Introduction:
Why Is Self-Promotion So Foolish (1 Corinthians 1:18–31)
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Because it misses the power of THE CROSS. (1 Cor 1:18–25)
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Because it misses the strength of a WEAK CHURCH. (1 Cor 1:26–28)
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Because it misses the glory of BOASTING IN CHRIST. (1 Cor 1:29–31)
1 Cor 4:7 - “What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?”
Sermon Notes (PDF): BLANK
Hint: Highlight blanks above for answers!
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00:50-00:54
1 Corinthians chapter 1 verses 18 through 31.
00:55-00:59
1 Corinthians chapter 1 verses 18 through 31.
01:00-01:05
As a teenager, I was the last of my friends to create a Facebook account.
01:06-01:14
For years, I held strong against the peer pressure, but do you wanna know what finally led me to get a Facebook account?
01:16-01:20
the desire to boast in myself and self-promote.
01:21-01:30
See, back in the summer of 2009, my family and I went to Hilton Head, South Carolina for vacation, and on that vacation, we went shark fishing.
01:30-01:34
And during that expedition, I caught a baby hammerhead shark.
01:36-01:37
Pretty impressive, right?
01:38-01:44
My one friend who was on the trip took a picture of me holding up that hammerhead shark, and I thought I looked so cool.
01:45-01:52
And as soon as I got back to the condo, I fired up Facebook, I created an account, and I made that picture my profile picture.
01:54-02:02
I'm not gonna show that picture on the screens because I don't wanna selflessly promote myself yet again, although I already see Jamie Kendrew looking up Facebook right now.
02:03-02:08
And I'm sure that many of you will do the same after service, so happy hunting, trying to find that picture.
02:09-02:16
But I went back and looked at this cringey 16-year-old post to see how many likes and comments it received.
02:17-02:19
How many likes do you think that picture got?
02:21-02:21
100?
02:22-02:24
Wow, Jeff, you have a lot of confidence in me.
02:25-02:25
Six.
02:27-02:27
(audience laughing)
02:28-02:29
Talk about going viral.
02:30-02:33
I think I might have missed my calling as a social media influencer.
02:34-02:39
But as I was looking at this old post, I also saw the comment of my friend who took that picture.
02:40-02:41
He wrote this on the post.
02:42-02:46
I'm just gonna point out that this picture is the only reason you even got a Facebook.
02:46-02:48
You just wanted the world to know about the shark.
02:50-02:55
My friend saw right through my motivations and he knew why I created that account.
02:57-02:58
Self-promotion.
02:59-03:03
But I'm not the only one who has utilized social media for self-promotion, right?
03:03-03:11
That's the main drive for most people who have an Instagram, a Facebook, or a talk tix as Pastor Jeff often calls it.
03:12-03:15
On social media, you put your best foot forward.
03:15-03:26
You curate an image of yourself that isn't exactly accurate or realistic, but you don't really care because that's how you want other people to view you.
03:28-03:34
This past week, I did a deep dive into self-promotion, and I came across a lot of interesting content.
03:35-03:43
I came across really buff dudes who lectured not so buff dudes about the importance of being a perfect physical specimen.
03:44-03:49
The art of destroying the competition and manifesting your dreams into reality.
03:50-03:59
I also came across inspirational coaches who pamper with self-help talk, like whenever you succeed, tell yourself, I'm so proud of myself.
04:00-04:02
I'm my own personal hero.
04:03-04:04
Or I saw this one last week.
04:05-04:08
I'm becoming a person that the younger version of me would have looked up to.
04:09-04:11
Oh, gag, that was really hard to hear.
04:13-04:18
Here's one quote that I haven't been able to stop thinking about as soon as I read it.
04:18-04:22
If you don't promote yourself, nobody will.
04:24-04:26
Do you wanna know what I thought when I read that?
04:27-04:28
That's exactly right.
04:29-04:35
If you don't promote yourself, nobody will because they are too busy promoting themselves.
04:36-04:39
We live in such a me-centered society.
04:39-04:44
Focus on me, pay attention to me, because I'm so special and unique.
