Sermon July 12, 1998 Boasting Only in the Cross based Galatians 6:14 and Luke 10:20

Grace to you and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Luke 10:20 but in this stop rejoicing that the spirits submit by you, but rejoice that your names are written in the heavens

Gal 6:14: But for me, may I not be boasting if not in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom for me the world is cruicified and I for world

A baby or your money back. This is the boast of a Los Angeles infertility clinic, Pacific Fertility. They specialize in the unnatural conception process called In-vitro Fertilization, where the eggs are removed from a woman, fertilized, and implanted in another woman. The process can cost in the tens of thousands of dollars per attempt, though they will give you a package deal if you agree to try several times. This process frequently involves "discarding" fertilized eggs, that is conceived human beings, because they are not needed in the procedure. Now this clinic is attracting more customers with its warranty: you get a baby, or your money back. If there were any doubt in your mind that some doctors boast they are god, this should end that doubt. Now..., the American Medical Association explicitly opposes tying doctors' fees to outcomes. It says doctors should be paid for what they do, and the rest should be up to fate. This, of course, misses the boat too. For this no fate. There are no random forces at work in the conception of a child. It is fully God at work. Yet these doctors in Los Angeles would rather boast in their own abilities and offer a money back warranty. Where is God in their boasting?

My dictionary defines "boasting" as "talking about or speaking with excessive pride." What kinds of boasts do you make? Do you boast in how well you do your job? Do you boast in your children? Children, do you boast in your parents? Do you boast in your money and possessions?

If we move the discussion into matters of religion, the boasting might be about other things. Do you boast of your confirmation? Do you boast of your years of church membership? Or maybe there is boasting in your frequent attendance at divine services? There are lots of activities in the life of a congregation of which people may boast. I did this or that.

With the baptism of Savannah this morning [at Bethlehem] we are reminded of many who boast of baptism as something they have done. The verse from Titus included in your bulletin reminds us that baptism is something which God does for us. "He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal..." Yet, some will boast in their own action and decision to be baptized. They are boasting in what they have done.

The ultimate area for boasting has to do with one's salvation. This brings up a witnessing strategy, sold by a Florida pastor, James Kennedy. He suggested that when going door-to-door and calling on people, they be asked a few short questions. His main question was, "If you died tonight, would you be saved and why or why not?" Think about this question. What might your answer be? You die and come to the judgment seat of Christ. Why should He let you into heaven? What would you say to Him?

I suppose many Christians might answer these questions by saying something like: "I believe in Jesus and I repent of my sins." Did you notice how each phrase of that answer started with the same pronoun, "I." The answer of many would take the form of "I did ..." or "I am ..." or "I <whatever>." See the subject is "I." The answer is about me and what I do. It is an answer that boasts of me.

When "I" is the subject in our answer to why God will save us, we need to follow this with another question, "How do you know?" If God will save you because you did this or that, then "How do you know that you have done enough of this or that?" If it is your faith that saves you, then How do you know if you have enough faith? Or, the right kind of faith? If you are going to boast in your faith, then will your faith be enough to meet the grade?

We need to be challenged in our answer, to not use the pronoun "I." We need to not refer to ourselves as the subject. We are not the ones doing the action when it comes to our salvation. All action, all credit, belongs on Jesus Christ.

Rev. Don Matzat, who hosts the LC-MS radio show, Issues Etc. would have us apply this same test when witnessing with other people. Take an opportunity to share what you believe with other people, but don't use the word "I." Describe what Jesus has done for you and in your life, but say it with out talking about yourself. Can you do it?

To be frank with you, I don't hear many people witness about Jesus. They witness about themselves. They tell me all about what they have done. They boast in themselves.

An older survey said that 56% of Lutherans say that we are saved based on our works. Even more blatant was the 1997 Barnia report which found 54% of Lutherans agreeing that "Good persons can earn their way to heaven." Thinking our good works earn our way to heaven is boasting in ourselves.

This kind of thinking is natural. This point is brought out in one of our Lutheran Confessions, the Apology to the Augsburg Confession, where it says, "By nature men judge that God ought to be appeased by works. The only righteousness that reason can see is the righteousness of the law, understood as civic righteousness." It is in our very nature, our sinful nature, to think that our works can satisfy God such that we can earn our way to heaven. Our tainted reason, which is dead, blind, and an enemy of God, only sees righteousness which comes from our works of obedience to the Law.

