You Are My All In All

Introduction

I want to start this morning with some talk about boasts. This is not meant to be political, but it certainly illustrates the point. Perhaps you’ve seen the montage of those who proclaim before the election, Donald Trump will not be the president. Nancy Pelosi was in that clip. Take it to the bank. I guarantee it. Tom Hanks. When spaceships come down filled with dinosaurs wearing red capes. Take it from me. How about that? He said. Mark Cuban. He doesn’t do the work. He’s lazy. Apparently he did the work. So that’s been captured by the video and the news reports preceding the election. People make boasts of all kinds. I must confess a similar boast as I was watching my beloved Kentucky Wildcats play basketball early in the season, and I thought to myself, I even said to my son and perhaps a few others, this team could go undefeated.

That has already not happened. Several of the players were sick, but still, the battle is not always to the straw. There are some similar biblical boasts. Goliath, 1 Samuel 17 and verse 44. Young people are going to have to write quickly. There’s a lot of introductory slides this morning. He said, Come to me, he says to David, and I will give your heart to the birds of the sky and the beasts of the field. That didn’t happen. In fact, I think it went the other direction, did it not? Chris, when he was here in the meeting recently, talked about the Rabshaka, who told the people who could hear in Jerusalem, don’t trust in Hezekiah’s deceitful words. No one can be delivered out of my hand. Look at all the gods I’ve already conquered.

And that taunt led to the deaths of 186,000 Assyrian soldiers and the deliverance of the righteous Hezekiah. You know, Ahab, at least, he got this right about boasting. Don’t let the guy boast who’s putting the armor on, like the guy who takes it off. The guy who has won the battle. He can talk about what has occurred versus what will occur. And then there’s Nebuchadnezzar. I’m feeling a whole sermon coming on here from Daniel chapter 4, where he was warned of the very thing that happens as he looks out over his kingdom. And somebody said, just notice the personal pronouns here in Daniel chapter 4, where he says, Is this not Babylon the Great, which I myself have built as a royal residence by the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty.

And then I love this. While the word was still in his mouth, a voice came from heaven saying, King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is declared sovereignty has been removed from you. And that’s how quickly it can happen. In the New Testament, there is Herod. The people were crying out, man, this guy must have been quite the orator. Nobody said this about me. And if you did, I would want to give glory to God immediately. Again, no one’s ever said this about me. The voice of a God and not a man. And he didn’t rebuke the people. He didn’t give glory to God. And so immediately he is stricken by an angel of the Lord, and he is eaten of worms, and he dies. Not a good end for Herod.

As we talked about him very recently. So I thought about this verse, Psalm 101 and verse 5. No one with a haughty look or an arrogant heart, God says, will I endure? And so let’s think for a minute about boasting. I want to suggest that people’s view of themselves is a growing epidemic in our times. That’s why I’m preaching this. We need to be careful how we see ourselves and express ourselves to others, or the way we may promote ourselves. What is boasting? It is to speak self exalting words, self promoting words regarding our abilities, our achievements, or our possessions. It is a self-touting to promote admiration or envy. I mean, who doesn’t want to be appreciated, right? And so people will say things so that other people will look at them and hold them in high regard or to think, wow, that person really has it all.

This is also known as bragging rights, as we say, as someone said, which are not canceled out by another’s individual objections to said bragging rights. Boasting occurs when individuals construct a self-flattering image, an inflated self-image, and then promote that image. Psychologist Theodore Millen, and when I saw his name, I thought immediately of Theodore Milton. It’s not the same guy. But they are contemporaries of one another. Psychologist Theodore Millen, known for his work in the area of personality disorders, theorized that in self-presentation, individuals seek to balance boasting against discrediting themselves with excessive self-promotion or being caught blatantly misrepresenting themselves. And then I saw this as great. Studies show that people often have a limited ability to perceive how their efforts at self-presentation are actually impacting their acceptance and likability by others.

So some people who are promoting themselves have very little ability to really perceive how other people are looking at their self-promotion. And it might just affect how much other people like them or do not like them. I didn’t realize this until this week. I always told you I love to learn things. That boasting is a particular problem at Corinth. That Paul addresses on more than one occasion in 1 Corinthians, perhaps even 2 Corinthians. But look at this in 1 Corinthians 3 18. And this is on the heels of his discussion of the natural man in chapter 2. Remember that sermon? This is all building on those thoughts. As he says, let no man deceive himself.

