The Number One Stunter

 Jeremiah 9:23-24 (KJV)  Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: (The Lord says,  Wise men should not boast of their wisdom, nor strong men of their strength, nor rich men of their wealth) [24] But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the Lord. (If anyone wants to boast, he should boast that he knows and understand me, because my love is constant, and I do what is just and right.  These are the things that please me.  I, the Lord has spoken.)

            Subject: The #1 Stunter

Brothers and sisters,  Have you ever met a person that loves to show off? That's the person who has to let everyone know what he/she has and tell the world in an "in your face" kind of way. The show-off is the person who calls attention to the fact that he or she has achieved. Whether it's the graduate that tries to dance across the stage at a high school graduation or the football star that does a special dance for the crowd after a touch down, show offs are all around us. 'There are adult show­offs who love to brag about how much money they make, what kind of car they drive and how much education they have attained. There are youth show-offs who enjoy the fact that they wear the latest, most expensive clothes/fashions and wear them first. In school there are show-offs.   In school many classes are often interrupted by students who try to grab attention by getting a laugh on a cheap corny joke or wisecrack. Showing off is nothing new. It's been around for a long time, like an infection that invades every generation.

Adults use the term show-off, youth call it "stuntining. " A stunter is a show stopper, an attention grabber who does something that calls attention to himself or herself. Sometimes what the stunter does is truly difficult and amazing. Sometimes what the stunter does is simply stupid. Either way, a stunter successfully grabs the attention and credit for a deed that put him or her into the limelight, if only for a few minutes. The person who is the most successful at performing such stunts is called the "# 1 stunter."

In the Hip Hop world there are groups of artists I Tom New Orleans who have taken the art of "stunt in" to its highest level. In 1992 Brian "Baby" Williams and has brother "Slim" started Cash Money Records and began a Southern Phenomenon that has made millionaires out of kids who were once poor. Groups like Juvenile, Common, Young Gunz, 50 Cents, BG, Lil Wayne, Hot Boyz, and Young Turk have taken the nation by a storm, all wearing the famous "Cash Money" diamond studded dollar sign necklace around their necks. "Baby" himself sports $100,000 worth of diamonds in his teeth and throws cash money from the stage at his concerts.  Flossing and "Bling, Bling!" are the name of the game as the cash money crowd promote themselves as the "# 1 stunters." Their message is simple, "if you have it-show it often brag about it, and let everyone see it!" That"s the message behind all the stunting.  The young men of Cash Money should be applauded for their business sense and ability to lift themselves from poverty by using natural talents. Yet, one must wonder whether, their reckless life style in with which they "show-off' and encourage others to 'do the same is a flawed formula that has caused the decease/demise of many millionaires who shined for a moment and disappeared into obscurity or darkness.

Across America, young people hear the message and dream of being # 1 stunters. The goal is to become rich and famous, then brag and show it off to others.  Young people who are Christians also hear the same message. It surrounds them at school and on the college campus. It is in their music and videos. It is reflected in their fashions and books or magazines (literature).   Young people who are Christians are forced to choose between right and wrong, good and bad, appropriate and inappropriate.   Our young people are seeking answers that will help them understand the world in which they live. Our young people who are Christians  know that if they seek ye first the kingdom of God, the other things will come. Our young people today must be obedient by following the teaching of Jesus Christ and their parents.  You must not worry about becoming the number one stunter in the world but the number one (1) stunter for Jesus Christ in spreading the gospel and being an example for other young people and adults.  You must remember that only what you do for God will last.

As Christians, we rejoice in the fact that God has richly blessed us.  But we should remain humble in our rejoicing because we know that all things come from God and not from our own abilities. We can't brag about our successes because, without God, we would have failed!

Our text today focuses on Jeremiah as he warns Judah not to become to confident in their own accomplishments. The people of Judah were caught in the middle of world history. It was a prosperous nation that survived under the world domination of the Assyrians and the Egyptians before them. A new world power was on the scene, Babylon. The people were confident that they could not be conquered because they had three things about which they boasted and bragged. They bragged about their intellect, knowledge, and reputation that were earned under Solomon. 'They bragged about their armies and fortified cities. Jerusalem itself was surrounded by mighty walls. Even if their own armies failed, they had political alliances with other nations such as Egypt to insure they could stand. Moreover, they had money. Lots of money! Its king kept great storehouses of gold and silver and bragged about its wealth. If trouble came, the nation's leaders felt they had enough money to buy themselves out of danger.  There are some things money can’t buy.   A man said All that money can’t buy I don’t want it.   He failed to realize that money can’t buy love, it can’t buy friendship, and it can’t buy a happy home.    Most of all money can’t buy salvation.  It can only be obtained through faith in Jesus Christ.  Brothers and sisters, even though we have been blessed, we don’t need to brag because we can easily fall and lose it all.

Jeremiah spoke to the leaders and people of Judah about a coming judgment from God because of their sinfulness. Jeremiah's words were often ignored because the people were self-confident. They could not imagine the downfall 'of the kingdom. They pointed to their superior knowledge and wisdom, their strength and political alliances and to their vast riches as evidence that they were able to ward off any impending attacks by would be enemies.

Jeremiah warned the people about boasting and tells them in Verse 23, Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: All of these come from God.   (The Lord says,  Wise men should not boast of their wisdom, nor strong men of their strength, nor rich men of their wealth.)  Verse 24, But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the Lord.. (If anyone wants to boast, he should boast that he knows and understand me, because my love is constant, and I do what is just and right.  These are the things that please me.  I, the Lord has spoken.)

They were encouraged not to boast in their own achievements because those achievements were attainable only by the grace of God. Jeremiah reminds us that when the same God that allowed them to achieve gets angry at their actions he could just as easily take away the intellect, strengths, and wealth they boasted about.

