Amen so just to remind I'm sure everybody knows but Pastor Anderson's
not feeling well that's why you know I'm up here again and and I was thinking
about it and you know the scriptures proven true once again that if one
member suffereth the whole body suffers right he's at home suffering being sick
and now you have to suffer with with me getting up here and preaching at you so
of course I'm kidding but we're just getting started so I don't know maybe
we'll see how it goes but I want to just preach to you tonight about the subject
of always abounding now you're there in Colossians 2 and keep something there
but if you would turn over to 1st Corinthians chapter 15 and what I want
to preach tonight is about the fact that God does not want us to plateau in our
Christian life God doesn't want us just to reach a certain point in our
Christian life and just call that good enough or just say that that's all we
don't need to do anymore he always wants us to be striving and pushing and
pressing towards the mark and trying to do better than we've ever done before
and try to do more than than than we've done before God does not want us
plateauing in the Christian life and really the point of sermon is to try and
help people to see that and to develop and improve their service for Christ now
you're there in 1st Corinthians chapter 15 look at verse 58 where it says
therefore my beloved brethren be steadfast unmovable always abounding in
the work of the Lord for as much as you know that your labor is not in vain in
the Lord so we know a very familiar passage here where it's telling us that
we are to be steadfast that we were to be unmovable you know those are great
those are great attributes that we ought to have we ought to be steadfast
unmovable but I think sometimes we get this idea that that somehow that means
we're gonna be stationary you know really what it's telling us is that you
know we should not be unmovable we shouldn't let somebody else come and
take us off the path of living for God or or get pushed around you know
doctrinally but that we should you know remain steadfast in our faith for Christ
and unmovable yes but notice it also says always abounding in the work of the
Lord for as much as you know as your labor is not in vain the Lord so being
steadfast and unmovable that does not mean that you remain stationary they
just stay in one place because the Christian life is a life of forward
momentum you know it's not one where we just get to a spot in our life and say
well that's it that I don't need to do any better than I am right now the
Christian life is one of constant moving forward always improving always
abounding in the work of the Lord now keep something in 1st Corinthians 15 and
go back to Colossians 2 and you'll notice that they uses some of the same
language in verse 6 look at Colossians 2 verse 6 keeping 1st Corinthians 15 58 in
mind he says in Colossians 2 verse verse 6 verse 6 as he have therefore received
Christ Jesus the Lord so walk ye in him rooted and built up in him and
established in the faith as he have been taught abounding therein with
thanksgiving so again notice some of the same language there that we are to be
steadfast you know we saw in 1st Corinthians 15 and he's telling us here
to be rooted he's telling us to be unmovable in 1st Corinthians 15 and here
and he's telling us to be established so again terms that if we just took them at
face value might give us the impression that our whole duty as a Christian is
just a just to hold the line but actually what we'll see tonight is that
it's not only just holding a line but it's actually pressing forward it's
actually a life where we're moving forward and progressing in the Christian
life notice there in Colossians chapter 2 and says as he have therefore received
Christ Jesus the Lord so walk ye in him so that should just tell us right there
that obviously if we're walking it's not a stationary the Christian life is not a
stationary one it's one of moving forward and it tells us that we are to
be always abounding now abounding you know is the idea of having a large
quantity of something you know having a great deal of something you know we
would think of a term like bountiful you know abounding these are words that
mean the same thing so we're told to be always abounding in what always abounding
in the work of the Lord you know there's some other verses that will help us
understand just how much God wants us to succeed in the work of the Lord or to
move forward in the work of the Lord and I'll read to you some of these look just
listen as I read from Romans chapter 5 it says in verse 20 moreover the law
entered that the offense might abound right so he's talking about how the law
came the fact our sinful nature you know the offenses that we that we commit
against God they abound right where sin abounded grace did much more abound so
you can see he's using these words much more Philippians chapter 1 and this I
pray that your love may yet abound yet more and more so you always see these
words being used with this word about more and more verse of thessalonians
chapter 3 this I and this I pray that your love may abound yet more and more
in the knowledge and in all judgment first thessalonians 4 further furthermore
then we beseech you brethren and exhort you by the Lord Jesus Christ that as
you've received of us how you ought to walk and to please God so that you would
abound more and more he's telling us that you know Paul was exhorting these
people in thessalonians and he was you know beseeching them he was begging them
that they would walk as they walk to please God and that they would abound
more and more God wants us to move forward he wants us to abound more and
more he wants us to be always abounding now if you look there again in 1st
