"Called to Boast"

26 For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. 30 And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

Message “Called to Boast”

I truly look forward to spending time preparing for Sunday messages

Preparing these messages helps me to focus on God’s Word through the week

It also trains me to look for how God is working in my life on a daily basis

Since information on the upcoming sermons is available on the website

I pray that each of you are spending some time reading God’s Word and coming prepared to hear what God has prepared each week

May God prepare your hearts and minds to hear and obey as God has prepared me to read, listen, learn and communicate God’s Word today-amen!

I love people, truly I do

But I am not as fond of the actions and attitudes of some people

I am not a fan of those who boast

I do not have an affinity for bombastic or narcissistic people

Because they, by definition, have an inflated view of themselves

I would bet that most of you just thought of a few people who fit those descriptions

I could cherry-pick Scripture and say that boasting is sinful

So, how can I title a message “Called to Boast”?

By the end of the message, I hope to make that clear

In the beginning of our core text today, 1 Corinthians 1:26 (a)[through “,”]

1 Corinthians 1:26 ESV

26 For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth.

If Paul is telling us to “Consider our calling”, we should stop and talk about what our calling really is, right?

So let’s call this our first takeaway

Takeaways:

Know your calling

We could talk all day about our “calling”

Thankfully, Paul is fairly specific in what he means by calling

Refers to God’s calling to be saved by accepting Jesus

In most first-century churches only the noble or priest class were called to salvation

Paul reminds us that we are ALL called to accept Jesus as Lord regardless of our station in life

That means, rich or poor

Of Nobel birth or farm servant, God has called ALL of us to Him-PTL!

That even includes us gentiles. God has called YOU to Him

I love having that affirmation

Then Paul pulls the earthly rug out from under us in the next phrase of 1 Corinthians 1:26 (b) [not…standards]

1 Corinthians 1:26 ESV

26 For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth.

The world does not think very highly of MOST of us

We are not “special” in a worldly sense

As verse 3 describes

Most aren’t born to noble families

Most don’t have super-high social status

This was true of the church in Corinth just as it is true at Grace Church

And THAT shouldn’t matter to us as Christians

Which leads us to our second takeaway

Takeaways:

Know your calling

Know whose standard applies

We will ALWAYS feel inadequate if we look at ourselves through the lens of earthy standards

In part because earthly standards change by the whim of the day

How much money do you make

How much money to you give to charity

How many educational degrees do you have

What kind of work do you do

How many children do you have and how much do THEY make

How many adult children live in your household ..AGAIN

Those are some of the earthly standards we are judged by

But, thankfully, God has a different standard

As Christians, it is God’s standard that should matter to us, not that of the world

If you want a Bible passage to to help you choose well daily, consider John 15:18-19

John 15:18–19 ESV

18 “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

This passage reminds us that we are CALLED OUT of this world by God

And if we accept the call to ignore this world and focus on God instead

THEN this world will hate you

I know some of you are not fans of math, but this example works mathematically

If a mathematical equation works when working from the left to the right, then if must work going the other way too

It’s the same for our relationship to the world and God

If we do the things that please the world or the culture

Then we are not pleasing God

If we do the things that please God,

Then the world will hate us

THEREFORE

God is NOT pleased when we do the things that please the world

AND

The World is NOT pleased when we do the things that please God

To put it is simple terms

If we try to do the things that make us popular or powerful in the culture, then we will not be pleasing God

Have you noticed how “enlightened” some people think they are?

How there is an effort to treat people who have been mistreated in the past better than those who weren’t mistreated?