04:45-04:48
Don't be unfair to me, don't tell me what to do.
04:51-04:55
Listen, self-promotion isn't just a problem out there.
04:56-05:00
Self-promotion is a problem in here that we need to deal with.
05:02-05:09
And don't think to yourself, you know what, Pastor Taylor, you're right, there's a lot of prideful people in this room and I'll do my part in calling them out, don't worry.
05:12-05:12
Well, hold on a minute.
05:13-05:23
Self-promotion isn't just a problem out there and in here, vaguely and generally, self-promotion is a problem within you that you need to deal with.
05:25-05:30
Self-promotion is a problem within me that I need to deal with.
05:32-05:38
This is the third week in a year-long study of First Corinthians, church unified and purified.
05:39-05:50
Last week, Pastor Jeff challenged you to protect the unity of the church by nixing the cliques and refusing to divide over pointless preferences and particular personalities.
05:52-06:03
This morning, you will be challenged to protect the unity of the church by resisting the temptation to pridefully promote yourself and elevate your importance.
06:05-06:08
Because obsessing over me hurts the we.
06:09-06:12
It hurts everyone around you.
06:13-06:17
And self-promotion isn't just a new problem that started with the internet.
06:18-06:21
It is an ancient problem that the Corinthians had to deal with as well.
06:22-06:29
And this ancient problem can only be solved with the timeless truths of God's word.
06:30-06:39
And you cannot deal with the prideful promotion within your own heart until you realize how destructive and foolish it really is.
06:41-06:45
So I want us to ask and answer one question this morning, just one.
06:46-06:49
Why is self-promotion so foolish?
06:51-06:54
Why is self-promotion so foolish?
06:56-06:58
Before we seek to answer that question, let's go to the Lord and ask for His help.
07:00-07:07
Please pray for me, that I will faithfully proclaim God's word, as I pray for you, that you will faithfully receive it.
07:13-07:19
Father, we come to you and we admit our temptation to self-glorify, to self-promote.
07:19-07:22
Lord, I admit to you that I have been dealing with that this morning already.
07:24-07:34
Father, I pray that we wouldn't push aside the conviction that your spirit brings, that we wouldn't think, oh, this sermon's for somebody else, Lord, help every single person in this room to think, no, this is for me.
07:35-07:36
This is God's word for me.
07:38-07:42
And may we walk out of here different people with a different attitude and a different focus.
07:43-07:46
We ask all this in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ, amen.
07:48-07:50
So why is self-promotion so foolish?
07:51-07:55
Reason number one, because it misses the power of the cross.
07:56-08:00
Because it misses the power of the cross.
08:03-08:11
Last week's text ended with the cross, and this morning's passage begins with the cross.
08:12-08:15
Let's read 1 Corinthians 1, verse 18 together.
08:16-08:32
The apostle Paul writes, "For the word of the cross is folly "to those who are perishing, "but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God." According to Paul, there are only two ways to view the cross.
08:32-08:43
There are only two ways to view the news of Jesus Christ, God himself who came to suffer and die to save anyone and everyone who believes in him.
08:44-08:47
There are only two ways to view the gospel.
08:48-08:51
Foolish or powerful?
08:52-08:53
Those are the only two options.
08:54-08:57
There is no riding the fence, there is no middle ground.
08:57-09:05
You either hear the gospel and think, that is so dumb, or you think, that is so awesome.
09:07-09:09
Which is your view of the cross?
09:11-09:12
Foolish or powerful?
09:13-09:15
Dumb or awesome?
09:17-09:21
Your view of the cross isn't a minor footnote in the story of your life.
09:22-09:26
Your view of the cross isn't a small aspect of your worldview.
09:26-09:29
No, it is the defining characteristic of who you are.
09:31-09:38
Your view of the cross reveals where you stand right now and where you will end up in eternity.
09:41-09:49
If you reject the cross of Christ in this life, you will be rejected by Christ when you exit this life.
09:51-09:57
But if you have embraced the cross of Christ, Paul says you are being saved.