Corinthians 15 it shows us that we are about in what you know we read a several
different things here we were too bound in knowledge and in judgment we are
bound in love towards one another but he also told us that we were abound in 1st
Corinthians 15 in the work of the Lord the work of the Lord is something that
we should always be doing more of trying to do more of accomplish more of you see
the Christian life is a life of active service it's not it's not just resting
on your laurels it's not a life of stagnant passivity where we don't
participate in the work of the Lord God wants us to abound more and more in the
work of the Lord meaning we have to be active we have to get involved we have
to be a part of the program you know God didn't save us to just be spiritual
slugs right he wants us to be you know spiritual you know gazelles or spiritual
you know cheetahs he wants us to move forward he wants us to do more he makes
us you know he makes us part of a spiritual body right the church and that
church has a purpose it has it has a goal it has something that it's here to
accomplish you know preaching the gospel to every creature is a big goal for the
church the edifying of the believers the building up of the Saints and reaching
the lost that is the work of the Lord and God wants us to abound more and more
in that work never to reach a point in our life where we just say well that's
all I need to do or I or somebody else has got this covered or somebody else
will do it God tells us that we are all to abound more and more the Christian
life is a life of labor you know there's the saying I heard years ago that I've
always kind of thought about from time to time they say you know when you when
you sign up for the it's it's not a it's how's it go it's it's not a it's not a
it's not a it's not a picnic it's a battlefield you know it's not a
recreation room it's a battlefield is how the saying goes you know we didn't
get into Christian life it's just take it easy and at least we shouldn't have
you know that's not God's intent then we should just sit back and enjoy the show
we should get involved in the work of the Lord in fact we are to be always
abounding in it all the time always trying to do more take on more push
ourselves the Christian life is a life of labor the Bible says in second
Corinthians 5 will read to you wherefore we labor that whether present
or absent we may be accepted of him you know we're gonna be accepted of the Lord
is if we're laboring for the Lord that's who God is going to reward is if we are
laboring for him go over to Colossians chapter 1 Colossians chapter 1 again
keep something in 1st Corinthians 15 if you haven't turned there from already
but we'll be coming back but go to Colossians chapter 1 the Bible says in
Colossians chapter 1 for this cause we also verse 9 for this cause we also
since the day we heard it do not cease to pray for you and desire that you may
be filled with the knowledge of his will and all wisdom and spiritual
understanding now is that all he wants for these people then just have wisdom
to them just know doctrine to just be filled with knowledge to know what it is
that God wants that's what they're praying for just Lord just help everyone
in Colossae to just know what your will is no he actually wants them to do it
that you might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing there it is again that
walking that moving forward that active part of our Christian life walking
worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing being fruitful in every good work so
it's not enough to just know what to do we actually have to go out and do it
that's what God wants us to do he wants us to always abound he wants us to be
fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God so
it's not just increasing the knowledge of God but it's also abounding in the
work it's also being fruitful in every good work and here's the thing about it
you know a lot of people understand this but that's not enough they you know
some people they're never gonna get involved with it they're never gonna
make that step and start to abound in the work of the Lord and why is that
because the work of the Lord is work it's effort it takes labor and it takes
labor and effort on our part as individuals to abound in the work I'll
read to you from 1st Timothy chapter 4 it says for therefore we both labor and
suffer reproach because we trust the living God you know Paul makes it very
clear he's saying look we we therefore we labor therefore we labor and suffer
reproach I mean labor and work and walking and abounding and being fruitful
is just a constant theme in the New Testament that Paul is always reminding
us of that we are to be active in our Christian life not stagnant not just
plateauing in our Christian life and for some of us it might be a manner of
starting somewhere you know maybe we're newer to the Christian life we've been
backslidden we just need to start back up again and some other people it might
be just increasing in the work that you're already doing you know even if
it's a little bit you know I'm not not necessarily having to make great leaps
and bounds but always trying to press forward and do a little more and making
sure that we're not backsliding of all things now for some it's a matter you
know and I feel kind of guilty preaching this to the Sunday Night Crowd maybe I
should have preached this this morning but really where it starts for some
people is just church attendance you know let's talk about okay let's be a
let's let's talk about abounding in the work of the Lord well what are some
practical things that we can do to abound in the work of the Lord you know
a major milestone or stepping stone and the work of the Lord some of the first
steps that people have to take is church attendance you know and again I know I'm
