Labor

As thinking as we sang that chorus each time, the six times, the last verse we're singing a prayer. Revive us again, for Lord Jesus come quickly again. We're looking for his coming.

It's a promise and a prospect. 1st Thessalonians chapter 1, reading 1st Thessalonians chapter 1 and we'll begin at verse 1. Paul and Savannas and Timotheus unto the church of the Thessalonians, which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be unto you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers, remembering without ceasing your work of faith and labor of love and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of God our Father, knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God. For our gospel came unto you, not unto you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Ghost in much assurance, as you know what manner of men we were among you for your sakes. Verse 8, forth from you sounded out the word of the Lord, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God's word is spread abroad, so that we need not to speak anything.

For they themselves show of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, how ye turned to God from your idols to serve the living and the true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come. Now, turn back to 1 Corinthians 15, and I'll go to the end of the chapter, verse 58. 1 Corinthians 15, verse 58, therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord.

For so much as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. That's all that I wish to read. Labor Day, national holiday, I surprised all the traffic on the road even, especially around Dubuque this morning, coming over, people on the go.

I don't recall just what instigated the recognition of the holiday, but be as it may, I want to lift from these readings the first expression on my mind is there in 1 Thessalonians, when he's giving thanks to God for them, the Apostle, he had them in his heart, but that little expression, your labor of love. And here in the last verse of chapter 15 of the Corinthian letter, the first one, he's exhorting them with encouragement and exhortation that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. Labor.

We remember when, on saved days, we were given to understand that there was no merits or labor that would fit us for heaven. Some of us knew that from childhood days. We'd hear school chums talking about their church and things like that, but those of us that understood the Scriptures, that it's not the works of our hands that fits us for heaven.

And the Savior, in those words in Matthew 11, after mentioning so many cities and their unbelief, yet he turns with those lovely words, verse 28, Come unto me, all ye that labor, and are heavy laden, and I'll give you rest. So whether it was a burden of sin or the seeking to labor to find favor with God, we had to cast it all away. Our Lord bore in the cross completely, once and for all, the sin and judgment that was our due.

He who knew no sin was made sin for us, that we might be the righteousness of God in Him. And so that was a moment of deliverance, and everyone here, whether you're saved just a few days or you've been saved for years, we're all saved for eternity. And we've been brought to know the Lord Jesus.

And Paul, who with others went into Thessalonica, I think it's Acts chapter 17, as the account gives, he was just there a few weeks, but maybe perhaps longer. He saw the work done, and now he's writing a little time afterward, not too long possibly. They were wondering about the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.

And he gives us in that first epistle of references in all five chapters, that which would encourage us. And so as he starts, and he says that he gives God thanks for them. He appreciated as to their efforts and their labors, and the evidence of a change in the life.

As we noted there down at verse 9, there in the first chapter, you turn to God from your idols to serve the living and the true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven. Whatever the idols that they had, we don't really know, but no doubt it was due outright idolatry. But as we've heard, older brethren, many years back already, you and I in our own day and age can make an idol out of most anything.

Whether it's a toy when we were young, or get older, whatever it may be, some substance that has a wrong place in priority. The Lord Jesus should have first place, we know that. And he's appreciating the saints.

He says we give God thanks for you all, making mention in your prayers. And then this little word of appreciation in verse 3 of 1 Thessalonians 1, remembering without ceasing your work of faith and labor of love. Now, likely as the chapter, he exhorts them and encourages them and what they had been doing in seeking to labor in the gospel, they became followers of the Lord, having received the word with much affliction, there was persecution.

Yet there's a comment there at the end of verse 6, with joy in the Lord. The joy of the Lord is our strength. Nehemiah relates us.

And it helps us in our testimony, to seek to live. And lives that were changed, and the evidence of it, and what they had received, they were sharing it with others. Because Macedonia and Achaia, and he could appreciate in every place where your faith to Godward has been spread abroad.

And so I thought of that expression, your labor of love. What was, what was the basis of it all? Undoubtedly, it was love to the person of Christ. Stimulated in those minds, we've been delivered from ruin and despair, eternal judgment.

