An Exhortation To Steadfastness

[Posted by permission. Chippenham Old Baptist Chapel.]

Prayer Meeting Address given at

Old Baptist Chapel, Chippenham by Mr. G. D. Buss on Wednesday evening, 27th December 2017

“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.” 1 Corinthians 15:58

The Church at Corinth, among many other things, was going through a very testing, trying time. Paul gives a hint of it in writing to his son in the faith, Timothy. There was a man called Hymenaeus, who caused great damage among the Church and the Churches, by suggesting that the resurrection was over and past already, and that there was no such thing as the resurrection of the Lord’s people to be made like unto their Lord and Saviour in that great Day of His return. We read that Hymenaeus overthrew the faith of some. And the overthrowing of the faith of some must have greatly shaken those who were left and must have made them wonder where the scene would end. We read in the eleventh Psalm: “If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?” Paul tells us in this chapter that the foundation of the resurrection of Christ is essential for several reasons.

One reason Paul gives is this: if there was no resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, then there is no gospel to preach. He says: “Your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.” There would be no prospect of going to glory hereafter. The resurrection of Christ is absolutely essential for the entrance of God’s people into eternal bliss and rest. If there is no resurrection of Christ; then God’s people cannot look forward to a resurrection body. The Lord Jesus Christ, in assuming the nature that He did in body and soul; assumed it for the purpose of redeeming both body and soul. At death, the soul is separated from the body and the souls “of just men made perfect.” God’s dear people, who die in the faith, are received into glory. They join that vast congregation that is ever growing around the throne, casting their crowns before the Lamb, crying: “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain.” Their bodies in which they sinned and thus must return to corruption (yet while they were yet in the body, the work of grace was begun, carried on and finished) must, in due season, be redeemed from the dust. An incorruptible, immortal body will be given as eternal clothing to the soul in that great day of our Lord’s return.

So, Paul is emphasizing these things to encourage the Church, at Corinth, to continue in the faith for it was a stumbling thing to the believers and it was a stumbling thing to those who were preaching the gospel. If there was no resurrection, then how could they continue? It was a “labour in vain.” Thus, the first principle for us, this evening, is that the foundation had not been removed. The Lord Jesus Christ was born, He did live here below as the Son of God and the Son of Man, He did “give His life a ransom for many,” He did rise from the grave, He did ascend on high and He now sits at God’s right hand, clothed in a body like our own.

“A Man there is, a real Man,

With wounds still gaping wide,

From which rich streams of blood once ran, 

In hands, and feet, and side.”

J. Hart

And, He is gathering to Himself all those given by the Father to Him to redeem, and to be among that congregation that will never break up and will enjoy the Sabbath that will never end.

So, the apostle says: “Your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” ‘You are to continue preaching this gospel. And, as God may give you the grace, you are to continue believing it, clinging to it and cleaving to it. And, if you want to know where your strength will come from (it must come from somewhere) it is in the previous verse to our text “But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” The same victory gained over death, sin and hell and the satisfying of the law is the strength on which the believer draws. It is a well of salvation in his times of need. This is the background to our text this evening.

But, I want, with God’s help, to look at our text in a slightly different way which may be an encouragement to those of you who are looking into the coming year with some trepidation. You know that you are yet in the body. And, while you are yet in the body, you will be plagued by what you are by nature. You know that the devil will still be busy, and the world will get no better. You realise that you will still have to bear the crook in the lot and the thorn in the flesh with which you are called to live, and the heavy burden that perhaps you are staggering under. Perhaps you say: ‘Lord, how can these things be?’ Well, here is a blessed exhortation. There is a promise in it. The exhortation: “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord.” The promise is implied in the last clause: “Forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” In other words, the Lord will give all-sufficient grace. These things you are passing through are not in vain, but they will fall out “rather unto the furtherance of the gospel” in the Lord’s own time and way.

Now, looking at this word, I am reminded of a road not far from here. The A4, which goes up from Calne to Avebury. If you look at the sign, you will see it is called ‘Labour in Vain Hill.’ It was probably so called because the horses; that used to pull the carriages up, probably had to be changed half way up because it was such a steep hill; or perhaps the passengers had to get out, so they could pull the carriage to the top – that is just a suggestion. Nevertheless, it is called ‘Labour in Vain Hill.’ It is a steep hill, and you can imagine it was a tiring work to get up it. And, in a sense, that is what our text is saying: it is a tiring way, it is uphill. Good John Bunyan calls it ‘Hill Difficulty.’ We wonder, ‘Will we get to the top? Will we get to a smoother place? Will we get to a place where it will be, as it were, less rugged, less rocky and less awkward?’ Well, here is the answer. It is not labour in vain.

“Jesus Christ, your Father’s Son, 

Bids you undismayed go on.”

J. Cennick

The ‘going on’ is in the strength that He gives.

