Give yourseleve fully to the work of the Lord

Give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord

"I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.  
Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed—  
in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.  
For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.  
When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” 
“Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?”  
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.  
But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 
Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." 
1 Corinthians 15:50-58

Paul here is talking about the resurrection. He points to the fact that our mortal bodies cannot inherit the eternal. The imperishable.
That we must be transformed into eternal beings. Which is what happens when we die.
He states that in death believers have victory. That sting of death is sin.
Christians overcome the sting of death in that if we have accepted Jesus as our Lord and saviour our sins are forgiven.
Here Paul is specifically talking about Christians. He notes
“But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
                                                                                     1 Corinthians 15:57 
He even points out that not all believers will die.
On the day the last trumpet sounds those believers that are alive will be changed from the perishable to the imperishable. We will go from this mortal body to a resurrected eternal body.
He then says,
“Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”
                                                                                                               1 Corinthians 15:58.
Our work for the Lord at times can seem monotonous. At times when we’re going through a rough patch in life and nothing seems to be happening even the most exuberant believers can doubt if their work is worth it.
Don’t be discouraged our work for Christ is not in vain.
I was a Sunday School teacher for many, many years. The first children I taught are now in their late thirties early forties. They have not only young children but teenagers of their own in many cases.
Because I’ve move around a little I’ve lost track of many of the children I taught. But every now and then God I think encourages me by sending one to visit me.
I’m a professional clown and I do a lot of birthday parties. Quite often I have a gap between parties. In those gaps I slip through drive thorough and get a coffee at Canada’s ever present Tim Hortons coffee shop.
I then park in a far corner of the parking lot to have a rest.
On one particular occasion I was parked and a man with his wife and kids came towards me.
I’m use to people coming to see the funny man so I usually have a few balloon animals made up.
On this occasion this man I judged to be in his late thirties came up and said. “I knew it was you. You taught me in Sunday School back in the seventies.” he then went on to introduce me to his children and wife.
He is now a carpenter who give of his time to help build churches and other things.
On the occasion of my oldest Son’s stag and doe just recently this big guy came in six, six three hundred pounds takes one look at me and give me a big bear hug.
“Hi!” he said. “You don’t remember me do you I was in your grade five Sunday School class ten years ago. I remember you told me a missionary is someone who wears a red nose and tells people about Jesus.”
His grandfather whom then told me that quote, “he tells people about Jesus without a red nose.”
We had a good laugh. The red nose joke goes back to when I was performing at churches. My point at the time was to tell the children that anyone could witness for Christ. That even a clown like me with a red nose could do it.
Both these instances with Kids from my past encouraged me. It showed me that God’s word dose not return void.
It proves the words of Paul who said,
“Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”
                                                                                                               1 Corinthians 15:58.
Think about it.