ALL MY BOAST IS IN JESUS (Jeremiah 9:23-24)

the the members of 12 -5 church the covenant members of 12 -5 thank you so much for serving the

Lord because essentially gathering together as the Saints we do this out of love and reverence to what

God has called us to do amen got a couple amens out there thank you thank you so thank you thank you and so as covenant members we're being obedient to what the writer of Hebrew says not to get neglect the gathering together of the

Saints so when we come together we are bringing our gifts to serve and love one another so I just want to thank you so much members of 12 -5 church and if you're a guest or regular attender

I just want you to know that you are loved too and if you get a chance please fill out one of our connect cards that way if you have any questions we'd love to reach back out to you and answer those and if you have a prayer request we'd love to pray for you and we look forward to getting to know you as well and so with all that being said our prayer this morning is that we would all grow in the grace and knowledge of our sovereign triune

God amen as we kick off every service we want to take time for praying for another church this is really important to us because we want to be ecumenical as much as possible we want to unite together in partnership with other evangelical churches we are utilizing this time to say hey there's another church around the corner in the community and we are in partnership with them at least around the gospel on the main thing and so this morning

I want us to lift up Christ Redeemer Church here in town and so if you would join me in prayer

Heavenly Father we just want to lift up Christ Redeemer God we have so many wonderful brothers and sisters that attend this church and and God just want to thank you for that partnership

God I pray that this morning that they would herald your truth and that the

Saints would be edified God it's been made known to me they've just asked for prayers of just God you blessing them

God that they would steward the people that you have entrusted to them and God I just pray that they would focus on spiritual growth and God and you will take care of the rest

Lord I just pray that we as 12 five can continue to be an encouragement to them

Lord we love you and pray all these things in your name amen last week and God has just been bringing people this way but God is saving people that God is saving some of the children in our midst

God is saving adults and bringing them into membership here as a church and so later on at the end of the service we actually have four new members that we will be bringing to the membership and affirmation but right now we have one of two baptisms today we're gonna have one at the beginning of the service and we're gonna have one at the end of the service kind of sandwich the service together right that's a good that's a good thing so Ryan if you wouldn't mind coming on up here but some of y 'all have seen

Ryan and and Raeann that's to pronounce it right right sometimes I say it wrong but Ryan and Raeann have been coming now for a few a few weeks maybe a couple months now y 'all have gone through the new membership class and all that goes with it but talking with Ryan Ryan is professing

Christ as his Savior he's he is his trust is in Christ and Christ alone and and he has desired to now be baptized as an act of obedience to his

Savior that pictures the glorious gospel in which Christ has saved him through is that all correct

I got it all right Ryan let's step into the waters here I hope you have a towel up here all right we can bring that on up come on up here and go ahead and sit down let's scoot up just a touch there you go well

Ryan I'm gonna ask you once again is your faith in Christ and Christ alone is he though the only righteousness that you have amen well brother

I'm excited to be able to baptize you in the name of the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit buried with baptism raised to walk in newness of life you step out front where the rug is that way you don't slip and all

God's people said all right if you would please stand for our call to worship this morning this is a time where we want it to be corporate so not just hearing me not just hearing somebody else but we get to engage with this together our call to worship this morning comes from lamentations starting in chapter 3 verse 21 this

I call to mind and therefore I have hope the Lord never ceases his mercies never come to an end they are new every morning your faithfulness the

Lord is my portion says my soul before I will hope so if you would let's now begin to prepare our hearts to go to the

Lord in a prayer of adoration giving God reverence on high because he is holy let's pray

Heavenly Father thank you so much for your grace and allowing us to be able to gather together and God Saints all across the world face all kinds of persecutions that we cannot imagine and yet you allow us to be able to gather together in this building that we do not deserve

God you you deserve all the glory God please teach us that your grace is sufficient in all things

God I prayed that this morning that you would help us remove all distractions and that we'd be focused on you

Jesus Lord we love you we pray all these things in your name amen does what love is this that Christ would die for me his goodness his merit his righteousness the sinners only please

Oh foolish pride crucified my post is in Jesus this is love

Oh Oh ♪ The cross has done ♪ ♪

Now fully forgiven my life is filled ♪ ♪ But grace is undeserved ♪ ♪

For mercy hath broken that sacred oath ♪ ♪ And praise is now returned ♪ ♪

Rise up my soul and bless the Lord ♪ ♪ And bless His wording ♪ ♪

All my boast is in Jesus ♪ ♪ All my hope is

His love ♪ ♪ And I will glory forever in what the cross has done ♪ ♪

Praise the one forever ♪ ♪

Bless Him alone my heart adores ♪ ♪

And I will boast in nothing less ♪ ♪

Than the love of Christ my Lord ♪ ♪

Praise the one forever ♪ ♪

Bless Him alone my heart adores ♪ ♪

And I will boast in nothing less ♪ ♪

Than the love of Christ my Lord ♪ ♪

I boast now in riches and strength or might ♪ ♪ But in the grace of God I glory in weakness to live as Christ ♪ ♪

