Heaven Does Not Issue Rubber Checks - Lavern Miller

Good morning in Greeens in Jesus name, this morning. Last night,

Brother Joel and I briefly and somewhat lightly considered the

option of just exchanging notes and staying at home this morning,

but we decided against that. It's good to be here

with you this morning. Invite you to go with me

to the book of First Corinthians. Again, like to take

you to the last verse of chapter fifteen for Corinthians

fifteen fifty eight. 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. I've entitled the message this morning.

Heaven does not issue rubber checks or file Chapter thirteen.

Thinking back a few years, I remember myself on the

job site. It was early in my masonry profession. My

employer was laying up brick on the right side of

the garage, and I was learning how to lay brick,

and I was laying on the left side of the garage.

It was a brick Wayne's coat, and I remember we

were working there and I got near the top, nearly

finished out, and I discovered that it wasn't coming out right,

and we talked about it, and I ended up taking

down that brick panel and relaying it. Because your your

ending point is important and you can't end up with

a piece. It needs to look right, and so you

need to start right. And so ever, before you ever

get started, you you determine your ending point. You measure down,

and you you find out where your starting place is

and how to start so that you end up right.

I ended up laying it up one in vain. M hmm.

I also remember one time I was issued a rubber

check and the bank held onto it and we just

gave it some time till the account had some money

in it and did the transfer. M. We're all human.

You have your own stories of laboring in vain. It's

it's a factor that goes with humanity. Vain means empty

or a failure, you know, the feeling I've worked so

hard to accomplish this, and now looked at this, it

was all in vain. Perhaps this reality is used in scripture,

both for the natural and the spiritual. Ecclesiastes two eleven,

the wise man says, then I looked on all the

works that my hands had wrought, and on the labor

that I had labored to do, and behold, all was

vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit

under the sun in and of itself. The things that

we live with, the things that we handle, do not

fulfill the desire of our heart. Paul said in Galatian eleven,

I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon

you labor in vain, labor in vain. I can remember

brother Earnest bon Trigger saying when a verse begins with therefore,

you need to back up and see what it's there for.

And so I'd like to do that this morning. For

he says, Therefore, my beloved brethren, don't give up, continue on,

continue pressing on in your spiritual walk. Your spirit, your

walk with God prosper because you know that your labor

is not in vain in the Lord. As we look

at the preceding verses, we go back to the first

of the chapter, and there's four principles I want to

draw not only from this chapter, but four principles we

want to look at that I believe give us a

foundation for this fact that we have here. In verse

fifty eight, Paul spends the first half of the chapter

talking about the resurrection of Jesus Christ, emphasizing the necessity

of Jesus' resurrection. There were ones here in Corinth who

were saying there is no resurrection, and Paul is refuting

that and saying there is a resurrection. There is, and

that is based on the fact that Jesus resurrected. If

there's no resurrection, folks, it's all over. There's nothing to

invest your life in that's meaningful. If there's no resurrection,

there's no future. And so Paul is telling them there

is a resurrection. There were in his time. There were

there are, he says, hundreds of witnesses of jesus resurrection.

Jesus resurrection did take place, He died, and he did

rise again, and based on that, there is a resurrection.

He goes on to explain how the natural world works.

When you plant a seed, and we're familiar with that,

you plant many seeds down here, that seed that you

plant dies. If life is to sprout from that seed,

that seed must die. Otherwise there's no life. That's the natural.

So it is with the resurrection of the dead, the

corruptible must die that the incorruptible may rise. The natural

body must die that the spiritual one might be given life.

Our earthly must be cast off if we are to

take on the heavenly. Death is not the end the

death of the natural, the death of the corruptible of

the human, is but the beginning of the incorruptible life everlasting.

My first point, God is eternal. Unlike other religions, Christianity

alone holds the belief and the fact that our leader

is alive. He is alive today. Not only is he alive,

but he is King of kings and Lord of lords.

