BELIEVERS HAVE REASON TO BOAST (Outline)
January 31, 2010 -
Epiphany 4 -
1 CORINTHIANS 1:26-31
INTRO: Pride and boasting are words coupled with great sinning. It was the pride of Adam and Eve that brought sin into the world. Out of pride they disobeyed God and did as they pleased. It was the boasting of Satan that tempted Adam and Eve to proudly think that they knew better than God. In our text verse 29 says, “that no one may boast before him”. But then verse 31 adds: “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord”. What is the answer? No boasting? Or boasting? "May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world" (GALATIANS 6:14).
BELIEVERS HAVE REASON TO BOAST.
I. Never in our flesh. II. Always in our Lord.
I. BELIEVERS HAVE REASON TO BOAST: NEVER IN OUR FLESH
A. Verse 26a. Paul wants these new Christians to remember where they came from, darkness.
1. Verse 26b. Corinth was the second largest city in the world. It was also the most wicked.
2. In this setting the power of God’s word was put to the test. God’s word worked.
3. Mostly slaves populated Corinth. So was the church. Not many were “influential, noble”.
B. Verse 27. God’s thinking and working and doing was the very opposite of man’s plans.
1. Jesus was born in Bethlehem. Not a “wise” choice to for the King of kings to be born.
2. Jesus was mocked and crucified. Not a very “strong” position for the leader of Christianity.
3. God chose these very events to shame the wise and the strong things of this world.
C. Verse 28. What man would consider worthless God uses to display his power.
1. Jesus faces death on the cross. It seems to be weakness. A thief pleads for a place in heaven.
2. Jesus says: “It is finished!” No life remains. A Roman centurion admits, “This is God’s Son!”
3. In what appears as weakness and nothingness sins are forgiven and military loyalty is denied.
D. What God considers valuable we sometimes overlook. All too often we can easily get caught up in what this society values. Too many too often only look to themselves and all of their accomplishments. We often burst with pride at our own great accomplishments. Many times our plans do not always work out or even fail. Our dreams are not always fulfilled. We tend to think too much like everyone else around. We strive for praise, honor, glory, fame, and riches. God wants us to remember that there is more to this life on earth. "Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun" (ECLESIASTES 2:11). Eventually we realize how unimportant the goals of this life can be.
E. As believers we will still want to strive to do everything to the best of our abilities. We will still want to strive to give glory to God. BUT this life on earth is always infected and infested with the effects of sin. All of our pride and boasting do not cover up the effects of that first prideful sin of Adam and Eve. We are born with sinful, wicked hearts. Our lives often reveal what is buried in the depth of the blackness of sinful hearts. "But you have planted wickedness, you have reaped evil, you have eaten the fruit of deception. Because you have depended on your own strength…." (HOSEA 10:13). We cannot really ever trust in our own sinful, human flesh. It is only through Christ that we can do all things.
F. Consider our birth into this world. We are born as enemies of God, completely and totally. But it is the Lord God Almighty who changes our hearts. By God’s grace we are saved. Consider the miracle of baptism. We use water and God’s word. It might not seem so miraculous. Miracle of miracles another infant is snatched from Satan’s grip and made a child of God. What seems so insignificant is the most powerful miracle of all. "Though it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and perch in its branches" (MATTHEW 13:32). Millions of believers perch in the branches of the Christian church. It started with Jesus. It grew with twelve apostles. Christianity seemed a small seed when planted. Christianity flourishes.
BELIEVERS HAVE REASON TO BOAST --
but never, ever in our sinful, human flesh.
II. BELIEVERS HAVE REASON TO BOAST: ALWAYS, IN OUR LORD
A. Paul was one of the Lord’s greatest apostles. Paul’s missionary journeys are well known.
1. Paul had been the gospel’s greatest enemy. God changed all of that. Paul’s life = humility.
2. Paul: “least of all people” and “worst of sinners”. Note: least and worst of all people, sinners.
3. Verse 29. In his own flesh Paul did not have nor did these believers have any reason to boast.
B. Verse 30a. Paul was saved by grace, God’s grace alone. These believers were saved only by grace.
1. Once in the darkness these Christians now knew, believed, and lived in the light of Christ.
2. Verse 30b. Christ was God’s wisdom for these believers – and likewise, every believer.
3. These Christians experienced God’s “righteousness, holiness, and redemption”. God’s grace.
C. Verse 31. They could “boast in the Lord”. Once lost and blind they were now found and could see!
D. Once again we want to try to focus our thinking on how God thinks and not man. We will want to remind ourselves that our trust is rightly, always placed in our Lord and not in ourselves. This is not always easy. Our society teaches and encourages the very opposite. BUT when it comes to salvation and eternity God does it all for us. Our eternal salvation is far too important for us to decide. In a perfect world Adam and Eve made the wrong choice. Dare we think ourselves any better in a world far removed from perfection? At one time Paul considered himself one of the best Pharisees. Paul prided himself in knowing and doing all that the Lord commanded. By grace God reached out and saved Paul from his own self-trust that would only bring eternal, self-destruction. "I consider them (all things) rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ--the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith" (PHIL. 3:8b, 9).
E. Paul could not and finally would not boast in any of his own works. Even his faith was God’s gift to Paul for his eternal salvation. It is the same for us and for every believer. We cannot and dare not claim any merits or worthiness on our own. Rather, we can boast in the Lord. This word is also closely con-nected with the word rejoice. Boasting is really a bit of rejoicing for something. As believers we have the best reason of all to rejoice (boast) in good times as well as, and especially in bad times. "My soul will boast in the LORD; let the afflicted hear and rejoice. Glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt his name to-gether" (PSALM 34:2,3). The Lord God Almighty is our God, we are his people. Rejoice in the Lord.
F. We are often reminded that our loving Lord cares for us with his perfect love. It still takes some effort on our part to remember the daily care our heavenly Father provides. This is a good thing to stop and reflect on how much the Lord God Almighty guides our lives. "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will direct your paths"(PROVERBS 3:5,6). As our lives go merrily along it is the Lord who directs our paths. At times we do not always acknowledge this goodness of God. We have reason to boast: God cares for us.
CONC.: To boast or not to boast that is the question. In our own sinful, human flesh none of us can ever, ever boast about anything good. “All our righteous acts are like filthy rags”. In our Lord every believer has every reason to boast: our sins are forgiven, we are God’s children, and heaven is our home. "’Let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,’ declares the LORD" (JEREMIAH 9:24). Our believing boast is that we know the Lord. Even more importantly our Lord knows us. Most importantly our Lord “exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth”! Truly, BELIEVRS HAVE REASON TO REJOICE. Amen. Pastor Timm O. Meyer
EPIPHANY 4 rdgs:
JEREMIAH 1:4-10;
1 CORINTHIANS 12:27-13:13;
LUKE 4:20-32;
(PSALM 78)
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