And they've been delivered in a measure out of this world. It's likely one of the earlier letters that the Apostle wrote, and the theme of the Lord's coming in the official. And thus, he's giving them to understand.

And we've often used those words of chapter 4, at a committal, and to comfort them as we think of the saint, the body's being laid away, until that day of the rapture. But in thinking of a labor of love, it was that which stimulated their love and appreciation to the Lord Jesus Christ. And reaching out to share with others, what peace we'd found, and joy, and the deliverance.

And he says it with much assurance. The highest assurance and only true assurance is what God says. Let God be true.

Romans 4, Abraham believed God. He wasn't believing about him. He wasn't believing that he existed.

He believed God. He took him out his word in the simplicity of that, when God spoke to him. And so, it's our faith as well as a link is linked us with Christ.

But the expression, as they thought of their labors, he says, your labor of love. And it's evidence in their life. And while this encouragement is in the first, the words in the first chapter here, in the Thessalonian epistle, he goes on to develop what they were probably having questions about.

What a truth it is. The rapture. There was a couple, lived a couple miles, or a little less than that, from the Heightsville meeting place.

One time she worked as a county nurse, visited various homes. But she was relating to us at one time when she says, I never heard, and where we gather, and they still remain there as far as I know, the truth of the Lord's coming. The rapture.

She says, I was amazed. I got so, it was a cloudy day. I'd be outside looking.

I'd be coming. The Lord is going to come. How grateful we ought to be for the truths that we enjoy and uphold as saints gathered to the Lord's name.

With a freedom to look at the scriptures and rightly dividing the word of truth. So much, so much unbelief and wrong teaching in this old world. But we're thankful for testimonies going on as mentioned in prayer to this present hour.

The Lord preserve us. We need help. We need guidance.

And thus, as he exhorts these dear saints, your work of faith, your labor of love, and patience of hope. Now in coming to 1st Corinthians, we have there in that 15th chapter, which is really an amazing chapter with all that Paul goes into, the truth of the resurrection of believers' bodies. Amazing.

And that's helped and comforted many a heart. But it's interesting at the end of that 15th chapter, is where now he gives them a very clear, simple exhortation as he considers these dear saints. He had much to correct them.

We're thankful for that official because it's much guidance in as far as assembly practice and gatherings and so forth. And the honor and upholding lies that are honoring to God. And so the last verse of 1st Corinthians 15 begins with these words, therefore.

So that's linking with what he's developed, especially, no doubt, the chapter itself. He goes back to the gospel in the opening verses of the 15th chapter. What he preached among them, he'd received himself.

What you receive, wherein you stand. And there they were, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures. We needed nothing more, but nothing less would do.

He rose again. He was buried and he rose again the third day according to the scriptures. And he develops the truths that we appreciate as to the resurrection of the the bodies of believers using different illustrations as to the like the fish have their domain and the birds of the air.

But when we will come into that good, he says, it was a mystery hadn't been revealed as yet. But he says, as I tell they was on developing this, you and I look forward with a promise, a body that be fitted for glory. These earthly bodies are subject to healthy issues and other matters.

But the day will come when we're going to have a body for glory. And that's what he's writing to them about. But he says as he develops it in light of all that, when the corruptible shall put on incorruption and the immortal will put on immortality and the living saints of that moment, if he should come at this very moment, we go on.

I heard Fisher Hunter say once the 11th part of a second. I don't know how he come up with a figure, but I quoted that a few times lately. It's a twinkle, twinkling of an eye gone.

But as the remains are changed and go up, we go up living where it could come in the next instance. But the thought of therefore, he wants to impress on their minds in this letter to help them to sustain godly order in the local assembly. He says, My beloved brethren, all had a love for the change.

And it was because of their link with the same one he known knew is his Lord and Savior. He says, Be steadfast, in other words, be settled in your own convictions from the scripture. You know, sometimes there are those who have gathered with believers, maybe a local assembly for a number of years, and all of a sudden they either lose heart with discouragement or whatever, and they drop out of the scene.