09:59-10:01
Does that sound kind of weird to you, being saved?
10:02-10:05
We usually just talk about salvation in the past tense, right?
10:06-10:14
But scripture talks about salvation in three tenses, the past, the present, and the future.
10:14-10:18
If you have trusted in Christ, you have experienced salvation.
10:19-10:23
You are experiencing salvation and you will experience salvation.
10:24-10:30
You have been justified, you are being sanctified, and you will be glorified.
10:31-10:34
You were made right by the blood of Christ before the presence of God.
10:34-10:37
You are being made more and more into the image of Christ.
10:38-10:42
And one day you'll be fully perfect in the presence of Christ.
10:43-10:49
The cross has the transformative power to change your past, your present, and your future.
10:51-10:58
But you can only experience the power of the cross if you humble yourself before it.
11:00-11:05
You will not experience the power of the cross if you live to promote yourself.
11:07-11:12
You will not experience the power of the cross if you think you're wiser than God.
11:13-11:28
"You will not experience the power of the cross "if you think you can save yourself "and figure out the meaning of life on your own." Paul talks about the foolishness of trusting in your own wisdom in verses 19 through 20.
11:30-11:39
For it is written, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise "and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart." Where is the one who is wise?
11:39-11:40
Where is the scribe?
11:41-11:42
Where is the debater of this age?
11:43-11:46
Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?
11:48-12:01
So Paul quotes Isaiah 29, 14, then throws down the gauntlet to challenge all the great thinkers of his day, the philosophers, the teachers of the Old Testament law, and the polished public speakers.
12:02-12:18
If Paul was speaking directly at 2025, he'd be talking about the most celebrated politicians, enlightened spiritual gurus, and the most influential influencers on social media who get way more than six likes on their posts.
12:19-12:21
Paul is saying, you think you're so clever?
12:21-12:24
Fine, try to step up and impress God.
12:24-12:26
Try to beat him in a debate.
12:26-12:27
Let's see how that goes.
12:28-12:31
Spoiler alert, he's gonna wipe the floor with you.
12:31-12:33
So who's up next to challenge him?
12:35-12:41
As I read this verse this past week, I thought back to playing board games with my dad growing up.
12:43-12:49
You know how some parents let you win or make the concession to go easy on you?
12:49-12:51
That wasn't my dad's strategy, right dad?
12:53-12:56
Every time he played a game, he would just demolish me.
12:58-13:07
And sorry, monopoly, clue, he might have a different opinion but for some reason, no loss hurt quite as bad as risk.
13:08-13:14
When I was six, seven, some of you get that, some of you don't.
13:16-13:20
When I was six, seven, I kept thinking that my day of victory had finally come.
13:20-13:26
The day had finally arrived when I thought I was wiser than my dad, I was smarter than my dad.
13:26-13:28
I could beat him at a game of risk.
13:29-13:35
And time and time again, I would make a foolish move towards the end of the game.
13:36-13:39
my dad would ask the question that I could still hear in my mind right now.
13:40-13:56
"Son, you sure you wanna do that?" And sure enough, I did, and then my dad would totally destroy my wisdom and thwart my discernment every single time we got out the wristboard.
13:57-14:04
And God does the same exact thing to everyone who opposes him on the wristboard of life.
14:06-14:24
Every single time we put forth a new religion, a new philosophy, a new ideology, I just imagine God asking, "Are you sure you wanna do that?" And sure enough, we do, and then sure enough, God totally destroys our wisdom and thwarts our discernment.
14:26-14:32
And Paul goes into even greater detail about why and how God does this in verses 21 through 25.
14:33-14:42
"For since in the wisdom of God, The world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe.
14:43-14:59
For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ, the power of God and the wisdom of God.
14:59-15:06
For the foolishness of God is wiser than men and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
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It gives God great joy, great pleasure to expose the so-called wisdom of the world by saving sinners in a seemingly foolish way.
15:19-15:21
The brutal death of his son.
15:23-15:36
You know, we lose sight of how foolish the cross would have seemed to Jews and Gentiles alike 2,000 years ago, because we see crosses everywhere, don't we, on t-shirts, bumper stickers, on church steeples.
