Amen. I want to thank Pastor Anderson for inviting me today.
I'm filling in for him as he's out of town.
And so it's a blessing to be here. Happy New Year to you all.
And so I hope you got some good spiritual goals ahead of you for 2024.
It's exciting that God has given us another year of life.
I like this cup that Brother Segura got for me here to drink water out of.
He told me he cleaned it.
It says, yes, I'm a pastor.
No, that last sermon was not specifically about you.
But I want to get one that says, yes, that last sermon
was specifically about you, because most of the time when people
people at my church, they'll come to me after a sermon
and they're like, were you preaching against me?
And I'm just like, of course.
And I'm thinking to myself, you came to church like you came to hear the sermon.
And so if the shoe fits, you know, then yes, it was about you.
And you know, every sermon that you hear, if you're in person, it's it's about you.
OK, so I like the cup.
Just got to change the wording there a little bit.
But looking forward to being here tonight.
Let's go ahead and read Jeremiah Chapter nine and verse 23.
The Bible says here, Thus saith the Lord.
Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom.
Neither let the mighty man glory in his might.
Let not the rich man glory in his riches.
But let him that glory is glory in this, that he understandeth and know with me
that I am the Lord, which exercised loving kindness, judgment
and righteousness in the earth, for in these things I delight, saith the Lord.
And what I'm going to preach on this evening is the title of my sermon
this evening is Glory in this Glory in this.
The definition of glory, when used as a verb, simply means to exalt
with triumph, to rejoice proudly or to boast.
And if you think about it, mankind, humanity always wants the glory in something.
And in fact, we innately desire to boast about our achievements,
our accomplishments, or sometimes it's even things that we had nothing to do with.
We just like to boast about even things that we didn't put effort into.
For example, you know, we recently as you know, this world as as mankind
were glorying in the fact that we completed an entire rotation around the sun.
You know, isn't that funny?
You know, every year, mankind completes one rotation around the sun.
As soon as that's done, it's like, yeah, they do the five, four, three, two.
But we did nothing to we were just on the planet, you know,
but we glory in that and we celebrate that and we recognize it.
And so the point that I'm making here is the fact that we innately want to do that.
We innately want to boast about certain things and glory.
But what the Bible is telling us here is that the thing we should glory in
the most is the Lord, the fact that we know and understand God.
That is the thing that we should boast about the most.
He says there in verse 24, but let him that glory, glory in this,
that he understandeth and knoweth me.
Now, here in Jeremiah Chapter nine, what we have here, of course,
is the prophet Jeremiah preaching to Judah and Jerusalem, proclaiming judgment upon them.
And it's for a lot of different reasons.
Of course, throughout the book of Jeremiah, you see different sins
that are highlighted, the covetousness of the people,
the embracement of false gods and false prophets.
And one of the things that he condemns them for specifically in this chapter
is the fact that they don't know God.
And if you think about it, that is a shame for those in Jude and Jerusalem
because of the fact that God is the God of Jude and Jerusalem.
That is the nation that he chose to be his people to do his mighty works
and to be a light unto the Gentiles.
Yet they forsook the God of the Bible, the God of the universe,
the God of Israel, and they embraced false gods.
And so they begin to worship false gods and prop up heretics and false prophets.
And in fact, look at Chapter nine and verse three.
It says there and they bend their tongues like their bow for lies.
But they are not valiant for the truth upon the earth, for they proceed
from evil to evil, and they know not me, saith the Lord.
Look at verse number six.
It says thine habitation is in the midst of deceit through deceit.
Listen to this. They refused to know me, saith the Lord.
So they rather listen to lies and listen to false doctrine and false prophets,
rather than actually knowing who the Lord is
and understanding his judgments, his qualities and all that.
And let me read you from Jeremiah Chapter two and verse number eight,
because this is a theme that you see throughout the book of Jeremiah.
It tells us in Jeremiah two, verse eight, the priest said not,
where is the Lord and they that handle the law knew me not.
The pastors also transgress against me and the prophets prophesied
by Baal and walked after the things that do not profit.
Verse 11 states this.
Have a nation changed their gods, which are yet no gods,
but my people have changed their glory for that which does not profit.
So this is a shame for Jude and Jerusalem to completely forsake
the God who founded them, who chose them to be his people,
that precious treasure and begin to serve these inferior deities that are no gods.
