The importance of boasting

Father, you know the different things that we boast in, and you know that we don't recognize when we're boasting.

We don't recognize, Father, many of the things that we put our hope in and our trust in and that we think will give us significance.

So, Father, we ask that the healing medicine of your word, that your Holy Spirit would apply that to our hearts, the command centers of our lives.

That you would, Father, touch our memories, touch our imagination, touch our emotions, touch our hopes and our dreams.

Father, that we might become disciples of Jesus who are gripped by the gospel, boasting only in the cross, and learning to live for the good of people and your great glory.

And all this we ask in the name of Jesus, your Son and our Savior. Amen.

Please be seated.

So, we've gotten maybe a little bit distracted with the singing of the Nunc Dimittis, but I don't know how many of you notice, but the Bible passage that Ken began with talked about money.

In fact, it was basically an exhortation for you folks to give, and not for you folks, for us folks to give lots of money.

And, you know, I know that one of the things which many, many non-Christians think about churches is that all we do is think about money, talk about money.

In fact, I think that many people who aren't Christians, and maybe even people who go to church, at least occasionally, might even think that all the greed that seems to be on display at Christmas, that's one way of understanding it.

It's not necessarily the way I understand it, but many people would say that the commercialism and greed evident at Christmas actually has its roots in the Christian faith because of the church's preoccupation with money.

And so, here you come, and maybe you're a guest, and like, bang, give lots to make sure guys like me are able to open the Bible.

And that's where we move on to the next topic.

And, you know, it's a problem passage for us, right?

Like, why on earth is it that the Bible seems to talk about money?

So, it'd be a great help if you got the Bible out, see what it said, and we're going to look at it.

If you don't have a Bible with you, there's some Bibles up at the front.

Andrea's getting one right now.

And it's Galatians chapter 6.

Galatians 6 · chapter mention

And for those of us who come here week in and week out, the book of Galatians, we've now finished it.

Next Sunday, I begin a new series on the Gospel of John.

But Galatians is going to be finished.

And Galatians chapter 6, this is how it goes.

Galatians 6 · chapter mention

Am I in darkness here, by the way?

It feels like I'm in darkness.

Just ignore the darkness?

Just for a moment?

That's fine.

I can do that.

My wife says my ability to ignore the obvious is astounding.

But that's a whole other sermon topic and also to be dealt with later on in prayer.

One more thing for you folks to pray about me.

Anyway, so why is it that, you know, for many, especially if you're here as a guest, you know, why is it that church sometimes seems to go on and on and on about money?

And here it is.

The Bible's talking about money.

It's, in fact, the first verse.

And I had to divide the book up some way.

And in many ways, this is a good place to divide up the last.

But here's what it says.

Verse 6 of chapter 6.

Let the one who has taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches.

And you'll notice it says all good things.

And one of those good things is money.

So why on earth would the Bible be talking about something like this?

Well, it's actually goes about, it's dealing with a very, very important issue, which the Bible, the Paul has just finished talking about.

And we talked about last Sunday.

And we'll just look up at verse 5.

This just gives you a bit of a hint about the broader topic that Paul has just been wrestling with in the previous eight verses.

For each will have to bear his own load.

Verse 5.

For each will have to bear his own load.

And that word for load is, it would be as if you're going on a canoe trip, a solo canoe trip.

And it's the stuff you take in your canoe so that you can do the canoe trip.

Or if you're going for a long hike, it would be an overnight or several overnights.

It's all of the food, all of the clothes, the pots, the pans, everything that you need to go on your hike.

That's what your load is.

And it's your life.

So, you know, one of the things which the Bible was talking about last week, which is a very countercultural idea and a very, very powerful idea,

is that God never judges you in comparison to other people.

That was one of the main things that we looked at when we were looking at the verses just immediately before this thing, which is talking about money,

is that God never judges any individual by comparing them to somebody else.

Now, this is a very, very, very powerful idea.

And if we think about it, we tried to look at it a little bit last week.

It's almost impossible for us to think about ourselves and assess ourselves without assessing ourselves relative to other people.