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Let me ask you, when was the last time you saw someone wearing a t-shirt with the graphic of a gas chamber on it?
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When was the last time you saw someone wearing a lethal injection or electric chair necklace?
15:53-15:57
These are serious symbols of death and capital punishment.
15:57-16:01
Wearing something like that in public would be so off-putting and reprehensible, right?
16:03-16:09
Well, now you understand why so many Jews and Gentiles were totally put off by the cross 2,000 years ago.
16:10-16:17
Back in Jesus' day, criminals weren't put to death by a firing squad, an electric chair, lethal injection.
16:18-16:24
No, the Romans would nail them to a wooden cross and leave them to asphyxiate to death.
16:27-16:35
for the unbelieving Jews, the cross was a stumbling block because a crucified Messiah was an oxymoron.
16:35-16:42
It was like saying that someone is a brilliant idiot, a murderous humanitarian, or a lying truth teller.
16:43-16:48
Those words don't naturally belong together in describing the same person.
16:50-16:55
Under the Old Testament law, being hung on a tree was a sign of divine curse.
16:55-16:58
It was a sign that you were being punished by God himself.
16:59-17:05
So to the Jews, how could the Messiah, the chosen one, be punished and cursed by God?
17:05-17:06
That seemed insane.
17:06-17:08
It was beyond belief.
17:11-17:18
And for the Gentiles, the philosophical Greeks, the cross was folly, from which we get our word moronic.
17:20-17:23
To them, the cross was stupid.
17:25-17:33
Why would the creator of everything lower himself enough to die a death that was reserved for the worst criminals?
17:35-17:42
But for the believing Jew, for the believing Gentile, Christ crucified isn't a stumbling block or moronic.
17:43-17:55
To those who accept the divine call, Christ crucified is the power of God and the wisdom of God, for the foolishness of God is wiser than men and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
17:57-18:04
Your own way of thinking may seem wise to you, but I can assure you it is foolish.
18:06-18:14
God's method of salvation may seem foolish, but it is infinitely wise than anything you could possibly brainstorm.
18:15-18:22
Your I got this on my own attitude may seem strong to you, but it is nothing but worldly weakness.
18:24-18:36
Christ dying on the cross may make him seem weak, but that was the strongest act of love we could possibly imagine, totally stronger than anything you could ever hope to accomplish.
18:38-18:44
The wisest one who created all things chose to hang on that cross all those years ago.
18:46-18:54
The strongest one who will uphold this universe the word of his power chose to take the full wrath of his father.
18:55-19:03
The source of life chose to lay down his own life so that you could live forever and ever.
19:05-19:14
So if you have not yet trusted in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, I want you to look at me and act like your life depends on what I'm about to say because it does.
19:17-19:22
You do not have the power in and of yourself to please God.
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You don't.
19:26-19:31
You do not have the power to rid yourself of the guilt and shame that you feel deep down.
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And you know exactly what I'm talking about.
19:34-19:38
Those feelings of regret and conviction that you feel.
19:40-19:45
Those oppressive thoughts about your past mistakes that you can't seem to let go of.
19:47-19:53
You do not have the power to erase the stain of sin off of your soul.
19:55-20:01
You don't have the power to pull yourself up by your own bootstraps and save yourself.
20:02-20:07
You do not have any wisdom or power of your own.
20:09-20:16
For the very first time, look to the only source of heavenly wisdom and power, the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ.
20:17-20:19
If you submit to him, he will save you.
20:20-20:22
He will forgive you if you ask him to.
20:22-20:25
Christ will have you if you will have him.
20:28-20:30
Why is self-promotion so foolish?
20:31-20:33
Because it misses the power of the cross.
20:34-20:38
Second reason, because it misses the strength of a weak church.
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Because it misses the strength of a weak church.
20:45-20:48
Does the wording of that point seem somewhat strange to you?
20:49-20:50
Does that seem disrespectful?
20:50-20:53
Taylor, do you really think the church is weak?