That I may know that all may see His power within me ♪ ♪

All my boast is in Jesus ♪ ♪ All my hope is

His love ♪ ♪ And I will glory forever in what the cross has done ♪ ♪

Now I stand in His freedom ♪ ♪ And there's a healing inside of me ♪ ♪

For my boast is Jesus Christ ♪ ♪ My boast is

Jesus Christ ♪ ♪ Forever my boast is Jesus Christ ♪

Let's sing this song together. ♪ His our hope in life and death ♪ ♪

Christ alone, Christ alone ♪ ♪ What is our only confidence ♪ ♪

That our souls to Him belong ♪ ♪ Who holds our days within His hands ♪ ♪

What comes apart on His command ♪ ♪ And what will keep us to the end ♪ ♪

Is the love of Christ in which we stand ♪

Let's sing this with all. ♪ Oh, sing hallelujah, our hope springs eternal ♪ ♪

Oh, sing hallelujah, now and ever we confess ♪ ♪

What truth can calm the troubled soul ♪ ♪

God is goodness, God is good ♪ ♪ And is

His grace and goodness known ♪ ♪ Then our grave redeems one ♪ ♪

Who holds our faith when fears arise ♪ ♪ Who stands above the stormy dry ♪ ♪

Who sends the waves to bring the sky ♪ ♪ Into the shore where the rock of God lies ♪ ♪

Oh, sing hallelujah, our hope springs eternal ♪ ♪

Oh, sing hallelujah, now and ever we confess ♪ ♪

Christ our hope and life and death ♪ ♪

Unto the grave what shall we sing ♪ ♪

Christ, He lives, Christ, He lives ♪ ♪ And what reward will heaven bring ♪ ♪

Everlasting life's in this with us ♪ ♪ Then we will rise to meet the

Lord ♪ ♪ Then sin and death will be destroyed ♪ ♪

And we will feast and then destroy ♪ ♪ When Christ is ours forevermore ♪ ♪

Oh, sing hallelujah, our hope springs eternal ♪ ♪

Oh, sing hallelujah, now and ever we confess ♪ ♪

Christ our hope and life and death ♪ Sing that one more time. ♪ Oh, sing hallelujah, our hope springs eternal ♪ ♪

Oh, sing hallelujah, now and ever we confess ♪ ♪

Christ our hope and life and death ♪

Our scripture reading this morning comes from 2 Corinthians chapter 12.

Beautiful passage. This is the passage where the apostle Paul talks about the thorn in his side, but he rests in the grace of God.

We begin by reading, Paul says, I must go on boasting though there is nothing to be gained by it.

I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord. I know a man in Christ who 14 years ago was caught up into the third heaven.

Whether in the body or out of the body, I do not know. God knows. I know that this man was caught up into paradise.

Whether in the body or out of the body, I don't know. God knows. And he heard things that cannot be told which man may not utter.

On behalf of this man, I will boast. But not on my own behalf,

I will not boast, except of my weaknesses. Though if I were to boast,

I would not be a fool, for I would be speaking the truth, but I refrain from it, so that no one may think more of me than he sees in me or hears from me.

So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from being conceited.

Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me,

My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities.

For when I am weak, then I am strong. So I want us to now pray together corporately at confessing our sins before God.

But we don't just rest in that confessing our sins and being overwhelmed with how our own heart condemns us.

But we look to Christ. We look to the assurance that for those that are in Christ Jesus, there is no condemnation.

Amen. So let's go together to the Lord in prayer. God, we go to you to confess our sin.

And we know this truth that you are faithful and just to always forgive. God, we have so much sin day in and day out, week by week.

God, many of us call one another and tell us about the sin that creeps into our lives.

God, we long for glory one day. God, please preserve us. Please help us, as the Apostle Paul said, to boast in our weaknesses,

God, because then we look to you, Christ. We look to you and your truth and your word and we understand that,

God, you know all things and you tell us that there is ultimate peace, ultimate shalom, restoration in you,

Christ. God, please help us to rest in that this morning. We pray this in your name, Jesus. Amen.