It's almost impossible for me to think about what I am like as a husband without thinking about how I stack up compared to other husbands.

It's almost impossible for me to think about how I'm doing as a pastor or a preacher without thinking about how other people are doing.

And sometimes that depresses me and sometimes it flatters me.

But it's almost impossible.

I would suggest that it's almost impossible for any human being to merely imagine or try to think about how they stand,

in a sense, naked and isolated, purely themselves before the face of God.

Because even if we begin to do that, we think, boy, I'm doing that better than other people, aren't I?

Like, it's almost impossible to do it.

And so what this text, what Paul was talking about just before this, it's in very, not cryptic language, it's in very, like, every word counts.

It's like reading a poem or maybe a legal document that's been very well thought out.

And every single word bears a lot of weight.

And it's not something we rush through.

But if we linger with it, it's communicating to us, God never judges me and never judges you by comparing me to other people.

Never.

He just judges me as me by the situations that I have to deal with.

Many of you know that I was in Angola this July.

I'm going to talk about it a little bit more in a moment.

And I saw some poverty there.

But I have to confess, I didn't see, at least where I was, I never saw the same type of poverty as I've seen when I was in Nairobi.

And the first time I was in Nairobi and the time we lived out in the country and we had a place where we kept chickens.

And I saw restaurants, in quotation marks, and the chicken coop at our house was cleaner.

And just, I'd have rather eaten from in there than in that place.

And some of the beggars that you see in the streets of Nairobi, massive physical deformations and just heart-wrenching.

It's just, I can't even, words fail you.

Now, I don't know why it is that I was born in Ottawa.

And that I was born in a safe city, at a safe time, in a prosperous city.

And I have a job and I've never missed a meal because of not having any money.

And I have comparatively good health.

And I don't know why I'm me compared to some of the beggars that I've seen on the streets of Nairobi.

But here's what this very powerful message is that the Bible has been trying to teach just before this talk about money.

Which is, George, you're responsible for the stuff and the situations in your life.

You know, Billy Graham, for all the things that are in his life, he's responsible for those.

Ravi Zacharias, for those.

That beggar in the streets of Nairobi, they're responsible for those.

And God's going to look at your situation, your opportunities, and not compare you to other people.

And he's just going to judge you by yourself.

It's a very, very...

Actually, as it starts to play around in our mind and our heart, it's a very, very liberating idea to no longer live under the burden of comparing yourself to other people.

And that you just deal with the talents and the opportunities that you have.

And that's how God's going to judge you.

Now, it's very easy when you have an idea like that, and it's connected to other things that Paul has been going through all the way through the book of Galatians.

You might remember Galatians chapter 5, verse 1.

Galatians 5:1

I encourage you to memorize this verse.

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.

Therefore, do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.

And wherever I go, there's thunder.

Anyway, if we start to see lightning, then look up.

He's about to come.

No, I don't know what it'll...

Is there something I can do about this?

I've actually ordered a different mic.

Okay, there's nothing I can do.

You know what I'm going to do?

I'm just going to speak out of this.

I think it's a bit distracting for you, and I'll just have to not wander around.

Is this mic on now?

Okay.

I'm out of practice.

For many, many, many, many, many years, I wasn't able to wander around when I preached.

I had to sort of stay in one spot.

And so I used to really be lots of waving around and everything to compensate for it.

So you'll start to see whether that returns to me as I sort of have to just be in one spot because of the mic.

Where was I?

Oh, yes.

So it'd be very easy if you hear this message of for freedom Christ has set us free,

that Jesus, that God only judges me without comparing me to other people.

It's really easy to take from this an idea that God is calling us to radical individualism.

That that's what he's calling me be.

I'm free of people's opinions.

I'm free of their expectations.

I'm free of all of that stuff.

He's just going to judge me by me.

And so what other people think and what do they do?

You know, sucks to be them.

I don't give a bleep, bleep, bleep, bleep, and off we go.

Just a life of radical individualism.

And so the Bible is very wise.

The Bible knows the direction of our hearts, how it's very easy for us because many of us are very, very selfish.

