Sermon Central
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The Lord's Delight
Contributed by Bruce Allen on Apr 12, 2008 (message contributor)
Summary: If you are going to boast - do not boast in what you can do with your wisdom, might, and riches. Instead when you glory - glory in the Lord.
THE LORD’S DELIGHT
[23] Thus says the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, and let not the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich man glory in his riches; [24] but let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight, says the LORD. [NKJV]
OPENING REMARKS –
1. People Brag
. They brag about their talents – sports, art, or sciences/academia.
. They brag about their wealth – the fame, prestige and power that it affords them to exercise.
. They brag about their health – strength, endurance, or stamina.
NOTE: I am sure all of us at one time or another when we were able have bragged about or gloried in such things as our: Favorite sports team, Car, Job, House, Kids, Vacation, and Friends or Acquaintances.
2. Churches Brag
. About their beautiful sanctuary.
. About their huge fellowship-family center.
. About their outreach of the church.
. About their sensational of the choir.
. About the excitement of their worship service.
. About the eloquence of their pastor!!!!
3. Preachers boast too! – They may not want to admit that, but they do, especially to other preachers.
. They glory in their seminary school and the professors they sat under.
. They glory in the number and type of degrees they have earned.
. They glory in which deep biblical doctrines that they have conquered.
. They brag about their books - as to how many of them they have read or written.
. They boast about their church – Especially if it is the First Baptist Church of anywhere.
. About the size of their congregations – usually it is bigger than it actually may be.
. About the number of converts each year.
. About the number of baptisms each year.
. About the number of programs they have going.
4. Text - God’s own Jerusalem (the city of God) boasted or gloried a lot too.
. They boasted in their wisdom (government and priestly leaders), their might (army), and their riches (anything available just for the taking) – but of all that they could glory in, the one they forgot was to boast in was God!
TEXT –
[23] Thus says the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, and let not the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich man glory in his riches; [24] but let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight, says the LORD.
Gleanings from the Text:
1. Importance of Thus says the Lord
2. Boasting that does not delight God.
3. Boasting that does delight God.
I. Importance of Thus says the Lord
23a and 24b
Thus says the Lord [beginning of the text] . . . declares the Lord [ending of the text].
NOTE: When both the beginning and the ending of the text being considered is emphasized with Thus Says the Lord – we as Christians should take heed to what is found within the textual thought.
. In the Bible when this happens, this is like putting this whole text into capital letters, bold color, and flashing off and on – The Holy Spirit is telling us – Understand what is being said here.
A. Why – you say? | Because:
1. God’s Word is inspired –
All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching [doctrine], for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. [NASB]
2. God’s Word judges our ideas and thoughts of the heart -
For the word of God is living and effective and sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating as far as to divide soul, spirit, joints, and marrow; it is a judge of the ideas and thoughts of the heart. [HCSB]
3. God’s Word is used to grow us up spiritually –
As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word that you may grow thereby. [NKJV]
NOTE: It cannot be over stated that we should study the Bible – 2 Tim 2:15.
II. Boasting that does not delight God.
23b
Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, and let not the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich man glory in his riches;
1. Man’s Delight – as Jerusalem of the text – so too of us today:
A. Wisdom – is an indication of experience and education.
. Just as those in Jeremiah’s day who thought so highly of their skillfulness and talent to be enough to deliver them from the Babylonians – so too today do we depend on the skills and talent of our very best to solve all of our ills of society.
