WELCOME

1 CORINTHIANS 15: 58

“THEREFORE, MY DEAR BROTHERS, BE STEADFAST, IMMOVABLE, ALWAYS ABOUNDING IN THE WORK OF THE LORD, KNOWING THAT IN THE LORD YOUR LABOUR IS NOT IN VAIN” (ESV)

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THEME: OUR LABOUR IN THE LORD IS NOT IN VAIN.

1. INTRODUCTION

2. PRETEXT

3. THE CHARACTERISTICS OF A BELIEVER WHOSE LABOUR IS NOT IN VAN.

A. A BELIEVER WITH UNWAVERING COMMITMENT TO GOD

B. A BELIEVER WITH ACTIVE AND DILIGENT SERVICE TO GOD

4. WHY LABOURING FOR GOD?

BECAUSE ALMIGHTY GOD WILL GREATLY REWARD YOU.

5. SUMMARY

6. CONCLUSION

INTRODUCTION

THE CHRISTIAN LIFESTYLE ENCOMPASSES:

1. BLESSINGS - ENJOY
2. RESPONSIBILITIES – WEARY
3. TRIALS - DISHEARTEN

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“YOUR LABOUR IN THE LORD IS NOT IN VAIN”.

A REFRESHING REMINDER THAT NO MATTER HOW DIFFICULT OR SEEMINGLY LITTLE OUR WORK APPEARS IT IS MEANINGFUL TO GOD.

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PRETEXT

“THEREFORE”

• PRECEDING VERSES – TOPIC OF RESURRECTION.
• THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS STANDS AT THE CORE OF THE GOSPEL AND CHRISTIAN LIVING.
• WITHOUT JESUS’ RESURRECTION CHRISTIANITY WOULD BE RENDERED MEANINGLESS.
• BECAUSE JESUS HAS BEEN RISEN BELIEVERS THOUGH DEATH WILL ALSO RAISE TO LIFE WHEN JESUS RETURNS.
• BELIEVERS RESURRECTION WILL BE FOLLOWED BY REWARD FOR GOD’S CHILDREN
• AFTER AFFIRMING THE CERTAINTY OF A FUTURE RESURRECTION FOR ALL BELIEVERS PAUL URGES THEM WITH THE WORDS.
• “THEREFORE, MY DEAR BROTHERS, BE STEADFAST, IMMOVABLE, ALWAYS ABOUNDING IN THE WORK OF THE LORD, KNOWING THAT IN THE LORD YOUR LABOUR IS NOT IN VAIN” 

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A STRONG BELIEF IN ETERNITY:

• GIVES EMPOWERMENT TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT, REGARDLESS OF CHALLENGES.
• GIVES ENCOURAGEMENT TO KEEP SERVING IN MOST DIFFICULT TIMES.
• GIVES MOTIVATION TO BE LOYAL AND FAITHFUL TO GOD TO THE END.

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�THEME: OUR LABOR IN THE LORD IS NOT IN VAIN��1. THE QUALITIES OF A BELIEVER WHOSE LABOR IS NOT IN VAIN�A. A BELIEVER WITH UNWAVERING COMMITMENT TO GOD. ��“THEREFORE, MY DEAR BROTHERS, BE STEADFAST AND UNMOVABLE...”��

• “BE STEADFAST”
• DICTIONARY DEFINES STEADFAST AS FIRM IN BELIEF, DETERMINATION, OR ADHERENCE; LOYAL OR FAITHFUL.
• STEADFAST REFERS TO BEING SEATED AND DOES SETTLE. IT IS A FIXED PURPOSE OF HEART AGAINST ERROR.
• STAND FIRM – IMPLIES STABILITY, FIRMNESS, AND STRONG DEVOTION TO SOMETHING.
• STAND FAST - TO BE LOYAL, FAITHFUL, DEVOTED, AND UNMOVING.

