Welcome to the Kerwin Baptist Church broadcast today. Our desire is for the Word of God to be spread throughout the world.
so that all may know Christ. Join us now for a portion of one of our services here at Kerwin Baptist Church. Located in Kernersville, North Carolina. 1 Corinthians chapter 15. The good stuff is in verse 58.
And we have that on the screen for you, and that's what we're going to read before we pray, but that's not what we're preaching on today. Here's our theme. This is where God began to lead direction for us in 2023. And in 1 Corinthians 15, verse 58, It says this, therefore My beloved brethren, Be ye steadfast. Unmovable.
Always abounding in the work of the Lord, for as much as ye know that your labor. is not in vain. And the Lord. We're going to pray, but our title, our subject matter today is Therefore. Therefore, See, that's an odd title.
And well, we're going to explain it. Therefore, let's pray. Lord, we love you. Thank you for all that you've done. Need your help today.
And Lord, I can't do this without you. You could do it without me, but I cannot do this without you.
So God, I pray that you would help. as we lay some groundwork today. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. How many of you have heard me over the years always tell you when you see the word, therefore, You stop and see what it is.
What it's there for. That word, therefore, is a transitional word. It's always very, very important. It means what you're getting ready to hear. is based on what you just heard.
What you just heard, information, information, information, information. Therefore.
Now comes instruction. What God does in His Word and it's If you don't realize it, you don't know it. It's a wonderful, wonderful thing. God always gives Information. explanation, motivation.
information before he ever gives instruction. God doesn't just tell you to do something. and not explain to you why you should. Why it's important. And not only that, but why he's asking you to do it and why we should be willing to do it.
So he says this, therefore. What I'm asking you to do is to be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord. And I'm asking you that, and I'm telling you that, and through inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Paul is telling this church at Corinth this. that God is asking because of what you've just heard in verses one through fifty seven. I'm asking you.
I'm pleading with you. Be steadfast. Be unmovable. Be always growing, always going forward, always going, doing better, always maturing. going further.
always abounding in the work of the Lord. And the reason I can ask you to do this It's because of that little word Therefore.
So before I can preach to you the good stuff. I've got to lay some groundwork with you. on some other good stuff.
So, before I can motivate you to say, you know what, Kerrwan Baptist Church, I believe God is leading us to. Always abound. We're always trying to get better. We have a church here that has been wonderful, been patient. Thursday we have a company coming out to Look at our gym.
Give us a quote on what it would take to make the sound and the experience in here. Um way better than it is. And yet You know what we You've been so patient, and I believe that our staff and guys have worked so hard to make it this good. The first Sunday we met in this gym, if you take it from that Sunday and to how they have worked with what we have without spending. A lot of money.
almost no money trying to get piece together what we have. to make it sound as good as we can. And we have a company, one of the biggest things from our Christmas offering this year. We have a company coming in. Why?
Because we want to get better. We want to grow. We want to abound. And we're working on it. We're trying.
We've got things and we've got some ideas. We're trying to make handicap access better here and all these things. Why? Because I don't feel that any of us should ever say, well, okay, I've done all we need to do.
Now let's just sit back and enjoy this. If your pastor does that, how can I ask you to always abound? I mean, you're working a job. in the week wearing yourself out. Getting home, trying to feed kids, pay bills, somehow afford medical insurance and all these different things.
And then I come to church, and the pastor says, Hey, let's do more. Preacher, I'm struggling to do what I'm doing. I get that. I really do. But I'm not the one asking.
God's the one asking here. And he gives us the reason that he's asking. He gives us the motivation why we should want to be steadfast, why we should be unmovable, why we should be always abounding in the work of the Lord.
So I'm going to give that to you today. Number one, I want you to look if you would at verse one. He says, Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you. You see, the first motivation is number one. Paul says, I've declared to you the gospel.
Let me tell you why you ought to serve God and you ought to be steadfast, that you ought to know what you believe, because the gospel was declared unto you. That means this, number one, it means you heard. the gospel. You heard, notice what he says. Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received.
Look at me this morning. Do you realize how blessed you are in this entire globe of billions of people that somehow you heard the gospel? Do you know how blessed we are? And you know what? What he is saying is this: when you heard it, you received it.