My true world

I ever with Thee And Thou with me,

Lord Thou my great Father's Son Thou in me dwelling

And Thou the riches

I need not And Thee, great inheritance

Now and always Be first in my life

Thou King of heaven My treasure

Thou art King of heaven

Thy vict 'ry won May I reach heaven's joys

O bright heaven's sun Still be my vision

O ruler of all Be first Still be my vision

O ruler Sing this song with me.

Lord, early in the morning

Our song shall rise to Thee Wee, holy, holy

Merciful and my God In three persons

Blessed Trinity Behold, behold the darkness hide

Thee Though the eye of sinful man

Thy glory may not see

O heart holy

There is none beside Thee Perfect in power and Loving Holy, holy

Lord God Almighty All Thy works shall praise

Thy name In earth and sky and sea

Holy, holy, holy

Merciful and my God In three persons

Blessed Trinity Again, Father, we boast in Jesus' name this morning,

Lord. All of our boast is in Jesus. We boast of nothing else.

Lord, we are so grateful to have this opportunity to come here this morning and gather and sing praises and boast in You all together.

It's so awesome. We're so blessed and we're so thankful. Lord, I want to thank

You personally for saving my soul. Thank You so much. So unworthy, undeserving, yet I'm so grateful.

Lord, I pray this morning that You would bless this offering that we're about to take up, Lord. Lord, I pray after we take this offering up and Pastor Nathan comes and preaches

Your word boldly this morning, Lord, I pray that You would just use him, be a mouthpiece,

Lord. Lord, I pray that You would just help us to take in Your word this morning,

Lord, and absorb it. We love You. We praise You. I give

You all these praise. I boast in Your name, in Jesus' name, and all of God's people said.

As the guys are coming through, taking up the offering, I'll point out the fact that many of you know we've been taking a break from our study through the book of Ephesians.

We've spent all last year and then the beginning of this year trying to get through Ephesians, and we've taken a break.

But don't worry, we're going to be back into it in April. We're jumping back in because we're doing a bit of a mini -series, as I said last week, within the bigger series of Ephesians because we want to talk about God's design for the family.

As we've gotten to that portion in chapter 5 of Ephesians. So you'll just have to wait. You'll have to come back and be a part of that.

We're looking forward to that series and getting back into that book. In the meantime, this gives us a chance as the elders to look at maybe some texts that have been on our hearts and minds individually as we've been studying through God's word and gleaning from the

Lord and from His truth. Last week we saw Pastor Keith as he preached from Psalm chapter 2, seeing how this was a passage he'd been talking about for quite some time building up.

He had been meditating on this text, and I, for one, was greatly encouraged by that exposition.

If you missed last week, you can go online and watch that. I highly encourage you to do that because God speaking through Psalm chapter 2 was a great time last week.

I hope it was beneficial for you that we're here. But as for today, I would like for us to look at a text that I've been pondering on in recent days.

And I think I've been driven to this text, thinking of this text, because I am often confronted by my own foolishness.

I'm often confronted by my own arrogance. And though I, and many of you, we seek as Christians to turn to the wisdom of God, I look around at this world around us and see that not only do they not want to turn from that foolishness and arrogance, they glory in it.

They boast in it. And sometimes we look around at their apparent flourishing, just like the children of Israel looking at the surrounding nations of that day, and we long to be like them because it seems as though things are going well for them, and we want what they have.

We become influenced, just like the children of Israel, even adopting their idols and taking on their worldview, becoming like them.

We see it in the church today. We don't just see it in our personal lives. We see it in the corporate life of the body.

Adopting business practices that the world uses within the church.

Pragmatic wisdom that goes against God's word, because to us, sometimes the end seems to justify the means, doesn't it?

And so we are drawn to what seems to be working. After all, the church needs a senior pastor, right?

Every earthly entity needs a CEO, needs a president, someone at the helm, forgetting that we already have one.

I mention it all the time. Christ Jesus, he's king. He's the head of the church. We don't need a senior pastor.

We don't need someone at the helm. Christ is at the helm. We need under -shepherds that are obedient to the good shepherd.

But we see the world functioning and thriving, and we imitate them. We avoid speaking truth because we have a lot of guests today.

That's a temptation of many churches. Let's avoid hard things. Let's not say it directly.

Let's kind of soften the blow, because after all, we want them to come back. We can compromise on hard topics.

We want them to return. So we take on the world's wisdom, and the world's insight into how to approach these things.

And you may say, well, come on, pastor. One little compromise isn't going to hurt us. It's not going to hurt the church.