Young people today should gain thoughts/information from Jeremiah that there are at least three ways to be a stunter, some of which may be unacceptable to God.

DON”T GLORY IN WISDOM AND KNOWLEDGE:  Young people who are Christians  have been given the gift of wisdom and knowledge, both of which are listed in the categories of gifts in 1 Corinthians 12. Wisdom and knowledge are wonderful gifts that come from God. Young people who exercise wisdom are able to make difficult and complex life decisions, act wisely and prudently and seem to always come out on top.  Those with the gift of knowledge seem to excel in their studies without much effort. Their names are constantly on the school honor roll, they are members of the honor society and they are constantly praised for their knowledge. Two questions you may be pondering in your mind are “Should a smart student brag about their smartness? Should smart students (they) belittle other students who must work harder and study longer hours to make the same grade?   The answer to these two questions is no.  Young people who are Christians and have the gift of knowledge and wisdom resists the temptation to become a "stunter' because the Christian student recognizes that the glory for their academic success comes from  God.   He is the one that gave them the wisdom and knowledge.  He is the one that called to their memory that which they had learned; therefore, God gets the glory.

The Christian student hears the praise of others, but is never carried away by the accolades of teachers and fellow students. They simply will not take credit for God' work in their lives. The Christian student doesn't stunt, but responds in the spirit of Proverbs 3:5-6, "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding." “ In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths” ( Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. In all your doings acknowledge Him; and He will direct your path.)

DON’T GLORY IN STRENGTH. There are students who have physical strength, or personality traits that give them persuasive or organizational gifts that give them political strength. We see the powerful presence of athletes who seem to dominate and control their sport. We see the popular students who always rise to the top of student leadership. These students have great gifts of strength and personality that make them extremely popular on campus. No matter how others try, they never seem to have the same level of strength of these gifted students.     The Christian athlete knows that his or her strength is not achieved in the weight room but from God. The Christian student leader on campus knows that his or her ability to lead students as a student council member or class officer is not a result of his or her own hard work but through the grace of God.

The popular Christian students know-that their popularity is not a result of anything they have done. All of them recognize that their help and strength come from God. It's what David had in mind when he said, "I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills from whence cometh my help. My help comes from the Lord who made the heavens and the earth."

DON’T GLORY IN RICHES. If you are blessed with a good job and doing pretty good don’t brag, tell God thank you.  There are many students who enjoy material blessings. Some are fortunate to live in a fine home in a comfortable and safe neighborhood. Some students are blessed with a comfortable life that is affording them many pleasures. Christian students recognize that God has provided every blessing they have received as he blesses the efforts of their parents to provide for them.

A Christian student, who has no job or legitimate source of income, never brags about his ability to wear designer clothes or keep up with the styles because he or she knows that none of what he or she has comes from his or her  own efforts. The Christian student may wear fine clothes, but never brags about them or belittles others who cannot afford to buy them. The Christian students don’t brag about how much money his family has or how poor someone else's family is. They do not brag about the quality of their neighborhood and berate and belittle those who have not been blessed in the same way. The Christian students don't enjoying stunting because they know they are not the source of their own blessings. Therefore they have no right to brag.   They know that God is the giver of all good and perfect gifts.

            Finally brothers and sisters, even though believers don’t brag on themselves, they do have someone to brag about!  Jeremiah wanted Judah not to brag about their own wisdom.   He warned them not to brag about their strength or riches.  Verse 23 Jeremiah said, if we must brag then brag on the Lord. If we must brag, then give, God the glory. That's what Jeremiah meant in Verse 24 when he said, "But let him, that glorieth glory in this, that he under standeth and knoweth me, that Iam the LORD.."  The problem with a stunter, is that the person who stunts, takes credit for that which he has no control. He writes himself in the robe of conceit and declares, "I am this" and "I am that!"

I am a great football player!                             ­

I am a great scholar,

I am a member of a sorority or fraternity!

Everything that we have comes from the Lord. We can't take credit for anything, because without him we could do nothing. Without him we would surely fail. Without him .our lives would be drifting, like ships without sails!

Young Christians  choose not to be  stunters because they know they are not the source of their own accomplishments. They can't say, "I am this" and "I am that" because there is a main man who is # 1 in his book who says:

"I am the way, the truth and the life!" "'I am the bread of life!"

"I am the lily of the valley and bright and morning star!" If we just have to brag on someone who has done good things. Let's brag on the Lord and make him the # 1 srunter!            Jesus said when a man stands in church and prays a show place prayer, he's just stunting because his prayers go nowhere. The  # I stunter is not the man who can pray a long fine prayer but the one who can answer all  prayers!  I know a man who can answer prayer! Call him in the morning! Call him in the midnight! He's always there!

James said some folks come to worship and they wear fine clothes that will get them a front seat.  Many times they are simply stunting. They may be stunting but they are not the "number one stunter."   The # 1 stunter is not the one who wears the fine clothes but the man who provides the clothes you wear!

I know a man who can provide all we need. Someone asked the question, "Is your God able?" The answer came. Yes, he's able!

Scribes and Pharisees spoke to a blind man and accused Jesus of performing a publicity stunt when he healed the blind man. The blind man must have responded, "If it was a stunt or not, I don't know, but if it was a stunt, he is the number 1 stunter, for I was blind but now I see!"

The woman at the well proclaimed it might have been a stunt,

but "come see a man who told me everything  I've ever done"

The number one stunter isn't on the Cash Money label!

The number one stunter doesn't have diamonds in his teeth

     but He holds the wealth of the world in his hands!

His name is Jesus!

He's the number one provider!

He's the number one healer!

He's the number one savior!

He died out on Calvary, but Early Sunday morning he arose from the dead with all power!  All power in his hands!