Boasting in the Cross (Galatians 6:11-15) | James Park

[00:00:00]If you have a copy of God's word, I invite you to turn over or slide over in your Bibles with me to Galatians chapter 6. Galatians chapter 6. If we haven't met, my name is James. I'm one of the pastors here at Tyson's. If you're visiting here with us today, want to say welcome. We are so glad that you are joining here with us. Uh normally our church family has been walking through First Samuel in the Old Testament. Uh for for today, our different locations are taking a week to hear local preaching. And since our location pastor Nate is away for this week, we're reaching far end to the uh of the bench today. Uh it's my privilege to uh spend some time in God's word together with you.

[00:00:48][applause] >> And we'll get to dive into a New Testament passage today. So, uh we'll start here. Bold, courageous, confident, fearless. Those are not the words anyone to use to describe me growing up. Uh growing up, I was so shy, introverted, afraid of talking to people. I couldn't even order a pizza.

[00:01:12]Uh back then, like you had to actually pick up a phone and call someone, talk to someone on the other line to order a pizza. I really wanted this Bigfoot pizza from Pizza Hut. They don't have it anymore. But what what do you do if you really want pizza, but you're too afraid to talk into people and what do you like what do you do at that point? You force your younger brother to order it for you on your behalf. So I forced him uh sometimes with really a violent force to younger brother to order the pizza on my behalf. uh he complained and uh he was sad about it but I made sure that know he called and he ordered the pizza for me. Uh in fact to this day he memorizes the number of the local Pizza Hut uh because he ordered so many times on my behalf and now I can order pizza now uh because they have online orders.

[00:02:09]Looking back my fear was rooted in something deeper. I struggled with low self-esteem. And because I wasn't secure in who I was, I was constantly looking for something that would make me feel valuable, something that I can point to and say, "I matter. This is why I matter." Maybe it was my grades in school. Maybe it was my dad's successful career. Or maybe it was having friends in school. I always needed something that made me feel like I measured up, like I'm somebody. In other words, I was always looking for something to boast in. We hear that word boast and we might think, oh, that's someone pridefully or arrogantly bragging about their accomplishment and then even putting down others to make themselves look better. But the word boasting in the Bible carries a deeper meaning. If you're taking notes, here's a simple definition of boasting. Boasting means to find and express strong pride, confidence, glory, or joy in something.

[00:03:23]To find and express strong pride, confidence, glory, or joy in something. In other words, what you boast about and what you boast in is whatever you look to and say, "That's why I matter. That's why I'm somebody. That's what gives me confidence at the end of the day. And that's what makes me secure." And if we're honest, we might all do this in one way or another. We live in a culture that tells us that our worth is measured by how we compare with others. Students tend to compare their grades, their test scores, or what kind of college or universities they get into. At work, we compare our job titles, promotions, salaries, recognition from others.

[00:04:17]Parents can be tempted to compare uh their children's achievements or athletic performance, accomplishments.

[00:04:25]We might even compare our appearance, our fitness, even relationship, or even the number of followers on social media.

[00:04:35]And even if we might not say it out loud, there's something in us that celebrates when we've come out ahead. So why do we boast? We boast because boasting gives us what we're all longing for. It makes us feel better about ourselves. It validates us. It gives us a sense of identity, significance and worth. Psychologists even have a name for this called burging. B I RG standing for basking in the reflected glory. It's a phenomenon when which people boost their self-esteem by identifying with someone else's success. For example, uh like someone wears a World Cup championship jersey and says, "We won.

[00:05:27]We are the champions now." But buddy, I hate to break it to you. You did not contribute in any way to their championship or their victory. You weren't on the field. You didn't score a single goal. Uh you did not Yeah. You did not have anything to do with their championship. Maybe it's me being cynical because USA got eliminated early, but you are not the champion.

[00:05:50]The reality is that we're all boasting in something because we're all looking for an identity that tells us we are enough. The question is not whether we boast. Everyone boasts. The real question is what are we boasting in? And this is one of the questions that Paul is addressing in Galatians chapter 6. So let's look at God's word together in Galatians chapter 6 beginning in verse 11. This is God's word.

[00:06:19]See with what large letters I am writing to you with my own hand. It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh who will force you to be circumcised and only in order that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. For the even those who are circumcised do not themselves keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised, that they may boast in your flesh. 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. For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. Amen.

[00:07:03]>> Galatians is a letter written by Paul to a church that is swaying about away from the truth of the gospel. False teacher have crept into the church began to distort the core message of the gospel.

