May 16, 2019 Show with Josh Moody on “Boasting: When We Boast Right, We Live Right, & We Bear Much Fruit to God’s Honor”

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This is Chris Arnzen your host of iron sharpens iron radio wishing you all a happy Thursday on the 16th day of May 2019 and I am very excited that we have a very first time guest today an iron sharpens iron radio

We have Josh Moody on the program. He is senior pastor of College Church in Wheaton, Illinois Founder and president of God centered life ministries and the author of burning hearts journey to joy

No other gospel and the God -centered life today. We are going to be addressing his latest book boasting

When we boast right we live right and we bear much fruit to God's honor

And it's my honor and privilege to welcome you the very first time ever to iron sharpens iron radio Josh Moody Hey Chris, thank you so much for having me on the program

It's just a real privilege to be with you and I've been looking forward to the chance to talk about God's Word and how it applies to Contemporary life and all that.

So thank you so much for this opportunity to converse with you My pleasure brother and if you could tell our listeners something about College Church in Wheaton, Illinois Yeah, because church is a historic church founded in 1860 by the same man who founded

Wheaton College. It's right next door to Wheaton College. It's a it's a larger church

It's a church with a big passion for God's Word expositional preaching and for outreach missions and You know, it's we've got a lot of college students, but we've also very much multi -generational a lot of families and I've been here now a little over ten years

Well, praise God now tell us something about God centered life ministries

Yeah, so this really came out of one of those early books He mentioned I wrote and first of all, it was, you know, just a web page and that sort of thing and then

I got approached by a Couple of radio executives a little over a year ago now a year and a half ago

They were they were listening to me preach at some conference I was at and they came and said to me look brother we're looking for a younger generation of expositors to get into this kind of media preaching ministry on radio and Through podcasts and everything and we really think you should consider it and so, okay

I better think about that Approaching me so I got to go some You know took some counsel some leaders and things like that and so about a year and a half ago, we transitioned that ministry to be a

Sort of media ministry of my sermons and that kind of thing So we're now on Moody radio and a few other programs.

We've been going, you know about nine months or so So we're pretty pretty early to that kind of game But it's been a good thing and the the goal is to get

God's Word out as far and wide as possible Well, praise God and for those of you who want to do some further investigation of College Church in Wheaton, Illinois that website is college church org college church org and The God centered life ministry website is

God centered life Or God centered life org and hopefully I will remember to repeat that information later on during the program

And by the way, just to satisfy the curiosity of those listening our guests today

I did some question asking of my own before he came on the air today and His assistant told me that he is not related to DL Moody And nor is he other than having a program on Moody radio nor is he the owner of the

Moody No, well what we do on iron

Sherpins iron radio when we have a first -time guest We have that guest give a summary of their salvation testimony before we go on to the main

Theme today, which is your book on boasting We would like you to give us

Some kind of an idea of what kind of religious atmosphere you were raised in and what kind of providential circumstances our sovereign

Lord Raised up in your life that drew you to himself and saved you. Yeah I grew up in a

Bible -believing home Church of England. Oh, yes, you can tell from my accent that I'm from England originally

So I thought Brooklyn, New York right away So You know, they read the

Bible to me before I could read godly parents That's the thing why I made a professional faith young like I guess a lot of people do from that sort of background

My There was I was at a my parents helped out of the teenage

Evangelistic campus sort of volunteer leaders and I've been put to bed for the evening and there was a evening talk

Given by a man called Clive Samson. He's now gone to be with the Lord He preaching to teenagers and I couldn't sleep.

I've never needed that much sleep and like obviously that night I couldn't sleep So I went downstairs and snuck into the back of the the talk and heard him

Give what's called the way talk in those contexts, which is an evangelistic appeal to give your life to Jesus and I did and so I've always been fascinated at my first step of faith and Jesus was an act of rebellion against being in bed

So there was that and then I you know, I guess like a lot of people I sort of struggle with assurance

Actually for many years probably about five years Christian have I really been Saved am

I really forgiven forgiven was the big thing for me and then one night when I was 13 I was lying asleep lying awake and just crying out to God saying to him over and over again

Lord Why haven't you forgiven me? Why haven't you forgiven me? And I You know,

I don't think I heard a physical voice but it felt like I heard a voice say I have and That was really the turning point in my life.

I began to do You know, I met I really began to live at that point so I came alive as a

Christian and Obviously, there's been a lot that's happened since but that's the beginning Now, how did you come to believe that you were receiving a call from God to enter into the ministry?

Oh, yeah. Well So very soon after that I went to English boarding school a bit like a

Yeah, I guess it's kind of close to a sort of New England prep school that kind of thing so I was sent away to boarding school when

I was young 13 and Soon after that experience with Jesus and so they have a they have a tradition of chapel each day

And you know, I don't think many there's a very old tradition. My school was founded in 1558

So, you know, it'd be a long time Doing this kind of thing and there were probably some Christians there but not many but you had to still go to chapel so everyone's kind of going for the motions and Often after that I got asked to give a talk in the chapel by by the by the chaplain,

I think one of the maybe it's the Christian little Christian group there and I said yes to that and so then you know that I'm suddenly giving us a little mini sermon in front of 500 teenagers and you know,

I was obviously scared out of my mind doing that and But I remember having done it that the feeling was there was something at work that wasn't me and I didn't know what that meant.

I didn't intend. I didn't know what a pastor was, you know, really I and I intended to be a lawyer initially.

I started to explore that being a lawyer in London and then

I went to university and then at university I got to ask to lead a Christian organization and I felt that was a key turning point to saying yes to ministry of some kind then

I did some mission work and trained academically did some academic ministry and Then I was working for a church running the college ministry there in my sort of mid -twenties

I suppose by now and I was asking God It's going walking out to an evening service there to hear one of the elders preach and I was asking

God Look, I want to serve you. I love you Help me see whether the right expression for my love for you is to Be an academic be a missionary or be a pastor just make it clear to me

And I walked into the service and the elder was preaching on John 21 and the way he preached It was if you love me,

I want you to feed my sheep That's like the clearest possible answers the prayer. It's like oh I get it.

Okay, I'm gonna feed your sheep So that's what I've been doing since well, praise God and Forgive me if you mentioned this in the description of College Church but having been raised

Anglican was there a either theological or ecclesiastical

Transformation or change in your life? Yeah, not not that not that I am trying to insinuate.

There's anything wrong with being Anglican I have I mean, well, there is something wrong with some Anglicans, but but I have

I have very strong Reformed Anglicans on this show quite often actually 39 articles men.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, right But if you could tell us something more about that part, yeah. Yeah. Thank you

Chris yet to clarify. That's really helpful. Yeah, so my Background in the church ring.