And this is what God is condemning them for.
And he's basically telling them, why are you glorying in that which does not profit?
Why are you boasting about a false god that cannot deliver you?
It cannot help you, cannot make you prosper.
You should glory in the Lord.
Galatians Chapter five, you don't have to turn there tells us this.
If you can turn with me to Philippians Chapter three,
hold your place there in Jeremiah Chapter nine.
Galatians Chapter five in verse 26 says this.
Let us not be desirous of vainglory, provoking one another, envying one another.
And when we look at Israel, we can definitely say they were rejoicing,
boasting in that which is vain, right?
That which cannot profit, that which cannot help them spiritually.
First Peter Chapter one in verse 24 says for all flesh is as grass
and all the glory of man is as the flower of grass.
The grass withereth and the flower thereof falleth away.
But the word of the Lord endureth forever.
And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.
And so sometimes we can get this misconception that, well,
we should just never glory in anything.
And it's not appropriate to boast about anything.
But actually, when you look at the word of God, there's plenty to boast about.
It just doesn't really have to do with us.
OK, has to do with God and his word and the work that God is doing in our lives.
But there's definitely some things that God tells us not to glory in.
Right. And when you look at the world, for example, they glory in all types
of abominations, all types of sinfulness.
And in fact, look at Philippians Chapter three and verse 18.
It says for many walk of whom I have told you often
and now tell you even weeping that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ,
whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly,
whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.
I mean, you don't have to go very far to see people glorying in their shame.
Right. You go on social media, you go on Instagram, you go on Facebook
and people post some of the cringiest things you could ever see.
Just people glorying in their shame, things that 50 years ago
would be considered an embarrassment.
They glory in those things. They boast about it.
They don't care that people know it.
And in fact, they want millions of views.
They want people to view those things, even though it's shameful.
It's an abomination.
It's not pleasing unto the Lord.
And it's just an embarrassing thing to look at in society.
But not only that, the Bible tells us
that people who are into mischief like to boast in their mischief.
It says in Psalm 52, verse one, Why boastest thou thyself in mischief?
Almighty man, the goodness of God endureth continually.
I mean, and this is not the best example, but again, social media,
because this is very prevalent, you have different accounts,
just kind of about, you know, pranks, for example, right?
Just glorying in mischief.
And some of these things are just downright dangerous.
I mean, there's people who literally
will post certain things about being violent with other people.
You know, there's this one guy and I think it's in Los
and it has to be in Los Angeles, where he goes up to like these gang members
and he like looks them up and down.
This guy's not a gang member.
He's not fit for that life.
But he's doing it for the social media and he's he goes up
and he's just kind of like, you know, he goes up to these guys
and he's like, you got a problem, you know,
and the people are just kind of minding their own business.
And these these people don't want problems, but, you know,
they're willing to give someone problems
if someone wants problems with them, kind of a thing.
So the guy's just like, you know, what are you looking at?
And you got a problem or you want to catch a fade or whatever.
And some of these people actually chase this guy.
And this guy's been in some serious danger in certain occasions.
But he glories in that mischief, though.
And, you know, it could cost him his life one day.
You know, it's not something you play with, but, you know,
we live in a society where mischief has become something
that's entertaining to people to the point where people glory
in the fact that these individuals are famous for these very reasons.
You know, they in their mischief of starting fights with people
or just messing with regular people on the street
that are just minding their own business
and they start fights with them, they argue with them,
they do all the types of things.
And it's just like, you know, why would you glory in vanity?
Why would you glory in mischief?
It's not worth anything.
How about this, you know, there's people out there
even within the realm of Christianity, and I use that term loosely right now,
but they glory in the fact that they think that they're saved, right?
I mean, I think it's so funny that people will claim
that they have salvation, that they're justified, they're going to heaven.
And you ask them why?
And they'll start listing off all these works.
They'll start talking about all the things that they do
and the commandments that they keep and all the deeds that they accomplish.
And the list could go on and on.
When the Bible literally says not of works, listen to this,
less than any man should boast.
And it's just like, you know, the Bible clearly says that salvation cannot be of works
because if works can save you, you have where of to boast.
Once you get to heaven, you got yourself there.
You're the one who gave yourself eternal life.
You're the one who merited eternal life.
But we know that's impossible.