Just compromise here. You don't have to say everything that's on your mind. Really? Really?

To me, I'm sorry, but that sounds an awful lot like, did God really say? You see, the people of Israel fell prey to this time and time again as we see the life of God's people in the

Old Testament. And in the days of Jeremiah, that compromise had compounded to the point that they were indistinguishable from the other nations.

As a matter of fact, open up your copy of God's Word. If you've got a copy of God's Word with you, we're going to be at Jeremiah 9, the

Old Testament book of Jeremiah chapter 9. And our primary text is going to be verses 23 and 24 of Jeremiah 9.

As you're turning there, Jeremiah is a priest in the final decades of southern

Judah. This is roughly 800 years before Christ. And he was called by God to be a prophet, to call

Israel out on their idolatry. Because as I said, they had become like the surrounding nations.

They had compromised. They had taken on that worldview and that physical understanding.

And in chapter 7 of Jeremiah, he essentially preaches a sermon. He stands outside of the house of worship, and he preaches this sermon.

And he's warning of the judgment of God that is coming upon the people of Israel. What they didn't realize is there was actually a neighboring army that was at that very moment preparing themselves to take siege of the people of God.

And God was actually going to use that army as judgment upon his rebellious people.

And by the time we get to chapter 9, he has reprimanded the people of God.

He's showing his frustration, and you see imagery of God's frustration in the midst of all of it.

And so when we get to verse 23, look at what he says. He says, This is the reading of God's wholly inspired word.

Please bow with me for a moment. Let us pray. Let's ask the Holy Spirit to illuminate our hearts and minds to his truth.

O Lord, we come before you humbly, and we acknowledge our frailty. We acknowledge that we often read ourselves into the text.

We often see the text as we long to see it, but your word is true and clear, it is precise.

Your word is the only truth. And if we try and bring our version of truth and overlap over that truth, we distort it.

So I ask, I ask that you would help us not to do so. Lord, guard my lips from error.

Lord, I pray that the saints in this room would be able to hear and understand the words of truth.

And that we would not just be hearers, but we would be doers of the word. Sanctify us.

Your word is truth. In Christ's name, amen. I want us to see a few things in this text that I pray can help us as a people not to be like those foolish

Israelites. And the first thing that I want us to see, I think I have it up on the screen, is trusting in the wrong

God. Trusting in the wrong God. Look there at verse 23 again.

What does Jeremiah say? He says, Thus says the Lord. Now notice, stop there for a second.

Notice Jeremiah isn't speaking on his own accord. This is important. Jeremiah has no wisdom of his own.

He is purely a mouthpiece for the all -wise, almighty creator. Right?

He can't speak anything to the people of Israel that is of any value or substance to them whatsoever.

Only God's words have any wisdom about them. As a matter of fact, so much so that if a prophet back then was to say,

Thus sayeth the Lord, and then speak his own words, and that prophecy not be true, and it not be

God's words, he was to be killed. That's how serious God took this. I wish we would take it a little more seriously today.

But here, Jeremiah is speaking the very words that God told him to say. We have it in Scripture.

It's inspired by the Holy Spirit, amen? And what does God say? This isn't

Jeremiah's words, right? God says this. He's quoting God right here. Thus says the

Lord. Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom. Let not the mighty man boast in his might.

Let not the rich man boast in his riches. You see, this word boast in the

Hebrew is palel. Some of your translations say glory, right? Do not glory in your riches.

It's a good translation. And in other places in Scripture, this word halel in the

Hebrew actually is translated praise. This is essentially worship.

Let not the wise man worship his wisdom. Essentially, this is speaking of idolatry, isn't it?

It's idolatry. Everyone is worshiping something. Isn't that right?

After all, we were created to worship. Did you realize that? Every single human being was created for the very purpose of worship.

Every single human. And because of that, we're constantly worshiping something.

Every single one of us. And all things that you look around and see in the entirety of the universe were created as tools and as gifts to better help us in that sacred act of worshiping.

Because we were called to worship the creator of those tools and those gifts. Yet, what happened?

Sin. Adam disobeyed God. Ate of the fruit of the tree.

And in that moment, he died. His spirit died. He no longer was in communion with God.

He was enslaved to sin. And now each and every one of us are stillborn in sin.

And because of that, we worship the creature rather than the creator. We boast in the gifts and not the gift giver.

And we're trusting in the wrong God. We're boasting in the wrong thing.

You see, the people of Israel have done this very thing. They, like the pagan nations around them, began to trust in the creature rather than the creator.

These pagan nations, they had used their own riches to build cities. You realize that, right?