It says in 1 Corinthians chapter 1, and we’re coming back to that text shortly. Verse 21. So then let no one boast in men. Like I am of Paul, or I am of Apollos, or I am of Cephas, or even I am of Christ, if one holds that in a divisive spirit. But that’s not the last thing he says about boasting. He says we’re not to exceed that which is written, in order that no one of you might become arrogant. So here it is again. Don’t boast in men. Let no one of you become arrogant, chapter 5 and verse 2. Shortly again, we have this problem. Over the immoral man in Corinth. He says, and you have become arrogant. And have not mourned instead. So there’s something drastically wrong in the way that they are viewing themselves.

And look at this. Again, just a few chapters later, knowledge puffs up. But love edifies. Knowledge makes arrogant. And then he’s going to wrap that up when he talks about love specifically in chapter 13. Love does not brag and it is not arrogant. Well, I didn’t realize there were that many references to boasting in 1 Corinthians. So I’ve said all of that to say the proper regard for self. The proper analysis of self is a key to spiritual growth and accomplishment. You know, I like to preach sermons that cause every single one of us in the audience to look at ourselves. There may be someone sitting in this audience next to you who has an inflated opinion of themselves. But that’s what I want them to work on.

I want us all to think about ourselves in this matter. Because ultimately, if I think that about you or you think that about me, you’re going to have a limited ability to affect or change that. I’m the one that’s going to have to do that. So the proper regard of self is the key to spiritual success. And wouldn’t you know it? It is the very first beatitude in Matthew chapter 5 and verse 3. Blessed are the poor in spirit. For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. He who humbles himself, Jesus goes on to say, to the Pharisees, who certainly had an inflated view of themselves and who made broad their phylacteries to be noticed by others. We are indeed the religious elite, the spiritual of the day.

Everybody look at and admire and envy us. He who exalts himself shall be humbled, but he who humbles himself shall be exalted. And then this, in our chapter that you now have memorized, Romans 12, after last Sunday night’s sermon, Romans 12 and verse 3. A man ought not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think. So I want to talk to you about boasting, and we’re going to go quickly to Psalm 20, because it is a psalm that speaks of boasts and having a proper perspective. I want to look at just a few verses here. May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble. The Psalm begins in Psalm 20 and verse 1. May the name of the God of Jacob set you securely on high.

You need a relationship with God to truly be exalted into a safe, secure, and saving place. May he send you help from the sanctuary. Speaking of the temple, the place of His residence, and support you from Zion. Hold that thought. We’re coming back to that tonight. Verse 7. Some boast in chariots and some in horses, but we will boast in the name of the Lord our God. Save, O Lord, verse 9. May the King answer us in the day that we call. And so as I speak to you for just a few moments this morning about the nature of our boasts and our view of ourselves. I take you to the title of the song that we’ve just sung. He is my all in all. Not me is my all in all.

1. The Problem of Pride

And again, we live in a culture where me is the center and circumference of my existence. It’s about how I feel. It’s about what I want. It’s about how I choose to live. And nobody should say anything to the contrary. It’s all about self. Me is not my all in all. That is bankrupt and hopeless, but he is my all and all. So I want to talk to you about the problem of pride. And it’s not simply a matter of great conceit. It is boasting in self and not the Lord, to be sure. But it’s not just a matter of truly incredible boasts. It’s taking credit for ourselves for what God has done. It is relying on self and not God. It is feeling sufficiency in our own strength and not in God’s.

And I would say, as that list moves on, the difficulty becomes greater for all of us. In our affluent world, we are self-made individuals. We have a bank account that is a result of work that we’ve done. And how that we’ve moved up the ladder, perhaps, in a particular profession. And instead of give us this day our daily bread, it is I have given me my daily bread. We must be careful that we don’t become like Nebuchadnezzar. Look at these circumstances that I have provided for myself. And while the word is still in our mouth, God says, I can remove it all from you. Feeling sufficiency in our own strength and not in God’s.