Yet you have people that will essentially do a Matthew chapter seven type thing
where it's just like, I've done many wonderful works.
I prophesied in his name.
I've cast out devils and they'll say everything but believing on Jesus Christ.
They're boasting of their works when the Bible literally says that as saved people,
we don't boast of salvation, that we gave ourselves salvation because we didn't.
You know, God is the one who saved us through Jesus Christ.
It's not through our works, but the work, the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross.
Galatians chapter six and verse 12 reads this,
as many as desire to make a fair show in the flesh,
they constrain you to be circumcised only lest they should suffer persecution for the cross
of Christ for neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the law but desire
to have you circumcised that they may glory in your flesh.
But God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ
by whom the world is crucified unto me and I unto the world.
You see, we glory in the gospel.
We glory in the fact that salvation is by faith alone and Christ alone, plus nothing,
minus nothing, we don't glory in our works because our works can't save us.
But yet again, you have these street preacher type, you know, Christians out there who want
to condemn every Tom, Dick, and Harry of particular sins
but not necessarily highlight their own and not recognize
that they're essentially trusting in their works for salvation.
It's a foolish thing to glory in in this world but, you know,
we have people in this world who actually do that.
And then, you know, you also have churches that will glory in the fact that, you know,
they're a little nicer than God.
Go to 1 Corinthians chapter five, if you would, just giving you some examples here.
And as, you know, as a fundamental Baptist, I kind of know this personally because I've been
to fundamental Baptist churches, obviously not in the new IFB but old IFB churches,
who will glory in the fact that they tolerate sin.
And they translate that as being merciful or compassionate and their long suffering.
But God translates that as glory, right?
He says there in verse number six, your glory is not good, knowing not that a little leaven,
leaven at the whole lump, purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump
as ye are unleavened, for even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us.
And, of course, this is talking about a man who's involved in the wicked sin of fornication
and he's at the church at Corinth.
He's permitted to just remain there.
The church leaders are not correcting him on this.
And, in fact, what the passage seems to indicate is that the leaders are kind of boasting
that they're allowing this guy to remain there and not disciplining him for his actions,
for his particular sins, for the sins that we see in 1 Corinthians chapter five.
But you know what?
That's the same thing today where you have churches that because they want
to keep their membership high, they want to make sure that, you know, the attendance is high
and the tithes are coming in and the building program money is coming in,
the missions money is coming in.
What do they do?
They'll make sure they overlook certain sins.
And if they're ever approached about those particular sins, they just say, well, you know,
we're just kind of discipling them, you know.
We're just being long-suffering towards them.
We're not like the new IFP.
New IFP, they do church discipline, but you know what, brother, I just love people.
You know, brother, I just, I like how, like, a lot of the arguments they come up with is
like as if those are things that we don't do.
Brother, I just, I just believe the Bible, you know.
You know, brother, I just, you know, I just love Jesus.
So do I. You know, you can love Jesus.
You can kick people out at the same time.
You can love Jesus and practice church discipline at the same time.
And in fact, God wants us to do that.
And in fact, if you love me, keep my commandments.
And part of the commandment is to keep the church pure.
And obviously, we shouldn't be, you know, on this hair trigger type of a thing
where we're just kicking people out left and right.
Obviously, we're talking about unrepentant sinners, people who are involved
in these particular sins who don't want to get it right.
And that's what it seemed like is going on in 1 Corinthians chapter 5.
Yet, the Apostle Paul says, your glory, your boasting of this person being in your church is not good.
Why? Because of the fact that we should glory in the Lord, we should glory in the fact
that we would keep his judgments and his commandments to keep the church pure.
But these are certain things that churches will glory in.
They will glory in the fact that they think that they're nicer than God,
that they're more tolerant towards sin than other fundamental Baptists, and that glory is not good.
Go back to Jeremiah chapter 9.
Let's look at a couple more things that Jeremiah talks about.
When dealing with Judah and Jerusalem regarding this type of glory, he says in verse 23,
thus saith the Lord, he says, let not the wise man glory in his wisdom.
And he's going to go through a list of different qualities here that Judah
and Jerusalem seem to be boasting about.
And one of the first things that comes up is wisdom, you know.
So apparently, some of the men of Jerusalem, they weren't glorying in the Lord and the fact
that they are God's people, in the fact that God is using them as a nation,
they're glorying in their own wisdom, their own intellect.