God’s standard is that we treat everyone like they are a child of God, because they are

It is morally wrong for us to mistreat anyone for the benefit of someone else

Regardless of what the culture says, each one of us has a personal responsibility to treat everyone with love and respect

Takeaways:

Know your calling

Know whose standard applies

Focus on God’s standards

We make choices or decisions all day long

With every thing we type, say and do

So, when you join me in getting banned from social media for going against community standards

I pray it is because you were shining the light of Christ into the darkness that the culture seems to grow so well

After all, we Believers care about being judged by God’s standard, not the “community standards” of Facebook, NextDoor or whoever

As Christians, our legacy (which is what is left after we leave our earthly bodies), is not about physical wealth

Our legacy is one of how we served the Kingdom of God

It matters to God that we tried to lead or shepherd our families to a relationship with Jesus

It matters to God that we did not deny God in the marketplace and town square

It also matters to God that we NOT try to sit in judgement of others and THEIR sin as if we are blameless on our own

It is in love that we tell the truth

Our whole goal and presentation in life should be driven by 1 Timothy 1:5

1 Timothy 1:5 ESV

5 The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.

It is with THAT heart that we can live out Ephesians 4:15

Ephesians 4:15 ESV

15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ,

That’s how we get closer to God’s desire for our lives here on earth

May our hearts be pure as we tell God’s truth in love

All because we can’t love someone on one hand and help them sin with the other

Just as we can’t judge them for their sin without dealing with our own sin

As I have grown in spiritual maturity it becomes clear to me that God really likes to turn things of this world upside down

That’s really 1 Corinthians 1:27-28 isn’t it?

1 Corinthians 1:27–28 ESV

27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are,

The last will be first, the poor are rich, etc.

All these things address our perspective or the way we look at things

If something looks advantageous from a earthly perspective,

it very well might be a negative from a godly perspective

But NOT necessarily

Certainly, the world celebrates or boasts about financial wealth (although that is changing)

God doesn’t have a problem with financial success

The problem is when people boast as if the success comes from personal superiority and the wealth is misused

Give joyfully from whatever your blessings

Whether large or small by earthly standards

God measures your heart,

In the parable of the talents we learned that God was concerned with how we use what we have

That gifts should be used to multiply in the Kingdom of God

not to hold on to things in fear of loss

but to invest them for Kingdom growth

Since we are supposed to be good stewards of our time talent and treasure, I have to ask

How are we investing our time?

How are we investing our talents or abilities?

How are we investing our financial treasure?

Are we bragging or boasting about how much of any of these things we have?

Do we brag about how we spend our time having fun or pursuing a hobby?

Hobbies are great and healthy, but there should be significant time spent in Kingdom work too

And you can use your hobby to shine God’s light, right?

Or are we afraid we might offend our friends, so we keep God out of our hobbies?

Do we use our knowledge to build things?

Great, but do we bring God into the conversation?

Are we public in acknowledging that it is God who gives us the ability and to God we give the glory?

Do we give God the glory for the financial wealth we all enjoy?

Or are we just quietly enjoying the fruits of our labor?

As quickly as God gave us these abilities and other blessings, God can take them away

Are you ready to give God the glory even if your investments turn bad (whether temporary or permanent)?

In all humility and kindness, because we are representing the King of Kings

This is our final point, which is

Takeaways:

Know your calling

Know whose standard applies

Focus on God’s standards

Boast in the Lord only

I wish every family would spend time working through Jeremiah 9:23-24

Jeremiah 9:23–24 (ESV)

23 Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches,

24 but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.”

I started by saying that boasting is seen as being bad

Without context, this “might” be true because boasting about yourself IS bad and sinful

The term boast as used in Jeremiah and in 1 Corinthians means this

vb. admire, eulogize; praise; exclaim Halleluiah; be praised, praiseworthy; boast. Greek equiv. (Praise and Thanksgiving), (Worship), (Joy).

Boasting is obviously not ALWAYS wrong

We need to be very clear

Don’t admire, praise or worship or give glory to yourself

There are plenty of people who commit this sin

Instead, always

Always, Admire God

Always, praise God

Always, give glory to God

Always, worship God

Don’t give in to the temptation of pride

Always give thanks for what God is doing in, with and through you

In other words

Boast in the Lord, only and always

AMEN!

Closing Hymn/Invitation:

210 Jesus Paid It All (1,2,3)

Pastoral prayer/Benediction

Related Media

Related Sermons