Continue on in the work of the Lord!

Notes from a sermon heard on Sunday 15 January 2012

Acts 15 verses 36 – Acts 16 verse 4, 1 Corinthians 15 verse 58

Text: “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.” verse 58

Paul was writing to this group here in Corinth who had known many problems and difficulties and has this word of exhortation for them.  The days might be dark but I have one word for you “be ye steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord.”  In Acts 15 Paul was about to go off on another missionary journey.  He and Barnabas had talked together about the believers in the various places they had visited.  We need to revisit “every city where we preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing.”  John Mark was there and Barnabas wanted to take him with them.  Paul said no.  We sometimes say division is a bad thing but here we see it is not always such a bad thing.  John Mark had made a decision early on that he didn’t want to go into the work but Barnabas wanted to encourage him.  Paul had the work of God on his mind and he says that to the Corinthian church.

Paul speaks of the concerns for the work of God.  “Therefore”, one of the old preachers wrote many years ago that when you see that word you should always ask yourself “what is it there for?”  It is there to tell us something.  Paul on this occasion wants to illuminate the work of God and our attitude to it.  Paul says here we ought to be steadfast.  He spoke of his sufferings in 2 Corinthians 11.  He told the believers how he had been shipwrecked.  He was not telling them that he might gain sympathy but rather answering those who said he was an apostate, not a true man of God.  He opens himself up to the people.  On one occasion he was shipwrecked, another time he was stoned to death, he was beaten, accused of all sorts of things, ridiculed, people turned their backs on him.  This was the man who could take the word of God and encourage us to continue in the work of God.  “Besides those things” Paul says sufferings, pain, loneliness, shipwrecked, beatings, stoned, ridiculed “that which cometh upon me daily the care of all the churches.”(verse 28)  Do we care for the work of God?  Do we think of the work of God from this Sunday to the next?  Do we care for the one who sat beside us in church?  For someone who is going through difficult, lonely times?  That is what Paul is getting at.  All the care that comes on my shoulders for the work of God.  At Miletus in Ephesus Paul talked to the elders, he had one concern on his heart and he told them that ravenous wolves will come in.  At one time they set aside all the books of witchcraft, brought them into the city centre and burned them (Acts 19 verse 19).  It was an open declaration that they were turning away from the past and turning to Christ in faith.  Is there something we are holding onto in our past that we need to let go of?  It is wonderful when God comes to us in faith.  We need to turn to him.  The Holy Spirit shows we need to turn to him, turn from the past and move with God.  When we come around the Lord’s table we are thinking of the body of the Lord Jesus Christ, that body smote in Pilate’s hall, that blood shed for us as a ransom for our sins.  That is what Christ had done.  Paul feels for the elders in Ephesus.  There would be those in the centre of the fellowship that would lead the people astray, take them from the truth of God’s word.  He said to the Thessalonians “when we could no longer forebear we thought it good to be left at Athens alone and sent Timotheus … to establish you and to comfort you concerning your faith.” (1 Thessalonians 3 verse 1 and 2)  He has the care of the work of God on his heart.  He doesn’t want anything to hinder it, is so caring for it.  When I could hold back no longer I sent Timothy to find out what was happening in your fellowship.  He was afraid the devil would get into this group.  The devil would love to pull apart the fellowship, to bring about divisions into the work of God.  That is why we have to be careful.  Do you have concern for the work of God?  Not to be the biggest or richest, that we are so concerned that this little one will reach out. that man or woman boys or girls will be saved.  Nothing else matters in this old world because of the fact that Jesus is coming again.  We need to have concern for the work of God.

Paul is specifying a combined work.  Paul is writing to “brethren”.  Not elders or deacons or pastors.  That is you and I.  We are in the family of God.  If we are born again of the Spirit of God Paul is laying the responsibility on every child of God.  God’s word is for every Christian.  Paul is writing to a church where there is division and factions – look at 1 Corinthians chapters 1 and 3.  Everyone of us are to be full time workers for the Lord.  We all have to be involved not just the leaders.  Doesn’t matter how young or old, what gender we are.  There is a work God wants us to do.   Are we concerned about him?  He writes to Timothy after leaving him in Ephesus “let no man despise thy youth.” (1 Timothy 4 verse 12)  He had great responsibility in leading the church even though he was a young man.  Anna and Simeon were at the other end of the scale being well on in years.  It was said of Anna “she departed not from the temple but served God with fastings and prayers night and day” (Luke 2 verse 37).  There is a ministry for all of God’s people.  No such thing as retirement in the work of God.  Never get to state of redundancy.  Paul says you keep at it.  Husbands and wives there is a work in partnership in the house of God.  There is a work for the men and women in the house of God – Philippians 4 verse 3.  There is something God wants done on this earth and if you don’t do it it will be still left undone. 

Paul pleads in this verse for a commitment to the work.  Paul is pleading for a dedication to the work of God.  Nothing keeps us steadfast as determined to do a work.  That is the determination we need in the work of God.  To not grow tired of what we are doing.  That is the thought here.  Maybe there is a feeling we haven’t got a freshness any more.  Paul says don’t let that put you off in doing a work for God.  Galatians 6 verse 9.  Go back to Nehemiah’s day.  He was rebuilding the walls in Jerusalem.  The moment he came down and started to build the enemy came in.  The enemy tried to discourage and put him down when he wasn’t expecting it.  Nehemiah’s response was “I am doing a great work.”  He kept at it.  He was dedicated to it.  In Acts the early preachers were arrested for preaching the work of God.  They stood up and said to the leaders gathered around them that day “we ought to obey God rather than men.” (Acts 5 verse 29)  People will try and stop you from speaking.  You will be ridiculed, criticised for it but it is better to obey God than obey man.  Psalm 1 who is the man who is blessed – not the one walking in the counsel of the ungodly, sitting in the seat of scorners but rather he is meditating day and night like a tree planted by the riverside.  Are we steadfast in the things of God?  Is God in your mind when you consider what you can do?

The caution Paul speaks of – “unmoveable”.  Something that is unmoveable is something that is not for shifting.  Imagine the statue in some of the cities – unmoving upon its base.  That is how you should be.  James talks of the double minded man who “is unstable in all his ways.” (James 1 verse 8)  The challenges that come in the work of God – there will always be something to try and shift us.  We need to be careful.  Nehemiah – the enemy thought if they could only move him to a village then he might lose interest, might give up the battle.  Nehemiah looked at the work he was doing and then looked up to the heavens and said “this is the work God has put in my soul and I am going to stick at it, I will not be moved.”  Wouldn’t it be awful if the devil got into your life?  If you have a grievance in your heart the devil can use that, can blow it up, take it out of all context it is in and he can make it as a sure thing.  You can blame everyone around you but the only one at fault is you. 

Paul encourages them to continue in the work – “always abounding”.

There is a crown for the work – “your labour is not in vain.”

There is an enemy who will try to bring you down but keep continuing in the work, going on with God.  Thank God there is a crown at the end of the day.