[00:07:16]They argue that yes we believe in Jesus too but in addition to Jesus we need to keep all the Jewish customs and the law in particular the circumcision.

[00:07:29]Only by circumcision, then you are made right before God. So Paul writes this letter to warn the church solemnly. Do not be deceived. The only way to be made right with God is only through faith in Jesus and nothing else. So in chapter six we see the conclusion of the letter until here Paul was dictating uh while another scribe was like writing down the letter for him on his behalf. But this is a point where Paul takes the pen out of the scribe's hand and he starts personally writing the letter himself with big letters. In other words, this is where Paul says, "You got to lean in.

[00:08:13]I'm writing big for emphasis." like this is his personal letter. So from this passage today I want to show you three things. First the wrong kind of boasting, second the right kind of boasting and then third result of right boasting. First wrong kind of boasting.

[00:08:31]Second right kind of boasting and then the result of right boasting. So first in verse 12 and 13 we see the wrong kind of boasting. In other words, boasting in the flesh. Boasting in the flesh. Verse 12, Paul says, "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 not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. For even those who are circumcised do not themselves keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that uh they may boast in your flesh."

[00:09:11]So why were these false teachers trying to get Christians to be circumcised?

[00:09:16]What were their bottom line motivations?

[00:09:18]It was Paul says that they want to make a good showing in the flesh. Paul says that they did not want to be persecuted for the cross of Christ to be identified with the cross. The Roman cross meant deep shame in a society that highly valued honor. Uh the cross was such a horrific grueling symbol that to be identified with the cross was a social suicide inviting persecution.

[00:09:48]But these false teachers showed that their interest was not really in keeping the law for God's honor. Rather, their real motive was to boast in the flesh.

[00:10:00]In other words, to win the applause of others, to be liked by others. They wanted to make a good impression before other people. So therefore, circumcision became nothing more than a badge, another badge to boast about. That's why these false teachers force Galatian Christians to be circumcised. every circumcision or every new circumcision was just another trophy that they can point to and say that they can prove their success and then uh win the approval of others so that they can build up their spiritual resume. You see deep inside all human beings we want to boast and we want to build up our spiritual resume. A resume tells a story about all of our accomplishments.

[00:10:50]uh the things that we point to as proof that we are enough. We might say, "I know I'm not perfect, but then I serve in this charity. I give to this charity.

[00:11:02]I volunteer in this way or another. I'm basically a good person. Like I treat people how I want to be treated." It could even be a religious boasting much like these false teachers and saying, "I served in church leadership this many years. I've been a Christian all my life. I've read the Bible cover to cover this many times where I've been on this many mission trips, etc. We have this deep emptiness inside that we try to fill with someone else's approval. We want to feel this worth and significance inside. And so we are constantly seeking to find something or anything that will prove that we are enough and that will make us feel better about ourselves.

[00:11:50]This problem actually begins all the way back in Genesis 3. Remember in Genesis 3, Adam and Eve were specifically instructed not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. But you know the story where Adam and Eve, they treasoned and rebelled against God's authority. They said, "We want to be like God." So they took and ate from the tree of the knowledge and good and evil.

[00:12:14]So we pick up in verse seven, what?

[00:12:16]Notice what happens. Then the eyes of both were open and they knew that they were naked and they saw fig leaves together and made themselves loin claws.

[00:12:27]So we see Adam and Eve right after they sinned, they realized they were naked.

[00:12:33]They they have been naked the entire time but then for the first time because of sin they felt shame. So what is their first thing uh in response to shame they sew fig leaves together to make an underwear loin claws to cover their shame. And ever since that day humanity has been sewing fig leaves. Now, we actually don't sit here and stitch fig leaves together anymore, but we do create coverings for our shame. Whether it be careers, relationships, success, money, or even ministry, we keep trying to cover our shame in different ways. I realized as a pastor, one temptation would be to use ministry as a covering for my shame and and use ministry as a boasting in my life. Many years ago when I was in student ministry, a student came up to me and said, "Pastor, I went to a camp, not but your camp, but I went to a camp in different church across town and it was so good and amazing." So, when I heard that, I was immediately thinking, why would you not go to our camp and why would you go to a different church's camp? Uh, what's wrong with you? But, uh, I want to be I wanted to stay cool and uh, play it play it off. So, I said, "Oh, what was good about that camp? What was amazing?" And she said, "Oh, the guest speaker that came so good. So good. So good." He she said three uh, so good. Like three or four times. I had to stop her and say, "Well, that's great."