And many of us don't struggle with narcissism, but we should.

That we're just radically in love with ourselves and think everything we do is wonderful.

And the Bible knows that that's our problem.

So the very thing it does right after this section is it returns to an earlier theme.

And it says, listen, you're called to a life with one another.

And part of the way that life with one another is going to work is it's going to involve an actual exchange of money and of other things which are good in your lives,

especially with those who preach the word.

And because, you see, look at verse, that's what it says in verse 6.

Verse 6, it says, let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches.

Now, so actually, if you could just put up the first point.

This is something I've said in different times throughout the years.

I've just changed it very slightly, but we enter the Jesus way one by one.

But we walk the Jesus way with Jesus and one another.

And I've used this phrase one another because the Bible, if you just do a little word search someday,

it's amazing how many times in the New Testament the phrase one another is there.

It implies a certain way of walking with Jesus, that we walk with Jesus with one another in some type of a community.

And so why is it that it's talking about money?

For me, it's because, well, actually, if you could put up the next point.

This is going to be really weird to some of us.

The preaching of the gospel while preaching through the Bible is central to the life of the local church

and central to God's plan to make the gospel known to every people group.

Now, the preaching of the gospel while preaching through the Bible is central to the life of the local church

and central to God's plan to make the gospel known to every people group.

Now, obviously, there's lots of churches where it's not central.

But if you read the New Testament, if you read the book of Acts, and if you read the epistles,

you'll see that there's this constant message that God has only one plan.

It's plan A. He doesn't have plan B.

He doesn't have plan C or plan D.

He just has plan A.

And plan A is pretty outrageous.

It is that people, one by one, come to a faith in Jesus,

and God draws them together into a local church.

And what is to be at the center of that local church is opening the Bible,

teaching the Bible in such a way that the whole counsel of God is made clear,

but always that the gospel is made clear.

And that's the method by which God is going to see the gospel go to the ends of the earth.

That is the means by which God is going to see people in cities come to hear about Jesus

and come to a saving faith in Jesus.

That's his plan.

We're part of his plan.

And central to that plan is this opening of God's word in such a way that,

I mean, different things happen just as we do this,

that God just sovereignly draws people,

that God sovereignly works in our hearts,

that, you know, like last Sunday after church,

I, you know, I stopped in at one of my favorite coffee shops,

and there were several baristas there who didn't know me,

and they said, oh, you know, are you going to sit here and work for a while?

And I said, no, I finished my work for the day.

And they said, oh, really?

And I said, yeah, I'm a pastor of a church.

I mean, it was my opportunity to share with them.

And, you know, I say, I'm a pastor of a church.

And then I said, you know, do you have a religious or spiritual connection or past or heritage?

And I find out some things about them.

You know, it's just a little seed, right?

But it's all connected, that either God sovereignly draws people,

or as we leave and bear witness to Jesus,

that it begins conversations that will end up leading them to some local word preached and taught.

Sorry, I wandered away from the mic.

And that's separate from the other things.

As just as the word does its work within a congregation,

then congregations start to have a desire to see the gospel spread in other congregations form.

It's why people have left our congregation to go to places in Central Asia and Asia and Southeast Asia.

And we're about to share.

It's just going to be $100 a month.

But starting in January, we're going to be contributing $100 a month to helping to plant a church in Jerusalem.

And through the preaching of the word and the sharing of the resources that the word be preached,

I went to Angola.

We went to Angola.

I got to preach.

We got to share the gospel with a semi-nomadic tribe in the Kalahari Desert,

a different people group.

And this is God's plan A.

It's God's plan A.

He doesn't call us...

I mean, on one level, there is nothing like the gospel,

nothing like the Bible,

so grounds our integrity and dignity and importance as human beings.

Only the Bible teaches that human beings aren't a cosmic accident.

They're not a cosmic mistake.

It's not something because the gods were fighting,

and lo and behold, out of that fight, they created some human beings.

Or it's not because there's some cosmic problem way back in history

that now means that human beings' indifference comes to be,

and we have to get rid of it and get away from it.