They'd used their own riches, their own wealth to build cities. They had used their might to build mighty armies.

They had used their own wisdom to build dynasties. We see them rise and fall all throughout history.

And in their arrogance, they truly thought that they were the ones doing this. They forgot that God's the one that places kings and removes kings.

They didn't realize this. And foolish Israel, looking on, fell to that same deception as those pagan nations.

Every culture is susceptible to this, aren't we? We all look to those among us who seem wise.

We're looking to those who seem to have the answers to our questions and our concerns.

We see this today. As a matter of fact, the foolishness of feminism has led our culture that we're looking around in today into an epidemic of manhood, hasn't it?

Even the world knows that. Even the world is looking at our young men going, this is a problem. Like, what are we going to do here?

They see there's an issue. It's led to an epidemic. Young men are grasping for straws.

They don't know what it means to be a man. And they're looking to anyone and everything that might have might, power, wisdom, or riches to be able to give them answers.

They look to men like Jordan Peterson and his pseudo -wisdom. It seems like he has answers, doesn't it?

You listen to him and you go, well, that guy has, he's got it figured out. And these young men are drawn to this.

Young men within the church, they're being drawn, you've got to realize, to ministries that pretend to have answers.

Young men within the church, good, godly, Christian young men being deceived because they're grasping for straws.

They've been affected by the world view and the world's wisdom. And now they're trying to find something.

And these other ministries, they're trying to convince these young men and young women how they can take back the nation with an aggressive, harsh, cowboy type of ministry.

The gospel isn't enough. We need new laws. We need to take over. This is nothing but worldly wisdom.

This is just like the people of Israel. We seek man's wisdom because it promises the outcome that we want.

Let's be honest. After all, that's what we're worshiping, isn't it?

Ourselves. Our view of comfort.

Some of us in here long for a nation that we have romanticized from 50 years ago.

And we want that for our kids. And that has become our driving motive. It's what we worship.

Notice something, though. That version of wisdom is always predicated on the power of our own might.

Earthly wisdom is always built upon the concept of our own might.

We can do this. We can take control. The church does this very thing, guys.

This isn't just me pointing at the world. I'm pointing at the world saying this is what they do. Now look within.

We're just recreating it. The world declares that probably we try to Christianize it, right?

The world declares it. And we just take the thing and we Christianize it with Christianese words.

Making it seem like that we are ultimately trusting in God, but we don't. We don't.

We're trusting in something else. The proof is in the pudding. Deep down inside, we're resting in our own power and in our own riches.

This is the antithesis of what Christ exemplified. We long for power.

Look at what we see. When we see a giant denomination and it has money and it has influence and it has power, we think, man, if that fails, what's the kingdom of God going to do?

We see big ministries and we think that is how God is working. That's not how

God works. That's the wisdom of man. That's the might of man. That's the riches of man.

And we boast in it. And we rest in it. Turn with me to 1

Corinthians 1. Keep your finger there in Jeremiah, but turn with me to 1 Corinthians 1.

We're going to start in verse 26. See, the church in Corinth had been compromising, leading these people to this type of worldly thinking.

It had distorted their understanding of what the call of the church truly was.

And Paul there in 1 Corinthians 1, starting in verse 26, he says, For consider your calling, brothers.

Not many of you were wise according to the worldly standards.

This seems insulting, doesn't it? Imagine Paul writing to us at 12 .5 going, hey, not many of you are wise according to worldly standards.

The world looks on and goes, that's a bunch of foolish people, right? This is what Paul is saying. Not many of you were wise according to these worldly standards.

Not many were powerful. Not many were noble of noble birth.

This is us today, isn't it? Look around. There's not many of us in this room that have any real power in this world, do we?

God chose something different. Look at verse 27. He answers this.

He says, But God chose what is foolish in the world.

For what reason? Look at what he says. To shame the wise.

He chose the foolish to shame the wise. God chose what is weak in the world.

Why? To shame the strong. God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not.

Again, to bring to nothing things that are. You see, there's no doubt that earthly wisdom might enrich us, produce something, isn't it?

Look around. Look around you. They are flourishing in this world.

Might, power, riches, and wisdom accomplish something. Why do you think we're so drawn to it?

It's the things that are that Paul is talking about here. It's our current reality.

We are so drawn to it because it's real. There's substance to it. And this is what he says.

He says to bring to nothing things that are. This reality that you see, it actually produces the outcome that we want.

But Christ is building something different. Something vastly different than the outcome that we want from earthly wisdom, power, and riches.

The kingdom of God is far superior to those things. And what

Paul is saying is that God is showing us the fruitlessness of those things. The futility of those things.

