:14 These all continued with one accord in prayer and
supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his
brethren.
Colossians 4:2 Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with
thanksgiving;
3. We Need To Continue In
Doctrine
Acts 2:42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles'
doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
1 Timothy 4:16 Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine;
continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that
hear thee.
2 Timothy 3:14 But continue thou in the things which thou hast
learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast earned them
4. We Need To Continue In
Fellowship
Acts 2:42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles'
doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
5. We Need To Continue In The
Grace of God (Salvation’s Message)
Acts 13:43 Now when the congregation was broken up, many of the
Jews and religious proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas: who, speaking to
them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God.
6. We Need To Continue In
Encouragement
Acts 14:22 Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting
them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter
into the kingdom of God.
7. We Need To Continue In Soul
Winning (Both at home and abroad)
Acts 26:22 Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue
unto this day, witnessing both to small and great
8. We Need To Continue To Live
Godly
Romans 11:22 Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God:
on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in
his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.
9. We Need To Continue Contending
For The Faith
Galatians 2:5 To whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an
hour; that the truth of the gospel might continue with you.
10. We Need To Continue In
Service
James 1:25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty,
and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the
work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
* God bless you all always *
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