preaching to the choir here but maybe though maybe the Sunday morning only
people listening online I don't know you know church attendance and really when
we think about church attendance that's some of the easiest work there is I mean
it's commanded of us it's something we're supposed to do but I mean you're
doing it right now are you breaking a sweat out there you know and you know
hopefully you're not not enough but it's some of the easiest work there is I mean
just sitting there and listening you know just try not to think about what
we're gonna have for dinner you know or what the flavor of the week is down at
Culver's and just you know trying to concentrate on what the preacher is
saying you know I know that can be difficult right but really that's where
some people have to start is something that's just as basic as church
attendance the Bible says go ahead and turn over to Hebrews chapter 10 we'll
look at a familiar passage anytime this subjects brought up we have to turn
there and read this but I'll read to you from Psalms chapter 92 the Bible says
those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of
our God well we like the sound of that don't we we want to flourish in the
courts of our God you know we want to get to heaven and have all these
rewards we want to be you know just just blessed by God we want to flourish
we want a bountiful life but are you planted in the house of the Lord because
that's where it starts those that be planted are the ones that shall flourish
you know there's there's a there's a prerequisite on that you have to be
planted in the house of the Lord and you know being planted being rooted this
idea of being established in the house of the Lord being a regular there that
you're you know you got everyone knows that so-and-so seat you know because you
you got your roots there you're planted there look at Hebrews chapter 10 verse
22 let us draw near with the true heart and full assurance of faith having a
heart sprinkled from an evil conscious conscience and our bodies washed with
pure water let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering
so again this idea of being steadfast unmovable you know always you know just
being without wavering holding fast and let us consider one another to provoke
unto love and to good works so again there's that other element of it it's
not just holding fast but it's also abounding in good works it's walking in
the Lord not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together as the manner of some
is but exhorting one another and so much the more as you see the day approaching
so verse 25 that not forsaking the assembling ourselves together that's not
talking about getting together with our buddies you know for coffee or whatever
let's talk about being in the house of God being in the assembly of God being
in the house of the Lord we should not forsake that and you know some of you
know being in church once a week that's that's great that's a great place to
start and you know if you're doing that amen but we should always be striving to
abound more and more doing more being in church Sunday night great you know
Wednesday night's gonna roll around you know are we still already still gonna be
in the house of Lord and I understand that you know life happens that
circumstances come up and we can't always make it but if we're in the
practice of it if we're just sitting back and sitting out of church just
because we don't feel like it that's not right you know we need to fix that we
need to we need to start pressing forward in our Christian life you know
you're plateauing you're not going to always about in the work of the Lord if
you can't even drag yourself out to church when you don't feel like it and
there's no other reason to not be there so attending regular is great but what
about attending multiple services what about this how about arriving on time
you know this is a big one this is you know as being somebody that is now
driving down to a church plant in Tucson an hour and a half away you know I'm
getting to be a little bit of a stickler about this so let me just kind of get it
off my chest a little bit you know I'm just sitting there thinking myself how
is it that people cannot arrive on time if we can make it and we're an hour and
a half away you know if we can drive an hour and a half away and get to church
on time you know everybody else should be able to make it to just I just got a
hunch but you know this is the type of thing that I'm talking about this is the
practical matter this is one practical way of you abounding in the Lord of
pressing forward in your Christian life so you know what I'm gonna be to all
three services and I'm gonna be on time and I'm gonna be there for the the
singing and the preaching and you might even stick around for the fellowship
this is abounding in the Lord you know and here's the thing we need to kind of
just call it what it is I think people's church attendance would improve if we
started calling it what the Bible calls it people say oh I miss church I'm
missing church they're out of church a little bit how about we just start call
it forsaking the assembly that's got a little bit more of an edge to it that
cuts a little bit more hey I noticed you forsook the assembly last week you know
but I mean it should have it should have a little bit of an edge on it because
I'll tell you what when people especially you know you know I'm
overseeing a smaller church now in Tucson when there's when people are
missing it you can it has an effect I mean it's it's it's I don't want to say
it's like it's gonna get you completely discouraged we're gonna have church if
there's one guy that shows up you know and it's not a big problem or anything
like that but here's the thing like if we're if we're forsaking the assembly