It's not that there's been some plan by the gods to make human beings

so that we human beings can feed them and care for them and maybe be their food.

And it's not that we human beings are just a result of blind chance

where the strong eat the weak, where the strong survive,

and it sucks to be weak because the strong eat the weak and the strong survive.

And it's none of those stories.

It's only in the Bible that we hear that human beings,

every human being is made in the image and likeness of God

and has a dignity and integrity before God,

which God has given that no government can take away,

no economic power can take away,

no racial group can take away of another group,

that men can't take away from women,

and women cannot take away from men,

that there is this inherent dignity,

and nothing in the world is as powerful as speaking about

the dignity of the human being as the Bible is.

And the same word of God tells us that

in this world where the individual is so important,

yet at the same time the social is so important,

and the gospel brings to not only bring us individual freedom and healing,

and freedom from being crushed by the expectations of the tribe,

the culture, the coach,

you know, the world,

the markets,

but at the same time it calls us always into a family,

one another family,

where we walk with Jesus with one another,

and at the very, very center of God sharing the gospel with this world

is this plan of ordinary fallen human beings like you and me

gathering together on a regular basis on a Sunday

and in small groups and in mentoring things,

and the very center of central function

is the opening of God's word

to make the whole counsel of God plain

as the gospel is regularly shared.

That's his plan A.

And it's to involve the sharing of our money,

the sharing of our time,

the sharing of our imaginations

and our hearts and our musical gifts

and our gifts of hospitality

and our gifts of baking

and coffee preparation,

and it's a giving of ourselves

and of our time

and of our talents

and our imagination

and our creativity

and it involves the giving of our money

because it's God's plan A.

Now,

some people might say after hearing all that

that this is a completely and utterly crazy plan.

Like it's a stupid plan.

Like George,

like what a,

like don't you think it's a bit of a stupid plan?

Like don't you think nowadays

that music's more powerful?

And, you know,

maybe what it is

is we need to have,

like get Bach back in churches

or maybe it is

we just have to have better rock bands

or better indie bands

or better roots music.

And don't you think maybe

that far more central

to doing all of this

is that there's better use of the web

or there's just better use

of communication technology?

And don't you think, George,

that that plan that you've just described

that is God's plan,

that there's just,

you know,

if it just harnessed

the power of organization

and the power of managing resources

to make a profound difference in society

through philosophy

or through laws

or science

or markets,

you know,

George,

music,

culture,

there's so many things

that are way better than that.

And if you've thought

any of those things,

you now understand

why it is that Paul

immediately from going about

sharing about money

warns us about mocking God.

Because many of us

have a hard time believing

that we mock God.

But we do.

Look what verse 7 says.

So look at verse 6 again.

Let the one who has taught the word

share all good things

with the one who teaches.

This is all just part of this whole plan A

that we gather as families.

The word is preached

that this is the means

by which the word will go.

The gospel will go to the ends of the earth.

And then verse 7.

Do not be deceived.

God is not mocked.

God is not ridiculed.

God is not belittled.

God is not made fun of.

God is not ignored.

We don't flip God off.

Give him the bird

and tell him we know better.

For whatever one sows,

that will he also reap.

For the one who sows to his own flesh

will from the flesh

reap corruption.

But the one who sows to the spirit,

that's the Holy Spirit,

will from the Holy Spirit

reap eternal life.

So Paul now,

it's part of the brilliance

of how the Bible is written here

that Paul instantly starts

to slide back into another topic.

I mean, hopefully he's hoping

that the barb or the hook

about this call

to be realistic

in the sharing of the good things

in our lives

so that the word can be proclaimed

in a congregation,

in a city,

and to the ends of the world.

But he wants to also teach us

some other really important things

about this idea

that God doesn't judge us

compared to other people

and all this.

And if you could put up

the first point,

that would be very helpful.

So one of the things

he wants to make clear

about this,

this text,

is that being made right

with God

by faith in Jesus Christ crucified

does not mean

I can do whatever I want

with impunity.

Why?

Because I reap what I sow.

I reap what I sow.

And the Bible wants us

to understand

that that is always a principle

which is going on.