It was that kind of you know I don't really know Dick Lucas or John Stott or the

Proclamation Trust that we were just, you know reformed I mean it within Anglicanism has always been there's maybe more detail than anyone wants

But there's always been basically three streams. Yeah, there's been like the Jim Packer stream, which is the reformed basically

Puritans, you know That stream and that's kind of my background and then there's been a liberal stream and then there's been you know

A high church stream, which has been you know, everything but the Pope, but otherwise based Oxford movement

Exactly. And so there's always been those three elements in it I came from the reformed evangelical

John Stott Jim Packer kind of thing and But I am

Baptistic so I mean in my little before I called well before after I can't remember now, but sometime in mid -twenties,

I Got baptized because you know, I became clear to me in the

Bible that you know this is obviously a matter of division among evangelicals, so you know and and I've good brothers on the side of this particular fence, but you're asking me, you know, whether I'm still an anchor basically

So I you know, I could be certainly serve with Jim Packer very happily, you know But I wouldn't be on myself be able to baptize babies.

There's an issue of conscience for me I came out in my twenties and so I had to sort of think

I can't can't serve the Anglican Church as a pastor I'm more than happy to attend the Bible teaching Anglican Church, but And so then

I became Baptistic and college church had his own interesting history that you know It's a lot of Baptist influence, but we'll have proselytians involved and we have a prostitute, you know

Some prosecutors on staff and things like that yeah, it's kind of interesting that I typically rib my 39 articles

Anglican friends because I tell them that I can really adopt

The 39 articles even as a reformed Baptist because the article regarding baptism

Just says that we are not to forbid children from being baptized and I would never forbid a child who repented and believe ever

Doesn't use the term infants, of course, I know that Thomas I know that Thomas Cranmer and The Anglicans involved in those articles were pedo -baptist, but it's sure it's interesting that they didn't use the term infants yeah, and I think they weren't passionate about that by that stage and so it wasn't a

Yeah, so and in fact, I love telling my Liberal Episcopalian and also

Romish Oxford movement Anglican friends that I believe I'm more Anglican than they are because of the 39 articles

I agree with them more than they do Well quite yeah Yep, well this book

When people may initially either see it on a bookshelf, they may see it advertised somewhere on the internet or elsewhere

They may be hearing me speaking about it right now and and it seems That the majority of my listeners are theologically reformed judging from the correspondence that we have with them

I'm sure that some people might be having their eyebrows raised what boasting is he from?

Boasting I mean of Calvinists of all people are support even though there are many arrogant and proud

Calvinists among us we're supposed to be the most humble of Christians in regard to knowing that we did not contribute one single thing to our salvation at least to our regeneration and election and our justification but Tell us

What on earth led you to write a book about boasting and obviously when you read the subtitle there's got to be a better motive in mind than many people might immediately rush to Some people who might be fans of Joel Osteen and others like him might get a totally wrong idea, but if you could

Yeah, so when we both write we bear much fruition there To God's honor, so that's the sort of driving idea behind it.

Yeah, which is the subtitle. Yeah, and I'm reformed Baptist I understand that completely. I theologically, so So the the background story to this is that I was preaching on the text

Romans 5 Verse 2 working my way through Romans here at the church really pretty slowly got to Romans 5 verse 2, which is we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God and Of Course that word there rejoice is the same word as Paul's use earlier in chapter 3 when he says well

You know boasting is now excluded, but then you come to chapter 5 you say well actually I do both but we both about something with now it's a different kind of boasting we're boasting in God and And that that that sermon itself kind of caught fire in the corrugation and sometimes they do they do

You know, it's like something different happens and that would intrigue me and it set me on a sort of years research

Let's just look into what the Bible said both about the specific word

Boasting so, you know Paul of course in the Corinthian Correspondence uses that quite a lot He says

I boast, you know I boast in weakness for God's powers made perfect in my weakness and that was a particular insight was given to him

He talks about the Corinthians so that the Paul's understanding of boasting, but then also more broadly this idea of scripture and then the application to You know contemporary church life and contemporary

Life in our in our world in our culture That what does it mean for us today to to live for Jesus in a way?

That is promoting Jesus that isn't that isn't bashful. So I've I've become

I guess concerned that we're Falling one way or the other of a biblical balance on this issue

And I think the this idea of boasting the Bible can help us with it on the one hand as you Intimated there are probably some you know of us and maybe we're all tempted to sometimes who seems like we're coming across rather shrill

Maybe even a little arrogant like we you know, we're shouting to you know, all the social media

I think can kind of reveal a sort of Sometimes even a nastiness certainly an aggressive streak.

There's that extreme and then the other extreme is because it feels like The culture perhaps is not as friendly to all

Christians as it was even ten years ago about 20 years ago There's a tendency to sort of go into our shell to walk around defeated to not take on issues or Simply not to be just graciously evangelistic just to tell our friends about Jesus.

I mean, there's some Interesting statistics out there that show that you know, I'll get the exact numbers not right

But it's something like, you know, 60 % of Americans today are open to hearing someone tell them about Jesus But something like only 30 % of Christians will actually tell their neighbors about Jesus Disparity, you know and and so I'll be saying what what is the biblical response then?

I think it's this idea of boasted like we you know at the end of Matthew 28 Go into all the world make disciples all nations baptized in the name of the

Father the Son the Holy Spirit all authority in heaven and earth has been given to me therefore go and do this and You know, surely

I'll be with you always the end of the age is that kind of you know, full -orbed Unembarrassed Not bashful, but but humble graceful

Confidence that I think this idea of boasting there's probably other ways to get it to you But that that was the driving.

What can I do to try and help us as God's people be out there telling our friends about Jesus?

without any with without fear of you know pleasing people without being so people pleases but but gracious and humble and kind and So that's what

I really tried to achieve Yeah years ago John MacArthur Wrote a book with a very provocative title ashamed of the gospel

Many of us who profess to love the Lord We have repented very often of very scandalous wicked sins

Not all of us, of course, there are many who raised Christian who whose sins although equally damning we're perhaps more involving pride and and things like that not so overtly and scandalously wicked but What is amazing and I'm and I'm including myself in here

I'm not trying to point fingers just at everybody else, but it's amazing how we who are regenerate we who know

That we owe all to Christ how often we can fail to boast about him and For something as little as we don't want the sales clerk in the store to give us in a strange look

Or we don't want our family at the Thanksgiving dinner table to groan and Perhaps have a harsh word of retort and yet throughout history

And even today in certain parts of the world like the Sudan There are Christians who are actually being tortured and murdered for their faith and yet we for the slightest of ridiculous reasons are

Ashamed to boast about our precious Lord God Savior and King Yeah, absolutely.