2. The Lord Deserves the Praise for My Accomplishments

And that the Lord deserves the praise, first of all for my accomplishments. My successes, my attainments. And young people, as you pursue academic excellence, I know you’re all about it. Academic excellence every day, because you know that’s going to pave the way for your financial future. And then you’re going to look beyond to higher education and you’re going to knock it out of the park again. Because you work hard and you study hard. No time for play ever. But as you pursue these things. And well, we should. I mean, to provide for ourselves, provide for others, like our spouses and our children. There’s a lot of bills to be paid. We want to provide certain circumstances that are more safe and secure. Perhaps in regard to where we live.

So as we have some of these material goals, which are not wrong in and of themselves, you need to remember how you got there. Let not, I love this passage. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve quoted this passage through the years. And again, I think it’s even more special when you realize when Jeremiah said it.

And if there was ever a time when you needed to be thinking like he talks about in Jeremiah chapter 9, it’s certainly right before that. But it’s true for any time, any age, any place, let not a wise man boast of how smart he is. And let not the mighty man, well, he can bench press a ton. Maybe not literally, figuratively, but he can bench press 500 pounds. He is a strapping warrior. He’s trained for years. Like Goliath, remember him. Let not the mighty man boast of his might. And let not a rich man boast of his riches. But let him who boasts boast of this. That he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who exercises loving kindness, justice, and righteousness on earth, for I delight in these things.

Have a proper perspective of your accomplishments. Whether it’s how smart you’ve become, or how much of this material world that you have attained, or how much of a physical specimen you have become. Not many of us can say that. But of all of those things, far better to realize the source of all who is good. My friend Tommy Peeler posted on Tuesday, very short quote, but I loved it. Long after the events, long after the events of today are forgotten, and those who have participated in them have passed on, God will still be God.

3. Who Gets the Praise for My Salvation?

And so to boast in them does not see the bigger picture of God’s eternal nature and his purposes for us that lend themselves to immortality. Things beyond this world. Ultimately, it’s not going to matter that you can deadlift 500 pounds. Nick. See, I gave you some praise there, buddy. I don’t think he can do it. But all those things ultimately don’t matter. How many zeros are behind the one in your bank account? That doesn’t matter ultimately. And that leads me to the second point that really flows out of last week’s sermon. This is why I got the idea to preach this. Because, again, I think our view of ourselves needs to be in tune with what the scriptures are telling us. What was that verse again?

A man ought not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think. Romans 12 and verse 3. Get that firmly planted in here. Who gets the praise for my salvation? We talked last week about making the appeal to God. I told you I was going to come back to 1 Corinthians chapter 1. Remember all those passages we saw in 1 Corinthians about boasting in men and boasting in ourselves and the problem of pride and Corinth? Look at how he deals with this from the very beginning when he says, consider your calling, brethren. Not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty or noble. These are the people who tend to say the foolishness of the message preached, the foolishness of the cross. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise.

He has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong and the base things of the world and the despised God is chosen. And then my favorite phrase in all of this, He has chosen the things that are not to nullify the things that are. You know what the things that Christianity does for us average folks? Is that in society we’re not the movers and shakers? People may look at us and say, well, they’re not really all that much. They’ve carved out a pretty nice niche for themselves in the world, but they’re not going to be reporting about you in the Houston Chronicle. Has anybody been mentioned in the Houston Chronicle lately in this group? Probably not. God has chosen the things that are not to nullify the things that are.

If anything can give us self-worth that is truly worth something, it is a right relationship with God that He has caused to come about. He has chosen the are nots. That’s very comforting to me. He has chosen the things that are not to nullify the things that are, that no man should boast before God. That’s what we’ve been talking about. That’s what we talked about last week, about making the appeal to God in salvation. There is no occasion to boast whatsoever. Isn’t that the point? That is the point of Ephesians 2, 8 and 9. For by grace have you been saved through faith. Of course, grace is the greater part. We talk about that all the time. The much greater part. For by grace have you been saved through faith, what?

