The Fifth Sunday after Epiphany
\nFebruary 5, 2017
\nI Corinthians 1:26-31<\/p>\n
Brothers, think of what you were when you were called.\u00a0 Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth.\u00a0 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.\u00a0 He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things\u2014and the things that are not\u2014to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him.\u00a0 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God\u2014that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.\u00a0 Therefore, as it is written:\u00a0 “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.”\u00a0 (NIV1984)<\/p>\n
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,<\/p>\n
Have you ever known someone who likes to boast?\u00a0 Perhaps they boast about their athletic abilities or their physical attributes.\u00a0 Perhaps they make sure everyone knows about how successful they are or all the important people they know.\u00a0 They make a big deal out of the house they live in or the car they drive or the expensive vacations they take.\u00a0 How do you react when you cross paths with that person\u2014 whether it is at work or at school, at a party or in the grocery store?\u00a0 Do you relish the opportunity to hear all about Joe\u2019s newest toy or Sally\u2019s latest promotion?\u00a0 Probably not.\u00a0 In fact, you may even try to avoid them so that you don\u2019t get stuck listening to them boast\u2014 yet again.<\/p>\n
There are times, however, when we don\u2019t mind listening to someone boast.\u00a0 Here I\u2019m thinking of all the times that we have listened to someone tell us all about their children or their grandchildren\u2014 how proud they are of what their children have accomplished and how much fun it is to have their grandchildren come visit them.\u00a0 While they may indeed be boasting\u2014 it is a \u201cgood\u201d boasting!<\/p>\n
As you and I continue our sermon series on the subject of God\u2019s will, this morning the Holy Spirit focuses our attention on the topic of boasting.\u00a0 For that reason let\u2019s study this text under the theme:\u00a0 God\u2019s Will for You\u2014 Be Boastful!<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0 There are two central truths contained in these inspired words of our God.\u00a0 First, let\u2019s see how these words reveal to us that God\u2019s will for you is that you \u201cboast\u201d<\/em>\u2014 but not <\/strong>in yourself.\u00a0 Second, let\u2019s see how these words reveal to us that God\u2019s will for you is that you \u201cboast in the Lord.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n It is not difficult for us to picture the face of someone who likes to boast about themselves\u2014 who they are and what they have, what they have accomplished and what they are able to do.\u00a0 Sometimes the face we picture might even be the face we see in the mirror!\u00a0 Yes, my friends, even we are tempted to boast about ourselves!\u00a0 God\u2019s will for us His children, however, is that we do not <\/strong>boast about ourselves.\u00a0 Why?\u00a0 Because as Christians we know that on our own, by nature, we have nothing <\/strong>to boast about!\u00a0 Look at how the Holy Spirit brings that truth out in the opening verse of our text.\u00a0 He has Paul write, \u201cBrothers, think of what you were when you were called.\u00a0 Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many of you were influential; not many were of noble birth.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n As God\u2019s people in Corinth looked around at their brothers and sisters in the faith they saw pretty much the same thing you and I see as we look around at God\u2019s family of believers here in our congregation.\u00a0 By in large we see regular ordinary people!\u00a0 While we do indeed have a number of very well educated and very successful members here in our church, I am not sure how many of us will ever be listed in \u201cWho\u2019s Who in America.\u201d<\/p>\n The same principle holds true for the Christian church down through the ages.\u00a0 Even the Lord\u2019s very first disciples were\u2014 humble fishermen and a tax-collector.\u00a0 When we look at the people in our society today who are widely acclaimed to be \u201cwise\u201d<\/em> or \u201cinfluential\u201d<\/em> or \u201cof noble birth\u201d<\/em> how many of them openly proclaim their faith in Jesus as this world\u2019s only <\/strong>Savior from sin?\u00a0 How many of them boldly stand up to defend the Truth of holy Scripture?<\/p>\n Those who are considered \u201cwise\u201d<\/em> by human standards, those who hold positions of \u201cinfluence\u201d <\/em>and \u201cpower\u201d<\/em> in this world, those who are of \u201cnoble birth\u201d<\/em> all are all too often lined up against the Lord\u2019s Christ and against the Truth of God\u2019s holy Word.