I yeah, and you think on the global scale the

You know that the Christians of Burkina Faso that that pastor recently, you know, he was told recant of your faith who will die and decided to die and yeah, and You know what?

What do we say? So I think there is a need for us to just Not be defeated like we've got the greatest message in the world and I love that yeah, we should not be ashamed of the gospel and Why because it's the gospel because of what

God has done in our lives and I want to do everything I can in in in my preaching right now, but in my in this book really to exhort us to Stand tall and say look it's not

You know, Jesus is coming again, that's our great hope and therefore we're people of hope and yeah Things are going to get darker and worse in some ways because we know that's true, too

But we also know we're part of the kingdom method that's that's advanced the kingdom of all the power that God gives us

And do that with confidence and boldness, you know, Joshua, you know, they're great words to Joshua You know be strong and courageous.

Do not be frightened. Do not be afraid for the Lord You'll go be with you wherever you go. It's that sort of Message I think we need to we need to take on board and on the other hand, you know not go to the other extreme

Which is sort of, you know, needlessly offending people things other than the offense of the cross, you know that's what the cross is an offense and We draw a line there, but we're not gonna you know, sometimes people you know the old thing someone says they're being persecuted at work and you talk to them about how they're behaving and you realize they're not really

Being persecuted for being a Christian. They're being persecuted for being a pain in the neck And for robbing time from their employers by exactly.

Yeah So there's a balance in all this and I know and I'm sort of taking a little bit one side of that balance because I Think we've gone too much the other way in some circles, but you know

Yeah, well, we're gonna find out when we come back from our first break whether or not Jesus himself

Boasted if you'd like to join us on the air with a question for Josh Moody Our email address is

Chris Arnzen at gmail .com Chris Arnzen at gmail .com And as always remember, please give us your first name your city and state and your country of residence

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This is Chris Arnzen if you just tuned us in our guest today for the full two hours with about 90 minutes to go is

Josh Moody senior pastor of College Church in Wheaton, Illinois founder and president of God -centered life ministries and The author of a number of books including the one we are addressing today boasting when we boast right we live right and we bear much

Fruit to God's honor if you have a question for pastor Moody our email address is

Chris Arnzen gmail .com Chris Arnzen at gmail .com chris

Arnzen a gmail .com Please give us your first name at least your city and state in your country of residence if you live outside the

USA and only remain Anonymous if your question involves a personal and private matter so right before the break as you may remember pastor

Josh I asked you did Jesus boast Right. Yeah It depends how you define the word boast.

I mean if you think about it in terms of you know bragging then of course the answer is is is no because that would be sinful and So in that sense know that my answer must be that Jesus did not boast

But even you begin to think about in terms we were just defining earlier in terms of how Paul Talked about boasting his weakness this idea of promoting

Jesus of rejoicing the hope of glory or boasting the hope of glory As it would be more literally even that seems a little how do you understand that with Jesus life?

And isn't he the one who died on the cross, you know the man of sorrows who suffered you You know for the

Son of Man did not come to be served But to serve and to give his life as a ransom of many it doesn't feel like it's a core idea related to Jesus, but then then you think a little more clearly about Jesus life and You know put him in conversation with the

Pharisees He's pretty willing to to take a stand for what is right?

What is true? He's he's willing to Set his face to Jerusalem and to do what needs to be done and he isn't

Hiding away. He isn't like Saul hiding in the baggage, you know and not wanting to be not wanting to be called out to lead

Oh, he he leads he puts himself, you know, he goes first To the dangerous place first to the cross so in that sense he defined it and the way we are defining it then yeah

He did Yeah, and he of course Is the only man that has the right to boast?

of course, the only right we have to boast is to boast in the cross of our Lord, but His boasting is even seen clearly in his claims of being the exclusive Savior His claims that he is the way the truth and the life and that no one comes to the father but by him,

I mean today's modern liberal or They're more accurately should be called leftist

Mainline denominations of Christendom The way that Jesus describes himself in the scriptures and the

God -breathed inerrant word Our liberal friends and neighbors Do not want a

Jesus like that. They seem to want a Jesus that is so Unhistorically, you know unbiblically humble that he is willing to share the glory with Muhammad Buddha and even human beings and you know, not that Muhammad wasn't a human being but a regular average ordinary people who

May you know help fight against global warming or whatever. These people are

Sharing in Christ's glory in their minds Yeah, that's a great way of putting it because he

There's something Especially offensive about the claims that Jesus makes him about himself today

For so many people and yet he is the only one who can uniquely You know be at the center of the universe because he is

God incarnate and So for Jesus to make, you know, C .s. Lewis, you know for anyone to make the kind of claims that Jesus makes about himself

He's either mad bad or God. He's either Lord Lyle lunatic, you know, he's either is who he says he is or he's you know

Insane it along the same lines of a man who claims to be a poached egg or whatever it is

You know that line and so he And And when we see that Of course, and then our boasting is is orientating us, you know, you know the ministry

I run God sent of life I think often in terms of centralize upon God, but our boasting is a way of centering our life upon him we're pushing it what we're turning the headlights on him and we're promoting him and His glory and yet, you know, of course

Jesus, he is the one who is to be glorified and so You know take the structure of John's Gospel, for instance where you have, you know

You have an introduction the prologue and then you have conclusion and then in between you have you know often a structure like the book of signs the book of glory and So counterintuitive the whole you know

Now now is the hour for the Son of Man to be glorified and the whole the whole glory of Jesus comes through his death

Resurrection through the cross and in that he's glorified and so yeah, he very much

It is right for Jesus to claim central place and it is Right for his cross to be at the forefront of everything that we say and we do

Because when we boast we're promoting him and when he's to be glorified he he glorifies

Himself and and that's that's the way it should be and when he's glorified we are recentering our lives on the very very center of the universe well, we have a listener in Eastern Suffolk County, Long Island Ronald in Long Island, New York and Ronald asks

Do we not need to be very careful when we evangelize others that we do not

Speak or behave as if we are innately superior to them.

I understand that we are called to be more godly and more obedient and more holy than our lost neighbors around us, but the fact of the matter is

Innately we are very often no better sometimes worse than they are some of our atheist neighbors are better parents and better spouses and better at many things that we fail as Christians to do shouldn't the boasting be

Exclusively about a Savior who has also saved us from our own damnation

Yeah, well, absolutely. I agree. I agree with all that. I think that You know the famous phrase that evangelism is one beggar

Showing another beggar where they have found bread and that's what it is And you know,

I was sharing the gospel with someone last night who you know a friend Introduced me to him because he needed to talk through some things and you know, just saying very frankly look

You know, you're not coming to Jesus because you know, we found we're better. We're all in the same

We're all sinners the different the only difference is that that I know Jesus and I want you to know him, too

And so absolutely there's no we don't we don't Preach as if it's as if we're preaching us.