other people notice and people do get discouraged by it and we don't want to
be a discouragement to the brethren if we can help it now again honest I
understand life happens you know we get sick and so on and so forth but let's
not be guilty of that let's press forward let's abound in this area of
church attendance you know that would be one step forward for some people in
their in their Christian walk you know moving forward in the Lord would be to
just start going to church on a regular basis and getting there on time you know
the Bible says in Psalm 26 and I'm gonna harp on this for a little bit all right
I'm gonna just a minute here but it says in Psalm 26 Lord I have loved the
habitation of thy house and the place where thy honor dwelleth I mean can we
say that can we say that we love the habitation of God if we're rarely there
oh I love church I love faithful word I'm so glad that I get to be a part of
this church well are you here regularly I mean can you really say that you love
it that much be like telling your wife oh I love you honey but you're never
there you know you're always just texting her from afar you know you're
never you're never there in person to spend time with her you're never there
to to get to know her or to talk about her day whatever it is you're never
willing to invest in that relationship it's the same way with church how can we
say we love church if we're not here the Bible the Bible says one thing if I
desired of the Lord that will I seek after that I may dwell in the house of
the Lord all the days of my life all the days of my life now there's a you know
can we say that we're just asking for three times a week not all the days of
your life to behold the beauty of the Lord acquired as a temple he wants to
dwell all the days not just when it's convenient not when it's easy to get to
church not when you know the the kids are cooperating and and and and we've
had a good day and and it's not going to be a struggle to get there you know they
this is he wants to be there no matter what that's the kind of love that we
ought to have towards being a church he says I was glad when they said unto me
let us go into the house of the Lord are you glad that I'm preaching to you right
now that you need to go to the house of the Lord are you glad about the fact
that the preachers getting up and saying hey we need to be in church let's go to
the house of the Lord are you glad about it are we glad or is it a chore I go here
he goes again he's got to get up and just you know rattles cage and and and
make people feel bad about being in there oh I'm not trying to make you feel bad I
just want people to abound in the work of the Lord and this is just like the
first step this is just one small step towards the heading in the right
direction of abounding in the work of the Lord if you can't get church
attendance down I mean how are you gonna handle some of the other things in the
Christian life that the the discipline and the and the and the and the work
that's involved in the Christian life if you can't get church attendance down you
know these other things are gonna suffer as well and you say oh that's all
Old Testament those Psalms well the Bible says in 1st Timothy that the house
of the God of the house of God is the church of the Living God so it is a
reference to the local church but you know that's that's just for some people
that's probably not the majority of us in tonight I mean you're here on Sunday
night you're kind of like all right next point we got that down brother Corbin
well okay we're here but maybe for others it's a matter of improving in the
labor that you're already doing maybe it's a matter of improving in something
they already doing now what's a big one that we do here well soul winning right
now this is a big area of our life as Christians that we should be involved in
and it's something that we should always be trying to improve in we should always
be abounding in this area of soul winning never getting to a point to say
well I've got soul winning down pat there's nothing more that I need to
learn there's nothing more that's gonna make me a better soul winner there's
nothing that I can be told or instructed and that's gonna make me improve in this
area of soul winning you know even in that area maybe you're already going but
are you abounding in it are you still improving are you still moving forward
in it you know what are you know being clear and efficient in our presentation
you know that we have to really work on that you know and being efficient in it
and and these are you know what are some ways you can improve in your soul winning
well have you listened to the sermons on soul winning I mean there's been so many
great sermons preached across this pulpit on this topic of soul winning
practical helpful sermons that will improve your soul winning have you
listened to them I mean yeah I listened to them years ago maybe it's time to go
back and listen to them again to be reminded I mean I I'll do that you know
soul winning instructions one and two put it in again let's listen to it I
want to get better at my soul winning there's so you know just go on the
church website go to the search bar soul winning and start listening to some of
those and you will improve maybe if it's just in one area your soul winning maybe
you're a great fantastic wonderful soul winner but maybe there's just one little
area that could be even better don't you want to be even just a little bit better
don't you always want to be abounding in this area what about going as a with
with multiple you know different partners not just the same people every
time you know and if we're new to soul winning here's a big tip go you know go
as a silent partner and do more listening than talking that's what you