\u00a0 Do these people have something\u2014 anything\u2014 to boast about before God?\u00a0 The Holy Spirit answers that question when He has Paul say in our text, \u201cBut God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.\u00a0 He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things\u2014 and the things that are not\u2014 to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n The very heart of God\u2019s Plan of Salvation for this world, the very core of the entire Christian faith is found right there\u2014 the cross on Calvary\u2019s hill.\u00a0 As Paul brings out in the verses preceding our text for today the message of the cross of Jesus Christ is utter \u201cfoolishness\u201d<\/em> to those who do not have the gift of saving faith in their heart.\u00a0 (See I Corinthians 1:18-25)\u00a0 Think about it, my friends.\u00a0 Every time you lift up your eyes to this cross you are reminded of all your rebelliousness and all of your sins.\u00a0 Every time you lift up your eyes to this cross you see the punishment that you deserve to receive from God.\u00a0 Every time you lift up your eyes to this cross you realize that there is no work that you could ever possibly do, there is no choice, no decision that you could ever possibly make to save yourself from an eternity of suffering in the unquenchable fires of hell.<\/p>\n At the very same time, every time you lift up your eyes to this cross you are reminded of the fact <\/strong>that because you could not do anything to save yourself and because God\u2019s love for you is so amazing and so deep and because the heavenly Father wants you to live in the glory and in the joy of His heavenly Home, God\u2019s dearly beloved Son willingly suffered and died on that cross\u2014 for you<\/strong>!\u00a0 \u201cIt is finished!\u201d\u00a0 \u201cI have reached my goal!\u201d <\/em>(John 19:30)\u00a0 \u201cYour sins are<\/strong> forgiven!\u201d<\/em> \u201cTrust Me!\u201d<\/em> Jesus now says to all mankind.\u00a0 <\/em>That\u2019s the message that the world considers to be utter \u201cfoolishness.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 And yet, that\u2019s the message that carries us through the difficulties and the hardships of this life.\u00a0 That\u2019s the message we will cling to with all our heart when we stand before the Judgment throne of God!<\/p>\n When the Judge of all mankind summons the \u201cwise\u201d<\/em> man before His Judgment throne and asks him, \u201cWhy should I let you live in My heaven?\u201d, will his or her worldly \u201cwisdom\u201d<\/em> give them the only correct, the only acceptable answer to that question?\u00a0 When the Creator of the heavens and the earth summons the \u201cpowerful\u201d<\/em> and the \u201cinfluential\u201d<\/em> person to give an account of everything they have said and everything they have done (See Matthew 12:36, 37; Romans 14:12; 2 Corinthians 5:10) will all of their earthly \u201cpower\u201d<\/em> and all of their earthly \u201cinfluence\u201d<\/em> help them get admitted into heaven?\u00a0 When the \u201cnobility\u201d<\/em> of this world are required to stand before the One who has been exalted to the \u201chighest place\u201d<\/em> and given the \u201cname that is above every name\u201d<\/em> (Philippians 2:9), will their \u201csocial status\u201d<\/em> here on this earth count for anything in eternity?\u00a0 All such questions are answered very clearly when Paul writes, \u201c\u2026so that no one may boast before him.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 In the original Greek this statement is even more powerful, my friends.\u00a0 A literal translation of these words goes like this: \u201cSo that all flesh may never boast in the presence of or in the judgment of God.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n God\u2019s will for you, my friends, is that you do indeed boast\u2014 but not<\/strong> in yourself!\u00a0 On our own we have nothing<\/strong> to boast about!\u00a0 What does God want you to boast about?\u00a0 Look at how the Holy Spirit answers that question in the closing portion of our text.\u00a0 He has Paul write, \u201cIt is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God\u2014 that is our righteousness, holiness and redemption.\u00a0 Therefore, as it is written: \u2018Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.\u2019\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n God\u2019s will for you, my friends, is that you do indeed \u201cboast\u201d<\/em>\u2014 \u201cboast in the Lord\u201d<\/em>!\u00a0 Why can you \u201cboast in the Lord\u201d<\/em>?\u00a0 This portion of our text gives us two answers to that question.