No, we we don't preach ourselves We we preach nothing but Christ and crucified but the the idea behind this posting is the confidence to actually

Like I did just last night to look our neighbor in the eye and just say

Look we can talk through all the different things you got going on in your life But the real thing that you need is spiritual power and that's going to come through a relationship with Jesus and that's what

I love for you to have and Being bold enough to say that even even in our relativistic pluralistic age

Even to an atheist and you know thinking about atheism You know

Bertrand Russell the famous atheist who said not enough evidence God not enough evidence That's what he'd say when he got to if he died and then met

God afterwards He'd say, you know, why didn't you believe in me? God would say to him his reply was not enough evidence

God not enough evidence his daughter wrote about about about him and said that She could never

Persuade him that she had found what he had been looking for and that She thought that he could never really get his mind around God because he had met so many

Christians Who to him seem to be killjoys and the sort of religious freaks who are always against everything against life

And we don't want to be like that at all. We need to commend Christ as people who've just found Found something beautiful.

We can't because we want to talk about it. It's so wonderful, but it's not about us at all It's he found me and here he is.

So I would agree with That that listener for sure. I'm grateful for his comment. I think that's right yeah,

I can recall a conversation with a lost individual

Very close to me where this person responded to my

Pleas for them to repent and believe upon Christ this person said to me You think you're better than me?

And I retorted with the statement. No, that is the opposite of the truth

I am the one between us who recognizes how wicked I am Yeah, and I mean

I'm not saying that I'm always that biblical and that Humble in my approach when dealing with unbelievers or with anybody else for that matter but That is

I think something that we have to remind our friends family and loved ones who? recoil and disgust or discomfort when we are evangelizing them that We are not saying hey

Be like me. I'm better than you We're saying I know that I was rescued from my sin from damnation

And I want you to share in that mercy. I want you to be rescued as well

Yeah, I think that's so powerful. So important. It reminds me a little of because I think sometimes the church has

Perhaps inadvertently maybe mistakenly but given the impression that what we're preaching is morality being good and And therefore people think whatever we say, they still think you're just saying, you know, be good and reminded, you know,

Lloyd -Jones once the great Welsh preacher Martin Lloyd -Jones once said that it's heresy to Expect a non -christian to behave like a

Christian There's you know We we need to be born again before we can For we can love the

Lord you God with all your heart so on mine but what the law does is a schoolmaster that leads us to Christ it humbles us and When the

Spirit of Christ convicts us we go. I've I really have messed up. I need help here and When you get to that place, you know, there's wonderful good news that there's an offer to you

You know even right now if you're listening that you know, you may think I went to church and so I'm just a good person

Well, let me let me boast in the cross of Christ to you that there is there is good news for you right now

If you repent and believe if you say Jesus, will you come and save me?

I need help, you know have mercy on me like the blind man have but just save me help me God and You know, the law promises that if you're genuine in their requests

He'll come and rescue give you his spirit and you begin a new life and it's got nothing whatsoever to do with You know me being better than you.

It's just that I've got a responsibility to tell you because I found this You know this this this great thing that I have

I've got to share because Jesus rescued me not because of anything I did and It's so important to get that the right way around that way that we're preaching news.

Good news. We're not preaching, you know Just like life improvement, you know, what's life change?

And I am very frequently guilty of the sin that Martin Lloyd -Jones described because I find myself all too often getting angry and frustrated with people who

I know people who I love and even strangers that I happen to be in a situation that's getting me upset for some reason

I All too often am expecting them to behave like Christians when

I know that they're lost And although we are definitely not to shy away from calling upon people to repent and to marking out and identifying

The ways that they are rebelling against God And of course some of those ways are even deadly to their physical life let alone their eternal spiritual life

We can't at the same time let ourselves get filled with frustration over Expect expectations that will never be met by unregenerate people, right?

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah I mean the great hope is the gospel. The great hope is Jesus and we've

You know, we've got to keep that at the At the front and center of the heart of what we're saying today

You know, it is true. It is true. I mean proverbial wisdom, you know Righteousness exalts a nation as sinners are approached for any people that there are the the universe it does function a certain kind of way and you know, if you if you

Get drunk every night. Your life is not going to go so well as if you Are more like a stoic and you know work hard and you know,

Benjamin Franklin You know early early to bed and what early to rise and early to bed makes one healthy wealthy wise whatever it is

I mean, that's true generally speaking But but but we're talking about something we're talking about life change or talking about heaven

We're talking about where you go after you die. We're talking about a new relationship with God We're not talking about making sure that your journey to hell is as good as it possibly can be

We won't rescue and and and so Yeah, and you know society will function better when it follows the makers instructions

But we still need rescue. We still need rescue I've I forgot to tell

Ronald in Eastern Suffolk County that you have won a free copy of the book boasting by Josh Moody Please make sure you give us your full mailing address there in Eastern Suffolk County so that we can have

CV BBS Dot -com ship that out to you. That's Cumberland Valley Bible Book Service CV BBS calm and We will make sure that that's shipped out as quickly as possible to you when we get your

Full mailing address. I love the cover by the way. It took me at least two minutes

To recognize the significance of the artwork on the cover. I Originally was wondering what are what are these?

These Leaves or is this a wheat field behind the word boasting and I recognize wait a minute.

That's a peacock. Those are peacock feathers Obviously a perfect symbol for boasting. Well, that's the public the publisher.

That was their artist and their idea They sent to me. I said, oh, that's brilliant. You know, well done. That's great.

So yeah, I agree. I thought was very clever Let's see here. We have BB in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania who asks is

It ever right to boast about ourselves When we are trying to defend ourselves against false

Accusations the Apostle Paul seemed to do that when he was being accused of things He was innocent of doing and he even went as far as to explain how he labored as a tentmaker

To earn money, even though he was not required of God to do that. Yeah, that's a great question

I think it is. I think it is sometimes right and I think that Because We because Jesus, you know went to the cross died

And took a lot of false accusation there and answered not a word when he was accused all sorts of things

We can apply that to every situation But there are times when as Christians when we're falsely accused when it is it is not only

Okay for us to defend ourselves it is our responsibility because You know if if if we're being accused as Christians Then we're not you know,

Paul that was was partly defending himself But but he was defending himself because he was defending the gospel

So he is a representative of Christ if he done these horrible things that he was being accused of if he'd sort of manipulated them and only not not

Accepted money because he wanted to somehow be superior to them or something like that And if he changed his plans in a worldly way and all these

If you know his preaching wasn't as impressive as these other guys because you know Actually, he what he's saying was their message

What their message his message wasn't as good as theirs is all that was true Then the message of Christ that he was preaching that that's undermined.