Deuteronomy thirty three, twenty seven. The eternal God is thy refuge,

and underneath are the everlasting arms some one hundred thirty

five thirteen. Thy name, O Lord, endureth forever, and thy memorial,

O Lord, throughout all generations some one hundred forty five thirteen.

Thy kingdom is as an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion

endure throughout all generations. Revelation one eight, I am Alpha

and Omega, the beginning and the ending saith the Lord,

which is, and which was, and which is to come

the Almighty some verses from Isaiah fifty five. Because God

is eternal, his word is also sure. Isaiah fifty five

ten and eleven. For as the rain cometh down and

the snow from heaven and returneth not thither, but watereth

the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud that

it may give seed to the sore and bread to

the eater. So shall my word be that goeth forth

out of my mouth. It shall not return unto me void,

but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it

shall prosper in the thing where to I send it.

We encountered some rain this morning. A couple of weeks

ago we got we were getting some rain, and some

of our first rains, first measurable rains. And I came

home one evening and drove in the lane and I

looked at the pasture. And for weeks and four months

it's been this brown hillside. I drove in the lane,

and this hillside had a green hue to it. We'd

gotten rain. Things are things are turning around, things are

greening up. Also recently looked at Mount Hood, and I

was impressed this summer with how bear Mount Hood was.

There was not much visible snow on it. And again

after those first that first rain or two, I had

looked at Mount Hood, and it was amazed at the

snow cover on Mount Hood. God sends the rain. God

sends the snow, and he says here in Isaiah that

it doesn't come in vain. God doesn't send the rain

and or the snow, and it has no effect. The

snow maybe is delayed, but they always come, and they

always have a purpose, and they always perform their purpose.

The water the ground, and water the plants. And God says,

just as that happens, just as faithfully as the rain

comes and it fulfills its purpose, so is my word.

God speaks, and it's true. God speaks, and it's right.

God speaks, and his word has a purpose. It did

in Genesis, it still has today. And it never does

not fulfill its purpose. It always fulfills its purpose. It

has a mission. There's times we call someone or we

talk and it gets lost on the breeze, and it

accomplishes nothing that doesn't happen with God's word. When God speaks,

it's not in vain. It may be disregarded, but it's

never in vain. First Kings eight fifty six. There hath

not failed one word of all his good promise. He's

equal twelve twenty five. For I am the Lord. I

will speak, and the word that I shall speak shall

come to pass. God is eternal. Therefore your labor is

not in vain. In the Lord point number two. His

kingdom is not of this world. And we read that

in Luke eight thirty six. I'm sorry, John eight thirty six,

Luke seventeen twenty one. Behold, the Kingdom of God is

within you, Matthew six thirteen. For Thine is the kingdom

and the power and the glory forever, Amen, Luke one

thirty three. And he shall reign over the House of

Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

Romans fourteen seventeen. For the Kingdom of God is not

meat and drink, but righteousness and peace and joy in

the Holy Ghost for Corinthians four twenty. For the Kingdom

of God is not in word, but in power for

Corinthians fifteen fifty. Now this I say, brethren, that flesh

and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God. Kingdom of

God is within you. Isaiah says, of the increase of

his government and peace, there shall be no end. You

talk to the leaders of our country, you talk to

the leaders of any country, and they understand that when

they have the hearts and minds of their people, they

have their people, and they go to great lengths to

get the hearts and minds of their people. God's kingdom

today is in the hearts and minds of his people.

And as we see, the harder Satan fights, the more

God's kingdom grows. We look at the underground church in

restricted countries, and we see that at work. The harder

Satan fights, the more God's kingdom grows. God's kingdom is

not of this world. The more the kingdom of this

world fight against God's kingdom and try to bring it

to nought, they cannot do it. His kingdom is not

of this world. Therefore our labor is not in vain.

In the Lord number three, God judges according to our works.

