To Boast or not to Boast?
Thesis: The Christian is to go around boasting about the goodness and the blessing of the Lord in his or her life. But the Christian is to never go around boasting about their good works or there personal accomplishments. We are to give credit to the Lord for working the miracles in our lives.
Texts:
Psalm 34:2: - The good kind of boasting
My soul will boast in the LORD; let the afflicted hear and rejoice.
Psalm 44:8: - The good kind of boasting
In God we make our boast all day long, and we will praise your name forever.
Selah
Eph. 2:8-10: - The good kind of boasting
8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith¡Xand this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God¡X9not by works, so that no one can boast. 10For we are God¡¦s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Psalm 52:1-3: - The bad kind of boasting
Why do you boast of evil, you mighty man? Why do you boast all day long, you who are a disgrace in the eyes of God? Your tongue plots destruction; it is like a sharpened razor, you who practice deceit. You love evil rather than good, falsehood rather than speaking the truth.¡¨ Selah
Luke 18:9-14 ¡VSpeaks to the hypocrites, who are full of boasting ¡V bad kind
9To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: 10¡§Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: ¡¥God, I thank you that I am not like other men¡Xrobbers, evildoers, adulterers¡Xor even like this tax collector. 12I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.¡¦
13¡§But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ¡¥God, have mercy on me, a sinner.¡¦
14¡§I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.¡¨
Proverbs 27:1-3: The bad kind of boasting
1 Do not boast about tomorrow,
for you do not know what a day may bring forth.
2 Let another praise you, and not your own mouth;
someone else, and not your own lips.
3 Stone is heavy and sand a burden,
but provocation by a fool is heavier than both.
1 Cor. 1:10-12, 26-31; - The Bad kind of boasting
10I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought. 11My brothers, some from Chloe¡¦s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. 12What I mean is this: One of you says, ¡§I follow Paul¡¨; another, ¡§I follow Apollos¡¨; another, ¡§I follow Cephas¡§; still another, ¡§I follow Christ¡K.¡¨26Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things¡Xand the things that are not¡Xto nullify the things that are, 29so that no one may boast before him. 30It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God¡Xthat is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 31Therefore, as it is written: ¡§Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.¡¨
Introduction:
As we look to unlock the truth about prideful boasting we need to understand that there are two types of boasting referenced in the Bible. One is good and one is bad. The Bible which by the way means:
B = Basic
I = Instructions
B = Before
L = Leaving
E = Earth
Tells us that boasting means the following:
Boasting, in a good or a bad sense:¡Xboasting, whereof I may glory, glorifying, rejoicing. In essence it refers to prideful comments made about another or about ones own accomplishments.
The Bible tells us which boasting we need to practice daily and which one we must avoid at all costs. There are two types of boasting referenced in the Bible ¡V the first type is rooted in humility and is considered good and the second type of boasting is rooted in pride and considered bad.
T.S. ¡V Lets first look at the Good!
I. The boasting rooted in Humility is to be practiced daily-this is called the Good kind of boasting because it¡¦s about what the Lord has done.
a. What it looks like!
i. It makes statements that give all the credit to God
ii. It focuses us on the saving power of Jesus Christ
iii. It seeks to uplift Jesus as the answer to all of the problems of life.
iv. It tells of the mercy of God
v. It speaks of his wonderful interventions in our lives.
1. Psalm 34:2: My soul will boast in the LORD; let the afflicted hear and rejoice.
2. Psalm 44:8: In God we make our boast all day long, and we will praise your name forever.
vi. Humility drives us to boast of God¡¦s work in our lives. Romans 15:14-21:
1. 14I myself am convinced, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, complete in knowledge and competent to instruct one another. 15I have written you quite boldly on some points, as if to remind you of them again, because of the grace God gave me 16to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles with the priestly duty of proclaiming the gospel of God, so that the Gentiles might become an offering acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit 17Therefore I glory in Christ Jesus in my service to God. 18I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obey God by what I have said and done¡X19by the power of signs and miracles, through the power of the Spirit. So from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ. 20It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else¡¦s foundation. 21Rather, as it is written: ¡§Those who were not told about him will see, and those who have not heard will understand.¡¨ 22This is why I have often been hindered from coming to you.