And Paul says that he has chosen the weak and despised things to bring this current reality to nothing.

To bring it to its knees and show you there's no value in it.

You don't need it. And why would he do this? Why would

God choose the foolish? Why would God choose the weak and despise things?

Why not choose the strong and the mighty? I mean, that's the way we perceive it. We're like, man, if that professional athlete could just get saved, imagine what the kingdom would do.

What if Taylor Swift was to be saved and do Christian music? The kingdom of God would take over the world, right, in our minds.

We think of these things from the wisdom, power, and riches of the world. And we overlap it over the church.

And Christ is doing something vastly different. And why?

Look at verse 29. So that no human being might boast in the presence of God.

God will not share his glory with any other. He has no desire to use the world's wisdom, riches, and power to accomplish his task because he doesn't need it.

He is worthy of all praise, boast, and worship. We are to boast in him alone.

This is what he's called us to. This is very different than thinking the way the world thinks.

The second thing I want us to see here is trusting in the one true God. Trusting in the one true

God. Keep your place there in 1 Corinthians. We're going to go back to it here in just a moment. But look back at Jeremiah 9.

Jeremiah 9. Look at verse 24. God says, but instead of boasting in wisdom, boasting in might, boasting in riches, let him who boasts, boast in this, that he understands and knows me.

There's a boasting going on. Like I said a moment ago, we were created to worship. There's a worship going on.

There's a praise that will take place. And God says, let him boast in me. Let him praise me.

Let him worship me. You see, these pagan nations, they were in total darkness. They did not know

God. The only thing they could boast in was themselves. The only thing they can boast in is the creature because they are in total, utter darkness and have no light of the creator whatsoever.

And even if they did, they would fundamentally reject him, according to the Apostle Paul. If we were to boast, if we were to glory and praise in anything, we must boast in the one true

God. But not only that, we are to boast in the fact that we actually understand and know that one true

God. Unlike the pagan nations of that day, we actually know

God. We understand God. Of all peoples,

Israel had reason to boast. Those other nations may have built dynasties, but here is

Israel. A seemingly insignificant people who have stood the test of time, time and time again, have been delivered by the mighty hand of the one true

God. Of anyone, they had something to boast in.

Just as the passage that Pastor Jeremiah read in 2 Corinthians a moment ago. And Paul says,

I have something to boast in. He had proven himself.

Defeated mighty armies. Given them his law and his precepts. He greatly cared and loved for them.

Yet they continued to chase after lesser things. They continued to boast in the very things that the pagans, who did not know or understand

God, boasted in. Boy, that sounds familiar, doesn't it?

It does for me. So often

I boast in wisdom. Might. I want to be the big strong man, right?

I'm the tough guy. I want to be the guy that's good with his money, wise, shrewd at business.

I want to be the guy that has more money than the next guy. I don't want to keep up with the

Joneses. I want the Joneses to keep up with me. That's what our flesh desires, isn't it?

We go back to this, and we're driven back to this, and we want everyone to see us as something.

Something special. But here's the people of Israel that had the perfect right there.

They had this beautiful picture of the law of God and being the people of God.

And they squandered it, and they sought after lesser things.

As a matter of fact, I told you to keep your finger on 1 Corinthians. Look back there with me. I think Paul addresses this. They're back in 1

Corinthians 1. Look again at verse 29. We read that a moment ago. So that no human being might boast in the presence of God.

But verse 30. And because of him, who? Who's the him?

God, right? You are in Christ Jesus. Hold on.

How do you and I know God? How do we understand God? That's what he said back there in Jeremiah.

That's what God said, isn't it? You boast in this that you understand and know the Lord. How do we know the

Lord? Through Jesus Christ. That's the only way we know the Lord. We know him because of the second person of the

Godhead revealing himself through his man. And what do we see there?

Continue to look on there in verse 30. And because of him, you are in Christ Jesus, who?

Christ Jesus is the who. Became to us wisdom from God.

True wisdom. Righteousness and sanctification and redemption.

So now not only do we know God. We are known by God. We of all people have reason to boast.

But to boast in the right thing, right? We can better understand the prophet

Jeremiah's words. As the apostle Paul quotes our very text in Jeremiah right here.

Look at verse 31. This is a direct quote from Jeremiah's words in chapter 9. He says, so that.

So now he's confirming what Jeremiah's words from God really mean.

He says, as it is written, let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord. Because of Jesus Christ.

You see those people in Israel at that time. Not all of Israel are of Israel.

