Our Fruitful Labor
1 Corinthians 15:50-58
Illustration: When we don’t understand something, we can jump to wrong conclusions.
An Amish boy and his father were visiting a mall. They were amazed by almost everything they saw, but especially by two shiny, silver walls that could move apart and back together again. The boy asked his father, "What is this, Father?" The father [never having seen an elevator] responded "Son, I have never seen anything like this in my life, I don't know what it is."
While the boy and his father were watching wide-eyed, an old lady in a wheel chair rolled up to the moving walls and pressed a button. The walls opened and the lady rolled between them into a small room. The walls closed and the boy and his father watched small circles of lights with numbers above the walls light up. They continued to watch the circles light up in the reverse direction.
The walls opened up again and a beautiful 24-year-old woman stepped out. The father said to his son, "Go get your mother."
Even in the days of the Apostle Paul, some were spreading false religions into the Church. People did not understand the role of the resurrection in the Kingdom of God. When Paul wrote 1 Corinthians, some teachers were putting fear into people’s hearts. They had buried loved ones who had professed salvation in Jesus Christ. The false teachers were saying that if you died before Christ returned, you would miss the Kingdom of God. They taught that there would be no resurrection.
In Paul’s defense of the truth, he wrote our text for today. Let’s read it together.
1 Cor. 15:50-58 I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: "Death is swallowed up in victory." "O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?" The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.
This morning, instead of breaking down the nuts and bolts of all these verses, I want us to grasp the meaning of the first eight verses and then break down verse 58.
The very idea that we, as we stand today, can enter into God’s eternal, perfect rest is ridiculous. Paul said that not only will those believers’ bodies who are in the graveyard will be resurrected, but those who are alive will have to be changed first. Our mortal will have to put on immortality, our perishable must put on the imperishable. Our painful will put on unpainful. Our wrinkled will put on ironed.
In other words, it is no bigger deal for God to raise an immortal body from the grave yard than it is to change our bodies into immortal, imperishable bodies. All of us, dead or alive, will need purification and perfection work done on us.
I want you to notice that this occurs at what is called “at the last Trumpet”. Every New Testament passage that speaks of the resurrection speaks of the sound of a trumpet. Remember that in the days Paul wrote this, the government was a military state. Everyone knew the significance of the last, or third, trumpet blast.
In the Bible, civil announcement trumpets were used for four specific purposes:
1. To Proclaim Victory
2. To Call an Assembly
3. To Announce a Warning
4. To Call the Troops to Battle
It is clear to see how the trumpets fit with the idea of the Rapture. All four of these events will take place when the Rapture comes about.
1. Victory over the world will be announced by the church.
2. The saints will be called to assemble themselves in the presence of the Lord.
3. The trumpets will announce a warning of judgment to the world.
4. The angelic troops will be summoned to battle.
Also, in the society of that day, military trumpets were heard on a daily basis. The police department was the army. The sheriff’s department was the army. The Constable was the army. They were the city gate keepers. They were everywhere.
The Roman army, which occupied most of the civilized world at that time, used trumpets to carry out the shift changes and the movement of their troops. Typically, when a Roman legion moved, there would be three blasts from the trumpets.
The first would tell the troop to strike their tents, pack their things and to prepare to move. The second would alert them to fall in and line up. The last trumpet would be the signal to move out. Notice what Paul says in 1 Cor. 15:52. He tells us that we are leaving at the "last trump". When the trumpet sounds, it will be the signal to move up to glory!
I. We have to be ready to go.
He says in verse 58, “be steadfast and unmovable.” He calls those who look for Him to come any time to be faithful. He tells us not to get distracted from the fact that, we are working with the resurrection always in mind.
Luk 12:35-38 "Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them. If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them awake, blessed are those servants!
Jesus used this analogy often, of a master leaving his house to his servants while he was on a trip. He often warned those who lived and served like they did not expect the master to come back that day. Some would be surprised. Some enjoyed the status of the house without the master. They like the idea of being controlled and using the resources for their comfort and enjoyment.
We are have our eyes on something else greater than the treasures of this world.
2Ti 4:7-8 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.
Did you catch that? Those who “love his appearing”. We are called to long for the coming of our master, not love this life more. When we get distracted or focused on the treasures, we dread His coming.
The crown of righteousness goes to those who keep that priority right. Now is the time of working. Time is running out.
Heb. 3:12-14 Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. 13 But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called "today," that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end.
Your Christian life is being evaluated by how you are expecting the return of the master. Is your house in order so you can love His appearing, or are you asking for another day so you can get things tidied up? We need to be ready to go. He calls us to work hard.