[00:14:15]like what was so good about that guest speaker? Oh, he makes everything so clear. Like so good. So good. And so she kept saying so good. And I at that moment I couldn't help but feel this envy and jealousy rise up in my heart. I was thinking why does this preacher from a neighboring church make everything so clear? What about me? Like why I make everything so confusing? You know, like so I was just keep thinking about that and so why did I have such a hard time hearing that? Because I had this desire to be approved as a good pastor by others. I wanted to boast about how I was successful in ministry.

[00:15:01]Ministry have become my identity. We too are looking for something to boast about in our in our lives. Some of us may pursue possessions to be our boast. We want money not just for meeting basic needs, but to be able to show others that we're living the good life here and now. Some of us may look to success, achievement as our boast, a successful career, a title next to my name, this degree, this medal, this badge of honor.

[00:15:36]Only if I achieve this goal in life, then my life will be worthwhile. Then I will feel better about myself. Or some of us might look to relationships as our both happy family, beautiful marriage and children, even grandchildren. We might say, "Oh, my life is good. My life is okay because I have these things." Or some of us might say, "My life is not okay because I don't have these things." But these are all feudal attempts at boosting our self-worth.

[00:16:11]Think about it. Even if our self self-esteem was skyhigh, then we're still self-obsessed people who are thinking about ourselves all the time.

[00:16:22]And even if our self-esteem was really low, we are still obsessed with ourselves.

[00:16:28]Boasting in the flesh means we're always going to be self-conscious, thinking about ourselves all the time, obsessed with ourselves.

[00:16:39]>> Let me ask you a question. How many times did you think about your toe this morning, you're thinking about it now, but then you until I ask you like maybe you're not obsessed with your toe, right? Well, in college, I wasn't obsessed with my toe, but I did have a condition called ingrown toenail. And and because of this condition, I had to go to a doctor and get a procedure, and they had to extract the whole half side of my toenail. And the doctor said, "You don't feel anything right now, but when you go home, you're going to feel the pain." He was he was so right. I went home and for the next week I was absolutely obsessed with my toe. I could not stop thinking about my toe. Uh it was too painful, right? And so Tim Keller, late pastor Tim Keller in a sermon titled blessed self forgetfulness, he talks about ego as a sense of self, he says if the ego is hurt, if something's wrong with our sense of self, we cannot help but think about ourselves all the time. We're constantly asking how am I looking to other people? How are other people looking at me? How can I be noticed by other people? How can I how can I prove myself and my worth? It shows that we all have broken and unhealthy ego or sense of self. If we had a perfectly healthy sense of self, we would not think about ourselves at all. Keller says, and I quote, "The truly gospel humble person is a selfforgetful person whose ego is just like his or her toes.

[00:18:19]It just works. It does not draw attention to itself. The toes just work.

[00:18:25]The ego just works. Neither draws attention to itself."

[00:18:30]>> Amen.

[00:18:31]>> So question is, how is this gospel humility and self forgetfulness made possible?

[00:18:38]Instead of boasting in the flesh, Paul begins to introduce a new kind of boasting. Uh let's look at verse 14. In for verse 14, Paul says, "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."

[00:18:59]>> Amen. Here's a new way of boasting that makes us truly humble and does not draw attention to ourselves is boasting in the cross. Boasting in the cross. This is a remarkable statement by Paul. He is saying that the cross has become the only source of self-worth, identity, and boasting in his life. These false teachers wanted to avoid persecution at all costs. But Paul says he wants to boast only in the cross, which is the greatest symbol of persecution.

[00:19:36]But what is it about the cross that changes everything? Friends, if you're here, if you're not a follower of Jesus, we're so glad that you're joining us here today, please listen closely as to why the cross makes all the difference.

[00:19:51]God the only one true God of the universe created all things in the universe including us for his own praise and glory. That means that God owns every single one of us and we are accountable to him.

[00:20:06]>> Amen.

[00:20:06]>> But we all have sinned. We have se we we have gone our own separate ways. As I mentioned before we have rebelled and treasoned against God. And because of our sin, death entered into this world.

[00:20:20]Meaning physical death that everyone in this room has an expiration date in our life and also spiritual death. That we have been separated from God. And if we die in the state of our separation from God, uh we will spend eternity under God's wrath and just uh judgment uh in a place called hell. No amount of spiritual resume that we build up here will save us on that day of judgment.