And so It is important that especially in those situations that we we come along and say no that we need to correct that and now that that's different from you know, often people accuse when they start defending themselves of being defensive and that could be used as a sort of barb to stop you saying anything, but it's

Often what people mean when they're saying someone's being defensive is they're sounding angry or you know

They he's protesting too much. There could really be something behind that So there are you know There are practical things you can do when you're being attacked or criticized and one that I learned from someone some years ago that I always

Do my best to apply perhaps don't always manage it, but I try to which is you know

Wait 24 hours at least just wait 24 hours because you know when someone says something really really gets to you

You just wait a little bit your blood calms down and then you can give a more reasoned response and But yeah, the short answer would be

I think that it is okay and sometimes it's a responsibility because If the church if Christians at large are being accused of being racist or immoral

We need to defend that because we're bearing the name of Christ, right and it's actually important Yes, and you're also

Possibly not necessarily but possibly stopping somebody else from sinning because they are committing

The sin of bearing false witness and if you just allow them to keep going and going and going

They're continuing in their sin. Yeah. Well, that's that's true, too. We do ever. Yeah Yeah, we got to carry our own load as Paul said

But also we got to bear the burdens of others and at times when we got to bear that burden say look I you know, you need to think about that because you know, this is she isn't right maybe you didn't realize it, but maybe you did but maybe you didn't and Here's here's what really happened and here's why

I really did this I think in Christianship circle sometimes I found this We have this tendency to go to motivation and we really need to resist that it is true that everything comes out of the heart, but the

Lord knows the heart I don't and You know, it's difficult enough for you to read your own heart

Oh and someone else's you don't know their motivation and people can go to motivations Someone does something while they're doing that because really, you know, their heart isn't in it all day and that could be very damaging

So we don't we want to judge by by but you know Be you don't want to you know, but when the famous kind of the verse that everyone knows these days is do not judge

You know, but that's often taking our context We do need to have critical mind whereby we can assess truth, but we don't go to oh

He's you know, this kind of person because he did this now that's up to God like God be the judge But we're we're we're taking on board a critical like that doesn't sound right because it doesn't square with Scripture So we have a critical mind without a critical spirit if that makes sense.

Yes, we have to judge rightly We're not yeah, right. In fact, it's it's it's somewhat humorous, but although it's not always humorous it could be in the mid admit in the middle of a

Intense argument there's somebody who's hurling insults at you but when people hurl the accusation at you you're judging and the correct response or at least accurate not necessarily correct all the time, but as far as the

Appropriate timing to say this but it would be a truthful statement to retort What are you doing right now?

You just you just accused me of judging you're you are judging you're making a judgment there

But we have to go to our middle break right now This is the longer than normal break that we have every day because grace life radio 90 .1

FM in Lake City, Florida Needs this middle break because they use this time to air their own commercials and public service announcements to localize

Iron Sherpins iron radio to Lake City, Florida, so please use this time wisely That not only write down questions for our guest

Josh Moody on his book boasting but also use this time To write down information provided by our advertisers so that you can more frequently and successfully

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Because that will further ensure that they will remain our advertisers which will further ensure that we will remain on the air

So, please remember to patronize our advertisers as often as possible would send in a question also to Josh Moody at Chris Ornson at gmail .com

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USA only remain anonymous if your question involves a personal and private matter We'll be right back after this station break with Josh Moody and more on boasting

Hey, this is Pete Orta former guitar player for the

Grammy Award -winning Christian rock band Petra I'd like to invite you to my new podcast called

Christian conversations unfiltered This channel is much different than my sermon podcast The episodes are intimate conversations with people who

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Conversations that might not only help you answer some relevant questions You might be struggling with but also help create some questions in your head that you might not have even ever thought of The purpose of this podcast is to help people apply their theology while broadening their biblical worldview.

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Rather than to order on the internet and they are continuing the phenomenal offer that they have

Uh, this is my favorite of all time biography A pastor in new york the life and time of spencer cohen.

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As I just mentioned in the title is spencer cohen. He was a pastor in new york city In the 19th century.

He was specifically the pastor of first baptist church of new york city and his book reads like the screenplay for and And I can't even come up with the best words to describe it like the screenplay for an absolutely amazing movie uh

It's I mean Spencer cohen was a school teacher He was a theater actor on stage in the 19th century.

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Uh back then they called them particular baptists and some churches still today use that term

He had a relationship with his wife that is very deeply moving And when he lost her when she came or should

I say when she went home to be with the lord The effect upon him was quite devastating and a very moving account to hear and I it brings

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Uh, I I just love this As I said, it's my favorite biography of all And remember if you're calling only call between 10 a .m.

And 4 30 p .m. Eastern time monday through friday We have just a few uh special announcements to make in regard to upcoming events that we want you to attend if at all possible

First of all one week from today Uh, my iron sharpens iron radio

Pastor's luncheon is being held in carlisle, pennsylvania At the carlisle fire and rescue banquet hall in carlisle, pennsylvania

And this guest speaker once again is dr. Tony costa professor of apologetics and islam at toronto baptist seminary

He's going to be speaking on the theme how the dead sea scrolls vindicate the reliability Of the bible.

This is absolutely free of charge to all men In ministry leadership, whether you are a pastor or an elder and I believe that's the same office by the way a deacon a leader in apparent church ministry

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And not only will you be hearing? Dr. Costa speak for free and not only will you be getting fed for free by our friends at firehouse subs in carlisle, pennsylvania

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Be assured that you'll get at least a dozen and probably more books So you'll be carrying home

One or two perhaps three heavy sacks of books all free of charge All of these books have been specifically selected by me from major christian publishers

And uh, this is all because my precious late wife in the 1990s Uh came up with the idea to have these annual luncheons which have now become biannual luncheons and uh

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So I hope that you could come Uh, send me an email to register at chrisarnson At gmail .com

chrisarnson at gmail .com put pastor's luncheon in the subject line uh

Then pastor then dr. Costa Will be speaking on long island, new york. He's leaving pennsylvania, and I am leaving with him and we're going to long island, new york uh to The conferences where dr

Costa will be speaking these events are not only for men as the luncheon will be These are for everybody man woman or child whether you're christian or not christian

Uh, they include these churches include new height park baptist church On long island awaiting river baptist church on long island hope reform baptist church in quorum long island and missio church out in east

Chesapeake county long island and ridge new york If you want a full itinerary of all the churches and all the topics uh that uh

Dr. Costa will be addressing during the speaking tour in new york Send me an email to chrisarnson at gmail .com

chrisarnson at gmail .com and put dr. Costa's Itinerary or something like that in the subject line

Then right after that I am packing up my bags and returning to pennsylvania But this time to elizabethtown pennsylvania at the elizabethtown college.