Just because they were circumcised and they did all of the ceremonies. Didn't mean they were actually God's people.

Only the ones who had faith in a coming Messiah. And knew what those ceremonies and those rituals were pointing to.

God had an elect from every tribe, nation, and tongue even then. And particularly the nation of Israel.

And so those people, those people only knew and understood God. Because of the coming

Messiah. And that being revealed to them through faith. We are a redeemed people.

We've been delivered from the fruitless futility of earthly wisdom, might, and riches. And brought into true wisdom.

True wisdom, ultimate might, and unending riches. Through this glorious inheritance that we've seen in Ephesians over the past year, right?

This beautiful inheritance as sons and heirs of this kingdom of God. Something far greater and bigger than anything in this world.

There's a question I think for myself and I want to present to you.

And I want you to truly think about this for a second. Why? Why are we so easily enticed by this anthill called earth?

When we reside in the grand palace of the owner and creator of every galaxy, universe, and beyond.

When King Jesus sits in throne declaring us heirs and joint heirs. Why are we so drawn to lesser things?

Earthly wisdom, power, and riches. It's a drop in the ocean of the glorious inheritance that is yours in Christ Jesus.

For we know him and he knows us. And he's given us his wisdom, the power of his might, and the riches of his eternal kingdom.

Finally, I want us to see the fruit of trusting the one true God. The fruit of trusting the one true

God. How do we know when we are boasting in him and not other things? How do we know when

I'm boasting in earthly wisdom, might, and riches, or I'm boasting in Christ, in Christ alone?

Well, look at our passage here in Jeremiah. That verse 24 that we just read,

But let him who boasts, boast in this, that he understands and knows me.

He says that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth.

For in these things I delight, declares the Lord. You see, earthly wisdom, might, and riches always, always produce hate, injustice, and unrighteousness.

Every single. Have you ever noticed that the only laws of any nation throughout all of history that are just are the ones that are derived from the moral law of God?

And anytime those nations deviate from that moral law of God, those very laws become unjust.

Every single time. They become grossly unjust. Earthly wisdom always tells us to look out after number one.

Look out after ourselves, look out just after our family. If you think about it, even communities that we build that seem to be communal.

Like this, we're a church, this is communal. We have perfect unity in the spirit in here if we're in Christ, right?

But the world out there, they have entities. They have country clubs. They have cities. They have states.

They have countries. They have entities. But every single one of them, they set under laws, under rules, and under regulations.

But it all stems from the selfish motives for safety and self -preservation.

Always leads to hate, unjust, and unrighteousness.

Earthly might and power always produces bullies. Always. Even when it's used to protect others, it gets distorted and abused.

Every single time. Look at all the abuse that's seen within big powerful denominations.

You ever notice that? Because they're looking to earthly power, earthly might, earthly riches.

Not to the kingdom of heaven. See, earthly riches always create a false sense of security.

Earthly riches? We actually put our hope in money? I'm sure people right before the

Great Depression did the same thing. We see the futility of that. As Edgar proclaimed in Proverbs 30, he says,

God, please don't give me riches, lest I be fool and deny you and say, Who is the Lord? Don't make me rich,

God. I know myself. I know that if I become rich, I will forget my need of you.

Because of my flesh. It always gives us a false sense of security. Every time.

But we must be reminded that neither we nor God needs our money. Needs riches.

He doesn't need us to build bigger, fancier church buildings. He doesn't need it. He doesn't need bloated denominations who boast inflated numbers and baptisms.

He doesn't need it. It's all for vanity's sake. Look at what we've accomplished.

Look at what we've done. We have resources to truly bring about change.

It's just not how God works. You're like, well, hey, there's a lot of baptisms happening.

You realize that in most of those churches, 80 % of those people are nowhere to be found within a year, right? Are there really a lot of baptisms happening?

I grew up in some of those denominations. I know what that means. It's earthly power and wisdom.

He's always chosen the weak and despised things to confound the wisdom of this world.

His power is on display for the whole world to see within small groups of believers just like us here today.

And you know why? It's because the power isn't in any kind of earthly entity. It's in the power of the gospel.

That's what Paul said. The power of God is in the gospel. It's the gospel of Jesus Christ has the power to raise dead sinners from spiritual death and then bring them into eternal glory.

That's ultimate power. That's how God works through the gospel. And that gospel is how

God displays his steadfast love and justice and righteousness in the earth, isn't it?

This is how God displays it. If you have tasted and seen that the Lord is good today, if you are truly in Christ, you have experienced true sacrificial love through the sacrifice of Christ, haven't you?

