50 Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53 For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP in victory. 55″O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY? O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING?” 56The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; 57 but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord. I  Corinthians 15:50-58

In this passage, we learn about the importance of putting all our hearts, minds, and bodies into the Lord’s work. No matter how much we work or what we sacrifice, we must know that none of it will be in vain because these efforts yield eternal value. Our role in this world is to build ourselves into servants who are perfect and whole in our faith to prepare for our eternal lives in heaven. This is why we must devote all our purpose, strength, and lives to the Lord’s work. From a worldly view, this work may seem to be useless sacrifice and foolishness, but we must know that anything we build that has value from this world’s viewpoint will rot and disappear. When we focus on following God’s direction with all our hearts, God will provide what we need in this world, and we build that which has eternal value.

God has designated a role for each of us, and we must fulfill that role. We cannot just sit and do nothing. This is a sin. If we do not work, then we do not fulfill our role and build our faith in the process nor can we be a source of grace for those around us, our family, friends, and colleagues. When considering what career to pursue, many look at the salary potential, work conditions, how impressive it is to others, and other sensible, worldly reasons. They do not consider if the career will make it difficult for them to keep God’s commandments: their own agenda takes priority over serving God. 

We must choose our line of work according to our conscience guided by the wisdom of the Bible. If we do this job, will it cause me to sin? Will this job enable me to help others achieve their salvation? If I choose this job, is it the best way I can grow in my faith? While the money is great in this role, will I be required to break God’s commandments to succeed? For believers, our sole purpose is to obey the Lord, to obey the Lord’s directions through our work, and build the salvation of our neighbors even if it negatively affects our own well-being, jeopardizes our employment, or creates hardship. 

Through how we conduct our work, we help build the salvation of others around us by being a light spreading God’s glory. Be an example to those around you. Be a reason for them to become curious about following God’s purpose too. We not only build ours but also the salvation of those around us. These efforts will never fade away but have eternal value. When we work this way, our faith is transformed to become more perfect and whole. Those that prioritize their success, reputation, power, and family over serving God only achieve what has temporary value. 

Two people work at the same job. One is driven by money, personal interests, and people’s influence or pressures. This is what motivates and directs how they carry out their role. The other works diligently never breaking God’s commandments though they may suffer a loss of salary, face ridicule, or even get fired. They say to themselves, “I work to bring joy to the Lord, to glorify Him, to obey and act as He directs me. I must do this work in a manner that brings the Lord joy and be an example for those around me who will see me and want to live their lives in the same way.” The latter will be saved and move onto eternal life while the former is not.

For the believer, joy, ability, success, and peace come as we become closer to the Lord. We become close to the Lord and build eternal value when we do His work. We entrust Him with the cares of this world with confidence. Those around us, whom we have turned to the Lord, also pursue this eternal value. We receive water from which we will never thirst. At each moment, when we follow the Lord’s purpose, we receive the inspiration of the Holy Spirit – this is that water. When we take each moment to act according to His purpose, we build that much more for our eternal lives, becoming more like the Lord.

Click for Korean sermon https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYE_qLIihKU