I will be attending the east coast ministers conference of the banner of truth The theme is I believe in the holy spirit the speakers include jeff kingswood terry johnson david vaughn stephen nichols michael morales and chad vegas and uh

If you would like to register for this event, it's tuesday may 28th through thursday may 30th

Uh that uh is being held at the elizabethtown college as I said in elizabethtown pennsylvania

And for more details, but go to banner of truth .org Banner of truth .org

click on events then scroll down to east coast ministers conference Then after that, uh, well a few months after that i'm going to be heading back to new york city my old stomping grounds to attend the foundations conference a conference held by or orchestrated by Sermon audio .com

in manhattan on thursday and friday december 19th and 20th And what a beautiful time of the year to go to manhattan

The speakers include dr. Stephen j lawson who you've been hearing every day Promote new covenant church nyc one of our advertisers here on iron trip and zion radio

He's the founder of one passion ministries and one of the finest preachers alive today paul washer who is another extraordinary preacher

Reverend jeff thomas another extraordinary preacher reverend armand tamasian who I keep telling you

I think he's going to be a household name over the next decade because he is a remarkably powerful and gifted preacher

With gifts and abilities and talents far beyond his youth And I assure you that he's going to be

Well known amongst reformed christians over the next 10 years. He is so profound in his abilities

Richard caldwell jr. And andrew quigley are two more men on the lineup I don't know them.

I've never heard them speak. But since sermon audio selected them. I am sure they are really gifted

Preachers of the gospel because sermon audio is known for their discernment And I am quite confident that you will be blessed by them as well

If you want to register for the foundations conference do it quickly because they can only hold less than 200 people in this venue in manhattan

That's thursday and friday december 19th and 20th in new york city go to the foundations conference .com

the foundations conference .com Then in january i'm heading out to the g3 conference where i'll be manning a iron sharpens iron exhibitors booth

That's thursday january 16th through saturday. January 18th. The theme this january is worship matters

And this is going to be held at the georgia international convention center In college park, georgia a suburb of atlanta.

They are expecting over 5 000 people again So i'm looking forward to manning my exhibitors booth for iron trip and zion radio there

Again, as I have been very fond of doing every year for the last number of years

On the roster is kosty hin a name that may be new to many of you, but his last name is probably

Recognizable for a bad reason his uncle is the notorious charlatan benny hen And his nephew kosty has renounced the word of faith heresies of his youth that he was raised in He has become a reformed baptist and a cessationist

And he spends much of his time exposing the dangerous and damning and deadly heresies of the word of faith movement including those of his own uncle

And he is on this roster at the g3 conference by the way That stands for gospel grace and glory in case you're wondering

He's on the roster david miller a fine preacher of the gospel Derek thomas who everyone listening who's reformed is likely to recognize that name my dear friend.

Dr James r white of alpha and omega ministries who has been one of my closest friends since the 1990s Another friend of mine since the 90s.

Uh, dr. Joel beeky is on the roster And uh, josh bice the founder of the g3 conference

Once again, paul washer and stephen. J. Lawson are on the roster at this conference as well

Uh, dr. Tom askel the executive director of founders ministries the calvinistic ministry within the southern baptist convention and reverend vody baucom who is somebody that everybody should get to Become familiar with he is one of the finest preachers also alive today

Uh, I also recommend that you not only register but if you have a business or parachurch ministry

Or other organization that you want to promote To the body of christ since the g3 conference draws a crowd of over 5 000 people

Every year I would strongly recommend that you register for an exhibitor's booth while they still have room Uh, the website is g3 conference .com

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You are living in rebellion against god. So please rectify that I have lists of biblically faithful churches all over the world and I can help you find a church

I was amazed at god's providence just yesterday. I think it was or perhaps the day before I got an email from somebody in england looking for a church and it just so happens that this brother in england

Lives 60 seconds away from the church now pastored by my former pastor here in carlisle, pennsylvania

Who accepted a call to the north preston evangelical church in england? so That was quite a remarkable providence, but I've I have lists of biblically faithful churches all over the world

I've helped many people in our audience find churches not only Where they have become members but also where they are vacationing and then they need to visit a church

Outside of their local area so I can help you send me an email to chrisarnsen at gmail .com And put

I need a church in the subject line And that's also the email address where you could send in a question to our guest today.

Josh moody That's chrisarnsen at gmail .com chrisarnsen at gmail .com and please as always give us your first name city and state and country of residence

If you live outside the usa Don't uh only remain anonymous if your question involves a personal and private matter

Uh, let's see here uh, we have Uh We have grady in ashborough, north carolina

Who says brother chris and pastor josh moody. I heard on dr. Michael horton's show core christianity

That 60 percent of millennials don't believe it's right to share the gospel according to a pew research survey

When god reached down and pulled me out of the miry clay and made me a new creation I have found that I can't stop boasting about our lord.

Jesus christ. Why do you think a majority of christian millennials? Would not see the command to share the good news of the of god

Yeah, I mean i'm sure I know michael a little bit. I'm sure he's accurate in quoting that statistic. I haven't I haven't seen it myself.

Um, but it doesn't It doesn't surprise me That kind of idea. I think that it's just a reflection of an ideology that's become prevalent

It's you know, it's kind of worked its way down from secular universities and graduating to popular culture, which is you know, what's known as relativistic post -modernity which is basically um that there are many different paths to god

You don't have a right to impose Your viewpoint on someone else to do so is arrogant number one number two potentially dangerous um, if there's no ultimate truth, then any claim to any kind of ultimate truth is

Not only arrogant, but it's also dangerous because it's a kind of power move. You're really asserting your own um tribe your own, um uh privilege uh over someone else

And you know that it's just live and let live everyone has their own viewpoint don't insert your don't assert your viewpoint someone else

So that's where it comes from And you know, so I guess the sort of follow -up question to that would be so what do we do about that?

I think what we do about that is we just need healthy churches while the bible is taught where people come across christ and uh through his word encounter him as the way the truth in life and um

And there are many millennials, you know who are there as well, so You understand that and are witnessing about jesus

Um, but I think that's the reason why it's because of what's called resinistic post -modernity And I think we obviously cannot rule out the fact that many of these

Professing christians who are millennials are not even christian at all Uh, they may have been raised

In christian homes and just think that they're christian because they've been told their entire lives by their parents and their family

And then and they're pastors and members of their church that they're christians Right, and they think well i'm i'm not a muslim.