We reap what we sow.

You put our time,

your money,

your imagination

into certain types of pursuits

and something that is congruent

with that

is going to be the result.

And, you know,

in some ways

it sounds a little bit

like the idea of karma.

You reap what you sow,

but it's a very,

it's similar to karma,

but it's very, very different.

Karma is mechanical

and sort of linear.

And this isn't mechanical,

it's an organic image.

Right?

I mean,

if one of you

plant a corn seed

in your garden

in the spring,

if in the fall

you dig it up

and there's just one

corn seed there,

you know the whole thing failed.

If you dig it up

and there's three corn seeds there,

you think that's just weird.

And if you plant a corn seed

and a raspberry bush grows up,

you'd know that

something else has gone on.

I don't know,

maybe one of your kids

has dug up the corn seed

to play a trick on you

and planted something

that'll go raspberry thing.

But you know that,

you know,

it's not mechanical like karma

and there's always,

there's this extra process

that's involved

and at the end of the day

God is sovereign over it.

And so it's not like investing.

It's not like,

you know,

in some ways karma

is a little bit like investing.

You know,

you put $20 into this type of,

you know,

$2,000 into this mutual fund

and if you do that

and it's a good mutual fund

or a good investment in stocks,

you know,

the result will be maybe $2,200

a little bit later.

You've got a good return

on your investment.

It's a bit of a different image,

but it's like karma,

but it's different.

It's more organic.

It leaves God sovereign.

It's far more subtle

and supple

and not nearly mechanical

and the whole thing,

as we'll see in a moment,

leaves room for mercy.

But it says

that we sow what we reap.

And then it has

a terrifying image here.

I don't know if you caught it.

Look again at verse 7.

What does it say again?

Do not be deceived.

God is not mocked.

For whatever one sows,

that will he also reap.

For the one who sows

to his own flesh,

and the flesh here means

that part of us

which is in rebellion

against God,

that part of us

which turns our back on God,

that part of us

which desires to be a God,

ourselves.

If we sow to those projects,

we'll from the flesh,

that is,

from that part of us

that's in rebellion

against God,

we'll reap corruption.

Now,

if I was a typical Canadian,

I would quickly pass over this.

Because if there's one thing

that many Canadians

would say about the church

is that we go on and on

and on about money.

And another thing it would say

is that we're completely crazy

and kooky

about something called hell.

But this is a hell word.

If you could put up

the next point.

Hell is not glamorous.

Hell is real decay,

decomposition,

and corruption.

You see,

this word for corruption

is a word from the morgue.

It's a word

from what's left

on the battlefield

after the battle.

It's the word

that refers to a corpse

and what happens

to a corpse.

It's not talking about

political corruption

or anything like that,

a mere corruption

of your morals

or anything like that.

It's a death word,

a decomposition word.

It's a very,

very stark warning

about how

if we continue

to invest

our imagination

and our creativity

in our God project,

in our turning

our back on God.

And, you know,

the thing which is

so subtle about

this teaching

in the Bible

is that

this isn't just

some lambasting

of people

who are doing

like meth heads.

This is talking

as well about

people who live

in expensive condos

and Rockcliffe.

And it's talking

about religious people

and people

who are spiritual

but not religious.

But at the heart

of what they're doing

is a heart

to be,

to just flip God off

and ignore God.

To be their own God.

To be the Lord

of their own domain.

And,

and Paul,

here,

the Bible says

that the result

is hell.

But look,

look at verse 8 again.

For the one

who sows to his own flesh

will from the flesh

reap corruption.

But the one

who sows to the Holy Spirit

will from the Holy Spirit

reap eternal life.

If you could put up

the next point,

when we sow

as the Holy Spirit

leads,

we will reap

an eternal

weight of glory

beyond all comparison.

I'm quoting

2 Corinthians 4.

When we sow

as the Holy Spirit

leads,

we will reap

an eternal

weight

of glory

beyond all comparison.

You see,

there's a,

there's a connection

but a difference

between sowing

and reaping,

right?

I said if you put

corn seed in the ground,

you don't get another,

and if there's a corn seed

at the end in the,

in the fall,

it didn't work.