And not of yourselves. Now, people want to go with that and want to stop right there and misdefine that and say you don’t have to do anything to be saved. That is not what Paul is saying. That not of yourselves, not the result of works. What? Lest any man should boast. The way salvation works is that we don’t look at ourselves and say, wow, look what I did. If it wasn’t for what God did, you couldn’t be involved in it at all. That’s what we were talking about last week. So, whatever I have come to be in Christ, as Paul would say, interestingly enough, this is also on 1 Corinthians. By the grace of God, I am what I am. 1 Corinthians chapter 15 and verse 10.

Wow, all these comments about the way we see ourselves and boasting. So how does this work? Simply.

This is simple, but it’s it’s important. He provided, number one, the means. I didn’t. In fact, I could never have dreamed. The means that he provided. He provided the means. And hey, how did I how did I find out about it? The Holy Spirit revealed it. He revealed the deep things of God. That’s also in 1 Corinthians chapter 2. So He provided the means, He provided the knowledge. Oh, but I gotta tell you, I’ve changed. And we talked about that last week from Romans 12. And that talks about transformation, right? He told me what that transformation looks like and gives me the strength to accomplish it. He has provided the means, he’s provided the knowledge, he has provided the transformation, and he has provided the hope of glory.

4. God Deserves the Praise for My Service

And when I attain it will be simply because of his mercy. And because I live by faith in him. So if any man boasts, let him boast in the Lord. And so that leads me to this final point that I really want to spend the most time with in this. And that is my service. God deserves the praise for my service. And he would say this in 2 Corinthians. He says, we preach not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord. Then what are we? We are bond servants for his sake. And then he would go on to say in verse 7, which is my favorite verse in 2 Corinthians. Oh, maybe. I love a lot of them. We have this treasure in earthen vessels. What is that?

That’s us. We’re the earthen vessels of 2 Corinthians 4, verse 7. Paul is the earthen vessel. And he goes on to talk about, I love the context, we don’t have time to go into all of this, where he says, death works in us, but life in you. Because we’re a pitiful mess in the terms of physical appearance, in terms of the suffering that we’ve had to endure for this cause. We’re a physical mess. But our inner man, wow, it’s off the charts good. We have this treasure of earthen vessels. Ah, catch this now. That the surpassing greatness of the power. This treasure in earth and vessels. We are earthen vessels, and we’re a treasure to the Lord. More on that tonight. This treasure of knowing the Lord in our life.

We have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the surpassing greatness of the power, the power of this transformation, the power of this life that I’m living for the Lord, that the surpassing greatness of the power may be of God and not of ourselves.

And if the great apostle Paul is saying that, then certainly so should we. That’s right. Everybody wants to feel like they’re doing a good job. They’re serving the Lord well. And one of the reasons why I love being the preacher in this place is because of the support that I receive first and foremost from our elders, which has been off the charts phenomenal. And the support I receive from so many of you.

They text me about every Sunday about the lessons, emails that I receive. My friend Gabe’s not here. I was thinking about him this week. He encourages me more than he knows. He’s not here, so I can say that. And I can just go around the room and talk about how much you lift me up. And we have some servants in this group who are extraordinary, who excel greatly in their service. But whatever it is that we have done or will do. We have only been able to contribute in this way because of a merciful and empowering God. It is all about him. We are all temporary players on this stage. I know it’s the only stage we’ve ever known, but we are all very temporary players in this stage.

And our Lord has given us a great and exalting mission to perform. And that’s the way we need to see ourselves. And my mission is different than yours. It doesn’t make it any more important. That’s why Paul talks about each member supplying his or her part. Everybody’s contribution matters in this greatest cause on earth. Young or old, super wise or average. Talented or not, we are only something because of him. Jesus, keep me near the cross. May it be my glory. Ever. Paul talked about boasting in Galatians. But may it never be that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. May I suggest to you that’s going to require some time to reflect?

Conclusion

What is Paul saying there? The world has been crucified to me. The things that the world holds in great value, all of its spiritually contradictory and inferior values, and only its temporarily pleasing hopes and offers. He says, I crucify that for the sake of what I receive when I come to the cross. There, a precious fountain, free to all, a healing stream, flows from Calvary’s Mountain. And that healing stream is of greater prominence and greater importance than anything else in our world and in our lives. And so the greater question this morning is: have you come to the healing stream of the cross? Will it be the sentiment of your heart as we sing it? Jesus, keep me near the cross. Let’s stand and sing.