II. Next, he calls us to be busy.
He says, “Always abounding in the work of the Lord.” Not only are we to look longing forward to His coming, but we are supposed to spend the time waiting by serving the King. We are to abound in the work of the Lord.
You want a good study, study the Greek word that is translated as “abounding”. The Amplified Bible adds this description: [always being superior, excelling, doing more than enough in the service of the Lord]. Abounding not only reflects the quantity of the Lord’s work to which we have been involved, but the quality of those works. Over the top in the amount we do, and over the top in the quality of service we do. Our lives should be marked with constant service of excellent quality.
Even the work we do in the secular world should carry spiritual significance. “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.” Colossians 3:23-24.
Ephesians 6:5-8 Bondservants, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ, 6 not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, 7 rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, 8 knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a bondservant or is free.
Here is the interesting thing about Christianity that we easily forget. When we surrender to the Lord Jesus Christ, we are put on 24 hour, 7 days a week duty as ambassadors for the Kingdom of God. When we go to work, we are still on duty for God. When we go to the ballgame, we are still on duty as a representative for the Kingdom. When we go shopping, we are still working for the King.
And the King asks for excellent work in everything we do. While we are waiting and longing for the King, we are to be busy with Kingdom business.
III. HE calls us to be confident.
He says, “Knowing your labor is not in vain.” Knowing…. I love that word. Not hoping. Not aspiring…. Knowing means that the issue of acceptability of our work is already handled. This also implies that there are deeper things going on than we can now see and understand.
How do I know we struggle with knowing this? Because one of the most stated comments is, “I don’t know what God has in mind about this….” You know, you’ve heard it. You’ve said it.
You may be going through a phase in your life that you do not understand. Have confidence, God is doing something. You may think that your daily tasks and routine is meaningless and you just go through the motions. Lift up your head, there is a purpose that only Heaven can reveal in your assignment. You may feel you are near the end of your rope. Hold on, God is working this for your good and His glory.
This promise means that we can KNOW we are never wasting our time. We can KNOW that our lives are never in a rut. This doesn’t mean that we won’t feel like we are in a rut and our efforts are not meaningless. This entire passage so we can KNOW.
How can we know?
1. Long for the return of the King.
2. Work as if everything you do is for the King, because it is.
3. And live like you KNOW your labor is not in vain.
Because someday, in a moment, we will be fitted for heaven, if we have trusting in Christ. That is the Key. It is the only way we will long for His coming. It is the only way all of our work is for His glory and our good. It is the only way to Know that our reward will come with Him.
Rev 22:12 "Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done.”
Your life can matter beyond your wildest dreams when you work for the King.
Ill. Mary Staples, a single mom, worked for Firestone in a laboring position for many years. She raised her children by scrounging, saving, working to stay financially afloat.
One of her sons, instead of going to college, chose to relieve the family of financial responsibility and joined the navy. Elgin Staples was assigned to the U.S.S. Astoria as a 3rd Class signalman. The Astoria was one of the first ships of the US Navy to reach the Savo Islands to combat the Japanese advancements in WWII. It was hit by a round and began taking on water.
As Elgin was taking care of wounded men, he took shrapnel in the leg and shoulder. Then he was thrown into the ocean by another blast. He immediately inflated his life belt, knowing it was his only link between living and dying.
For four hours, he bobbed in the water, praying to be rescued. At the light of dawn, he saw an American destroyer coming his way. He was rescued by the sailors on the ship, but was immediately transported back to the Astoria, which was crippled and still taking on water. The captain was trying to beach the ship to keep it from sinking, but lost the battle.
The ship finally rolled over, and a reluctant Elgin staples jumped back into the water, the last place he wanted to go. He was shortly picked up by another destroyer and transported to the USS Jackson, waiting for another transport to San Francisco for recovery.
Marines gave Elgin a Marine uniform and he threw away his well-worn out navy uniform. One thing he chose to hang on to was the life belt that saved him twice. Many times during his recovery, he pulled out that life belt and memorized everything that was written on it, not sure the Navy would allow him to keep it as a souvenir.
Another reason Elgin hung onto the belt was it was manufactured by Firestone in Akron, Ohio, not only his home town, but also the company for which his mother worked.
When Elgin went home for a 30 day pass, he took the belt and asked his mother to find out who the inspector was that approved the belt. The inspector number was written on each belt to identify who inspected.
Mary looked at the belt that had saved her son and tears filled her eyes. The inspection number was hers. Many hours she had worked, wondering if her labor had meant anything. She wondered if she was offering anything to the war effort.
Now she knew she had inspected and approved the belt that had saved her son twice.
Our God promises us, our labor is not in vain.