vii. Humility thrusts us into the arms of love and we feel there embrace.
viii. His embrace pours warmth into our cold hearted souls and love rushes in.
ix. His love rushes into our blackened hearts and it causes them to be purified and made as white as snow.
x. We feel the surge of forgiveness as it enters into our minds, heart and soul.
xi. We shout hallelujah to the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.
xii. This whole act of mercy and grace impacts our lives so much we have to tell others about it.
xiii. We cannot keep it in! We have to proclaim it from the house tops.
xiv. We have to tell our neighbors who are lost and without hope that there is hope. There is way to be really free.
xv. This act of love compels us to boast of His wonderful love
xvi. It throws us high in the air with the assurance that He will catch us.
xvii. We run around and tell of how marvelous he is.
xviii. This act shows us why we can only boast in His love and mercy.
xix. We understand that we were and are without hope outside of His loving embrace and gift of forgiveness.
xx. We share of his wonderful deeds to others.
xxi. We run from house to house from town to town to share about his wonderful miracles.
xxii. We are compelled to share our story ¡V it¡¦s just like Jeremiah who said,¡¨ I cannot keep it in it¡¦s like fire shut up in my bones.¡¨
xxiii. This type of boasting ¡Vbragging up the Lord- reveals a changed heart
xxiv. This type of boasting reveals a transformed mind
xxv. This type of boasting reveals a renewed soul
xxvi. This type of boasting shakes the world and rattles the gates of Hell.
b. What it does for you this boasting in the Lord?
i. It gives others hope and confidence because they hear what God has done for you.
ii. It encourages others to look up and to see the light
iii. It uplifts the spirits of others who are down
iv. It sends a message of He is able to do more than you could imagine or dream of.
v. It comforts those who are morning
vi. It transforms peoples hardened hearts
vii. It brings light into the midst of darkness and despair and drives away those doomie- gloomies.
viii. It¡¦s is refreshing as the morning breeze on a bright Sunny day.
ix. It¡¦s as refreshing as shower at the end of a hard work day.
x. It¡¦s renews the strength of the ones who are worn out and gives them a second wind.
xi. It¡¦s the thrill of victory over pushing through to the end.
xii. It¡¦s uplifts the outcasts and places them on the pedestal of Heaven
xiii. It drives away depression and replaces it with joy.
xiv. It heals the broken hearted and restores the broken heart so its whole again.
xv. It delivers the drug addict and sets them free from the darkness they are in bondage too.
xvi. It covers up the ugliness of a sin stained world so it can bloom again.
xvii. It helps us all to become over comers.
xviii. It says to the one who is surrounded and sees no way out look up and see who your deliverer is.
xix. It yells my help come from the Lord
xx. He will never let you slip and fall into despair if you cry out to Him.
xxi. Words boasting of the Lord affect others and affect our own sense of being
1. I Let God Do the Commending (2 Cor. 10:12-18)
These false teachers were members of a ¡§mutual admiration society,¡¨ comparing themselves with one another; consequently they thought very highly of themselves. (See what Jesus says about this in Matt. 5:43-48. Also see Gal. 6:3-4.) But, says Paul, where were these ¡§great teachers¡¨ when I risked my life to start the church in Corinth? Anybody can come along after the hard work is done, criticize the founder, and take all the glory! Paul had stretched himself out to reach the people in Corinth with the Gospel, and he was hoping to get their assistance in taking the Gospel ¡§to the regions beyond.¡¨ The Judaizers had come along and were boasting in a work that they had never accomplished. Paul¡¦s policy was to take the Gospel where nobody else had ever gone (see Rom. 15:20), while the Judaizers¡¦ policy was to invade another man¡¦s territory and take over the work he had done.
c. You might be thinking: How does this is happen?
i. Truth is - It¡¦s supernatural which means man has nothing to do with it. It comes from God the creator of this world. When he touches us personally and intimately because we invite him to He then allows a miracle to happen in our lives.