need with with people who are newer to soul winning you know don't be you don't
have to be so eager to just jump in and start you know shooting from the hip
with your soul winning you know take the time to get there and do it right so
that's one area I mean maybe we're already involved in so many but we can
always improve couldn't we what about the area of our singing right even as a
congregation right I know this is an area that that we're always trying to
improve upon you know are we taking advantage of the 530 singing class on
Sundays you know that's a that's a huge help right there and you get enough
people out there that are all singing well everybody else starts to sing
better and the place sounds great I mean I'll tell you you know when I came up
here this morning and I just sat over there it was just a blessing to me just
sit listen to everybody sing I sometimes like to just listen to a large
congregation sing well but you know we're doing a great job but we could we
do better can we improve in that area are we taking advantage of singing
class so how about this there's practically I don't know how many
volumes of the hymns have been produced that you could just put in your card and
sing along to you could you could listen to it on your way to work and get better
at your singing learning learning the songs you know I've heard people come in
you know newly saved they get into church that's one area they really
struggle with and they really want to improve in is they're singing they're
like oh I wish I knew these hymns more I wish I knew all these songs there's only
one way you're gonna learn how to do it and that's by doing it and getting
involved and and you know taking the time to do it on your own you know what
are you listening to when you're not in church are you listening to the hymns
you know another area speaking on music would be you know song leading you know
we've got good song leaders here but do you think that just happened by accident
you think they just got up here in their arm just like oh look at that just took
over like it was possessed like the Holy Spirit just moved them and I don't even
know what a four four pattern is but there it is you know I mean that takes
effort believe me because I I've led songs in this church and I remember and
I'll tell a story real quick I mean when I first started leading leading songs
here and I knew enough to know a four four pattern a three four pattern but
there was this one pattern I'll never forget it it was I think it was a two
two two or I can't remember but it was a faster song and I'm trying to and if
you're a song leader and I'm talking about but basically the thrust is this I
ended up here in front everybody going like this I'm not even exaggerating this
fast trying to keep up because you know I'm learning and I'll never forget you
know pastor Anderson was the beginning of service he comes out of his office
he'd been working on the audio he takes one look at me up here it just starts
laughing just like oh this is then I'm like all right I'll just I'll just fake
it till I make it but the other you had to come to me afterwards say hey you
know this is how that's led and you know it but it point is is that it took
effort to learn that took a little bit of an embarrassing moment to learn it
as well but you know it didn't just happen on its own and if you've got we
got a good song leaders up here it didn't just happen because like I said
they put in the time they have the understanding of what a time signature
is you know and it's great to have people that want to lead songs but we
should always be trying to do it right you know and to put our best foot
forward and we could always improve in these areas you know more on music what
about playing the instruments you know the people that get up here and play the
instruments that didn't just happen there was a lot of effort you know they
had to work at that they had it you know and I I just believe I have to believe
that there's more people out there that can play a musical instrument they're
sleepers you know they've got some instrument from high school sitting in
the in the basement somewhere are you guys on basements here but they you know
somewhere in some closet that they could dust off and put a little effort
into you know and they could get the the the or one of the books that they need
for that instrument and if they put a little bit of practice into it and we
could improve the the the orchestra here we could have more instruments praising
God and would be even a bigger blessing to those that like to come and hear God
being praised in the house of God well that's not just gonna happen you know
you're gonna have to put effort into it you're gonna have to walk in him you're
gonna have to be abounding in that area it's gonna take effort what about
reading the Bible you know we got good Bible readers here that get up and read
in front of everybody and that's nerve-wracking you know preaching it
makes me you know you know all the things that I've done behind the pulpit
Bible reading is probably the most nerve-wracking thing there is and that's
because everybody has the text in front of them they know what exactly what
you're supposed to be saying you know and if you miss step out of line or you
mispronounce something you say the wrong thing everyone's like you know
they they know that you messed up it's nerve-wracking and I'm willing to bet
that the guys that read here this isn't the only time that they read they're
probably reading on their own out loud they're probably listening to somebody
else read to make sure that the pronunciation is right if they have a
question about a word in a passage they probably take the time to figure out how
it's pronounced or how you say that name or that location you know they're
