Called By God To Boast In Him

Grace, and mercy, and peace be to you from our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen!

I want to do a little boasting with you this morning. Will you do that with me? Or are you already feeling a tinge of resistance in your heart and soul? That’s okay; I think I know what you’re feeling.

We have a hard time with the word “boast” and there’s a good reason for it.

Boasting is usually a sign of a bad thing. It’s usually a sign of pride run amok. When people are boasting, they are most often boasting about themselves, their accomplishments, their notoriety. Such boasting isn’t meant to bless others, it’s meant to diminish others. But, even when people are boasting about Jesus, sometimes I get the feeling that they still are boasting about themselves, too. They’ll say things like, “I’m so thankful that Jesus has blessed me. I’ve been reading His word faithfully, going to church regularly, tithing my resources cheerfully, and He has really blessed.” It sounds a whole lot like “I, I, I” and not much about Jesus at all. It reminds me of a Bible story where Jesus told a story of a person who was confident of his own righteousness and looked down on everyone else. Remember his boastful prayer, “Lord, I thank God that I am not like other men, especially that tax collector.”

So, we Christians, we get this. That’s why we confess our sins, that’s why we talk about being “poor miserable sinners” and we put out hope in the work of Jesus Christ alone! Well alright!

But a life secure in Christ is a life that also knows how to boast in Christ alone.

This is a place where we’re a bit more reticent than we should be. This is a place our humility could be one of our greatest failings.

This is a place where we need to get beyond our fear of being vain and say, “Lord, please help me be a better mouthpiece or a living example of You to others.”

Paul says it clearly for us today, “Let him who boasts, (and Paul knows that in this world there is a whole lot of boasting going on,) let him who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

Have you ever noticed that when it comes to a person’s favorite sports team, that you don’t have to encourage them to boast? Just ask a person who they’re favorite team is and they’ll immediately tell you why that team is good, who their players are, and why they’re going all the way this year.

In fact, millions of dollars are spent each year on marketing sports because of such fan loyalty. Fans buy jerseys of their favorite players, they wear them not only to the games but to the store, to the park, yes, some even wear them to church. They know everything that’s going on with their team. They pay attention on draft day, even after the season is over, to see what new players are coming on board. They know who the coaches are who might guide their team to victory. They tune in by the millions to sports radio and television not only to hear the latest news but to sometimes even put their two-cents worth into the dialogue. They’re proud of who they’re rooting for and they can’t wait to tell anyone who asks.

My point is that you don’t have to encourage them to boast about their team because they’re proud, win or lose, to be a part of the tradition; the mindset, the game day effort.

Now, there is something to be learned here. I’m not talking about the brashness of the modern sports fan or the silliness of being proud of something as transient as a game. I am talking about the “ease” of sharing with others something for which you are very, very proud.

And we need to be about that kind of sharing, even boasting. Because we have a challenge today, we are being sent out on a mission, among boasters, boasters of teams, of companies, of countries, even of boasting people; to tell them that there is “one thing in life really worth boasting about! For that one thing makes all games worth playing, life worth living, people worth loving; and if you miss this one thing, you miss it all!

It is important for you to really hear what God is saying to you today. If you believe in Jesus Christ, you are, right now, in Jesus graced people, forgiven people, people who live by the undeserved kindness of God because of Him!

And Paul says, “God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; He chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong; God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things to nullify the things that are, so that no one can boast before him because of who they are. For it’s because of Him that you are in Jesus Christ, who has become for us wisdom from God, that is our righteousness, holiness, and redemption, therefore as it is written, ‘Let Him who boasts, boast in the Lord!'”

So, to learn how great our boasting in the Lord is, we need to realize what we used to be apart from Him!

Paul says, that “Not many of those Corinthian Christians were influential in the eyes of the world!” A lot of us could also be just as honest and say, “We’re not that big of a deal either.” But that sounds counter-intuitive, doesn’t it? I thought that God would go about the business of choosing the some bodies in this world to do His bidding. I mean, who plans on starting a movement that will change the world, but starts with the least, the left-out ones, the voiceless people. But, that’s just what God does.

From the Bible’s point of view, God saves nobodies. God makes nobodies, somebody.

It was Abraham Lincoln who said, “God must have loved the common people, since He made so many of them.” I would modify that to say, “God must have loved the common people, since He made the way of salvation plain and simple enough to be understood even by a child.”

