Sermon Central
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Learning To Boast In The Lord Series
Contributed by Jim Butcher on May 29, 2019 (message contributor)
Summary: Paul instructs the Corinthians to "boast in the Lord." This sermon shares the most important truth toward doing that better.
A GOOD BOAST: How do I learn to boast in the Lord?
- We are given the command here to boast in the Lord. That’s not necessarily something that we’re particularly good at.
- How do we do better at it? I want to look at a key truth that will help us to better boast in the Lord.
WHAT DID GOD BRING TO THE WORK?
- Let’s use an example here a situation where I witness to someone and they get saved.
a. God saved me.
b. God gave me a spiritual gift.
c. God gave me the Spirit to guide me.
d. God orchestrated the opportunity.
e. God worked in his heart before I met him.
f. God does the work of salvation.
WHAT DID I BRING TO THE WORK?
a. My willingness to serve.
BOASTING IN THE LORD: My part is important but the smaller part.
- When you put it like that, the division of labor is striking. Our part is important because God has chosen to work through His people, but our part is dramatically the smaller part.
- I bring my willingness to be used by God. I bring my service. God brings the rest.
- When you look at this way, it makes it abundantly clear how we boast in the Lord. Let’s take this situation. We shared our witness with someone and they received Christ. There might be some who get puffed up with pride about that happening, but not someone with an accurate understanding of the situation.
- The person who witness should boast in the Lord because of all the Lord did to make that situation happen. Yes, they should feel gratitude and joy that God used them in that situation, but they should not boast in their accomplishment afterward, as though they made it happen.
- This is the truth that opens the door to boasting in the Lord. We boast in Him because He did the vast majority of the essential work. My part matters, but is small.
WHO IS YOUR AUDIENCE? Do things that allow you to boast in the Lord so that the Lord will have reason to boast about you.
- Verse 18 reminds us that only God’s praise matters. The world can say you’re great, but that ultimately is meaningless.
- Because of that, we want to live our lives for the glory of God. We want to hear “well done, good and faithful servant.”
- As we do things that allow us to boast in the Lord, we are doing things that are empowered by Him. We are doing things for His glory. When we live like that, it opens up the door for God to boast on us at Final Judgment – that we were faithful and fruitful in how we lived our lives.