[00:20:48]>> But here's the good news. God came to us and his son Jesus who lived a perfect life of obedience with no sin. Jesus alone deserves all the honor in the universe. But even though even though Jesus had no sin and deserve all the honor, he willingly went to the cross, a place of greatest shame, to be punished and to be killed, not for his sin, but for your sins and for my sins.

[00:21:22]And but death could not hold him down in the grave because three days later Jesus rose again triumphantly over death and grave and forever conquering sin and evil and death. So that if you would just turn from yourself and trust in him, trust in Jesus today. The promise is that God will forgive all of your sins and that you will be made right with God.

[00:21:45]>> Amen. The cross shows us that we're great sinners and that uh that deserve God's judgment.

[00:21:54]>> At the same time, the cross shows us that Jesus is a great savior who willingly die because he loved us.

[00:22:03]Every athlete in the world dreams of that one moment of glory. maybe a game-winning touchdown, home run, or a buzzer beater, or taking that trophy in your hand and showing to the world what you're made of, showing your true self to the world. Four years ago during 2022 World Cup, uh people have doubted Leonel Messi. They said maybe he's not the greatest of all time. It was still up for debate. Well, that debate ended four years ago when Argentina won the World Cup finals. Leonel Messi held up the trophy. That was his moment of glory.

[00:22:44]The moment when you finally show to the world your true self, what you're made of, your true colors.

[00:22:52]But Jesus also had his moment of glory.

[00:22:55]>> Amen.

[00:22:56]>> It wasn't on a throne. It wasn't on a elaborate championship stage. It was on a wooden old rugged Roman cross reserved for the worst of all criminals.

[00:23:08]On the cross, God finally truly revealed to us who he is. We see God's perfect justice in judging our sin. At the same time, we see God's immeasurable mercy as he gives us his own son to bear the judgment and punishment in our place.

[00:23:27]That's why Paul says, "Far be it from me to boast except in the cross. Once you've seen your great sin and your great savior, nothing else is worth boasting in."

[00:23:41]>> Amen.

[00:23:41]>> And this is our boast that uh through what Jesus accomplished on the cross, we are made right with God. Think about it.

[00:23:51]If you're made right with God, you have peace with God, you've been reconciled with God, what else is there in your life that is worth boasting about?

[00:24:02]>> Nothing.

[00:24:04]Therefore, boasting in the flesh is simply incompatible with anyone who has been made right with God. That's why Paul says, "Through the cross, the world has been crucified to me and I to the world." In other words, this world and and all that it offers in value is dead to me and I am dead to the world.

[00:24:26]>> Amen.

[00:24:27]>> Think about how the cross was a symbol of great shame in the Roman world. If you're crucified, if you're naked hanging on that tree by yourself, like you're robbed of all public honor at that point. The world holds nothing for you any longer. And that's what Paul is saying that the entire world's value system is dead to him. The world says your value comes from your success, your resume, your achievements, your reputation. The cross says your identity has already been settled in Christ.

[00:25:04]That means if you are in Christ, who you are is no longer defined by your achievements, accolades, pedigrees, possessions because your worth has already been established forever on the cross.

[00:25:20]>> As Paul says in Galatians 2:20 before in this same letter, he says, "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.

[00:25:31]And the life that I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.

[00:25:39]>> That's boasting only in the cross. He's saying, I am so identified with Jesus in his death and resurrection. I don't even live anymore. Christ lives in me.

[00:25:52]>> Because when you're united with Jesus by faith, you become one with him by faith.

[00:25:57]That means Christ's death means your death. Christ's resurrection means your resurrection. Christ's righteousness becomes our righteousness. And Christ standing before the father becomes our standing before the father.

[00:26:14]>> In Philippians 3, Paul takes it even further. Philippians 3 uh 3:7, he says, "But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ." Indeed, I count everything as loves because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. Whatever I used to boast about, all my uh positive gain that I saw in my spiritual resume, all my religious and moral efforts and achievements and accomplishments is now a negative loss because knowing Jesus my Lord is infinitely superior.

[00:26:56]Do you see how boasting only in the cross leaves no room for any other boasting? The cross tears up our spiritual resume and leaves no room for pride. There is only one true kind of boasting and that's boasting only in the cross.

[00:27:14]>> Amen.

[00:27:15]>> So now we come back to Galatians chapter 6. Paul is now able to pinpoint the result of right kind of boasting. We talked about the wrong kind of boasting.