So, when it comes to boasting, God doesn’t call the credentialed; He credentials the called and God chose it this way for a purpose. He wanted to demonstrate that His message of salvation is His doing, His alone! If all we needed was a little more education, a little more commitment to morality, a little more trust here and there, there would have been no need for the cross of Jesus.

So, into this boasting world we go, a world that falsely teaches us to boast about ourselves even when there’s nothing to boast about. And, if we’re going to get this boasting thing right, Paul says we’re going to have to deal with our pride first as well!

We’re not the king of the jungle, as it were! I love the funny story told about the arrogant lion who loved to boast of his position on the food chain.

It happened one day in the jungle. A lion with a big ego went around asking the other animals who the king of the jungle was. “Who’s the king of jungle?” the lion roared at the monkey. “Why, you are, Mr. Lion,” said the monkey with fear in his voice. The lion went on and found a zebra. “Who’s the king of jungle?” he snarled. “There is no doubt about it, you are Mr. Lion,” said the zebra. Seeing a turtle crossing his path the lion bellowed, “Who’s the king of the jungle?” Scared out of his shell the turtle said, “You are, Mr. Lion. You are the king of the jungle.” Then the lion came upon an elephant. Once again he roared out the question, “Who’s the king of jungle?” The elephant then used his trunk to grab the lion by his tail. He spun him around over his head several times, dunked him in a mud hole, and slammed him into a large tree. Dazed and dirty the lion said, “Just because you didn’t know the correct answer was no reason to get so upset.”

Paul says, don’t be like that, don’t be so full of your own pride that you can’t see things as they are. No, first take an honest look at yourself, learn to boast today, but not in yourself, in your works, or your triumphs, but of our God who loves you, loves us all, and the world in which we live!

For it is because of Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God, that is our righteousness, holiness, and redemption. Let him who boasts boast in the Lord!

So, we get to boast then about our Lord, because of what He has done!

As Christians, we are awed by Christ. Christ is not just a Teacher; He is the living God who became Man. He never asked for forgiveness, He gave it. He never sought advice, He shared it. He never justified His behavior to others; He called them to faith in Him. He never even asked for prayer for Himself, He prayed for others and He taught us to pray. Wow! The church, you and me, we can do nothing for ourselves and for others until we, too, are overawed by our Savior!

Paul says that He has become our righteousness, our sanctification, and redemption.

Jesus is the center of everything in life, the good, the wise, the miraculous, the blessings!
So, we Christians don’t need to play religious games with God because Christ has paid the price to reconcile us with the Father.

We don’t need to fake holiness or righteousness because, in spite of ourselves, Christ covers us with all of God’s goodness.

Even the Christian life, lived for others in His Name, is a gift. He gives us the strength, the resources, and the power to love others. How? Just as Jesus loves us.

As Christians, all we have to boast about is Jesus! What God has done for us in Him! And that is all we need!

Sometimes our best witness is merely to examine anew what our faith in Jesus has meant to us in the trials and the temptations, in the failures and the successes of our lives. For our hope is always in the power of His cross, the certainty of His presence each and every day with us!

So, when our lives are in disarray, His redeeming presence stabilizes us. When struggles overwhelm us, His clear Word says “This is only for a time, temporary” (for I am with you always).” And when despair overwhelms us, His cross calls us to hope (that is eternal). The cross of Jesus meets the eternal and daily tests of life!

In fact, the message of the cross, the foundational power of the cross meets every challenge. Even as our strength ebbs away, our Savior’s gracious love is strong enough to hold on to us, period. Nothing in this world will ever separate us from the love of God in Jesus, nothing.

I have never been to Italy, but I really want to go! Pictures of it are so beautiful, especially the canals running through the city of Venice. They say that the foundation of those canals is built with a wood that gets harder with age! It’s an enduring foundation. Think of it, as the water flows over it and around it each and every year, with the water’s eroding, penetrating, and decaying power, this wood doesn’t weaken. No, the foundation gets stronger. It’s up to the task.

Well, a wooden cross, whose shaft was sunk on Calvary’s hill that is the foundation on which all of our hope, our joy, and our life rests. It’s wood that’s like a rock! God’s foundation that gets stronger with age! It’s up to the challenge of every temptation, of every trial, for every age. So, if you want to boast about something that holds, boast in Him and what He has done not only for you but for all!