1. It comes from the God of wonders! This act of divine mercy and grace.
2. It comes from the one who is majestic! The Alpha and Omega forgives us.
3. It comes from the one on the throne! He reaches out his scepter and grants us pardon.
4. It comes from the one who builds up nations and brings nations down by the word of His mouth. He grants us a second chance and we are born-again.
ii. These supernatural acts impact us inside and out and therefore we are so transformed and joyful form this touch we continually give Him the credit for our lives and the way he uses in the Kingdom of God. In essence we have to blow the trumpet and point to Him and said He did it- not me!
T.S. - We Christians cannot boast because all that we are or will be is a direct result of the Creator the Mighty One¡¦s supernatural intervention in our life. The second type of boasting takes root in a person when they think they are greater than God. This type of boasting is rooted in the same type of pride that brought the Devil himself down. This is The Bad!
II. The boasting that is rooted in pride does not produce good fruit it produces death and destruction. This is why it¡¦s called The Bad!
a. What does it look like?
i. Video Illustration: From the movie Titanic ¡V Time 20:00 start Rose and her finance, Cal, gaze upon the Titanic for the first time. Rose comments that it does not look so grand. Cal scoffs at her, saying ¡§God himself could not sink that ship.¡¨(Belknap, 45)
1. How many times have individuals in the world said something boastful like Cal?
2. This comment was actually written in one of the papers of the day. It was written as a boastful comment that man created something greater than God.
3. The whole disaster of the Titanic was found in the hearts of the individuals who built the ship and sailed it. They where full of pride and arrogance and it cost over 1,400 people their lives.
4. Human pride will always lead to destruction and death. It will never produce any good or any life.
ii. Gerald Cowen notes this about the wrong kind of boasting:
1. ¡§Pride may appear in many forms. Some of the more common are pride of race, spiritual pride, and pride of riches. Jesus denounced pride of race (Luke 3:8). The parable of the Pharisee and the publican was directed at those guilty of spiritual pride, the ones who ¡§trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others¡¨ (Luke 18:9). James 1:10 warns the rich against the temptation to be lifted up with pride because of their wealth.¡¨
iii. PRIDE is defines as deceitful confidence in and attention to one¡¦s own skills, accomplishments, possessions, or position.
1. Pride is much easier to recognize in others than in oneself.
a. Have you ever met a prideful person? They leave a mark on you when you meet them.
2. Pride is so vile its ugly face is unforgettable.
iv. Many biblical words describe this attitude and mindset, each with its own emphasis. Some of the synonyms for pride include arrogance, presumption, conceit, self-satisfaction, boasting, and high-mindedness.
1. Prideful words look like the Devil¡¦s words.
a. Ezekiel 28: 12-19:
1The word of the LORD came to me: 12¡§Son of man, take up a lament concerning the king of Tyre and say to him: ¡¥This is what the Sovereign LORD says:¡§ ¡¥You were the model of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.13You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone adorned you: ruby, topaz and emerald, chrysolite, onyx and jasper, sapphire, turquoise and beryl. Your settings and mountings were made of gold; on the day you were created they were prepared.14You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for so I ordained you. You were on the holy mount of God; you walked among the fiery stones.15You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found in you.16Through your widespread trade you were filled with violence, and you sinned. So I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God, and I expelled you, O guardian cherub, from among the fiery stones.17Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor. So I threw you to the earth; I made a spectacle of you before kings.18By your many sins and dishonest trade you have desecrated your sanctuaries. So I made a fire come out from you, and it consumed you, and I reduced you to ashes on the ground in the sight of all who were watching.19All the nations who knew you are appalled at you; you have come to a horrible end and will be no more.¡¦¡¨
v. The sin of pride is the opposite of humility, the proper attitude one should have in relation to God. Pride is rebellion against God because it attributes to self the honor and glory due to God alone.