20:55-20:56
Yeah, I do.
20:57-20:58
And that's its greatest strength.
21:00-21:04
If you don't believe me, believe Paul because he says the same exact thing in verses 26 to 28.
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For consider your calling, brothers.
21:08-21:10
Not many of you are wise according to worldly standards.
21:10-21:12
Not many were powerful.
21:12-21:18
Not many were of noble birth, but God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise.
21:19-21:22
God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong.
21:22-21:30
God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are.
21:33-21:38
We just saw that God chose himself wise to the foolishness of the cross.
21:39-21:44
Now we see that God shows himself strong through the weakness of his people.
21:46-21:54
Travel back in time with me to recess whenever those teams were picked for dodgeball, kickball, basketball, pick your sport.
21:55-21:56
Was that nerve-wracking for any of you?
21:58-22:00
And some of you are like, no, actually it was a lot of fun.
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It wasn't nerve-wracking at all.
22:01-22:03
That's because you were the ringers who were chosen first.
22:04-22:05
Must have been nice to be you.
22:06-22:09
The rest of us were in the middle of the pack your chosen dead last.
22:12-22:17
Why and how are kids chosen in a pickup game of recess?
22:18-22:23
There are two qualifiers, skill and popularity.
22:24-22:27
The best of the best and the coolest of the cool are snatched up first.
22:29-22:31
Is that how it works in the family of God?
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Does God jump at recruiting the best of the best and the coolest of the cool?
22:39-22:42
No, it's actually the exact opposite.
22:43-22:48
Paul calls the Corinthians to consider who they were and where they came from.
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Not many of them were brainiac philosophers, influential leaders, and rich aristocrats.
22:55-23:00
No, in the eyes of the world, they were stupid, worthless, obscure, and poor.
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But none of that matters.
23:03-23:09
They may have been chosen last in a game of kickball, but they were chosen by God himself.
23:10-23:15
And if God chooses you, you are no longer defined by who rejects you.
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And the pages of the Old Testament and the New Testament are filled with examples of God choosing the weak and the most unexpected.
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God chose Abraham to father a son and jumpstart the people of Israel when he was as good as dead, as the author of Hebrews lovingly describes him.
23:39-23:45
God chose Jacob over Esau, even though Jacob was a slimy liar.
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God chose Moses to deliver the people of Israel from slavery in Egypt, even though Moses was a stuttering murderer.
23:56-24:04
God chose Gideon to defeat the invading Midianites, even though Gideon was hiding from the Midianites when he was called by the angel.
24:06-24:12
God chose 12 ordinary men to be the followers of Christ.
24:13-24:17
These men had ordinary and even hateful jobs.
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The apostle Paul started as a religious Pharisees who held the coats of the men who stoned Stephen.
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Why does God do this?
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Why is this God's recruiting strategy?
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Well, Paul tells us why in verses 27 through 28.
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Let's read those verses again.
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But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise.
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God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong.
24:45-24:53
God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are.
24:55-24:57
That is so counterintuitive, isn't it?
24:58-25:01
That's so different than what we would do if we were God.
25:02-25:10
Worldly reasoning dictates that the church should recruit the most famous athletes, the most polished politicians.
25:12-25:17
You ever heard someone say, "Man, that person would make a great Christian." Wouldn't everybody make a great Christian?
25:18-25:28
Or, "Man, so many people would get saved "if that person got saved." That view promotes human wisdom, not God's wisdom.
25:29-25:33
That view promotes human strength, not God's strength.
25:34-25:39
That view acts like God's up in heaven looking over his draft picks like, man, I made a lot of mistakes in the first few rounds.
25:40-25:44
I need some more stars to round out my roster and boost my stats.
25:44-25:46
No, God is not like you and me.
25:46-25:49
God does not think like you and me.
25:50-25:57
If God needed the biggest somebodies of this world, then he would not be somebody worthy of your devotion and worship.
25:58-26:03
God wants to use nobodies to show that he needs nobody.
26:05-26:10
God wants to use the most unexpected to bring himself the most glory.
