1Cor 15:58
Answers to the Christian's Life

Some of the most powerful truths in the Bible are found in a single
verse.  Consider John 3;16, 1John 1:9, …and so many more!

Pr 3:6  In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he
shall direct thy paths.

I do not know that this verse will impact your life as much as some
others, but I know that it has more than enough meat to gnaw on for
tonight.  It answers three questions for the believer.

I. What’s your motivation?
    A. What is suppose to drive the Christian.  The Christian life is
        neither simple nor easy.
        1. It is hard to be a disciplined Christian because the
            Christian life does take discipline.
        2. God gave commands which involve the reshaping of the
            sinner’s being.
            a. Some commands require that we stop doing some things
                which we may want to do.
            b. Others require we start doing some things that we may
                not wish to do.
        3. In this verse, Paul goes on to command us to do three
            things: be steadfast, be unmovable, and always abound
            in the Lord’s work.
        4. Those may be short, concise statements but obedience to
            them will require much effort and work.
    B. What is to motivate us to do these things?
        1. "Therefore" - Whenever you see the word therefore, look to
            see what it is there for.
            a. It connects what he is about to say with what he has
                said.
            b. He is telling us that based on what he has said, we
                ought to be steadfast, unmovable, and abounding in
                the Lord’s work.
            c. This is a big Book and Paul has covered a lot of
                territory.
        2. What are the some of the things Paul could be referring to
            as our motivation?
            a. Chapter 15, this chapter, is the resurrection chapter.
                There are many truths about the resurrection that
                could and should motivate us.
                (1) How about the fact that Jesus could come at any
                     moment?

1Cor 15:51  Behold, I shew you a mystery; We
shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
52  In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at
the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and
the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we
shall be changed.

                (2) How about the fact that we are going to win?

1Cor 15:27  For he hath put all things under his
feet. But when he saith all things are put under
him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which
did put all things under him.
28  And when all things shall be subdued unto
him, then shall the Son also himself be subject
unto him that put all things under him, that God
may be all in all.

                (3) How about the fact that we serve a risen Lord?

1Cor 15:20  But now is Christ risen from the
dead, and become the firstfruits of them that
slept.

            b. Chapter 14, the last chapter, was the gift chapter.

1Cor 14:1  Follow after charity, and desire
spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy.

                (1) The word "desire" means want, envy, crave.
                (2) Why should you want spiritual gifts?  To use!
                (3) Don’t you want to find out how many gifts you
                     have?  How you have been blessed and endowed
                     with abilities from God?
                (4) You are going to have to try to use them to find
                     out if you have them.
                (5) What are some of the spiritual gifts?  tongues,
                     prophecy, giving, helping, showing mercy,
                     organizing and leading.
                (6) But there are some physical gifts that God gives:
                     building, repairing, painting, selling, sewing,
                     designing, rearing, growing.
            c. Chapter 13 is the love chapter.
                (1) This chapter is not talking about God’s love for
                     me—although that should be a powerful form of
                     motivation.
                (2) It is talking about my love for others.

1Cor 14:4  Charity suffereth long, and is kind;
charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself,
is not puffed up,
5  Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not
her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no
evil;
6  Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in
the truth;
7  Beareth all things, believeth all things,
hopeth all things, endureth all things.
8  Charity never faileth: but whether there be
prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be
tongues, they shall cease; whether there be
knowledge, it shall vanish away.

            d. Chapter 12 is the church chapter.

1Cor 13:13  For by one Spirit are we all
baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or
Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have
been all made to drink into one Spirit.

                (1) I am part of some thing big—the biggest.
                (2) I am part of some thing spiritual.
                (3) I am part of some thing eternal.
                (4) I have God the Holy Spirit to help me, friends
                     I have never met in heaven rooting for me, and
                     friends on this earth to work with me.

II. What’s your duty?  Paul listed three:
    A. Be steadfast and unmovable.
        1. Both steadfastly and unmovable are words of position.
            a. "Steadfast" means to be rooted, sitting, sedentary.
            b. "Unmovable" means immoveable, incapable of being
                moved.
        2. What is the difference?
            a. I look at steadfast as being stationary when you
                pushed by an outside party.
            b. Unmovable is you staying put when you are tempted to
                move.
            c. Together they mean that you don’t want to be moved or
                to move.
    B. To stay steady when pushed requires deep roots.
        1. Questions need to be asked here.
            a. How deep are we for God?
            b. How do we get deeper, stronger?
            c. There is not an individualized, written curriculum.
        2. However, we have everything we need.
            a. There is a TEXT - The Word of God.  Not everything
                about God is written in the Bible, but everything we
                need to go deep is.
            b. There is a TEACHER - The Holy Spirit.
            c. There is a TERM - Life.  Every problem, every
                blessing, every event teaches us about God.
        3. You were automatically enrolled into this course when
            you got saved.
        4. The question is are you still learning?
    C. For us not to move on our own requires strength to stay put,
        determination, stubbornness on our part.
        1. We know something about being stubborn but usually we are
            stubborn about the wrong things.  We need to be stubborn
            about the important doctrines.
        2. These are referred to as the cardinal doctrines.
            a. They are the most important doctrines for if given
                up, we lose the essentials of salvation.
            b. Different people have different lists but most of
                them center on the same topics:
                (1) The Bible - It is the inspired, preserved,
                     inerrant Word from God.
                (2) The person of Jesus
                     (a) He is God.
                     (b) He was virgin born, lived a sinless life,
                          died a substitutionary death, and bodily
                          rose from the grave on the third day.
                (3) Salvation - It is a free gift from God to all
                     who will believe on Jesus Christ and repent of
                     their sins.
            c. There are some other important doctrines we need to
                stand for.  We will call those secondary doctrines.
                What are they?  Every other Bible truth.
        3. There are three enemies seeking to move us.
            a. The World - It can shake us with defeat or success
                or a mixture of both.
            b. The Flesh - Our pride, offensive spirits, bitterness,
                fear, pleasure, and on the list goes.
            c. The Devil - The master shaker.  He can use the world
                and flesh or he can pitch a new element into the
                brew.
        4. Are you going to let yourself be shaken from love for
            Christ or from His service?
    C. "Abounding" - It means to flourish.
        1. The opposite from being moved from our devotion and
            service to Christ is to cause it to flourish.
        2. This text specifically says that we are to abound in the
            Lord’s WORK.
           a. We are often more diligent to guard our devotion than
              our service. Christ wants both.  What have I done for
              for the Lord today?  this week? this month?
           b. Let’s not be so abstract.  It’s not all a spiritual
               warfare.  How many minutes have I spend praying for
               others, witnessing, ministering to the saints,
               helping the poor, the widowed, the sick, the
               fatherless. \\#James 1:27\\

III. What’s your purpose?
    A. The Bible promises that our labor is not in vain.  It will
        produce some thing.  That is the purpose of obeying this
        command.
    B. What are you wanting to see God do?  What is your purpose?
        1. I want to know God better.
        2. I want to have prayers answered.
        3. I want to see souls saved.
        4. I want lives to be helped because of my life.

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