Now look at it another way. The Church at Corinth must have reasoned like this. If they were wrong concerning the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, they were wrong in everything. If this one thing were not true, then they had no hope; they were without hope. Sometimes God’s dear people feel to be in that place. There are certain things of which they cannot and dare not let go. If they are wrong in that, they are wrong in everything.

Two cases immediately spring to my mind. Firstly, let us consider Abraham being called to offer us Isaac. It was a tremendous thing that Abraham was required to do by Almighty God. Perhaps a greater act of faith in the life of a poor, fallen man has hardly been known on the face of this earth. As Abraham toiled up mount Moriah, he must have had many thoughts. ‘Was he wrong in Isaac, after all? Was this child of promise not the one the Lord had given?’ If he was wrong in Isaac, he was wrong in everything! He could not and dare not give up. Yes, mount Moriah must have been ‘Hill Difficulty’ for him. And, half way up it must have been made more difficult for him when Isaac himself asked the question: “Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” It was a difficult question to answer, wasn’t it? But the Lord gave the dear man the grace. What was his answer? “My son, God will provide Himself a lamb for a burnt offering.” In other words: ‘Isaac, it is not in vain that we are walking up this mountain. This is not labour in vain. Good will come out of it. Jehovah- Jireh will appear.’

“In mounts of danger and of straits, 

My soul for His salvation waits; 

Jehovah-Jireh will appear,

And save me from my gloomy fear.”

J. Franklin

They did get to the top of that Hill Difficulty, didn’t they? At the very last moment, when all seemed lost, the Lord intervenes. Isaac is spared. The ram, caught in a thicket, is offered up in Isaac’s stead. They prove, after all, that it was not “labour in vain.” The Lord was in it. The Lord commanded them. The Lord was in it from the beginning to the end. And, when the Lord is in the beginning of a matter, dear friends, He is in it right the way through, until it comes to its conclusion. That is why David could say in Psalm 138: “The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me: Thy mercy, O LORD, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of Thine own hands.” May this be a word in season to anyone here tonight who is staggering under the thought of what may lay before them. Sometimes we are like good John Berridge describes:

“Creatures of fear, we drag along, 

And fear where no fear is.”

But, the end of that little hymn is very precious:

“O if to me Thy strength be given,

If Thou be on my side,

Then hell as soon shall conquer heaven 

As I can be destroyed.”

J. Berridge

Take another example: the two on the road to Emmaus. Their reasoning was this: ‘If we are wrong concerning Jesus of Nazareth being the Christ, the Son of God – the One who should redeem Israel, we are wrong in everything.’ That was really the centre of their reasoning as they made their way to Emmaus, before our Lord “Himself drew near, and went with them.” It was a very testing time for them. The very thing they had clung to; this blessed fact: “Thou art the Christ the Son of God,” – if they were wrong in that, then they were wrong in everything. And, when this mysterious Stranger drew near; “Jesus Himself drew near, and went with them,” they told Him that if they were wrong in this matter, they were wrong in everything. But He showed them they were not wrong. He began to unfold the Scriptures to them. “Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into His glory? And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, He expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.” As He did so, the crooked became straight, the rough became plain, the mountains were lowered, the valleys were exalted, and the way was made plain. They saw light in God’s light, so much so that by the time they got to the end of that journey they were in the full assurance of faith. Love was burning in their heart, and they proved, after all, that their labour was not “in vain in the Lord.”

Go back to Manoah and his wife. The angel of the Lord appeared to Manoah’s wife and told her she would bear a child who would be called ‘Samson.’ She was told “the child shall be a Nazarite unto God from the womb: and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.” Manoah, as a token for good, asked that he might see the angel, too. The angel kindly came again with the same message and with the same assurance and did wondrous things before their very eyes while “Manoah and his wife looked on.” But, when the angel left, Manoah immediately thought that all had been in vain. He said: “We shall surely die, because we have seen God.” ‘No,’ says Manoah’s wife, ‘this is not labour in vain.’ “If the LORD were pleased to kill us, He would not have received a burnt offering and a meat offering at our hands, neither would He have shewed us all these things, nor would as at this time have told us such things as these.” ‘No, Manoah. You have got it wrong. The Lord does not lie. He is a faithful God. He cannot lie. Our labour “is not in vain in the Lord” in this matter.’