1. Proud persons do not think it necessary to ask forgiveness because they do not admit their sinful condition.
2. This attitude toward God finds expression in one¡¦s attitude toward others, often causing people to have a low estimate of the ability and worth of others and therefore to treat them with either contempt or cruelty.
3. Some have considered pride to be the root and essence of sin. Others consider it to be sin in its final form. In either case, it is a grievous sin. One in which God will not tolerate or allow to go un-judged!
4. In Hosea chapter 12 we see the nation ¡§talking big¡¨ and boasting of her wealth and achievements; yet God says, ¡§They are feeding on wind¡Xit¡¦s all hot air.¡¨
a. They will be brought down.
5. Proverbs 16:18 spells out what happens to the prideful ¡§Pride goes before destruction¡K¡¨
vi. The truth is ¡§Boasting¡¨ can be committed only in the presence of other individuals (1 John 2:16; Jas. 4:16). ¡§Haughtiness¡¨ or ¡§arrogance¡¨ measures self as above others (Mark 7:23; Luke 1:51; Rom. 1:30; 2 Tim. 3:2; Jas. 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5). This word refers primarily to the attitude of one¡¦s heart. First Timothy 3:6; 6:4; and 2 Timothy 3:4 it uses a word literally meaning ¡§to wrap in smoke.¡¨ It point to the plight of the one who has been blinded by personal pride.
vii. See the Scripture texts on ¡§The Bad¡¨ kind of boasting. (READ THEM from page 1,2).
b. What it does for you?
i. Wounded pride makes us want to lash out. „XNumbers 22:29
ii. It drives us to want recognition. „XJudges 8:1-3
iii. It demands for us to take too much of the credit. „XJudges 15:14-17
iv. It seeks to take credit for the deeds of others. „X1 Samuel 13:3-4
v. It did Absalom in and cost him his life. „X2 Samuel 17:11
vi. David¡¦s census was a result of pride and he paid the price for it. „X1 Chron. 21:1
vii. It ALMOST cost Naaman his healing from leprosy. „X2 Kings 5:12
viii. It leads to corruption and malice. „X2 Chron. 26:16
ix. The act being Prejudice births out of pride. „XEsther 3:5-6
x. We cannot have pride and God¡¦s presence because they incompatible. „XPsalm 10:11
xi. Pride is in the midst of every fight and every argument. „XProverbs 13:10
xii. Satan attacks us in our prideful areas because he knows that this area will bring us down. „XMatthew 4:1
xiii. Pride is barrier to belief in Jesus. „XJohn 11:45-53
xiv. Pride affects our values and our morals. „XMark 9:34
xv. Pride comes from self-righteousness and man made religion. „XLuke 18:11-14
xvi. Pride vanishes when we realize who Jesus is. „XJohn 1:27
xvii. Pride interferes with our ability to reason and have wisdom. „XJohn 7:51
xviii. Pride keeps you from asking others for help. „XActs 8:30-31
xix. Pride will keep you from admitting sin. „X2 Cor. 7:11
xx. Pride blinds us to our faults. „XEphes. 2:11-13
xxi. Many individuals throughout history have been inflicted with this deadly mindset and they have paid dearly for their sin.
1. Ahithophel. 2 Samuel 17:23 (It drove him to suicide.)
2. Hezekiah and Sennacherib. 2 Chron. 32:1-27
a. Sennacherib boasted out of pride of how great their army was and how Hezekiah¡¦s God was nothing. Result was the Lord sent an angel who annihilated all the fighting men, the leaders and the officers in their camp. When he returned to Assyria he was killed by his own sons in the temple of his god.
b. Sometime after this Hezekiah became prideful in himself ¡V thinking he was great. He was afflicted with an illness and God gave him a sign. He also repented of his pride when confronted by the Lord and therefore spared Judah.