I'm not a jew. I'm not a hindu or a buddhist I'm, not an atheist. So i'm a christian right, uh, and because uh,

I can't imagine I mean I know that we do not reach sinless perfection on this earth by any stretch of the imagination

But it's hard for me to imagine A genuinely born again person with the indwelling of the holy spirit uh

Would come to a conclusion that I am not supposed to be telling others about this Wonderful glorious christ and his gospel that rescued me

From sin, uh death and damnation. It's just hard for me to wrap my head around. Yeah. No, I understand

I think that's I think there's a lot to that and I And so these statistics can be i'm always a little cautious until you know, if I took the time to look at the definitions, you know what they mean by christian and and You know, how do they define that define that by someone saying they're christian or they define it by?

someone, um, you know attending church a certain number of times they're defining it by uh doctrinal belief system that you know, and so it becomes uh

Difficult to know but there does seem to be I think there's some truth that does it does seem to be you know, the

Statistics I quoted earlier about you know, um 60 something percent of non -christians want to hear the gospel but you know 30 something percent of of christians only feel like they

You know want to share the gospel that kind of thing. There's something in the air Right now that makes that spiritual conviction that a real christian does have

Sort of harder to push against and again, that's that's sort of why I I i'm trying to say look

That's this boasting idea boasting the gospel of the glory of god boasting in christ Let's let's get ourselves out there to actually talk about what we know and if you if you talk about it in the in the most basic terms, you know, even if you

You just found um a beautiful piece of artwork or amazing. Um a piece of music you're going to want to share that well, how

How much more? Would you want to share uh, jesus it doesn't mean you have to shove him down the throat of someone you're you're you're one beggar sharing

Talking to another beggar about where you have found bread Amen, and i've even heard the analogy given of uh a soldier returning from war

And one of his comrades in arms had rescued him from certain death uh on the battlefield and Much to his own peril perhaps the person who rescued the returning soldier was in fact killed

Uh, but in the act of his heroic deed and a man like that uh returning home is surely not going to uh remain quiet about this this precious hero this comrade -in -arms who gave his own life to rescue him and jesus christ's rescuing us his people from our sin death and damnation through his uh act of Redemption his voluntary death on calvary's cross.

Uh is infinitely greater than even a very precious and vital uh

Act of heroism by a human soldier. I mean jesus christ's act of Mercy upon us is something that is

Infinitely and far greater than anything any human can do and yet we keep our mouths shut uh for many reasons, uh, one thing

I don't know if you have heard this or have experienced this but I know that i've said this on this program before but a bit of good news that I heard from a uh a gentleman, uh who has a campus ministry

At least he he did when I heard him a couple of years ago. He ran a campus ministry at princeton university, which is now obviously predominantly a very liberal institution and in fact, you might even say apostate in many circumstances but you

He was he was sharing something that I found surprising in a good way. He he said that the lost who are millennials

But who are being drawn who are who are becoming interested In christianity and who are desirous of going to visiting a worship service on a regular basis and so on he interestingly enough said that Not all of course, but many a very high percentage of millennials in that category do not want the

The flashing lights and the smoke machines and the hard rock bands performing on stage and all the all the

Insanity that sometimes takes place in what passes for modern evangelicalism. They actually want traditional

Uh church services, they want hymn singing they want reverence They want people especially those who are preaching and leading worship to be dressed

In a reverent fashion, you know, I mean I was very surprised to hear that have you've heard or experienced the same thing

I think that's certainly uh true that a lot of these Uh, yeah,

I I think I would resonate with that's the core idea there that what I found is, you know,

I did I did a church revitalization in new haven right next to yale university.

I was there for about nine years and we Did a you know took the god by his grace it took the you know church replant from very very small to you know really pretty pretty good sized church and Um, we saw a number of people.

Um come to christ students young folk. It was predominantly young lot By a lot, you know hardly anyone over gosh over 35 or 40 hardly anyone everyone was in their 20s

Maybe 30s just about with a few exceptions And um, you know people said well, what do you do?

Well, what we did was we preached the word and you know, we tell people about jesus and you know, that was kind and we certainly had no smoke machines and um, and I think that there's a there's a hunger for um clarity and um authority

And uh conviction And what you're seeing with some of this statistics is you know there are people who grew up in evangelical circles who haven't really

You know I want to say to people sometimes, you know, are you a christian but can you tell me? um the story of How jesus met you?

Can you tell me a story about that and often they have no story about that So I don't actually think this person's regenerating.

It's up to god to know but they don't they don't actually know jesus They may they may have grown up in evangelical church, but they don't know jesus

And of course then, you know for them. It's sort of like a cultural thing It's like I don't like this bit of the culture.

I don't like this bit of the culture. I don't And they haven't actually met jesus where if you find someone who comes from You know, i've got stories on minds and individuals, but if you find somebody who comes from you know, very

Far -flung kind of lesbian background unconverted meets christ just Falls in love with him and the life has changed and that's very different from someone who grows up you know a very different set of someone who grows up in the church and then sort of begins to play with some of these other ideas out there and explore things and And you know, it's just the old story

I think of the prodigal son the the prodigal comes back in some ways. It's much easier

I mean, it's a difficult thing for that person to be humble enough come to their senses and make their journey back but for the older brother

And a lot of these statistics I think are kind of older brother statistics really Well, thank you grady in ashborough, north carolina.

You have also won a free copy of boasting When we boast right we live right and we bear much fruit to god's honor by our guest

Josh moody and we want to thank again our dear friends at christian focus For donating these books that we have been given away.

In fact christian focus uh also Donated a hundred copies

Of a book by flip michaels that we are giving out to all the pastors

That are attending the iron trip and zion radio free men's ministry luncheon

Uh And that's next thursday one week from today. Uh, we thank christian focus for annually annually donating books for our pastor guests

So, uh, we will never be able to thank them enough for their generosity and their kindness and their interest in their very deep interest in blessing the lives of pastors, so we uh,

We thank you very much. Uh donny and the folks at christian focus for all

For all what you do to bless the body of christ And uh, we are going to a very brief break right now

And if you could hold on pastor josh, we're going to be for sure We're going to be back in just a few minutes

And if anybody wants to send in a question do it now or so ever or forever hold your peace because we're rapidly running out of time

Our email address is chrisarnson at gmail .com Chris arnson at gmail .com and please give us your first name your city and state and your country of residence

If you live outside the usa Please only remain anonymous if your question involves a personal and private matter

Don't go away. God willing. We'll be back with pastor. Josh moody right after this brief Station break, so don't go away

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Yeah, so, you know in this book i'm looking at how the bible as a whole encourages us to promote

God as it were to center our lives upon god And if you look in the old testament scriptures, you come across some very brave people there and you know

I mentioned earlier in the program, uh, joshua who's told By god to be strong and courageous do not be frightened.