Jesus speaks of the same thing in Luke 10:21, the verse just following the Gospel lesson today. There, Jesus says, "I praise and thank you , father, lord of heaven and earth, that you kept these things secret from wise ones and intelligent ones, and you revealed them to the innocent ones,..."

The secret God has for us is that of the Gospel. The good news that we are saved by grace, not by our works. The Gospel that Christ died for our sins, and now God freely saves us. Our works do not save us, but Christ does.

So what about boasting? Do we boast in ourselves? Do we take pride in our works? No, we do not. Our works are only sinful. We boast in our Savior! We boast in Jesus Christ. And, chiefly, we boast in what Christ did for us on the cross.

How then do we answer the questions asked earlier? Remember them? If you died tonight, would you be saved and why or why not? You die and come to the judgment seat of Christ. Why should He let you into heaven? What would you say to Him?

Our answer should be to boast in the cross of Christ. Our answer should be "Yes, I am saved because Christ died for all people's sins, including mine." That is boasting in the cross. That is boasting in what Jesus did, not what we might do. The Holy Spirit directed Paul to write this, "But for me, may I not be boasting if not in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ" Paul says he doesn't want to be caught boasting if he is boasting in something other than Jesus on the cross. We also must desire to never boast in ourselves, but only in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.

In the Gospel lesson, Jesus knew the 72 disciples were in a situation where they would be tempted to boast in their works. They went out with power from God and were able to do all sorts of miracles and healings. They were given power and authority. But Jesus warned them not to boast in that. We warned them not to rejoice that the spirits submitted to them. They should instead rejoice that they were saved. This is really the same idea as boasting in the cross. They would be tempted to boast in what power they held. Yet, they should boast in the one who gave them that power. They should boast in the one who saved them. Jesus had not yet gone to the cross, but He knew that was what would be accomplished. So, He tells them to rejoice that their names are written in heaven. This is the same as boasting in the cross of Jesus Christ. It means giving Christ the glory and honor. It means not looking at ourselves, but instead to look to the one who saves us.

A fine summary is given in this longer portion of the Apology to the Augsburg Confession:

"Besides, they teach us to believe that we obtain the forgiveness of sins because of our contrition or love. What is this... but to place our trust in our own works rather than in God's Word and the promise of Christ? But if the law is enough to achieve the forgiveness of sins, what need is there of the Gospel? What need is there of Christ, if by our work we achieve the forgiveness of sins? We, on the contrary, call men's consciences away from the law to the Gospel, away from trust in their own works to trust in the promise and in Christ; for the Gospel shows us Christ and promises the forgiveness of sins freely for his sake. This promise bids us trust that because of Christ we are reconciled to the Father, not because of our contrition or love, for there is no other mediator or propitiator but Christ. Nor can we keep the law before we have been reconciled through Christ. Even if we could do so to some extent, still we must believe that we obtain the forgiveness of sins not because of these works but because of Christ, the mediator and propitiator."

The Apology to the Augsburg Confession boasts in the cross of Christ.

In our worship, even our hymns, we are reminded to boast in the cross of Christ. "Jesus has come and brings pleasure eternal," said our sermon hymn. Thus, it boasts in Christ, who is bringing the pleasure of eternal life. We therefore take pleasure in His gift, and we rejoice that our names are written in heaven.

Also, our first hymn today sang of a faith which looking trustingly to Christ of Calvary. Our faith does not look to our works, but to the work of Christ at Calvary, and His death on the cross there.

In our next hymn we will all thank our God who has done wonderous things. And finally, our closing doxology praises God from whom all blessings flow. The blessing of salvation flows from Him. The eternal life flows from Him. The forgiveness and justification flow from Him. None of these come from our works.

Through song, we rejoice that our names are written in heaven. We also rejoice in others who have their names written in heaven, too, as Savannah [will] this morning. We rejoice with her, and help her as she grows to continue in a faith which boasts only in what Jesus has done. We help her as she grows to learn more of what Christ has done. We bring her to God's house so she might constantly be reminded of both her need for a savior and that she has a Savior in Jesus. She needs to hear frequently that Christ on the cross is the one about whom she should boast.

Let us all, then, boast in the one who died on the cross for our sins, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Now may the peace of God which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.