26:12-26:18
God wants to use the weak to expose those who think they're strong apart from Christ.
26:21-26:30
And I personally believe that's why the Lord called me to be a preacher of his word and to be a pastor, because I was the most unexpected choice.
26:32-26:35
As a kid, I was terrified to talk in front of people.
26:36-26:40
I had a stuttering problem, which I still have to deal with at some level to this day.
26:42-26:46
No one looked at the teenage Taylor and thought, man, get that guy behind a pulpit ASAP.
26:46-26:48
He is so charismatic.
26:48-26:49
He is so magnetic.
26:49-26:52
He is a shoe-in for ministry.
26:54-27:00
God chose me to be a messenger of the word to show that all the glory belongs to him and not to me.
27:01-27:05
If God can use me for his kingdom, then he can use anybody.
27:06-27:12
If God can use someone like me, I guarantee he can use someone like you.
27:15-27:17
Do you feel inadequate to follow Jesus?
27:20-27:24
Do you feel insufficient for the task that he has given to you?
27:26-27:29
Do you feel unqualified for ministry?
27:31-27:34
If you feel that way, then you're the perfect man or woman for the job.
27:35-27:36
Congratulations, you're hired.
27:38-27:43
Thinking that you're unqualified for ministry makes you qualified for ministry.
27:45-27:52
On the other hand, believing that you're qualified for ministry makes you unqualified for ministry.
27:54-27:59
If you think you're strong, you're going to depend on no one else besides yourself.
27:59-28:06
If you think you're strong, I have to warn you, you're not gonna like the mission and priorities of this church.
28:07-28:10
We are not interested in teaching self-help nonsense.
28:11-28:14
We are not interested in puffing up your ego.
28:15-28:25
We're not interested in making you a self-reliant person, but we are in the business of training you to be a weak servant of Christ who recognizes your weakness.
28:27-28:30
Are you willing to get on board with that mission?
28:31-28:34
Are you willing to have those priorities?
28:36-28:37
Stop promoting your strength.
28:39-28:41
Stop trying to impress people.
28:42-28:45
Begin to find comfort in your weakness.
28:47-28:49
Stop putting others down so you can feel better about yourself.
28:50-28:56
Stop thinking, well, this church can never survive without me, this church can survive without any of us.
28:57-29:00
Stop thinking, I'm the MVP on God's team.
29:01-29:04
Stop thinking that your opinions and preferences are the most important.
29:06-29:10
Begin to focus on the we instead of me.
29:12-29:14
Why is self-promotion so foolish?
29:16-29:17
Because it misses the power of the cross.
29:18-29:20
Because it misses the strength of a weak church.
29:21-29:26
And finally, because it misses the glory of boasting in Christ.
29:28-29:31
Because it misses the glory of boasting in Christ.
29:33-29:41
In verses 29 through 30, Paul continues to offer Another explanation for why God fills his church with weak people.
29:42-29:47
Paul writes that no human being might boast in the presence of God.
29:48-29:57
And because of him, because of God, you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.
29:59-30:02
Self-promotion doesn't just hurt other people.
30:03-30:07
Most importantly, self-promotion offends God.
30:07-30:12
When you boast before other people, you are actually boasting before God.
30:13-30:21
It's a very bad plan to brag about yourself in the presence of the most important person in all of existence.
30:23-30:26
You know, boasting in yourself is kind of lame, right?
30:28-30:30
Do you know what makes boasting in yourself even lamer?
30:32-30:35
boasting about something that you didn't even earn in the first place.
30:36-30:40
Imagine with me that next week I drive up in a brand new Lamborghini.
30:40-30:43
I don't really know what the cool cars are now, so I just said Lamborghini, all right?
30:43-30:46
So just fill in the blanks, whatever car you want it to be, I guess.
30:46-31:00
I park the car, the door slides open, and I step out with cool sunglasses, driving gloves, a cool leather jacket, and I'm like swinging my keys around, that you'll say something about my car.
31:02-31:06
And as soon as you say, "Pastor Taylor, that's a nice ride," I jump on the opportunity to bask in your glory.