3. Pharaoh. Neh. 9:10 His pride brought the ten plagues against his nation and led to the death of his firstborn son.
4. Haman. Esther 3:5 His pride led to his being hanged on the hangman stand he had built for another.
5. Moab. Isaiah 16:6 Their pride brought destruction to their nation and people.
6. Tyre. Isaiah 23:9 This city was destroyed because of their pride by the hand of the Lord
7. Israel. Isaiah 28:1; Hosea 5:5, 9 Israel met with destruction when it became prideful and arrogant against the Lord.
8. Judah. Jeremiah 13:9 Judah itself was brought down because of pride and hauled off into captivity.
9. Babylon. Jeremiah 50:29, 32 Babylon fell because of pride and arrogance.
10. Assyria. Ezekiel 31:3, 10 Assyria received the same fate as the other nations who became prideful and arrogant.
11. Nebuchadnezzar. Daniel 4:30; Daniel 5:20 Went insane for a number of years because of pride. But he eventually repented and turned his heart to the Lord.
12. Belshazzar. Daniel 5:22-23 He became prideful and set himself up as god against the Lord and he lost. He was slain by his own pride as another nation destroyed him and his kingdom.
13. Edom. Obadiah 1:3 Their false sense of security and pride about their fortress city brought them destruction and its city being sacked.
14. Scribes. Mark 12:38-40
a. 38As he taught, Jesus said, ¡§Watch out for the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and be greeted in the marketplaces, 39and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. 40They devour widows¡¦ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. Such men will be punished most severely.¡¨
b. Jesus warned of their coming fate for their pride. They would be condemned and fail to make heaven.
15. Herod. Acts 12:21-23 He was struck down by and angel and he died and he was eaten by worms when he lifted himself higher than God.
16. Laodiceans. Rev. 3:14-22
a. This church fell into pride by thinking they had everything they needed because of their wealth but they lacked the humility to see that they needed Jesus and they were confronted by the Lord to repent or He would spit them out of his mouth and out of His Kingdom.
17. Goliath 1 Sam 17 He lost his head over pride.
18. The disciples Luke 10:17; Luke 10:20 Jesus warned them to rejoice in Heaven and boast of what God had done through them¡Vnot what they did.
a. This same warning still hold true today for the followers of Jesus!
Conclusion:
Some of you are wondering if you have the right kind of boasting in your life. Right!
So here is how to tell if yours is selfish or holy?
Romans 15:17 ¡§Therefore I glory in Christ Jesus in my service to God.¡¨
Do you glory in Jesus and what he has done in your life?
Do you point and give the credit to Jesus for your successes?
Do you point the finger at Jesus and say ¡§He did it not me!¡¨
The question is who do you pat on the back for the successes of your life?
Yourself?
God?
Jesus?
Others?
Paul a person who could have boasted said this: Where is the boasting (Romans 3:27)? There isn¡¦t any. I lay my accomplishments beside those of Christ. I hear the challenge, ¡§Now brag.¡¨ I stand there in a tan outfit, just like everyone else¡¦s. ¡§Forbid it Lord, that I should boast, save in the death of Christ my God. All the vain things that charm me most, I sacrifice them to His blood.¡¨
Why was Paul so humble? He knew the following very well:
¡XAll have sinned.
He had sinned and he knew it!
¡XAll must deal with a just God.
He met Jesus face to face and he changed and repented for His sins. WHY? Because God was going to condemn him for his religious pride and evil heart.
¡XAll have been made an offer.
Jesus offered him the chance to repent on the Damascus road and repent. It was his choice he could have stayed prideful and said No.
¡XAll may have the grace, through Christ.
Paul chose to die to self and pride and to serve Jesus with his whole heart and mind. He chose to always point his finger to Jesus for his work because it did not come from Him but from the mercy and grace of God.
If you boast of God you will receive joy and blessings.
But if you boast of your evil ways and your manmade accomplishments you will suffer ship wreck.
Closing Video illustration: When the Titanic sinks!
The Clip shows you the end result of pride and arrogance toward God. If you want to end up like the Titanic stay prideful in your self and reject God. But if you want to be set free and rescued from your sinking ship choose to die to self and to your pride and let Jesus flood into your heart and make it clean and receive a second chance. Then always point the finger at the one who delivered you as he uses you in His service.