And I want to challenge you today: it may be that you've heard the gospel, but have you received it? Did you put your faith and trust in Jesus Christ? He says this, that you heard the gospel, you're blessed, and just the fact that God was so good to you that you got to hear the good news of the gospel. Notice, secondly, he says you were saved by the gospel. Look at verse 2, by which also ye are saved.
You are blessed that you heard, but dear friend, if you received it and you acted on it and you got saved, how blessed are you? You have an eternity in heaven. Your sins are forgiven. That right there ought to be enough to say, God, I want to always abound for you. God I want to serve you.
Because I've heard the gospel. Because I was saved by the gospel. Notice what he says here. Verse 2. You stand on the gospel.
You stand on the gospel. Wherein ye stand? Listen to me, dear friend, the gospel was not just about you getting saved. Do you know the gospel should be your life? It is the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
It is death. to life. That's what you stand on as a Christian. You don't stand on what church you go to. You don't stand on what standards you have.
You stand on the gospel. Without the gospel, you and I don't have anything to stand on. Amen. Yes, sir. Don't you love how he brings up the gospel first thing here?
And may I say this: one of the greatest motivations you and I should have to want to grow more for the Lord. is because you and I heard the gospel, were saved by the gospel. and we can stand on the gospel. What was going on in this church in Corinth? A lot of things.
But Paul saves this for last. He saves this for kind of the end of the book. He deals a number of things, but one thing was happening at Corinth. Paul had preached the gospel to them. They had heard the gospel.
They had received the gospel. But now they were beginning to doubt some things.
Now they began to doubt Did Jesus really resurrect from the grave? Then they began to doubt.
Well, because we're not sure if Jesus resurrected from the grave, so now we begin to doubt. Do I really have a hope in heaven? Is this real? Is it true? I mean, I've heard it and I did believe it, but I'm not real sure now.
So, Paul saves this for last, and he's writing to this church at Corinth. Look at me, because you and I need to understand this. We can never grow. We can never abound until we become... Committed to and convinced of certain truths.
If there are things you doubt, you can't grow. And the things he gives us in 1 Corinthians 15 are the things you need to be sure of.
so that you can be steadfast. and that you can be unmovable. Because if you doubt it, you're not unmovable.
So Paul says, listen, I told you the truth, you received the truth, now you're doubting the truth, so let me remind you again. You heard the gospel. You were saved by the gospel and you can stand on the gospel. beyond the grave because of the gospel. Why do you know that you can get up tomorrow, God's going to be with you?
because of the gospel. He said, I declared unto you the gospel. Number one. Notice number two. He said, because you've been developed.
By grace. Look at verse 10. He says But by the grace of the Of God. And he's getting ready to give us some things.
So, what does he say? He says, first, First motivation is the gospel. Second motivation is God's grace. How many of you all experienced some of God's grace this week? How many of you experienced it this morning?
If you're here, you experienced it. Because you took breaths. Because you were able to get here. That's God's grace. Listen, some of our people have been through horrible, horrible, difficult things this week.
Some you know about, some you don't. But you know why we have hope? Because of God's grace. Because God has things that we don't have. and they're now available to us because of Jesus Christ.
He says, Let me tell you why you and I ought to want to abound in the work of the Lord because of the gospel. Because of grace. Notice what he says first. He says, you were changed by grace. He says, but by the grace of God, I am.
What I am. I might not be what I want to be, but I'm not what I was. And anything in my life that's good is there because I've been changed by the grace of God. That's what Paul says: by the grace of God, I am and I am. Not by my education, by my ability, by my talent.
It's by the grace of God I am what I am. And you and I need to understand: anything in your life that you've done or you've accomplished, and anything in your life that you are or think that you are, it's because and only because of the grace of God. Amen. Amen. Yes.
We were saved. By grace. Through faith. He says, you were changed by grace. By grace I am what I am.
Notice secondly he says you were chosen by grace. He says, but by the grace of God, I am what I am. Look at verse 10. And his grace was bestowed. Upon who?
Me. Every one of you can say it. and talk about yourself. Because God's grace wasn't just given to you guys. God's grace was given to Daniel Hautry.
To me. And God's grace wasn't just given to me. It was given to you. Paul says, let me tell you something. I know you're doubting some things.
I know you're struggling with some things. But don't forget. Don't forget. The grace of God is what's changed you. And the grace of God chose you.