Do not be afraid For the lord your god be with you wherever you go and joshua is a good one good example of this centering your life upon Uh god, and of course the prophetic word let him who boasts boast in the lord and you see that that um raising the flag that building the altar that Um pilgrim journey that is, you know, the book of hebrews puts it they're looking for a city that they that is

Not that not the earthly city that confidence in god among the godly, uh people in the old testament

Um that we know is fulfilled in christ in the cross. Do you see that same? um committed brave faith, uh

Predominantly work in the old testament as well Um You uh also have uh, some ancient stories, uh about boasting that you include including jonah esther and hannah

Yeah, well look at this the narrative stories there in terms of you know, how um

Esther I mean what a what a story of of course famously that the name god doesn't appear in the book of esther

But what a story of of bravery of uh, you know for such a time as this

That she was put there by god's providence and his sovereignty and um, you know, what a word to You know someone who perhaps wonders

What their why they are where they've been put what could be their possible purpose of this situation?

It could be that the reason why god has put you there is so you could be bold for the gospel

You can be brave for the gospel. You can stand up And you know for what is right and true and godly in the situation even if it's not one that you would have picked

And she she didn't want to do that But she she was put there by god and for such a time as this she became a vehicle for god's

Uh rescue of his people in those days. So yeah, absolutely the stories Uh of uh of the old testament as well.

Now, what do you mean by the psychology of boasting? Yes, I I try and get into the you know, the word psychology, you know, i'm just using in terms of the soul the psyche um, not getting into some freudian or jungian psychology, but just talking about the soul the psyche and um, you know when we um

Follow god by faith Um, he you know comes into our into our lives by his holy spirit

Gives us a new set of what was called affections for him and a new set of desires for him and that um,

Leads us then to be the sort of people who live with uh with bravery for him

And so we have the sense of assurance uh, the the fruit of the spirit love joy peace all this this

The internal life of the christian that is now because it's now centered upon god now increasingly

Is shaped after the the beautiful soul that we we desire to have in relation with god and and And in and as we walk through this world

Why is it uh that Romans chapter 5 verse 2 is such a key text regarding this subject

Well, you know, uh paul there he's arguing about the gospel says we rejoice in the hope of the glory of god and romans 5 1 to 11 is a

Celebration of what the gospel Has has done so you get this, you know, the the first part of romans

Uh, you know end of romans 3 describes the gospel Well now there's boasting now is excluded because it's all by grace and then chapter 4

He describes how in the life of abraham and a little bit in david how this how this gospel worked out

So he's and then in chapter 5 he he comes to assurances I am so I can be so confident in my relationship with god because what god has done that I can actually

Stand I am standing in the in the in the palace with the king. I'm not i'm no longer

Embarrassed i'm no longer shy about my relation god i'm in the very throne room of the king

I've got i've got the i've got new set of clothes on me I'm no longer wearing the the ragged old immoral beggar's clothes.

I'm i'm in the palace. I'm not hiding in a corner I'm standing in the throne room with him not not arrogantly among himself

But boasting in the hope of the glory of god through jesus christ and and that's how christians are to live and um

Not not in ourselves in any way whatsoever, but in what god has done Therefore we can live with great confidence and bravery and it's my hope that as people read this book

They will have that Experience of the gospel and therefore live with confidence

On account of what christ has done in their lives We have rj in white plains, new york who says in luke chapter 18

We have the classic story About the pharisee and the tax collector both praying in the temple

And christ has some harsh words About the pharisee who was boasting about himself and thanking god that he was not like the tax collector who was also praying and the tax collector

Just said god be merciful to me a sinner and jesus said that the tax collector was the one who was saved

Even though there was arrogance involved in the pharisee's prayer and he considered himself to be superior

To the tax collector. Is it not correct to pray to god in thanksgiving that we have been spared from being

Sinful in other ways that others are very much involved in yeah, well for sure and there's lots of lots there, but one of the interesting things about the

Pharisee's prayer is he hardly he hardly talks about god at all. It's all about himself Right. He's hardly praying.

He's really just sort of saying hey, by the way god aren't I great? you know, it's not it's not even prayer really and um

And yet, uh the tax collector where he's praying and of course on the other side of that prayer of repentance

There's great rejoicing. So the the the tax collector is you know, because of faith is not thank you god

Thank you so much. And and all all the the praises of the psalms that of of The the the doxologies in the new testament.

Absolutely We are people of joy because of what's god's god's done Of course that they they kind of what

I call the negative boasting of that tax collector Which is boasting yourself There's no joy in that because you know

You're not really who you're pretending to be but now you'll be able to be honest about who you are And repent of those sins and then you and and god has mercy on you

And then at the other side of that prodigal coming home, there's a party there's celebration. There's joy

So absolutely. Yeah, we we boast in the hope of the glory of god. And finally, what is the future of boasting?

What is the future of boasting? Yeah, I just talk about there, you know There's a chapter in the in the book there where I talk about how if if we live like this, you know

If we're more evangelistic if we're more, um active in our faith, then there's a then there's a huge impact

It can have in our lives as individuals and our life as a church on the on the on the impact on the kingdom

We'll be sending out more missionaries. Let's you know people god Let's be brave for the gospel and let's and let's in that sense boast in in christ

Well, if you could just summarize in about a minute or so What you most want etched in the hearts and minds of our listeners today regarding our subject on boasting?

Yeah, I think you know, um So Boasting if we boast right we live right and bear much fruit to god's honor

And if that's true as i'm contending it is if that's true then let us in both hands grasp hold of the gospel and live with passion and Commitment to that gospel in our daily lives at work at home in the church

Well, praise god. I want to make sure that our listeners once again hear your contact information if you would like to visit

The college church in wheaton, illinois, or if you have friends and family Uh and loved ones that live near there or in there

Uh, the church website is college -church .org college -church .org

And the god -centered life website is god -centered life .org god -centered life .org.

Don't forget about christian focus publications Uh who published the book we are discussing boasting

That's christianfocus .com christianfocus .com Our you our uk listeners can order directly from there

That book, but you could also get it here in the united states at cvbbs .com Cvbbs .com

I want to thank you so much pastor josh for being our guest today And I want to thank everybody who listened today

Especially those who took the time to write in questions And I want you all to always remember for the rest of your lives that jesus christ is a far greater savior