putting effort in they're always abounding they're not just satisfied
with well I'll just get up and read and I'll do do the best that I can if I make
some mistakes so what they want to do the best that they can and that ought to
be our attitude in all of these areas you know what about preaching you know
that's another part of the work of the Lord that we do here preaching the Word
of God you know are we taking advantage of the preaching class and let me just
get something off my chest no we're not you know the Church of 400 people
there's four guys three guys and the guys that are coming and appreciate this
because they've been faithful they've been loyal to coming to preaching class
but there's some of us that could probably preach great sermons excellent
sermons and be used of God behind a pope in a mighty way but we're not abounding
in that area because we're not taking advantage of what's being offered in the
preaching class so you know I won't harp on that too much but you know if you're
not coming to preaching class because you know Pastor Anderson isn't there you
know shame on you you know let me just say that it doesn't matter who's
teaching in class we could we could change the name if that make you feel
feel more comfortable to men's preaching night right that you won't feel it's
like it's me having to instruct you you know and quite frankly I don't do a
whole lot of instructing I consider myself an intermediate preacher you know
I've been doing it for eight months full-time I've learned a few things
along the way but the best way the point of the preaching class is not to hear
what I have to say and quite frankly there's a lot of nights I just get up
say let's start I don't have anything to say somebody has a question you know
great well we'll talk about it but the preaching the best way to become a
preacher is to preach to get up and do it and like I said there's guys here
that could preach great sermons if they would start practicing in this area and
start determining to be here and I understand we can't make every preaching
class but if we're not preaching coming to preaching class just because we don't
feel like it or just some lame excuse you know well that's too bad because we
need preachers let me just say that you know and more than that we need pastors
we need men that could rise up and fulfill the role of a pastor and I have
a hard time believing there aren't people here if they wanted to do that
could do that that they could meet the qualifications one day they could learn
how to preach they could go out and they could do a great work for God in some
city or town I mean it's just voicemail after voicemail email after email where
can you send a church where's the church we need a church and we got a man out
there pastor Jonathan Shelley that's pastoring four churches you know don't
tell me there is an opportunity for somebody to go out and do a great work
for God because there is it's just where are they you know one out of every
hundred people in this church is gonna it's gonna try and preach on a Tuesday
night at 7 p.m. Tuesday night at 7 p.m. all right I got that off my chest but
the point I'm trying to make tonight with all these different topics the
soul winning the singing the song leading the instruments the reading the
preaching you know this all comes down to one thing participating in the
program of the church how are you gonna always abound in the work of the Lord by
participating in the program the soul winning the volunteering how about
greeting the visitors just getting involved somewhere in the work of God
instead of just plateauing instead of just fading into the crowd just being
another face in the crowd and just you know it's like that it's like that the
the Three Stooges gag where they're all you know standing in a line with a bunch
of guys we need a volunteer everybody else steps back the one guy who's left
there it looks like he's the volunteer you know that should not be our attitude
in church hey we need help in this area we need help in that area just where is
everybody you know let's get some help let's get involved that's how we're
gonna bound in the work of the Lord it's in a local church that's what the local
church is here for to do the work of the Lord but you know if we're gonna if
we're gonna abound the work of the Lord you have to understand it's something
it's gonna take work and all these things no matter what area it is are
going to require consistent intentional effort it's not gonna happen by accident
and you're gonna and if you want to especially if you want to develop and
improve in these areas maybe these things are all you're already doing but
if you want to develop and improve in any of these areas you're gonna have to
do it on purpose it's gonna have to be intentional and consistent if you would
turn over to Philippians chapter 3 Philippians chapter 3 Philippians
chapter 3 in verse 13 the Bible reads brethren I count not myself to have
apprehended but this one thing I do forgetting those things which are behind
and reaching forth unto the things which are before I press toward the mark for
the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus let us therefore as many be
perfect be thus minded and if anything he be otherwise minded God shall reveal
this unto you nevertheless where to we have all retained let us walk by the
same rule let us mind the same thing so Paul here is telling us you know that we
need to press towards the mark that's that was Paul's attitude that was his
mentality you know he didn't just get so far and say well that's that's enough
for me you know I've done enough for the Lord that somebody else has turned to
take over or I'm gonna let somebody else do it he was always pressing towards
that mark and you're gonna have to and one of the things he did in that process