[00:27:24]the right kind of boasting. What is going to happen as a result of boasting in the cross? Verse 15, for neither circumcision counts for anything nor uncircumcision, but a new creation.

[00:27:39]Paul doesn't say that we're simply forgiven, but that we become a part of God's new creation. That is the outcome of our faith and boasting in the cross.

[00:27:50]New creation. If you are in Christ, God has already begun making all things new, starting with you.

[00:27:59]>> Amen.

[00:28:00]>> One day, God will usher in a new heavens, a new earth, and Jesus will come back in bodily form, and there will be no more tears, no more suffering, no more sickness, no more death.

[00:28:12]>> Amen.

[00:28:13]>> Psalm 16:11, which is our Bible reading plan for tomorrow, David says, "You make known to me the path of life. In your presence there's fullness of joy. At your right hand are pleasures forever more. Just get this. Like this is a promise. We have God's presence. And then in his presence, we have fullness of joy. And then at his right hand, we have eternal pleasures.

[00:28:40]Yet through Jesus, this future has already broken through into the present.

[00:28:45]The new creation has already begun in his people, in your life and in my life.

[00:28:52]And so through the cross, we enter into a new world, a new creation where the old boundary markers don't matter anymore. Before circumcision, uncircumcision matter, not anymore. In this new creations, possessions no longer define our worth. This creation is not divided into the has versus the have not. Political affiliations no longer define our ultimate identity. Our ethnic backgrounds no longer define our ultimate identity. The only thing that truly matters is whoever you are and wherever you come from, if you are in Christ, you are a part of God's new creation. Imagine a world where it doesn't matter how people see you, evaluate you, talk about you, or judge you. A world where we can be free from the opinions of others. A world where increasingly we're uh we're set free from ourselves. We're no longer being self-conscious, but set free to love and serve other people around us.

[00:30:05]In Christ, you and I are invited to live in this new world, a new creation.

[00:30:12]That's why here at Tyson's, we want to pastorally encourage you to the degree to which it's possible to be meaningfully connected to a church group. The Christian life was never meant to be lived alone. Throughout the week, we're constantly bombarded by voices that tells us to find our identity and our success, achievements, or what others think of us. You and I, we need brothers and sisters around us to remind us of who we are in Christ to stir us up by way of reminder. When we gather together as a church group or even as we look around this room, we get a glimpse of the new creation. We all come from different backgrounds with different from different walks of life with different stories in our lives. And yet we come together because of one thing. What Jesus has done on the cross.

[00:31:09]Boasting in ourselves, boasting in the flesh divides us. But boasting only in the cross unites us and brings us together. If you're not part of a church group yet, we urge you to consider joining one as many of our groups start meeting again in the fall. [crying] In Christ and as new creation, we have been set free. This truth liberates us like no other. We we don't need to prove ourselves anymore to others. We don't need to compare ourselves and try to boost our self-esteem.

[00:31:42]We don't need to seek approval from others because our identity has already been secured on the cross. This brings us into genuine humility. As someone said, humility is not thinking less of yourself but thinking of yourself less.

[00:31:59]So what kind of person do you become if you if your identity is no longer rooted in this world but in Christ?

[00:32:08]The answer is we become a gospel humble self-forgetful others focused person. In other words, we become more like Jesus.

[00:32:20]>> Amen.

[00:32:22]>> Years ago, I was watching a TV show called K-pop Star. It's a Korean show.

[00:32:27]Uh so it's just like American Idol where you have these contestants. they want to be the next K-pop star in front of a panel of judges uh that are pretty harsh and critical. So each performance decides whether you stay and then or you you go home. So there's a lot of pressure on these contestants. Uh they come out and sing and perform and then judges they always have a way of figuring out what uh a flaw something is missing or something needs to be improved. Uh, and as I as I see these contestants, they're just being criticized by the panel of judges, you can't help but feel so bad for them.

[00:33:10]Like they're so pitiful. In my eyes, they look pretty like flawless. They're so good at what they're doing. And yet, these judges are very harsh and critical and kind of like, you're not ready to become the next K-pop star. And then I realize and I discover one person who no longer fears people's opinions.

[00:33:32]Who is that person? It's the final winner. Once all the judgment has been cast, the vote is cast and the winner, the final winner is decided, he or she sings the encore at the end. He doesn't care if he messes up. He is freely singing. There's no more nerves. There's confidence. There's nothing left to prove. The victory has already been secured. The winner is just celebrating out of fullness of joy. And I watched that. I was thinking that is a picture of Christian freedom, >> Christian boasting, Christian liberty.