If you get three corn seeds,

it's weird.

If it's a raspberry bush,

it's even weirder,

right?

There,

you put a corn seed in

and you get a,

a corn stalk

with ears of corn on it

and,

and you get something

similar but different.

And what Paul is saying

here is,

listen folks,

you're putting money

in the plate

to further the preaching

of the word

and the spread

of the gospel.

Like in our case,

it's what helps to,

help us to go

on a Wednesday evening

and have Daniel Avitan

open the Bible

in public

at the center

of the university

and preach the Bible.

It's what our hope

is for the youth group.

It's what our hope

is for our small groups

that the word

is opened in public

and the gospel

is proclaimed.

And so,

you know,

it looks like it's money.

It looks like it's

caring for children.

It looks like

it's greeting at a door.

It looks like it's

bringing a casserole over

because you're

at a one another church.

It looks like

you're out

and being a shoulder

that a person

can cry on.

It looks as if

it's just because

you have a concern

for the world

bringing food

that we're going to give

to a food bank

and you're sowing

these things

and you're sowing

these things

and you're sowing

your life

but what comes out

of it

because you're doing

it as the Holy Spirit

leads,

as the word of God

directs you

and you're sowing

these things

but what comes out

of it

is an eternal

weight of glory.

It's an eternal

weight of glory.

And that's why

Paul goes on

in 9 and 10

to encourage us

because you know

the fact of the matter

is that sometimes

it's hard.

You get tired

of greeting at the door.

You get tired

of serving coffee.

You get tired

of opening the Bible.

You get tired

of turning the other cheek.

You get tired

of being the shoulder

to cry

and you get tired

of all these things

and so verse 9

what does it say?

And let us not

grow weary

of doing good

for in due season

and the word

due is a really good word.

It's even stronger

in the original language.

It's that

it's going to happen

in the future.

In due season

we will reap.

It's going to happen.

It's referring

to the second coming

of Jesus.

It's an eschatological word.

Sorry,

occasionally I have

to use big words.

It's guaranteed

for in due season

we will reap

if we do not give up.

So then as we have

opportunity

let us do good

to everyone

and especially

to those

who are of the

household of faith.

Now some of you

might say,

George,

you know this is

a very disturbing sermon.

I sort of get about

the money

and everything like that

but gosh George

this talk about hell.

You must think

you're something special.

That's one of the things

that so bugs me

about Christians.

You think

you're something special.

You think

your poop

smells better

than other people's poop.

Who are you

to think

that you go to heaven

and I'm going

to go to hell?

Who are you

to think that?

How dare you

think that?

I'm as good as you.

Like,

George,

my family's

in a better situation.

My finances

are a better situation.

I have a better car.

I have more people

who like me.

Like,

I'm,

how dare you

say something like that?

How dare you say

that I live in Rockcliffe

for an expensive condo

or I'm a soccer mom

or a soccer dad

in Kanata

or a hockey mom

or a hockey dad?

I'm,

how dare you say

something like that?

It's very interesting

that Paul immediately

deals with this

although we didn't

notice it.

Look at verses 11

to 13.

Verse 11,

see with what large letters

I am writing to you

with my own hand.

That's just a bit

of an aside.

One of the things

that they did

in the ancient world,

probably most of the letters

in the New Testament,

Paul dictated them

to somebody who wrote them

as he dictated them

and it could be

because his handwriting

was terrible.

Could be,

that's me,

by the way,

I'd have to have done it

or his spelling

was terrible,

that would be me,

I'd have to dictate it

but it's just very common.

So now what he's doing

is he's showing

the letters coming

to an end.

I've been dictating

this letter

but I want to let

the people in Galatia

who know me,

I'm going to show

that it's really me

by writing these

final things

in my own handwriting.

Verse 12,

it is those who want

to make a good showing

in the flesh

who would force you

to be circumcised

and only in order

that they may be persecuted,

may not be persecuted

for the cross of Christ.