You've actually seen no greater love than this, that a man may lay down his life for his friend.

That's Christ. No man has ever done that for us. Not without selfish motive.

And even if he did, he was not capable of bringing any value to me for that sake.

But Christ did. The second person of the Godhead, think about this for a second. I know I remind you every week.

I'm going to remind you again. So don't check out. I want you to hear this. The second person of the Godhead coming down, being made in the likeness of man, taking on the form of the creature in which he himself created.

Think about that for a second. Taking the likeness of man to live a life that you and I could not live.

To willingly lay down his life and die a death that we deserved. Taking my sin upon himself.

Taking, if you're in him, your sin upon himself. Fulfilling the righteous demand of justice.

By taking the wrath of the Father on our behalf. A substitute for us.

You realize that Jesus dying on the cross was not an act of goodwill. So that you can believe or not believe.

No, Jesus said it is finished. All that the Father gives me, I have not lost. He died specifically for his people.

And it was done. And there is not a chance that you would reject him and die in your sins and burn in hell.

Because he's already paid the penalty. He took the wrath that you deserved. Now you must repent.

You must look to him in faith. And the question is, how are you going to do that?

But if you're in Christ, he's already bought you. And in doing so, imputing to us, giving to us his very righteousness.

You see that? Love, justice, and righteousness. All mixed in to the beauty of the gospel.

The power of God unto salvation. This is the fruit of trusting in the one true God. From these things

I delight, declares the Lord. This is how God finishes that statement.

He says, I delight. He delights in his son, doesn't he? He delights in his son.

And in so he delights in those who are covered by the righteousness of his son. He delights in redeeming a people to himself.

A people who walk in his wisdom, in his might, and in his riches. Turning and rejecting all of the other garbage that falls short.

As he practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness on the earth. You see, we get to be a part of that.

Because we're in Christ. We're the body. We're the body of Christ on earth. We get to be a part of it.

But make no mistake, you and I are not bringing about love, justice, and righteousness on the earth.

That is not our job. We get to walk in the good works that he prepared beforehand.

As Paul said in Ephesians. It is him bringing about love, justice, and righteousness on the earth.

And he's doing it through the body. My admonition to you, saint, is the same admonition that I have to drive into my own heart.

Saints, do not boast in lesser things. You have everything.

You have no need of anything. If you have Christ. Because our boast is in Jesus, and Jesus alone, the author and finisher of our faith.

Amen? In light of that, as we do every week, let's prepare our hearts to go to King Jesus' table.

And remember the sacrifice that he has laid down his life for us, given over, spilled his blood on our behalf.

And so, for guests that you're not familiar how we do this, we have a table on this side and a table on that side.

We have wine and we have bread. And the way we work this is everyone goes around the outside.

And, as a matter of fact, some of y 'all in the back, if y 'all could hop on this line so we kind of balance it out. Maybe this group right back here in the back.

Come over to this line. Take of the wine and the bread. Come back through the center, back to your seat.

You can pray individually. You can pray as a family. You can pray as a group. And you can partake of those elements and then we will come back together.

As a matter of fact, we have a new member recognition right before we sing the doxology, as we do every week, and a baptism.

But I want to encourage you, if you are in Christ today, if your faith is in Christ and Christ alone, and you are an active, participating member of a true biblical church, then you are welcome to this table.

And just as Paul said in 1 Corinthians, right, to not take in an unworthy manner, but to be able to lay all of your sins down at the foot of the cross, knowing that there is therefore no condemnation for those that are in Christ Jesus.

All right? Let's pray that God will be honored in our time at the Lord's table. Dear Heavenly Father, Lord, we thank you.

We thank you that we have no need to boast in earthly wisdom, for we are the most foolish of all your creatures.

We have no need to boast in might, for we are the weak. We have no need to boast in riches, for we do not have any.

And even if we did, they are nothing. They are of no value.

So Lord, we thank you that you have brought us into eternal glory through the blood of your

Son. Lord, we thank you that you have redeemed us, that you have sought after us, that you have purchased us.

You have bought us by the blood of the perfect spotless lamb. And I pray as we partake of this wine that we would remember the purity of it.

We remember that in this wine, this is celebratory. For all through Scripture, wine is represented as a celebration, the gladness of heart.

And so Father, I pray that we would see the significance of your blood in that, in the celebration together.

And this unleavened bread, God, it has no imperfection with the leaven, for your body was perfect, sinless.

All that is represented in this beautiful, this beautiful ordinance of your table.

Lord, prepare our hearts, set our affection and our thoughts upon you, our glorious Savior.