31:07-31:10
Yep, I've wanted a car like this for 35 years and it's finally mine.
31:10-31:13
I mean, sure, it costs a fortune, but why not treat yourself?
31:14-31:15
Why not enjoy the fruits of your labor?
31:16-31:23
And then I proudly saunter away, and you come across my dad in the lobby, and you say, "Man, Taylor has such a nice new car.
31:23-31:32
"He must have worked so hard to be able to afford that." And my dad looks at you with shock in his eyes and he says, "What are you talking about?
31:32-31:40
"I bought him that car." Doesn't that piece of information kind of change what I presented to you?
31:41-31:45
Doesn't it make my ridiculous outfit and my prideful speech seem even worse to you?
31:47-31:47
But why?
31:49-31:53
Because you can't really boast about something that you received free of charge.
31:54-31:56
And that's what Paul is saying in these verses.
31:56-32:04
If you are a born again believer, you are in Christ because of the undeserved grace of God, period, no other reason.
32:05-32:07
You did nothing to earn it.
32:08-32:14
You have received all that Christ has, and you have received all of who Christ is.
32:15-32:18
You have been given everything.
32:20-32:21
You have received so much from him.
32:25-32:29
Listen to what Paul has to say about this in a few chapters from now, in chapter four, verse seven.
32:30-32:33
What do you have that you did not receive?
32:34-32:40
If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?
32:40-32:47
You have received grace, you have received salvation, why would you boast like you didn't receive it and like you earned it?
32:50-32:51
Look again at chapter one, verse 30.
32:53-33:01
And because of him, because of God, you were in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption.
33:03-33:08
This first presents so many important truths that you cannot forget if you're a true Christian.
33:09-33:11
You are not wise all by your lonesome.
33:13-33:16
You were not born with a sense of righteousness.
33:17-33:21
You cannot be sanctified, set apart, and made holy by your own efforts.
33:21-33:23
You cannot redeem yourself.
33:23-33:35
You could not purchase yourself from slavery to Satan, sin, and death, but according to Paul, someone came to this earth to be your source of wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption.
33:35-33:37
Who is that one person?
33:38-33:39
Jesus Christ.
33:40-33:45
In Christ, your foolish thinking has been replaced with the very wisdom of God.
33:46-33:53
In Christ, your gross unrighteousness has been exchanged for Christ's perfect righteousness.
33:54-34:02
In Christ, your slavery to sin has been ended so that you can belong to the kindest master imaginable.
34:03-34:10
In Christ, your godly immaturity has been put aside so that you can finally pursue after godly maturity.
34:12-34:21
All of these things are a gift from God, so do not take an ounce of credit for a single gift that he has given to you.
34:24-34:27
So what should you do instead of taking the credit and boasting in yourself?
34:28-34:33
Well, Paul makes it very simple by referencing the prophet Jeremiah in verse 31.
34:33-34:46
He says, "So that as it is written, "let the one who boasts, boasts in the Lord." You are to replace self-promotion with Christ-promotion.
34:47-34:49
What is Christ's promotion?
34:50-34:58
Christ's promotion is being on the lookout for opportunities to appoint every single person in your life to the person and work of the Lord Jesus.
34:59-35:05
Because everyone in your life needs what Jesus has to offer Christians and non-Christians alike.
35:06-35:08
Even those people you don't like very much.
35:09-35:15
Christ's promotion is redirecting all the praise that you receive to him because he alone deserves it.
35:16-35:22
Christ promotion looks like being freed from the horrible hobby of trying to fish for other people's compliments.
35:24-35:30
Your meaning no longer hinges on how your boss and your coworkers evaluate your performance.
35:33-35:41
Your identity no longer hangs on what your neighbor thinks about your house, your car, or your lawn.
35:42-35:45
Guys in the room, nobody really cares besides you.
35:48-35:53
Moms, your meaning no longer depends on what other moms think about your kids.
35:55-35:58
You no longer exist to impress people.
35:59-36:04
Life is no longer about you and your boasting is no longer about you.