But basically what he's saying

is listen,

the religious people,

he's drawing the letter

to a close,

the religious people

in the congregation

that are causing you

all this trouble,

it's very interesting,

he doesn't go now

to talk about the meth heads

or the gun smugglers

or any of the people,

you know,

the gang members,

people who we would all

culturally say

are bad people,

he goes to the people

in the church

who are pushing religion

and pushing a whole pile

of rules

and he says in verse 12,

it is those who want

to make a good showing

in the flesh.

All they're caring about

is just showing off

to people,

that's what he's saying,

who would force you

to be circumcised,

to adopt a whole pile

of these religious rules

and only in order

that they may not be persecuted

for the cross of Christ

because religion

is always far more acceptable

than the offense

of the cross.

For even those

who are circumcised,

verse 13,

do not themselves

keep the law,

but they desire

to have you circumcised

that they may boast

in your flesh.

And so what he's just saying here,

we're going to get to this

hell thing in a moment,

he's saying all they're concerned

with is with externals,

all they're concerned with

is being able to,

to be able to go around

in a little bit of a circuit

and say,

by the way,

look at me,

I have this many conversions,

I have this many followers,

I'm really important,

my organization is growing,

look at me,

look at me,

look at me,

I'm better than other people,

and they're even,

they don't care about you,

they don't care about

your eternal destiny,

they just want to show off

and the thing they're pushing

doesn't even work.

And then in verse 14,

and it's a big but there,

you know I like saying that,

there's some big buts

in the Bible,

that's one of them,

but far be it from me

to boast,

except in the cross

of our Lord Jesus Christ,

by which the world

has been crucified to me,

and I to the world.

It's a very important verse

as he's bringing the letter

to a close,

but far be it from me

to boast except in the cross

of our Lord Jesus Christ,

by which the world

has been crucified to me,

and I to the world.

I encourage everyone here

to memorize this verse

and maybe spend some time

meditating upon

how to pray about it,

but you see here's this thing

back about hell.

I've had people in coffee shops

harangue me like this,

and I don't handle it very well

because I don't like being

the center of attention,

and it's a very culturally

acceptable harangue,

and I just probably have gotten

red and tongue-tied,

and that's just,

sometimes that's just,

you don't always win

every battle,

but what I'd say

in the face of that harangue

is I'd say,

I'm really sorry.

You misunderstand me.

You misunderstand me.

I don't think my poop

smells better than yours,

and I don't think

I'm better than you.

I'm saved only by what Jesus

has done for me.

I'm quite prepared to accept

that I'm way worse

in my marriage than you

or way worse in my child raising,

way worse in my finances,

way worse in every way

that you would mention.

I'm quite prepared

to acknowledge that before you,

but I am not made right with God

because I'm good.

If you could put up

the next point,

you see,

my private

and my public boasting

reveals what I believe

saves me

and gives me meaning,

significance,

and worth.

You see,

the person who makes

that claim,

who would harangue

you or me,

they're saying

that they're good enough.

What's their hope?

Their boast?

I live in a million-dollar condo, George.

I live in a six-million-dollar

house in Rockcliffe.

I live on the edge

of a golf course in Canada.

I have a trophy wife.

I have trophy kids.

I have a trophy-winning dog.

I drive an Audi.

I drive a Lexus.

I drive whatever.

I'm better than you.

That's,

that's,

all Paul would say

is that's your hope

and your confidence

before Almighty God?

That's what you think

will make you right with God?

That your dog won an award?

Sorry.

Really?

That your wife

is prettier than my wife

or that you have a wife

and I don't have a wife?

Like, that's what,

really?

My hope isn't that.

You know what my hope is?

Just think of this image

of sowing.

I'll be honest,

with you.

I've sown to my flesh.

I've sown to my pride.

I've sown to my ego.

And my only hope

in the face of God

is that,

you know,

every time a seed

goes into the earth,

the Bible tells us

and biology tells us

there's a type of death

that the seed dies

in some way.

And God,

the Son of God,

sees my great need

and my great,

my great need.

And he comes to die

and be planted,

so to speak,

in the earth.

And what emerges

out of that

is resurrection.