was forgetting those things which are behind forgetting those things which are
behind and here's the point I want to make is that in order to develop in
these areas you have to remain focused on the target or the goal whatever area
you want to improve in you have to focus on that and you have to put forth effort
in that area you have to forget those things that what you're behind forget
all the things that I want to try and distract you and take you away from that
goal and focus on that alone Jesus said no man having put his hand to the plow
and looking back is fit for the kingdom of God you know because you're gonna
miss the mark you know whenever I read that it reminds me of how I how I learned
to mow a lawn when I because in Michigan we had a big front yard and we had the
stuff grass that's it so we had I had forgot it's been six years but we had we
had grass and I had the you know I had the longest yard on the front block it
wasn't huge but you know it was the longest yard and you know I liked it
there's a lot of big beautiful sea of grass right but here's the thing it was
my mom's place and but I remember I can I can remember being told how to mow that
lawn because you know you what you do is you would pick the other end you
wouldn't just stare at the front of the mower and go like that because by the
time you got to the end of your lines would be like this you had to pick one
spot way out at the end and aim at that and keep your eye on it and push towards
that mark and if you did that your lines would be consistent they'd be straight
that's what I always think about when I read that verse there in Luke that no man
having put his hand to the plow and looking back is fit for the kingdom of
God because he's gonna miss the mark he's gonna be too busy worried about
what everything else is going on you're not you're like you know the the lines
are gonna be all messed up your life isn't gonna be what it should be you
have to keep that target in mind you have to stay focused on what it is that
you're trying to improve in and go after it and keep it keep that in front
of you press toward the mark because why do you say we have to press towards this
mark of whatever it is we're gonna prove it why do you have to press toward that
mark of the high calling of Christ because you're gonna encounter
resistance you know we talked about the area of church attendance you know kind
of going back but you could apply this to any of them you know not everyone's
gonna understand why you have to be in church three times a week they're gonna
say you're kind of weird you know your neighbor's gonna like they're they
they're gonna look out the window and say they're loading up again they were
just there this morning and they're going back look at them all dressed up
you know and then they're gonna see you on Wednesday night coming home from work
getting cleaned up and run out the door those religious zealots you know they're
just there they're always about your family's gonna think you know that's
nice that you're in church we're glad but you really have to go three times a
week isn't that a little much are you being a little excessive you know not
everyone's gonna understand that you're gonna have resistance and you can apply
it to any area and that's why you have to press because if you're not the one
doing the pressing you're a lot easier to push over I mean if I'm coming at you
like that and then you're trying to push against me you're encountering
resistance too but if I'm just kind of here you know it'd be really easy just
come over and push me over you know the illustration I always heard was you
think about a football player when they get you know if I were to come out try
to knock you over from a standing position just pushing you it wouldn't be
that easy but if I were to get down in a three-point stance you know like it like
a like a lineman and then just charge you I'd probably have a lot easier time
that's why you have to press because you are going to encounter resistance look
at look at verse 16 there actually know what for sake of time we'll just move on
here I want us to go back to 1st Corinthians chapter 3 1st Corinthians
chapter 3 so what am I preaching about tonight I want I'm preaching about not
plateauing in your Christian life pressing towards the mark always abounding
in the work of the Lord not being satisfied with you know just just the
bare minimum we're doing just enough to say well you know it's not gonna my life
isn't gonna be a count as a complete loss for Christ I mean is that really
does that really the goal that we have is that the epitaph we want written on
our graveyard wasn't a complete loss he was of some profit that's that's not
what we should want we should want to say I have to have to read always
abounding in the work of the Lord press toward the mark for the high calling of
Christ Jesus you know he pressed toward the mark that's what we
should want said of us that's the type of Christians we ought to want to be
here's the thing you know we can get busy with a lot of other things I mean
life is full of responsibilities you know as moms and dads and parents and
those just trying to you know provide for ourselves and others you know and
those responsibilities are a must we have to fulfill those responsibilities
that you know what that doesn't mean they're not vain in the Lord look here
in 1st Corinthians chapter 3 verse 12 it says in 1st Corinthians chapter 3 verse
12 if any man build upon this foundation gold silver precious stone would he
stubble every man's work shall be made manifest for the day shall declare it
because it shall be revealed by fire and the fire shall try every man's work of
what sort it is if any man's work abide the fire he hath he hath built there on