He gave grace. to you. Because he loves you. Notice thirdly, He says, you've been challenged by grace. Look at verse 10.
And his grace which was bestowed upon me, notice this. was not in vain. God didn't just give you grace just so He could say He gave you grace. He gave you grace for a purpose. He changed you for a purpose.
He chose you for a purpose. And what was it? He said, it's not in vain, but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. Dear friend, may I tell you something? The only way that you can serve God is by grace.
The only thing you can accomplish, the only way you can accomplish your purpose in the family of God, in the kingdom of God, is grace. It's God's grace that works in you. May I say, listen, that you know. Quit depending on your motivational book on tape. To help you get through the day.
You don't always need an inspiration room. You've got Christ. You and I looked at too many things to motivate us. We look to too many other things to comfort us, to motivate us, to strengthen us, to calm us. Listen to me.
It's God's grace that works in us. Paul said, Listen to me. Don't, I know you're doubting. But the gospel is real. You heard it.
You were saved by it. You can stand on it. And you You were developed by grace. God changed you by grace. He chose you by grace.
He has challenged you with his grace. Notice number three.
Now we're getting excited. Maybe you're not. He said, number three, you've been delivered from the grave. Don't you think that ought to excite us a little bit?
Well let's see what he has to say. Look at verse 55. Oh death. Where is thy sting? O grave, Where is thy victory?
He says, let me tell you why you ought to be steadfast. Unmovable. Don't let all these things you hear and you hear preachers say all these different things, and radio preachers, and TV preachers, and whatever kind of preachers, and they say all this stuff, and you get all confused. And don't you get confused? You need to be steadfast, and you need to be unmovable.
You know why? Because you can trust the gospel and you can trust God's grace. And don't forget, he's delivered you from the grave. Notice first that means there's victory over death. Oh, death.
Where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? He's given us and what a joy's song say Satan, listen, you can fight me, you can look at me, you can come after me, but there are certain things that Satan can't do because he can't cross the bloodline. What does that mean? You and I have been saved by the blood of Jesus Christ.
We have been sealed by the Holy Spirit. It means this, that Satan can fight us and hate us and kick us and gouge us, but he can't have us. What's the worst thing he could do? Kill us? Where are we going to go?
Heaven. He says you have victory over death. Notice, secondly, that means he says you have victory over sin. Look at verse 19. No, I mean, excuse me, verse 56.
The sting of death is sin. And the strength of sin is the law.
So why would you and I Be afraid of death because of sin. You see, You and I are sinners. And if we face death without Christ. We have no hope. And we don't, the reason we don't have any hope is not because we died, it's because we sinned.
And sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. But because of Christ. because of the gospel and because of his grace.
Now, you and I do not have to be afraid of the sting of death. Why? What was the sting of death? Why did death used to hurt us? Because of our sin.
But the reason now you and I don't have to worry about death is because we've been forgiven of our sin. He says, let me tell you something better than victory over the grave. It's the victory over sin that he gave. Because if we don't have victory over sin, there would be no victory over the grave. He said, let me tell you why you ought to want to grow and mature and do more for God and be certain and stand and be solid and unmovable.
It's because he's delivered you from the grave. Yes, sir. Grace. The grave Oh.
Now we're getting to the good stuff again. Here we go next step Number four. He says, you've been destined for glory. We're not just given victory over the grave just so we can say we had victory over the grave, so what do we do? It goes further than that.
He's given us victory over the grave. Because we have now through Christ. Been destined for glory. Look if you would at verse 19. Paul says to them, listen, if...
in this life only. We have hope in Christ. We are of all men most miserable. But now is Christ risen from the dead. and become the first fruits.
of them that slept. He says, let me tell you something that ought to motivate you. He said if We have hope in Christ, but if We only have hope in Christ. in this life. then we're miserable.
We have no hope beyond. We have no But Christ rose from the grave. And he was the first fruits, which means he wasn't the last one that's going to. He's the first one that did. But because you and I are in Christ, We will be resurrected.
We now have victory over death. We now have victory over the grave. And the reason we do is because we're going to spend eternity with him.
Now, think about this. I want you to see the passage. Let's make sure we don't get anything out of context. Notice number one: he says, I have hope now. You see, he said, if in this life only we have hope, we would be miserable.
So, what is he saying? He is saying, first point, we do have hope in this life.
