Boast in the Crucified LORD

Introduction

Good morning, for those who don’t know me my name is Nate Wiens. I am a Canadian student studying pastoral ministry. Right now, I am doing an internship with Starkey Road Baptist Church before I graduate and go back to my home country.

Last week I started my last class for my Master of Divinity degree online. At the beginning of this class everyone is asked to introduce and describe themselves. These introductions include things like what you do for work, who your family is, and what your future goals are. It is always interesting to me what people choose to share publicly. Some talk about all the things they do for their church or the many years they have been in ministry. Others talk about the many years of education they have already completed and their many degrees. Still others talk about their beautiful wife and kids or where they are privileged to live. I am no different. You are no different.

We all have things about us that we like. That we are proud of. Sometimes we fall into the trap of thinking that somehow because of these things we are special. How fortunate our friends and family must be to know such a special person.

Sometimes we even think that it makes good sense that God chose to save us, to save me. What a great decision! Anyone would have done the same. All because we are so special.

The problem is that we use these things that we think makes us special and we use them to say that we are better than our brothers and sisters in Christ. We exalt ourselves and put down others.

This morning Paul has a sobering mesage for us, for me. God didn’t choose us because we are special so we can’t brag about it. He chose us to show His wisdom and power in saving us.

The NET Bible Chapter 2

1:26 Think about the circumstances of your call, brothers and sisters. Not many were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were born to a privileged position. 1:27 But God chose what the world thinks foolish to shame the wise, and God chose what the world thinks weak to shame the strong. 1:28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, what is regarded as nothing, to set aside what is regarded as something, 1:29 so that no one can boast in his presence. 1:30 He is the reason you have a relationship with Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 1:31 so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

2:1 When I came to you, brothers and sisters, I did not come with superior eloquence or wisdom as I proclaimed the testimony of God. 2:2 For I decided to be concerned about nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified. 2:3 And I was with you in weakness and in fear and with much trembling. 2:4 My conversation and my preaching were not with persuasive words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 2:5 so that your faith would not be based on human wisdom but on the power of God.

You’re not Special (v. 26)

The world is constantly bombarding you with the message of how special and unique you are in advertisements. You’re worth it. You deserve it. Treat yourself. Love yourself. Sound familiar? Or even more disturbing. If only you had this car, or these clothes, people would respect you. If you lost a little weight or worked out more people would like you. If you got more education you’d get that promotion at work. This is not the message of the Bible.

The message of the Bible is not that God chose us because of anything that we possess in ourselves. He did not even choose us because of what we could become. In God’s economy we have nothing to offer Him that’s not already His. Our greatest accomplishments or claims to fame mean nothing to Him. He is not impressed. Those things are not significant to Him.

You may have a big house, a nice car, lots of money. You might not. It doesn’t matter. You’re are not a more valuable member of the church if you do or a less valuable one if you don’t.

Hear this passage that Paul has in his mind and will quote in just a bit.

The NET Bible Chapter 9

The LORD says,

“Wise people should not boast that they are wise.

Powerful people should not boast that they are powerful.

Rich people should not boast that they are rich.

God Chose You so You Can’t Boast (vv. 27-29)

In fact, God chose people who are not impressive according to the world’s standards to put to shame those think they somehow deserve to be chosen by God or are more important in the church than others.

And understand this. Just because you have come to faith in Christ that does not mean that now you will receive the riches, respect, and social standing that you lacked before.

This morning in this very building the other intern, Adam, and I started a video study in the book of Judges. In a few weeks we will get to the account of Gideon in the book. In the story of Gideon God calls him to fight the Midianites not because he was a great general but so that God could show His power through Gideon. So Gideon musters up 32,000 soldiers. What does God say? Too many. Get rid of some. He gets down to 10,000, still too many. He gets down to 300, less than one percent of the original force. Just right. Now there is no way that Gideon and the soldiers can take credit for their victory.

The NET Bible Chapter 7

The LORD said to Gideon, “You have too many men for me to hand Midian over to you. Israel might brag, ‘Our own strength has delivered us.’

This is the same philosophy guiding who God chooses to be a part of Christ’s body, the church. God chose the people who don’t make sense to take away any opportunity for people to boast in their own strength.

God did not make Gideon a great general or give him a huge army. Instead God displayed His own power and wisdom by concocting a battle plan that caused the enemy to turn against themselves. God is the ultimate general. Gideon just followed God’s battle plan. Shouldn’t we do the same?