But the Bible tells us, you don't have to turn there, 1 Corinthians chapter 3, verse 19,
it says that the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God.
That's not referring to just, you know, science and intelligence,
things that can actually be checked and things that are actually factual.
Let's talk about the wisdom of this world, okay.
Things that would fall under the realm of philosophy and preference and what the world considers
to be wisdom that is superior to the wisdom of God.
He says that the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God, for it is written,
he taketh the wise in their own craftiness, and again,
the Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise that they are vain.
Therefore, let no man glory in men, for all things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas
or the world or life or death or things present or things to come, all are yours,
and ye are Christ's and Christ is God's.
You know, one way that men in this world will glory in wisdom is they'll glory in the wisdom
of people who are elevated in this world that's having wisdom, like Jordan Peterson, right?
They'll glory in a person like that, and some Christians glory in that guy, too,
because they think he has some sort of Christian values or whatever, but you know what?
Jordan Peterson doesn't care about you, though.
He doesn't care about the Bible, he doesn't care about doctrine, he cares about making money
and teaching wrong things and misinterpreting the Bible and spoiling people through philosophy
and vain deceit, you know, after the tradition of men and not after the traditions of God,
not after the word of God, and you know what?
Jordan Peterson wouldn't be around you.
He wouldn't want to hang out with you.
I'll just be honest with you, unless you're willing to pay him some money.
But what does the Bible say here?
Therefore, let no man glory in men, for all things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas.
You know, Jordan Peterson is not going to give you the time of day,
but I'm sure Pastor Anderson will.
Why? For all are yours.
You know, if Pastor Shelley comes here, Pastor Burzins on Sunday,
and you want to spend some time, all are yours.
And so, you know, these people out there, they're glory, and these people who are elevated
to these positions of fame and authority, but they don't want nothing to do with you.
And God says, why would you boast of someone who is an abomination in the eyes of God?
All are yours, Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or things present
or things to come, all are yours, and you're Christ and Christ is God's.
And you know what?
There was a time in the old IFP where they started behaving this way, where they would elevate the pastors
and the spiritual leaders to such a place where it's just like, they were like untouchable, you know?
And I'm thankful that my pastor friends are not like that at all.
You know, those guys are so, they're down to earth, some of the easiest people to talk to
and fellowship with and befriend, and they're just like normal people.
You know, they don't behave like celebrities.
They're just kind of like, you know, they're just like you and me, right?
But in the old IFP, that was a big thing, where these men were viewed as celebrities to the point
where you couldn't be around them and they couldn't spend time with you.
But the Bible's telling us here that we should not glory in men to that extent, for all are yours.
The Bible tells us also in James chapter 3, when talking about the wisdom of God, it says in verse 13,
or excuse me, when we talk about the wisdom of this world, it says,
Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you?
Let him show out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.
So a person who's wise, according to the Bible, would show that wisdom or display that wisdom
with godly conduct and his works, he will be a humble person and he'll be meek.
And it says in verse 14, but if you have bitter envy and strife in your hearts, glory not.
And lie not against the truth.
This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.
He says in verse 16, for where envy and strife is, there is confusion in every evil word.
Now what is he saying?
You know, some wisdom or some people interpret wisdom as being that which is envious and striving.
So when you have a person getting up and debating other people, they're like, wow,
that guy's really wise.
No, he's full of envy and strife.
You know what I mean?
It's like, wow, this guy's just really good at shutting down people and arguing with people and all that.
He is so wise and it's just like, no, he's just full of envy and strife.
This wisdom descendeth not from above.
Why? Because true wisdom is meek, is humble.
The Bible tells us that it shows out of a good conversation meekness of wisdom, not debating.
Right? It says in verse 17, but the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable.
Gentle, easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits without partiality and without hypocrisy.
That's why it's important that we never want to get into a debate with people at the door or with whatever.
It's a waste of time.
It's a waste of time to argue with people because you're not going to win them over.
You say, well, you know, what do you do at the door, Pastor?
You know, when you're winning people to Christ.
Well, I already go there knowing that I'm right.
Right?
Isn't that what we do?
I mean, who here goes to a door wondering if they're right?
It's like, man, I hope I'm right about this.
Are you 100 percent sure?
Because I'm not even 100 percent, you know, it's like you go there already knowing I'm right.