\u00a0 The first answer is found in the words, \u201cIt is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 The only<\/strong> reason that you are \u201cin Christ Jesus\u201d<\/em>, the only <\/strong>reason that you are a dearly beloved child of your heavenly Father is because of what the Lord Himself has done for <\/strong>you.\u00a0 Because of His grace and His power working in your heart through His holy Word and His holy Sacraments you now have every right to lay claim to all the wonderful amazing blessings that are found \u201cin the sphere of Christ Jesus\u201d<\/em> your Lord.\u00a0 Is that a reason to \u201cboast,\u201d<\/em> my friends \u2014 to \u201cboast in the Lord\u201d<\/em>?\u00a0 It most certainly is!<\/p>\n The second answer to the question of why God\u2019s will for you is that you \u201cboast in the Lord\u201d<\/em> is found in the way Paul describes Jesus for us here in this text.\u00a0 He says concerning our Lord, \u201c\u2026who has become for us wisdom from God\u2014 that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Because God\u2019s grace and God\u2019s power have brought us into \u201cthe sphere of Christ Jesus\u201d<\/em> we are now able to see and to understand, we are now able to believe and to rejoice in true \u201cwisdom\u201d<\/em>\u2014 the \u201cwisdom\u201d<\/em> that comes to <\/strong>us from<\/strong> God!\u00a0 And what does this \u201cwisdom from God\u201d<\/em> reveal to us?\u00a0 What does this \u201cwisdom from God\u201d<\/em> give to us?\u00a0 This \u201cwisdom from God\u201d<\/em> reveals to us and gives to us, \u201crighteousness, holiness and redemption.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Take a moment to savor what that means, my friends.\u00a0 Even though the message of the cross is \u201cfoolishness to those who are perishing\u201d<\/em> the \u201cwisdom\u201d<\/em> that comes to us \u201cfrom God\u201d<\/em> reveals to you that through faith in what Jesus accomplished for <\/strong>you on the cross, the Lord God Himself has dressed you in a beautiful white robe of perfect \u201crighteousness.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0\u00a0 When the Lord looks at you, His children, He no longer sees the sins that you have committed, but rather He sees the \u201crighteousness\u201d<\/em> that His Son, your Brother Jesus, won for<\/strong> you!<\/p>\n Even though the message of the cross is \u201cfoolishness to those who are perishing,\u201d<\/em> the \u201cwisdom\u201d<\/em> that comes to us \u201cfrom God\u201d<\/em> reveals to you that through faith in what Jesus has done for<\/strong> you (pointing to the cross) you now have the \u201choliness,\u201d<\/em> you now have the \u201cperfection\u201d<\/em> that God requires to live in His heavenly Home.\u00a0 (See Leviticus 19:2; Matthew 5:48)\u00a0 You have been \u201cwashed clean\u201d<\/em> of all of your sins, you have been \u201cpurified\u201d<\/em> through the power of God working in Word and Sacrament.\u00a0 (See I Corinthians 6:11; Ephesians 5:25-28; Titus 3:3-7; I John 1:7)\u00a0 When you are summoned before the Judgment throne of God and He asks you, \u201cWhy should I let you live in My heavenly Home?\u201d the \u201cwisdom\u201d<\/em> that comes to you \u201cfrom God\u201d<\/em> will enable you to give the only correct, the only acceptable answer to that question\u2014 \u201cBecause your Son died for me<\/strong>!\u201d<\/p>\n Even though the message of the cross is \u201cfoolishness to those who are perishing,\u201d<\/em> the \u201cwisdom\u201d<\/em> that comes to us \u201cfrom God\u201d<\/em> enables you to look up at this cross and see God\u2019s personal guarantee that you have been \u201credeemed,\u201d<\/em> you have been \u201cbought back\u201d<\/em> from the power of sin, death and the devil \u201cnot with perishable things such as silver or gold\u2026but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect\u201d <\/em>( I Peter 1: 18, 19).\u00a0 Is this a reason to \u201cboast,\u201d<\/em> my friends\u2014 to \u201cboast in the Lord\u201d<\/em>?\u00a0 It most certainly is!<\/p>\n I am relatively confident that we all know someone who likes to boast about themself.\u00a0 I am also relatively confident that at one time or another we have all done a little boasting ourselves\u2014 some \u201cgood\u201d and perhaps some not so \u201cgood.\u201d\u00a0 My prayer this morning is that these words of Scripture will enable you to hear the voice of God the Holy Spirit as He says to you, \u201cGod\u2019s will for you is\u2014 be boastful!\u201d\u00a0 Don\u2019t boast in yourself, however, but rather, \u201cLet him who boasts boast in the Lord\u201d<\/em>!<\/p>\n To God be the glory!<\/p>\n Amen<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Fifth Sunday after Epiphany February 5, 2017 I Corinthians 1:26-31 Brothers, think of what you were when you were called.\u00a0 Not many of you were wise by human standards; 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