God knows, of course, what's the object of their attention. But you know, I sometimes wonder, thinking in my own experience, I'm glad for what dear ones witnessed to us. Brethren, we were teaching sisters sometimes a kind, gracious word that brought conviction to be gathered to him in his name.

It's what's found in the Word of God, upholding his honor. And so as he thinks of these dear saints long ago in Corinth with all their difficulties and problems and so on, he's establishing this, be settled. Be settled in your convictions.

Nextly, unmovable. In other words, not be so willingly shifted about the way, you know, whichever way the wind's blowing, as we use an expression sometimes. Because after all, the maintenance of testimony is left in our responsibility as individual believers, whatever assembly you're linked with.

We're glad for everyone in the fellowship. We'd love to see others gathered in if there's no scriptural hindrance to really see. It's to him outside the camp, the systems of men and all the soul bounds in every hand.

And while we're thankful for every child of God, no matter where they may be, as far as what they might be identified with, we're grateful for all who recognize that the Lord would direct us outside the camp. Hebrews 13. That exhortation, let us go forth unto him outside the camp bearing his reproach.

I remember when that struck my mind, his reproach. We think sometimes when people look the other way, won't greet you on the street, you know, and you sense a little bit, well, like I was sitting upstairs in the bank in the balcony at a big funeral out south of us a number of miles. And this person that was being buried, there was two or three connected with a family that had trusted Christ and gathered out.

And of course, out of sympathy to them, there was quite a number of the brethren and sisters, and these two men were talking. He says, we've got a lot of Smithites here today. We identified all the hats they were looking at down below.

Well, let it be. We're not gathered to a person on earth or names here. We honor the Lord Jesus Christ.

Be steadfast, unmovable, and then with this little expression, always abounding. In other words, and I recognize myself, many opportunities we miss, could take advantage of. But you never know who's watching you, dear brother, dear sister, neighbor, relative.

And as we think of not only sharing the gospel with them, but this is also entailing what labors that we might as believers. It's not only the spiritual matter, teaching and so on, that brethren have their responsibilities. But all of us, brethren and sisters alike, as we think of practical exercise and works of favor and kindness to fellow saints, labor of love.

We do it for love's sake, not to get a pat on our back, but as we think of needs. And I've known this, as far as being in a hospital, I can count on my fingers the number in one hand, the number of days. And I've known some saints and it's been just the opposite.

So we're grateful when we think of the kindnesses. But you never know when your moment's coming, when the road takes a different turn and new experience. But Paul is saying to these believers, in view of the resurrection of the body, when we'll have a new body and the glory that's going to be seen for the person of Christ and the heaven that waits us, and all that we enjoy as those linked with God in Christ.

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, always unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord. For as much as you know your labor is not in vain. A cup of cold water given in my name will not be forgotten in that day.

He takes note. And little things that we thought was a little, maybe something, a little offer of help or something, God takes note. And so this is my little thought for starting out on Labor Day.

The labor of love, a love created in your soul, not only for the person of Christ, but then for God's truth. And to put it in practice in life, that it might be seen of us. You know, the disciples were called Christians first at Antioch, Acts 11.

They must have seen something in Christ in them. And thus, it was obvious they were disciples, they were following him. Paul was thankful for the Thessalonians.

You turn to God some idols, to serve the living and true God, to wait for the Son from heaven. That's not only the rapture, but it may be in thought as well. He's someday going to plant his feet again on Mount Olivet.

The tribulation period could be very near for this poor world, as we think of the troubles that it's going to manifest in that day. But we have that which we anticipate, and I trust as a ministry will develop throughout the day, indeed that our hearts will be lifted, revive us again. Oh Lord Jesus, we need to be warmed and a warm heart is effective by the hands that our labors are, and what we might be seeking to convey to others.

The Lord bless his word as we think of your labor, your labor, he says, is not in vain. The Lord will encourage you, I trust today, for his name's sake.