But this boasting even gets more personal. We get to boast (personally), of what we are in Jesus alone so that others might know that this life is here for them, too!

We are Jesus’ holy people as pure gift! In the midst of constant struggle with our own sin and temptation, we are still sinners saved by grace and whose maturing life in Him is powered by His Spirit through His Word. Any worthiness or holiness we have is a gift from God in Jesus Christ.

Renowned Pastor H.B. Charles said, “The Message of Christianity is magnificent, but the messengers are not. Therefore, the reason that God may not be using you at the moment has nothing to do with the fact that you are weak. In fact, it may be that you are not weak enough.” For when we are weak, we put our trust totally in Him.

And know this; God can even use our weaknesses to shine His strength to others. He can use our struggles to give hope to others. We glory in our weakness, not our wickedness, so that others may see the glory of God’s grace not just in us, for us, and with us, but through us for them, too!

Paul never forgot that he, too, was once an enemy of Christ. It not only caused him to put all his trust in Jesus, it also caused him to look at others through the eyes of his Savior.

Properly understood, we are in solidarity, then, with this world! It’s not just sinful out there; it’s sinful in our hearts, too. And if redemption can happen in our lives, it can happen out there in the lives of others as well.

Which means that we can have compassion for people even when their struggles are different than ours. We can be firm and merciful, just as Christ calls us to holiness and then gifts us with it by grace.

We can hang in there with people long after they deserve it, just as Jesus hangs in there with us.

But we can even go further, can’t we? We not only can hang in there with others, we can also see, for them, what they can’t see for themselves.

We can be Jesus’ holied people living our life so that others can see their life in Jesus, too. Yes, we are people awed by Christ and by the power of Christ becoming more like Him each day; but, we’re even more excited for others about what they can be in Jesus, too!

And that means that we can see the potential in all people when, by faith, they get connected to God by grace in Jesus. In fact, to be a boaster of Christ is to be sent out into this world as agents of His encouragement. We have a Savior who has done all things well; whose Word and promise to us are the most certain things in our life and such things are meant to be shared, given away to any who will receive it!

Sometimes all it takes is the right word from the right person, at the right time, to make all the difference in another’s life.

Dante Gabriel Rossetti; boy, I love to say that name, Dante Rossetti, the famous 19th-century poet and artist, was once approached by an elderly man. The old fellow had some sketches and drawings that he wanted Rossetti to look at and to tell him if they were any good, or at least, if they showed any potential talent.

Well, the drawings didn’t show any talent whatsoever. But Rossetti was a kind man, and he told the elderly man as gently as possible that the pictures were without much value and showed little talent. He was sorry, but he could not lie to the man.

The visitor was disappointed but seemed to expect Rossetti’s judgment. He then apologized for taking up Rossetti’s time, but, one more thing he asked, just a few more drawings, would you look at these, these done by a young art student.

Rossetti looked over the second batch of sketches and immediately was enthused over the talent they revealed. “These,” he said, “Ah, these are good. This young man, whoever he is, has great talent. He should be given every help and encouragement in his career as an artist. He has a great future, if he will work hard and stick with it.”

Rossetti could see that the old man was deeply moved. “Who is this fine young artist?” he then asked. “Your son?”

“No,” said the old fellow said sadly. “It is me-40 years ago. If I had only heard your praise, your encouragement, your challenge then, I would have stuck with it, for you see, I got discouraged and I gave up too soon.”

You see, that’s why we boast of Jesus. We want all people to become everything that they were created and redeemed to be in Him! The purpose of boasting in Jesus; it’s about showing people the uniqueness of Him; the comfort of His presence; the certainty and strength of His promises; and the hope of His future also being their future by grace through faith.

To live the Christian life, then, is to strive to bring the very beauty of the Good News of Jesus into the lives of others. Blessing others because you were willing to be agents of His encouragement, boasters of His Good News for their sake!

May God overwhelm you with His grace and give you courage in your efforts to boast in Him for others! That’s what it means to be His people; to be His church, to be people who never forget that.

It is because of Him that you are in Jesus Christ, who has become for us wisdom from God, that is our righteousness, our holiness, and redemption, therefore as it is written; “Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord!” Amen.

Music Selections for this program:

“A Mighty Fortress” arranged by Chris Bergmann. Used by permission.