“Abounding in the Work of the Lord”

“Abounding in the Work of the Lord” 1 Cor. 15:58

Be Steadfast, Immovable, Abounding • (1 Corinthians 15:58) • Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. (NKJV)

Steadfast = Settled • (Ephesians 4:14) • that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, (NKJV)

“Abounding” • Matthew 5:20 • "For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.” (NKJV)

The Church: Organized to “Abound” in the Work • (1 Peter 5:2) Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; (NKJV) • (1 Timothy 3:2) A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach; (NKJV) • (Titus 1:11) whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole households, teaching things which they ought not, for the sake of dishonest gain. (NKJV)

Faith Must Be Active • (James 2:26) • For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. (NKJV)

The Christian Life: A Life of Work • (Matthew 9:37-38) • Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. "Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest." (NKJV)

A SowerFirst Went Out to Sow • (Mark 4:3-8) • "Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow. "And it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds of the air came and devoured it. "Some fell on stony ground, where it did not have much earth; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth. "But when the sun was up it was scorched, and because it had no root it withered away. "And some seed fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no crop. "But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred." (NKJV)

Christians: Co-Workers With God • (1 Corinthians 3:9) • For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, you are God's building. (NKJV) • (1 Corinthians 3:6) • I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. (NKJV)

Why We Are Created: The Meaning of Life • (Ephesians 2:10) • For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. (NKJV)

1. The Urgent Need To Work

“In the fifty years from 1955 to 2005 churches of Christ have dwindled from 3.0 to 1.267 million members and from 18,000 to 12, 963 congregations.” • “While the population has nearly doubled in the same period of time, membership in the churches of Christ has declined 58%.” • “At the average rate of decline of 35,000 members or 1.2% per year, churches of Christ will vanish by 2042.”

Self Examination: Strengthen Weak Areas • (Revelation 3:1-2) • "And to the angel of the church in Sardis write, 'These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: "I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. "Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God. (NKJV)

The Urgent Need To Work • The Work is Universal

(1 Corinthians 15:58) • Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. (NKJV)

Elders Set the Example… • (1 Peter 5:3) • nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock; (NKJV)

Preachers Must Get to Work… • (2 Timothy 4:5) • But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. (NKJV)

Every Christian MUSTBe a Worker • (Acts 8:4) • Therefore those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word. (NKJV)

The Urgent Need To Work • The Work is Universal • Not Everyone Should Work: The Basic Requirements of the Work

Strong Zeal and Faith: Result = Works • (James 2:18) • But someone will say, "You have faith, and I have works." Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. (NKJV)

The Urgent Need To Work • The Work is Universal • Not Everyone Should Work: The Basic Requirements of the Work • The Work is Constant

The Work is Constant • “The religion of Christ is the religion of always.” • – Eugene W. Clevenger

Speech: Constantly (Always) Graceful • (Colossians 4:6) • Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one. (NKJV)

Christians: Always Rejoicing • (Philippians 4:4) • Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! (NKJV)

Christians: Always Obedient • (Philippians 2:12) • Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; (NKJV)

Christians: Always Ready to Give a Defense • (1 Peter 3:15) • But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; (NKJV)

Not Always Makes Us Lukewarm • (Revelation 3:15-16) • "I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. "So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. (NKJV)

The Urgent Need To Work • The Work is Universal • Not Everyone Should Work: The Basic Requirements of the Work • The Work is Constant • The Fervor of Our Work

Abounding in Fervent Service • (Romans 12:10-11) • Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; (NKJV)

Abounding in Service From the Heart • (Ephesians 6:6) • not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, (NKJV)

Abounding: Serving While Placing God First in Your Life • (Matthew 6:33) • "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. (NKJV)

The Urgent Need To Work • The Work is Universal • Not Everyone Should Work: The Basic Requirements of the Work • The Work is Constant • The Fervor of Our Work • Why Work?

Why? The Judgment Awaits • (2 Corinthians 5:10) • For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. (NKJV)

Why? Primarily because We Love the Lord & Want to Please Him • (1 John 5:3) • For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. (NKJV)

Laboring For the Lord: Not in Vain • (1 Corinthians 15:58) • Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. (NKJV)

“Abounding in the Work of the Lord”