So, there are some wonderfully encouraging instances to confirm the principle of our text this evening. There are three particular labours that are “not in vain in the Lord.” The first one is this, that labour that comes upon the soul when it is convinced of its sin. Some are convinced more deeply than others, undoubtedly so. But it is labour, isn’t it? The law demands of us what we cannot give; our wretched heart shows its true colours; it has no good thing in it. We are debtors; bankrupt before the Lord. And, until the Lord appears, it does seem to be “labour in vain,” doesn’t it? Until the Lord comes, it appears that there is no way out: there is no deliverance and no door of hope. But the very Spirit who convinces of our sin, then leads to Jesus Christ. Is there anyone here tonight under deep conviction of sin? It is a profitable place to be, although not a pleasant place. It is a profitable place to be, and you can be sure that “your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” If the Holy Ghost is showing you something of God’s holiness and something of your depravity, something of your law-debt, something of your hopelessness in self, and helplessness out of Christ, that is not labour in vain. No. Whom He convinces of sin, in due season, He will lead to Christ: to the cross and to the blood. There you will find what the hymnwriter desires:

“Convince us of our sin,

Then lead to Jesus’ blood;

And to our wondering view reveal 

The secret love of God.”

J. Hart

Then again. Labour in prayer. The Lord Jesus Christ said: “Men ought always to pray, and not to faint.” How often we are tempted to believe that it is labour in vain! Jeremiah thought so. “I cry and shout, He shutteth out my prayer.” ‘It seems labour in vain, Lord!’ The devil says: ‘Give up praying.’ But I often think of the widow woman and the unjust judge. Hers was a very poignant case. She had an adversary who had, as it were, the whip hand over her. The judge was a most ungracious, ungodly man whom the Lord had permitted to be in the position to handle her case. He did not fear God, (that was his boast) and he did not regard man, (that was his boast). He only acted on selfish principles. For a long while he would not hear that woman’s case, at all. She must have often thought: ‘This is labour in vain. Why keep knocking? Why keep asking? He will never change! He will not alter!’ But, friends, God could change him, God could alter him. And, although we do not have any reason to believe the unjust judge was called by grace, what we do know is that the hearts of even ungodly men are in the Lord’s hands. And, in His time He can move them whichever way He will. So, one day, the widow knocks at the door of the unjust judge. To her surprise (not for good reasons, but nonetheless) to her surprise he grants her request. I am sure she looked on that as an answer of prayer. ‘The Lord did it!’ She looked beyond second causes. Then the Lord went on to say: “Hear what the unjust judge saith. And shall not God…,” (that just Judge of which Abraham said: “Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?”) “and shall not God avenge His own elect, which cry day and night unto Him, though He bear long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily.” Friends, Holy Ghost wrought prayer is not labour in vain. I know sometimes there are prayers without the heart, I know that only too well. Prayers of words alone we sometimes, sadly, have to admit are ours. But there are times when our “heart is inditing a good matter.” When the blessed Spirit works in us to will in prayer and to wrestle in prayer, then we know our text is true. “Your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” “In due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”

Thirdly. “Your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” Friends, the pathway of God’s dear people is ordered. “The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD.” In any path the Lord leads us in, we will be labouring in it. It will not be an easy path. You will have yourself, the world and the devil to contend with. Whatever path it may be, whatever calling it may be; you can be sure there will be mountains, there will be valleys, there will be thorns and there will be crooked things. You can be sure of it; indeed, you must expect it while you are in the world. But, if God has put you in that labouring position, then you will prove our text to be true: “Your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” He does not send His people “a warfare any time” at their own charges. When He puts forth His sheep, He goes before them. He has said: “As thy days, so shall thy strength be.” He has promised never to leave, nor to forsake. Then, you know “your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” What a mercy when we are enabled to press on! It is the Lord who enables us so to do.

And, there may be one here (I know not), who may be greatly tried, greatly tested and greatly tempted as to whether the path you are in is the right one indeed. Will your prayers ever be answered? Will the Lord ever appear? You are ready to sit down and almost despair. Here is a word for you this evening: “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast” (in prayer), “unmoveable” (in faith), “always abounding in the work of the Lord” (the labour He has laid on you), “forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” There is that lovely word at the end of Psalm 126: “He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.” Think of it: when that one set out on that labour, his basket was full. It was heavy. It only became lighter by him continuing in the labour; by him spreading the seed from the basket that the Lord had given him. He proved his labour was “not in vain in the Lord.” However heavy your seed basket may be tonight, remember, this text is true. “He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.” That promise he has put in your heart to plead: you will “come again with rejoicing.” That exercise He has laid on your heart with heavy weight, perhaps over a loved one: you will “come again with rejoicing.” Friend, the Lord knows the end from the beginning. As good John Bunyan said: ‘There is no armour for the back.’ “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.” It is “in the Lord.” There is your strength. There is your security. There is your guidance. There is your help. There is your hope. There is your success. “But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

One final thought. Just think, my dear friends, how our Lord laboured that death might be “swallowed up in victory.” He laboured that the sting of death should be taken out of the grave, and the law satisfied so that it had no more power against God’s dear people. He knew what it was to labour as none other has ever known. Yet, the fruit of that labour, and the victory gained; is the strength for all of God’s dear labouring people. “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.” Why is it light? Because He is bearing the heaviest end of it.

May God add His blessing.

Amen.