Psalm sixty two twelve. Thou renderest to every man according

to his work. Jeremiah seventeen ten. I the Lord search

the heart. I try the reins, even to give to

every man according as his ways and according to the

fruit of his doings. Matthew sixteen twenty seven. He shall

reward every man according to his works. Two Corinthians five

ten that everyone may receive the things done in his

body according to that he hath done, whether it be

good or evil. One Peter one seventeen, who judgeth according

to every man's work Revelation twenty, verse twelve. And the

dead were judged out of those things which are were

written in the books according to their works. Go with

me to Hebrews chapter eleven. We call this the faith chapter.

We have listed here quite a number of characters, Bible characters,

Old Testament characters who it says they lived by faith

Verses one to three. Now faith is the substance of

things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen for

by it. The elders obtained a good report through faith.

We understand that the worlds were framed by the word

of God. We talked a little bit about the word

of God already, How sure it is, go to Genesis.

How sure was God's word He's spoken. It happened framed

by the word of God, so that things which were

seen were not made of things which do appear the

authority of God's word verse six. But without faith it

is impossible to please him. For he that cometh to

God must believe that he is and that He is

a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Verses thirteen

and fourteen, it lists a few characters. These all died

in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen

them afar off, and were persuaded of them and embraced them,

and confess that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

For they that say such things declare plainly that they

seek a country. And in verse sixteen he says that

it's a heavenly country, not not earthly. Do we have

anyone here from non for any first generation Christians? Doesn't

really matter, TJ. May I ask you a couple of

questions here here in this eleventh chapter, we have, as

I said, these Old Testament characters that, well, we can

go back, We can go back to the early books

of the Bible and read more of the story it gives.

It gives, oh, maybe one short account, maybe several accounts

of their life, and it says that they live by faith.

What effect did their faith have in their daily walk?

All right? So I believe it started there a reference

for God. Then how did that play out? Like gogs?

All right? So they did a number of crazy things,

things that God told them to do. So. I've known

you a few years. I don't know a lot about

your early life when you made the choice to accept

Christ as savior and make him lord of your life.

Was there faith involved? Okay, there was faith involved. What

a fact that choice you made? What effect did it

have for you? I was pretty young way anyway? All right.

It brings about changes in our lives. And while so

many of us have moms and dads who encourage us

to make that choice, we have grandpas and grandma's who

encourage us and help us to make that choice. I

just want to emphasize the reality of it being a

personal choice. There are people we know who came to

this point of decision who did not have mom and

dad encouraging them, who did not have grandpa and grandma

encouraging them, and they, based on their faith and their

understanding and belief in a God, the eternal God we're

talking about, personally and alone, made that choice to say, yes, God,

I will accept you, you will be mine. That is

a personal choice for every one of us. And I

can only imagine that these people of faith, these humans

in the Old Covenant, these people of faith that had

you met them in town on the street, you would

have known that they were people of faith and that

they were people of God. I believe that. I believe

that their choice to obey God and step out and

do these crazy things that God says asks of them

they did. It made a difference in their life. It

made a visible difference in their life, and they made

choices that made them stand out from society. Do you

stand out from society? As a Christian? We stand out from.

Society if you're a Christian, Society knows that you are

a Christian.

Don't doubt that. And if I am a Christian, my

life is going to reflect that. I am going to

stand out because being a Christian. By being a Christian,

I make choices that reflect God. And there's a lot

of visible choices in my life that are influenced I

stand out as a person of faith in God. God

judges according to works. Do we believe that we must

believe God? And if we believe God, we will act different,

We will be different, We will be willing to stand

out and be different for God because we know that

we will be judged by our deeds. God judges according

to our works. Therefore our labor. In our labor is

not in vain in the Lord number four, God rewards

for faithful service Matthew ten forty two. And whosoever shall

give a drink unto one of these little ones, shall

give to drink unto one of these little ones a

cup of cold water, only in the name of a disciple.

Verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise

lose his reward Matthew twenty five twenty three. His Lord

said unto him, well done, thou, good and faithful servant.

Thou hast been faithful over a few things. I will

make thee ruler over many things. Enter thou into the

joy of thy Lord Romans two ten. But glory, honor,

and peace to every man that worketh good to the

jew first, and also to the gentile two Timothy four eight.

Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness,

which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give me at

that day, And not to me only, but unto all them. Also,

that love his appearing for God is not unrighteous. To

forget your work and labor of love, which ye have

showed toward His name, in that ye have ministered to

the saints and do minister Hebrews six'. Ten but The

god of all, grace who hath called us unto his

eternal glory By Christ, jesus after that ye have suffered a,

while make you, perfect, establish strengthen settle You Verse peter five.

Ten as children Of, god we are called to serve

both the family Of god and the world beyond all.

Men and in that Process peter says that That god

will have a way of making you perfect and establishing and,

strengthening and strengthening and settling. You there are a number

of things that come to mind AS i consider the

fact That god rewards for faithful. SERVICE i get the

little pamphlet from voices of the, martyrs and AS i

look at, those AS i read, THOSE i, UNDERSTAND i

understand a little better how blessed we are in this

land of. FREEDOM i read of the wife of a martyred,

pastor brutally martyred. PASTOR i read of the wife who

goes back and blesses and serves the murderers only because

she has already forgiven.

THEM i think of the converts that we hear of In.

Bangladesh and other parts of the. World they come from

A muslim, background and they weigh the choice For christ

and accept him as, savior knowing full well that with

that choice they will be, ostracized they will be, disowned

they will be cast out from, society from, family from loved,

ones from friends for Choosing. CHRIST i think of the

missionary who has spent years on the field, again away from,

home away from, family have sacrificed so. Much, understanding we're

all missionaries even at home. Here but there are those

who have gone for, years and maybe they come home

again because of age and physical. Limitations they come home

again and have very little to their. NAME i think

of that different. TIMES i think of the church member

who is sitting in the Pew sunday morning And wednesday,

evening the church member who is plugged in to church,

life plugged into what's going, on plugged into the, body

and is. Serving maybe you're a school. Teacher maybe you're

A sunday school. Teacher maybe you are serving on the

committee that that holds jail. Services maybe you're singing at

a rest. Home maybe you're the one who sweeps the

rug in, church and you dust the benches and the

pulpit and keep them nice and. Clean maybe you're the,

usher maybe you're the, Trustee maybe you're on kitchen, duty

or maybe you have the lowly position of. Minister like Brother.

Jason we all fit somewhere and we are, Serving we are,

living we are plugged, in and we are. Ministering where we.

Are there's the busy moms and dads who seem to

never get everything. DONE h have you been? THERE i

thank you this. MORNING i want to encourage you this.

MORNING i thank you for being a. SERVANT i thank

you for. Ministering those deeds are not, forgotten those deeds

are not overlooked by your Heavenly. Father god will reward.

You perhaps you have ministered to a needy, person and

it feels like it was all in. VAIN i think

back to an older man THAT i reached out. To

it was ten plus, years maybe, FIFTEEN i don't, KNOW

i don't. REMEMBER i spent a fair bit of time with.

HIM i visited with, HIM i studied with, him we prayed.

TOGETHER i helped him in different. WAYS i wanted him

to find a walk With god that was, meaningful only

to find him late One saturday night well a so

inflicted bullet in his. Head it felt then it still

feels like labor in. Vain how Does god look at?

That i'm not. Sure maybe you have an acquaintance or

a fellow, employee or maybe it's a family member who

speaks evil of you and seeks to harm. You maybe

you've suffered financial loss or material loss by. Injustice maybe

you have experienced verbal or physical mistreatment for doing what is.

Right maybe you have or are caring for a spouse

who is not who is no longer everything they used to,

be or a handicapped. Child this, MORNING i want to encourage,

you no matter what the, situation a right response is

always a right. Response Love, love as was shared with us,

earlier we serve A god who will remember your labor of. Love,

therefore my beloved, brethren be a, steadfast, unmovable always abounding

in the work of The. Lord for as much as

ye know that your labor is not in vain in The,

Lord May god bless you