And my only hope

is this,

that I,

who've invested

so much

of sowing

to my flesh,

and I can't

stop doing that,

that when I call out

to God

for mercy

and reach out to him

and he takes me

and it's as if

there is this

spectacular transaction

that is outside

of time,

but because God

is outside of time

and God is real,

it is still real.

And it's as if

me,

who's been sowing

my whole life

into the flesh,

that God,

the Son of God,

comes and he

surrounds me

and he holds me

and I die my death

with Jesus.

He dies my death

for me.

And what emerges

from Jesus dying

is that he reaps

eternal life.

He is the resurrected

Savior and Lord

and the Bible

in so many places

says that I am

part of his fruit

when I have allowed

myself to be

and surrounded

by him

and his mercy

and his love

so that as I die

it is him dying

for me

and I am dying

in him.

And I do not

deserve

an eternal

way to glory.

Far from it.

I deserve

the corruption

but I have

died in him.

My life is hid

in him

and so

my only hope

for salvation,

my only hope

for meaning

and significance

is in the cross

of Christ.

There is no other.

If you could put up

the next point.

As I learned

to only boast

in Jesus Christ

crucified,

the world's allure

and approval

dies

and my desire

for the world

and its approval

dies.

Maybe dims

is a better word.

It's a word

that fits.

Look at verse 14

again.

But far be it

for me to boast

except in the cross

of our Lord

Jesus Christ

by which

can also be

translated in

by whom

the world

has been

crucified to me

and I to the world.

Crucifixion

is a slow death.

It's a slow death.

It's a dimming

of life.

And then Paul

says this wonderful

thing which we'll

close with.

For neither

circumcision counts

for anything

nor uncircumcision

but a new creation.

If you could put up

the point

salvation

is not merely

a helpful idea.

God not only

saves me

he actually

makes me

a new

creation.

In John

it's talking

about being

born again.

Theologians

talk about

the word

regenerate.

It's that

God actually

does a new

work of

creation

in the one

who puts

their hands

in the hands

of Jesus

for him

to be their

savior and

Lord.

He actually

we can't

see it

but if we

could see

ourselves

from God's

eyes

God

makes

us

born

again

a new

creation

he creates

something

new

out of

the old

me

when I

put my

hand in

the hand

of Jesus

to trust

him as

my savior

and Lord.

I don't

know

this would

be arrogant

nonsense

if I just

told you

this in

my own

authority

and power

but this

comes from

God

himself.

God

wants you

and me

to know

that

as we

struggle.

Let's

stand

please.

Once

again I

just say

you know

for many

of us

maybe our

prayer right

now is

the verse

14

prayer

that

God

would help

me to

realize

that my

significance

my salvation

my meaning

comes from

being

gripped

by what

Jesus has

done for

me in

the cross

and that

as

partly what

he's done

for me in

the cross

but so

important

he actually

makes me

a new

creation

that one

day as

I sow

into that

as the

Holy Spirit

leads

and the

word makes

clear

will be

that I

will bear

not by

my own

effort

or will

or desire

but I

will bear

because God

has done

it and

he has

created

me to

bear an

eternal

weight

of glory

and if

you have

never given

your life

to Jesus

I urge

you now

to call

out to

him to

be your

savior

and your

lord

let's bow

our heads

in prayer

father

we thank

you for

your word

we thank

you for

Jesus

father

it can

be a

shock

to us

that we

mock

you

that we

ridicule

you

we think

you're

stupid

but father

your word

tells us

we do

that

father

gently

by your

Holy Spirit

reveal to

us how

we do

that

and most

important of

all

father

move in

our hearts

and minds

by the

power of

your Holy

Spirit

that we

might learn

more and

more to

boast only

in the

cross of

Christ

and from

that boasting

to sow our

money to

sow our

imagination

our

creativity

all those

things within

us that you

have given

us that we

can do

may that our

whole lives

father be

be sowed

into him

and furtherance

of his kingdom

as you make us

whole you make us

free you make us

new

and

in the world

is blessed

and the gospel

is spread

all this we

ask in the name

of Jesus

your son

and our

savior

amen