[00:34:14]We don't need to feel like we have to prove ourselves anymore. There's nothing left to be proved in Christ. Jesus won the final victory on our behalf and in Jesus we can be free.

[00:34:31][applause] >> Maybe for some of you, you're exploring this Christian faith but never heard how you can have this new identity in Christ. If that's you today, I invite you to turn from yourself and to trust in Jesus today that you can experience this new life. Maybe for some of you, you've been in the faith for a long time, but you're still holding on to things, some things of this world to make you feel like you matter. If that's you, what would it take for you to lay all those false boastings down before the cross to embrace, to adore, to worship Jesus as your true life and your identity? Imagine walking into work tomorrow, no longer fearing your supervisor, your boss's rejection, and no longer need your supervisor's approval to know that you are enough in Christ. Imagine next time stroll uh next time you're criticized by someone else uh instead of reacting with defensiveness, harsh defensiveness, you're able to respond with humility and gentleness to know that you are enough in Christ.

[00:35:48]Students, imagine scrolling down your social media and really celebrating someone else's success instead of comparing yourself to them. Kids in the room, imagine no longer feeling like you have to be better than your sibling at everything to know that you're valued and loved. Imagine going to a church group meeting, no longer feeling like you have to put up a front or a mask, free to confess your sins, your struggles, and failures because you know that you are accepted in Christ.

[00:36:23]Imagine living in such a way, no longer driven by recognition or approval of others, but completely secure in the finished work of Jesus on the cross.

[00:36:35]And then imagine this week we go out.

[00:36:38]We're boldly bearing witness to that cross because you're not ashamed of the gospel. For it is a power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.

[00:36:47]First to the Jews and then to the Gentiles, to everyone who believes.

[00:36:52]Couple years ago, one of our NBC church family members and I, we were in Dubai and we were trying to talk to this store clerk in Dubai who said that he was a refugee uh coming from Afghanistan.

[00:37:06]So, this NBC member said, "We're Christians." To that, this store clerk's eyes opened up and he said, "Christians?

[00:37:14]I have never met a Christian my whole life." He was looking at us like we're aliens from outer space. And then this member started sharing the gospel uh on a blank piece of paper, drawing a diagram, and he drew a cross. And I remember this store clerk's eyes even opened up again. He's like, "Wait a minute. I've seen that symbol before."

[00:37:35]>> Amen.

[00:37:36]>> I saw that in a jewelry shop.

[00:37:39]But you're saying that Jesus died on the cross? Like I never heard that my whole life. Think about that. This man in Dubai has seen the symbol of a cross in a jewelry shop but have never heard about what the cross actually meant.

[00:37:58]He represents billions of people in the world who still do not know the true meaning of the cross.

[00:38:05]What would it look like for us to boast only in the cross and to live in such a way that the glory of Jesus resounds in our lives, in our city, and among the billions of people who have never heard about the true meaning of the cross. If you are in Christ, your identity is no longer rooted in this world, but in his finished work on the cross and in his new creation.

[00:38:32]Everyone boasts. Some boast in their success, possessions. Some boast in family. Some boast in religious activities. Some boast how they're morally good people.

[00:38:45]But Paul says, "Far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ."

[00:38:51]>> Amen.

[00:38:51]>> May that be our boasting.

[00:38:53]>> Amen.

[00:38:54]>> Here's a couple of reflection questions as we transition into a time of response. First question, what am I boasting in? What am I boasting in?

[00:39:06]Second question, where is Jesus inviting me to rest in his finished work instead of trying to prove myself? I want to give you a couple moments to reflect, pray, confess, and to respond to God's word, and then I'll lead us from there.

[00:39:25]So, let's take some moments now.

[00:40:25]If you're still praying, don't let me stop you. Rest of us, I want to lead us in a prayer.

[00:40:33]Father, we praise you for the cross, the display of your glorious mercy, holiness, justice.

[00:40:44]Father, please forgive us for looking to the things of this world for identity and significance and worth.

[00:40:52]You tell us we've been crucified with Christ and we no longer live but Christ in us.

[00:41:00]Father, please give us grace to boast only in the cross.

[00:41:05]Make our hearts find and express strong pride, confidence, glory, joy, identity, security, refuge, [music] significance, and worth only in the cross. Would you saturate our lives with boasting in the cross until we see you face to face? Help us to rest and to rejoice in your finished work on the cross. All throughout this week, may it be far from us to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.