he shall receive a reward so there's different types of works that are gonna
be tried in that fire there's gonna be gold silver and precious stone now I
don't know how this works out okay but I and I've heard it said and I believe
this that that would hey and stubble that's not sinful things that's just
things that are of no profit to the Lord those are just things that we have to do
as human beings to survive on this earth you know you going in and the Lord
is not going to reward you for going and putting in a 40-hour workweek he's not
you know that's just expected of you that's you know that's so you're not
just a lazy bum you know good job not being a lazy bum let me put a crown on
you on your head not a lazy bum you know that's that's just a bare minimum that's
just what we ought to be doing that's the woodhane stubble in our life and
he's got it but he does have a reward doesn't he and he said I come quickly my
reward is with me to give every man according as his work shall be now in
1st Corinthians 15 if you're still there I don't know if you're still there in
1st Corinthians 15 look at verse 58 it says therefore my beloved brethren where
we were be steadfast unmovable always and bounding in the work of the Lord why
should we desire to always about in the work of the Lord why should we desire to
do the soul wedding why should we desire to be in church why should we desire to
preach the sermons or to improve our song leading or our site are singing or
playing an instrument or bringing glory to God why should we always want to
abound in these areas for as much as you know that your labor is not in vain in
the Lord because that labor is not in vain now I'm we're grateful that people
go to work and we hold down our jobs and we do the things that we need to do but
honestly in the Lord those things are vain they're not going to yield any type
of a reward in heaven and if you know you move through life like that you live
your life like that don't be surprised if your Christian life's kind of dull
and boring and depressing you know if you're not getting involved in the work
of the Lord because it's in vain you're not if you're not doing the type of work
that is not in vain people get real busy in everything but the work of God I mean
there's so many demands for our time and some of them we have to fulfill I
understand but we get so busy about so many other things in this life there's
so many things demanding our attention in our time that sometimes you know I
worry that we we we kind of let the work of God go by the wayside and say
well I just I don't have time for that right now you know and then a week goes
by a month a year people go a whole decade just leaving the work of God I'm
done and here's the thing if everybody in church if everybody you know I'm not
trying to just inspire one great big superstar to just you know come out of
the woodwork and just I mean that'd be great but the goal is to get everybody
to just make small improvements in their work for the Lord to abound just a
little bit more in some area in their life because if we would all just make
these small improvements if we would all just abound a little bit more in our
work for the Lord the cumulative effect would be huge I mean think about the you
know if everybody just did a little bit more you add all that together that's a
lot getting done you know if everybody did it just maybe an hour more solely
think of how much quicker these maps get filled in think about how many more
souls would get saved just a little bit more than we're already doing abounding
just a little bit more so because here's the thing you know the danger in a
larger church is just to be content to let everybody else do it just think well
I'm not gonna do that because somebody else will that's if everybody has that
mentality it's not gonna get done you know the work is gonna go on done
because everyone's thinking that thing so we all have to determine that we're
going to abound a little bit more in our own lives and you know the the the real
reason why we should pay attention to this this concept of always abounding
and determined to do this in our lives is because this is the only chance you
have this one life everything that eternity your reward and heaven matters
on this life that's it this is the only chance you have and Jesus said I must do
the works of him that sent me while at his day the night cometh when no man can
work look there's gonna come you know the sun's gonna set on this life someday
and whatever you accomplished or didn't accomplish for God that's the way it's
gonna be and that's how you're gonna go into eternity and that's what we should
keep in mind and really you know we we want we should want to go into eternity
having rewards waiting for us being able to go and and stand and hear our
Lord say well done now good and faithful servant enter into the joy of thy Lord
that's what we should want so by all means you know we need to do what we
need to do on this earth you know just as responsible human beings to live the
life you know as a productive member of society and so on and so forth but just
don't forget that there is also a deadline on your earthly service to God
and that's why we should desire and endeavor to always be abounding and the
work of the Lord because there's going to be a day when that all comes to an
end let's go ahead and pray Heavenly Father again thank you Lord that you're
a God that that rewards us for our labor Lord help us to labor for you that we
would be found faithful servants and Lord that you could could be pleased
with us when we come into your kingdom while I pray that you would just help us
all now to to take this sermon apply it to our lives and father just be with us
as we go our own ways and help us to come back and this Wednesday we ask in
Christ's name amen