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• COL 1:23 “IF INDEED YOU CONTINUE IN THE FAITH, STABLE AND STEADFAST NOT SHIFTING FROM THE HOPE OF THE GOSPEL THAT YOU HEARD, WHICH HAS BEEN PROCLAIMED IN ALL CREATION UNDER HEAVEN, AND OF WHICH I PAUL, BECAME A MINISTER”.

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• “...AND UNMOVABLE...”
• IMMOVABLE IS ANOTHER TERM FOR STABILITY.
• THIS IS SIMILAR TO BEING STEADFAST.
• BUT CARRIES MORE FORCE THAN STEADFAST.
• IT GIVES THE IDEA OF BEING WELL SITUATED IN THE WILL OF GOD.
• IMMOVABLE EMPHASIZES THE ASPECT OF FAITH THAT WILL NOT BE SHAKEN EVEN IN THE WORST OF CIRCUMSTANCES.
• IT REMINDS US OF THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING ANCHORED/ROOTED.
• OUR FAITH MUST BE ANCHORED AND ROOTED IN GOD AND GOD ALONE.

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Eph 4:14 “Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming”.

��B. A BELIEVER WITH ACTIVE AND DELIGENT SERVICE TO GOD�“...ALWAYS ABOUNDING IN THE WORK OF THE LORD...”���

• “ABOUNDING” IMPLIES GIVING MORE OF WHAT IS REQUIRED.
• TO GO THE EXTRA MILE IN OUR SERVICE TO GOD.
• AND WE SHOULD DO THIS CONSISTENTLY BECAUSE THE WORD “ALWAYS” IS ADDED TO THE WORD ABOUNDING.
• WE SHOULD NOT LIMIT OURSELVES IN OUR SERVICE TO GOD BUT BE ALWAYS ABOUNDING IN THE WORK OF THE LORD.
• ALWAYS GIVING OURSELVES FULLY TO THE WORK OF THE LORD - ALLOWING GOD TO WORK IN US AS WE GO ABOUT OUR DAILY WORK.

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• WE ARE NOT TO BE LAZY OR PASSIVE OR INACTIVE.
• WE ARE TO BE ACTIVE AND VIBRANT IN OUR SERVICE TO GOD
• WE ARE TO KEEP ON SERVING DESPITE THE CHALLENGES WE FACE
• OTHER TRANSLATIONS USE THE WORD “EXCEL” TO STAND OUT/DISTINGUISH/EXCELLENT AT...
• WE ARE TO ABOUND (OR TO GO BEYOND THE NORM) IN THE WORK OF THE LORD.

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EPH 6:7 NEW LIVING TRANSLATION

• “DON'T WORK HARD ONLY WHEN YOUR MASTER IS WATCHING AND THEN SHIRK WHEN HE ISN'T LOOKING; WORK HARD AND WITH GLADNESS ALL THE TIME, AS THOUGH WORKING FOR CHRIST, DOING THE WILL OF GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEARTS”. 

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EPH 6:7 THE LIVING BIBLE

• “WORK WITH ENTHUSIASM (EAGERNESS INTEREST, PASSION), AS THOUGH YOU WERE WORKING FOR THE LORD RATHER THAN FOR PEOPLE”.

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EPH 6:7 THE MESSAGE

• “AND WORK WITH A SMILE ON YOUR FACE, ALWAYS KEEPING IN MIND THAT NO MATTER WHO HAPPENS TO BE GIVING THE ORDERS, YOU REALLY SERVING GOD”.