Now, if that's all we had, we would be miserable. But can I remind you, you have hope tomorrow, and you have hope the next day, and you have hope today, and you have hope this afternoon. I don't care what you have faced, what trial might have come in your life over the last couple days. You have hope. You don't have to wait to heaven to have hope.
You can have hope now in this life. Can I have an amen? But we don't have to just stop there. He says, I have hope now. Notice second, he says, I have hope later.
It's not just this life only. We would be miserable. But notice what he says in verse 19. I mean, it's even verse 20. But now is Christ risen from the dead, become the first fruits of them that slept.
Notice: for since by man came death, By man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ, shall all be made alive.
So I have hope now. But I have hope later. But we're not done. Thirdly, He says, I have hope for eternity. I don't have just hope now, and I don't just have hope when I die.
I have hope for eternity. What do you mean? Look at verse 51. It's on the screen for you. He says, behold, I show you a mystery.
We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed. I was preaching at a church in Wyoming one time and they had that sign outside of the nursery. We shall not all sleep, but we all shall be changed. I thought it was the funniest thing I've ever seen. Look what he says.
I love this. Please don't miss this. Verse 52, in a moment. In the twinkling of an eye, at the last Trump. For the trumpet shall sound.
and the dead shall be raised incorruptible. Notice. And we shall be changed. I have hope now. And I have hope later.
But the most wonderful, incredible thing is this: that I have hope. for the rest of eternity. That hope never ends. Yeah. I don't know about you.
He's made a good point. And then we come to verse 58. which we'll deal with next week. But for the sake of the outline, He says, now be determined. to grow.
You were declared the gospel. You've been delivered by grace. You've been delivered from the grave. You've been destined for glory.
So now Therefore. Because of that. Because of God's gospel. Because of God's grace. Because of victory over the grave.
because of the promise of of God's glory. Be determined to grow. How many of you think that If this was a court and there was a judge and there was a jury and... One of the lawyers had verses 1 through 57 as an opening argument. How many of you know case closed?
I want you to bow your heads, close your eyes. If we're not careful. We're going to forget how blessed we are that we heard the gospel. We're going to forget how blessed. That we've been saved.
By the gospel. We're going to forget how wonderful it is to be able to stand firm on the gospel. I wonder if there'd be some today that And you need to find a place at an altar. Say God Paul's right. What Paul wrote to this church, he's writing to our church.
This isn't just the Corinth. This is to Kerwin. It's the exact same thing. You've been developed by grace.
Some of you know what you used to be, and you know where you used to hang out, and you know what you used to do, and you know that past, and you know that you'd be embarrassed about it. But you have been delivered by God's grace. You've been changed. You were chosen.
Now you're being challenged.
Some of you here would say preacher I think I take it for granted till I sit at a funeral. Till I watch a family struggling. And I realized I'd been delivered from the grave. God's given victory over sin. Victory over death.
Victory over the grave. Oh, we forget. See, this church was struggling, they had forgotten. They were starting to doubt. They just kind of lost track.
The greatest news that anyone can receive is the news of the free gift of salvation found in Jesus Christ. It is our desire for you to know him personally. Would you take a moment to hear this today? Every man is born with the sin nature. Romans 3.23 says, For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.
No matter how hard we try, We're not good enough to obtain God's glory. or to get to heaven. Because of that, sin carries the penalty of death. Romans 6.23 says, For the wages of sin is death. But the gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
The wages of our sin, or the payment of our sin, only equals death and separation from God. But it's only through God's gift salvation through Jesus Christ that we can accept him as our Saviour. Jesus Christ paid for your sin debt. The Bible says in Romans 5:8, But God commendeth his love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. All you have to do is receive Christ.
by faith as your Saviour. Romans ten nine says That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. Verse 13 continues, For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. It's as simple as admitting that you're a sinner believing that Jesus is the only way. and calling upon his name.
Bible says whosoever, that's any one. can call upon the name of the Lord to be saved. Have you accepted Christ as your personal Savior? There is no greater day than today to take care of this. Would you accept Christ as your Savior?
If you have any questions, please give us a call at 336-993-5192 or visit our website at Curlin Baptist Church. Dot com. or visits that person at one of our three service times. We hope you have a great rest of your day. God bless you.
Mm-hmm.