Boast in the LORD (vv. 30-31)

In high school one of my best friends was extremely gifted athletically. Whatever game we were playing or activity we were doing it was pretty much a given that he and his team would come out on top. It would be foolish for his teammates to say that they were the reason their team won when really it was just because my friend happened to be on their team. That is like our reality. Jesus is not on our team, we are on His. He’s the captain and He is the only reason that we have any reason to boast

The thing is that all the things that we are not, wise, righteous, holy, redeemed, Christ became those things for us. He is the only one we can boast in because He is the one who has done everything for us. We have nothing to contribute. It’s all Him. The passage Paul is referring to concludes in this way.

The NET Bible Chapter 9

9:24 If people want to boast, they should boast about this:

They should boast that they understand and know me.

They should boast that they know and understand

that I, the LORD, act out of faithfulness, fairness, and justice in the earth

and that I desire people to do these things,”

says the LORD.

Have Faith in The Crucified LORD (vv. 2:1-5)

What initially made me think of this passage was this section. My first though when asked to preach in a Spanish service was, how can I preach effectively when my words will have to be translated? Then I remembered this passage. If Paul came to the Corinthians without eloquent speech then I could come and speak to you. If Paul’s focus was Christ crucified, that would be my focus as well. God is not limited by my inability to speak Spanish. His power is greater than my weakness.

Remember back to the first question that I asked you. What is the one thing about yourself that you boast about? That you put your confidence in? Think about that thing. Now think about this. If God took that away from you. Whatever that is if it’s money, your family, your house, your car, your good looks, your intelligence. If God took that away from you would you still have faith in Him?

If your answer to that question is “No.” Then I am sorry but I have to tell you that your faith in not in God but in that thing in which you boast.

It is easy to have faith in God when it makes sense to us. When things are going well by our standards. It’s when we go through trials that are faith is truly tested.

What happens to our faith when there is a pandemic? When people we love die? When we miss special events like graduations, weddings, funerals, etc. When we lose our jobs. When the very rhythm of our lives is so disrupted as to be unrecognizable. Don’t go out! Stay at home! Don’t visit your friends! Just over a year ago these messages would have sounded ridiculous to our ears but now they are all too familiar.

What is our faith really in? Is it in our health, our wealth, the American dream? Or is it in Christ and him crucified.

From a human perspective the gospel does not make sense.

Paul starts this section in chapter one verse eighteen with these words.

The NET Bible Chapter 2

1:18 For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 1:19 For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and I will thwart the cleverness of the intelligent.” 1:20 Where is the wise man? Where is the expert in the Mosaic law? Where is the debater of this age? Has God not made the wisdom of the world foolish? 1:21 For since in the wisdom of God the world by its wisdom did not know God, God was pleased to save those who believe by the foolishness of preaching. 1:22 For Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks ask for wisdom, 1:23 but we preach about a crucified Christ, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles. 1:24 But to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. 1:25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.

It does not make sense that we can do nothing to earn or deserve our salvation. Salvation is a gracious gift that we receive by faith.

It does not make sense that God himself would come and die in our place. Peter says,

The NET Bible Chapter 4

3:17 For it is better to suffer for doing good, if God wills it, than for doing evil.

3:18  Because Christ also suffered once for sins,

the just for the unjust,

to bring you to God,

by being put to death in the flesh

but by being made alive in the spirit.

Christ who was innocent died for us who are guilty.

It does not make sense that after we come to faith in Christ He does not promise health, wealth, and happiness. Instead, Scripture is clear that we will suffer in this life because Christ also suffered.

What is the point then? Is it only for this life? No, if that were the case we should be pitied more than all men. As we will celebrate in three weeks we do not only have faith in Christ crucified but Christ raised. He is risen! Christ died but came alive again. That is our hope again that we too have eternal life in Christ that though we die we will resurrect to live forever with Christ on a new earth with no more suffering.

Conclusion

I hope this morning I have encouraged you in the faith that you have in Christ. If that is the case I would offer you one more encouragement. Boast about it! Tell people about the hope that you have in Christ. So many of those around us are looking for something to hope in, to believe in. We have the message of love, hope, and salvation. We need to share the gospel.

Maybe this morning you have realized that your faith is not in Christ. Maybe you have heard about Him but never fully put your trust in Him. I would encourage you before you leave today to talk to someone about what it means to put your faith in Christ.

Maybe instead you have put your trust in money, possession, people, or yourself. Maybe its causing you to think less of your brothers and sisters in Christ. Maybe it is causing you to take pride in yourself. Today is a great opportunity to commit to trust in Christ alone. Today is a great time to let go of your pride and humble yourself before God.