"Boast in the Lord"

SERMON TITLE:   “Boast in the Lord”
SERMON TEXT:    1 Corinthians 1:18-31
PREACHER:           Rev. Kim James
OCCASION:           March 4, 2018, at First UMC
 
 
INTRODUCTION
 
                When I was a teenager, my pastor often told us about his call to ministry.  Rev. Clapp said he resisted God’s call at first, because he stuttered a lot.  How could he be a preacher, when he couldn’t even speak a clear sentence?  He was sure God couldn’t use someone like him.  But once Rev. Clapp accepted God’s call, God did use him.  God helped him overcome his stuttering and become a faithful pastor who helped many people hear the gospel of Jesus Christ. 
                When Rev. Clapp told the story of how his ministry developed, he never took credit for himself.  It was God who had healed him of his stuttering.  It was God who gave him the ability to be a pastor.  Rev. Clapp’s confidence wasn’t in himself.  His confidence came only from God’s healing and redeeming power in his life.  His only boast was in the Lord.
                In our scripture lesson from First Corinthians, we find the Apostle Paul had a similar perspective.  There was nothing about Jesus’ death on a cross that would naturally impress anyone, said Paul.  Yet, God had turned the foolishness of the cross into the wisdom and power of God for salvation.  Nor was there anything special about the people God had called.  Yet, somehow, some way, God had chosen them for righteousness, holiness, and redemption. 
                The cross and the calling were the two reasons for Paul’s spiritual confidence.  This morning I invite you to look into this scripture with me and see how we, also, can boast in the Lord.


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