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• CHARACTERISTIC # 2: A BELIEVER WITH ACTIVE AND DELIGENT SERVICE TO GOD

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2. WHY LABOURING FOR GOD?�ALMIGHTY GOD WILL GREATLY REWARD YOUR LABOUR. � �“...KNOWING THAT IN THE LORD YOUR LABOUR IS NOT IN VAIN”.�

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• WE CONTINUE TO WORK/SERVE KNOWING THAT OUR LABOUR IN THE LORD IS NOT IN VAIN.
• WE ARE NOT WASTING OUR TIME WHEN WE INVEST IN THE WORK OF THE LORD.
• WE ANTICIPATE INVALUABLE REWARD/CROWN FOR OUR LABOUR.
• WHATEVER LABOUR THAT YOU DO FOR THE LORD IT IS NOT IN VAIN.
• IT IS NOT FUTILE EFFORT OR WASTED EFFORT. IT IS USEFUL, PURPOSEFUL AND MEANINGFUL TO GOD.

 COL 3: 23,24 “WHATEVER YOU DO, WORK AT IT WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AS WORKING FOR THE LORD, NOT FOR HUMAN MASTERS. SINCE YOU KNOW THAT YOU WILL RECEIVE AN INHERITANCE FROM THE LORD AS A REWARD. IT IS THE LORD CHRIST YOU ARE SERVING”.

2 COR 5: 10 “FOR WE MUST ALL APPEAR BEFORE THE JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST THAT EACH ONE MAY RECEIVE WHAT IS DUE HIM, FOR THINGS DONE WHILE IN THE BODY, WHETHER GOD OR BAD” (NIV).

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SUMMARY

• TEXT: 1 CORINTHIANS 15: 58
• “THEREFORE, MY DEAR BROTHERS, BE STEADFAST, IMMOVABLE, ALWAYS ABOUNDING IN THE WORK OF THE LORD, KNOWING THAT IN THE LORD YOUR LABOUR IS NOT IN VAIN” (ESV)

THEME: OUR LABOUR IS NOT IN VAIN.

1. THE QUALITIES OF A BELIEVER WHOSE LABOUR IS NOT IN VAN.

1. A BELIEVER WITH UNWAVERING COMMITMENT TO GOD
2. A BELIEVER WITH ACTIVE AND DILIGENT SERVICE TO GOD

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2. WHY LABOURING FOR GOD?

1. ALMIGHTY GOD WILL GREATLY REWARD US.

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CONCLUSION

THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST STANDS AT THE CORE OF THE GOSPEL AND CHRISTIAN LIVING.

BECAUSE OF THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST OUR LABOR IN THE LORD IS NOT IN VAIN.

WHEN JESUS RETURN WILL BE REWARDED FOR OUR LABOUR.

• ENCOURAGEMENT
• TOILING ON. 
• CHALLENGE
• IT’S TIME TO SERVE GOD.

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• SERVING GOD IS NOT TIME WASTED BUT TIME INVESTED.
• YOU WILL SOON GET PAID WHEN YOUR MASTER RETURNS.
• WHATEVER IS DONE FOR CHRIST IS NOT DONE IN VAIN.
• GOD IS NOT UNJUST; HE WILL NOT FORGET YOUR WORK AND THE LOVE YOU HAVE SHOWN HIM BY SERVING HIM.  
• STORY: JUST SHOW HIM YOUR HANDS.
• SONG: 325

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HYMN 325

1. MUST I GO AND EMPTY HANDED?

THUS, MY DEAR REDEEMER MEET?

NOT ONE DAY OF SERVICE GIVE HIM,

LAY NO PRESENT AT HIS FEET?

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MUST I GO AND EMPTY HANDED?

MUST I MEET MY SAVIOR SO?

NOT ONE SOUL WITH WHICH TO GREET HIM

MUST I EMPTY HANDED GO?

2. OH, THE YEARS OF SINNING WASTED,

COULD I BUT RECALL THEM NOW

I WOULD GIVE THEM TO MY SAVIOUR

TO HIS WILL I GLADLY BOW.

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3. OH, MY BROTHERS, WAKE BE EARNEST.

UP AND WORK WHILE IT IS DAY,

SOON THE NIGHT WILL OVER TAKE YOU,

SEEK FOR SOULS WHILE STILL YOU MAY.