36:05-36:08
Because here's the hidden secret according to Paul and Jeremiah.
36:10-36:10
You're gonna boast.
36:11-36:12
It's gonna happen.
36:13-36:19
It's not a question of will you boast, it's a question of who will you boast in.
36:21-36:26
I have a nine-year-old golden retriever named Murdoch and he's still a puppy at heart.
36:27-36:33
One minute he'll be sleeping on the couch and then he'll be running zoomies around the house.
36:34-36:35
Do you all know what zoomies are?
36:35-36:36
I'm gonna explain that.
36:36-36:41
It's when dogs run like they're in the Kentucky Derby, running in circles around the house.
36:42-36:48
In those moments, I don't try to make Murdoch stop running Zoomies, because he's gonna get his energy out in some way.
36:48-36:53
Instead, I open the front door and say, if you're gonna run Zoomies, at least run them outside.
36:55-36:58
That's what Paul is saying in these verses.
37:00-37:04
He's saying, if you're going to boast, boast in the Lord.
37:05-37:14
My dog's crazy playing belongs in the right setting, Outside, your bragging, your boasting, belongs in the right setting as well.
37:15-37:18
The person and work of Jesus Christ.
37:21-37:23
So what's the big takeaway from this passage?
37:24-37:25
What's the big takeaway from this sermon?
37:26-37:29
I want you to brag as much as you possibly can.
37:30-37:32
I want you to boast until you're blue in the face.
37:32-37:35
I want you to promote from sun up to sun down.
37:37-37:39
You've probably never heard a pastor tell you that before.
37:41-37:45
But never forget this really important detail.
37:45-37:48
You cannot be the focus of your promotion.
37:49-37:53
You cannot be the focus of your bragging and your boasting.
37:53-37:58
If you're the focus of your promotion, you'll miss the power of the cross of Christ.
37:59-38:02
You'll miss the strength of being weak in Christ.
38:02-38:06
You'll miss the glory of boasting in Christ.
38:08-38:14
If you promote Christ and not yourself, you'll find yourself becoming more like him.
38:15-38:20
If you promote Christ and not yourself, the church will be strengthened.
38:21-38:30
If you promote Christ and not yourself, you'll begin to feel that burden of being the center of existence lift off your shoulders 'cause you were never meant to bear that.
38:32-38:38
If you promote in Christ, you'll feel stupider, but you'll be wisest in the most important way.
38:40-38:45
If you promote Christ, you'll feel weaker, but you'll actually be stronger.
38:47-38:49
The worship team can make their way forward.
38:51-38:54
You know, boasting in the Lord all by yourself is great.
38:55-38:58
You can boast in the Lord during your personal quiet time.
38:59-39:00
But you know what's even better?
39:01-39:05
When others join in and boast in the Lord with you.
39:05-39:12
Singing as a body of believers is a biblically commanded way to boast in the Lord.
39:12-39:19
As we sing, our unity is on full display in a physical and tangible way.
39:20-39:26
When we sing, our voices come together to form a corporate praise.
39:27-39:33
Our voices come together to promote the one who has given us all that we have.
39:35-39:45
When God's people lay aside all distractions in fear of embarrassment to sing, it's made clear that we boast in Christ and not ourselves.
39:47-39:49
And I know what some of you are thinking, but Pastor Taylor, I don't like to sing.
39:50-39:52
Well, too bad, because God wants you to sing.
39:53-39:53
So we're gonna do that.
39:55-39:58
So let's stand and sing to the one who deserves our praises.
39:58-40:05
Please stand and give all of your passion to promoting God's strength, His wisdom, and His power.
Small Group Discussion
Read 1 Corinthians 1:18-31
What was your big take-away from this passage / message?
What is self-promotion? Where do you see self-promotion at play in this culture and in the church world?
How do you struggle with exalting/promoting yourself?
Why is being weak your greatest strength?
What does it mean to “boast in the Lord?” List practical ways that you can boast in the Lord/promote Christ on a daily basis.
Breakout
Pray for one another.