Boasting: Wrong or Right?
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The Book of Jeremiah
The Book of Jeremiah
Author: Jeremiah 650BC - 560BC
Name: “The LORD exalts, lifts, raises” - Nickname “The Weeping Prophet”
Date of Writing: 561 BC
Audience: The people of Judah
Theme: Judgment on God’s people. Submit to foreign domination as being disciplined.
Chapters: 52
Interesting Fact: It is the longest book of the Bible.
Jeremiah 2-20 contain judgment sermons against Judah and Jerusalem.
Jeremiah 9
Jeremiah 9
He identifies the blatant sins of the day. v2-9
He announces judgment again. v10-16
He says this will cause anguish. v17-22
He notes this will ultimately prove my goodness. v23-24
He states judgment will come and evil will be purged from the people. v25-26
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.”
Boasting: Wrong or Right?
Boasting: Wrong or Right?
v23 A Wrong kind of boasting.
v24 A Right kind of boasting.
Sins of the tongue.
Sins of the tongue.
Gossip, Lying, Slander, Critical Speech, Harsh Words, Insults, Sarcasm, and Ridicule.
Evil Boasting - To speak of deeds, abilities, or characteristics in a manner showing pride or self-satisfaction. “To glory in my...”
Wisdom - You can become confident in our wisdom. Know this great minds deteriorate.
Might - You can become confident in your strength. Know this power is not forever.
Riches - You can be come confident in you riches. Know this riches can be stolen or lost.
When we boast what we really want is
to show off.
to make much of ourselves.
for others to like us or delight in who we are.
The Boasting Traveler
The Boasting Traveler
A MAN who had traveled in foreign lands boasted very much, on returning to his own country, of the many wonderful and heroic feats he had performed in the different places he had visited. Among other things, he said that when he was at Rhodes he had leaped to such a distance that no man of his day could leap anywhere near him as to that, there were in Rhodes many persons who saw him do it and whom he could call as witnesses. One of the bystanders interrupted him, saying: "Now, my good man, if this be all true there is no need of witnesses. Suppose this to be Rhodes, and leap for us."
Moral: He who does a thing well does not need to boast
2 Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips.
The Last Boast
The Last Boast
A fir tree said boastingly to the bramble bush growing in its shade:
“You are useless. Nobody wants you. I am everywhere used for roofs and houses. Men can’t do without me."
“You’re so right," said the bramble. “Here’s a man coming to you with an axe, right now. Farewell."
Moral: Pride comes before a fall.
13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— 14 yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. 15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” 16 As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.
God delights in the humble.
6 But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
God delights in the weak.
9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
Acceptable Boasting - To speak of deeds, abilities, or characteristics of God.
That he understands and knows me.
3 They bend their tongue like a bow; falsehood and not truth has grown strong in the land; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they do not know me, declares the Lord.
He is a God who practices steadfast love. Hesed
He is a God who practices justice.
He is a God who practices righteousness.
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.”
Jesus is our wisdom.
Jesus is our righteousness.
Jesus is our sanctification.
Jesus is our redemption.
13 But we will not boast beyond limits, but will boast only with regard to the area of influence God assigned to us, to reach even to you. 14 For we are not overextending ourselves, as though we did not reach you. For we were the first to come all the way to you with the gospel of Christ. 15 We do not boast beyond limit in the labors of others. But our hope is that as your faith increases, our area of influence among you may be greatly enlarged, 16 so that we may preach the gospel in lands beyond you, without boasting of work already done in another’s area of influence. 17 “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”
Don’t boast in accomplishments.
Don’t boast in your Christian service.
Don’t boast in your Gospel ministry.
2 My soul makes its boast in the Lord; let the humble hear and be glad.
Do your words bring glory and honor to God or to yourself?
The answer to our evil boasting is found in Jesus.
He is the one who has all wisdom.
He is the one who has all strength.
He is the one who has all riches.
Do you know him?
Do you boast in him? The first step in boasting in the Lord is baptism.
If you know him are your growing and delighting in steadfast love, justice, and righteousness?
The Boasting Traveler
A MAN who had traveled in foreign lands boasted very much, on returning to his own country, of the many wonderful and heroic feats he had performed in the different places he had visited. Among other things, he said that when he was at Rhodes he had leaped to such a distance that no man of his day could leap anywhere near him as to that, there were in Rhodes many persons who saw him do it and whom he could call as witnesses. One of the bystanders interrupted him, saying: "Now, my good man, if this be all true there is no need of witnesses. Suppose this to be Rhodes, and leap for us."
Moral: He who does a thing well does not need to boast
The Boasting Traveler
A man who had been traveling in foreign parts, on his return home was always bragging and boasting of the great feats he had accomplished in different places.
In Rhodes, for instance, he said he had taken such an extraordinary leap, that no man could come near him, and he had witnesses there to prove it.
"Possibly," said one of his hearers; "but if this be true, just suppose this to be Rhodes and try the leap again."
Moral: Be sure you can support your claims
The Last Boast
A fir tree said boastingly to the bramble bush growing in its shade:
“You are useless. Nobody wants you. I am everywhere used for roofs and houses. Men can’t do without me."
“You’re so right," said the bramble. “Here’s a man coming to you with an axe, right now. Farewell."
Moral: Pride comes before a fall.
The Boastful Mule.
A Mule had had a long rest and much good feeding. He was feeling very vigorous indeed, and pranced around loftily, holding his head high.
“My father certainly was a full-blooded racer,” he said. “I can feel that distinctly.”
Next day he was put into harness again and that evening he was very downhearted indeed.
“I was mistaken,” he said. “My father was an Ass after all.”
Moral
Be sure of your pedigree before you boast of it.