This person is wrong.
This person got to get saved.
They need the truth.
And when they choose to reject whatever it is that you're telling them, you just move on to the next door.
You're like, but why don't you like argue with them, though, like shut them down and just like get them, you know, because this was them to send them down from above.
At that point, I'm no longer a wise person.
I'm a fool if I do those things, because at the end of the day, there's someone at the next door who's humble enough to receive the truth and they want to get saved.
And so why would I waste my time with someone who's rejecting the truth and all they want to do is debate me?
And here's the thing, you know, debating is popular because of the fact that, you know, that's what you do.
You're shutting people down.
You're embarrassing people.
You're, you know, you're cornering them, you're putting them on the spot.
But at the end of the day, God hasn't called us to debate people.
Why?
Because debating, according to the world's translation of what that is, all that's wisdom.
But really what that is, is envy and strife.
You know, the servant of the Lord must not strive, but be gentle unto all men at the teach.
That's what the Bible says.
OK, goes on to say, and the fruit of the righteous is sown in peace of them that make peace.
So what Jeremiah is telling them is don't glory in your wisdom, no matter how much knowledge you think you have.
Obviously, you're a stupid nation because as much wisdom as you think you have, you don't know the Lord.
And in fact, you're such a stupid nation, you're serving false gods, you're worshipping Baal.
That is not an intellectual thing to do.
It's very stupid.
So why would you glory in your wisdom when you don't have enough wisdom to realize who's the true God of the Bible?
I mean, your nation has an entire history of God doing miraculous works and supernatural things in your nation with your ancestors.
You're the nation from which salvation comes from.
Oh, but let's serve Baal, though.
I mean, that doesn't sound very wise.
So that's why God is telling them, let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, because at the end of the day, he's not wise, he's stupid.
Who told you you were smart?
You know, who told you you were wise?
It's obviously wisdom that they're calling themselves wise.
They are applying that to themselves.
And he goes on to say also, they'll say, the Lord, let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither the mighty man glory in his might.
So apparently during this time, they have men of might, people of might and strength.
And you can think of this as either referring to physical strength, OK, where they're really strong.
Or just really healthy, right?
You think of people who are just very healthy.
They're not necessarily, you know, deadlifting a whole lot of weight, but maybe they have super healthy organs.
Maybe they're just so healthy that they're just really hard to kill, right?
That would be considered a person of might.
OK, you know, I have family members who, you know, they don't go to their they don't go to a gym, but they're living like long.
I mean, they're in their 70s, some of them their 80s.
I've had family members live in their 90s and they've never even seen a gym.
They just have a mighty body, right?
So they could be referring to either or.
But, you know, in either case, there's people in this world who glory in that, though.
There's people in this world who would glory, rather glory in how healthy they are than how spiritually healthy they are.
OK, and God is saying that's vain, you're glorying in your might.
You should not glory in your strength and your physical ability to withstand certain pain or whatever it may be.
You know, you think of Goliath, right?
When he's fighting against David, he's he's mocking him.
I mean, this guy is a giant and he's coming to David and he's saying, you know, am I a dog that thou comest to me with staves?
He's calling him a stick.
I mean, he's just making fun of him.
And he's like, I'm going to give your flesh to the fowls of the air.
And the guy is mighty.
I mean, Goliath was a mighty man.
He's a mighty man of war.
The man fought many wars.
He's very much, you know, he's probably scared to look at, very intimidating.
But the guy got beat by a teenager.
That's embarrassing.
And his might didn't help him there.
So that man was glorying in his might.
But at the end of the day, you know, it's better to be strong in the Lord and the power of his might.
Which is what David did, right?
So God is again telling Judah and Jerusalem, don't glory in your wisdom, don't glory in your might.
And then he says there, let not the rich man glory in his riches.
And I think out of the three, this is one that people do a lot.
When they have an abundance, when they have riches, an abundance of resources, they have a tendency to think that they're big stuff.
Go with me, if you would, to Psalm 49, Psalm 49, if you would.
He tells them not to glory in their riches.
And often people who have a lot of resources or have a lot of riches have a tendency to kind of minimize their faith in God and minimize their faith in the Bible because of the fact that that's what an abundance of riches can do to you.
I'm not saying it does it all the time, but, you know, the Bible warns a lot against that.
And the Bible says here in Psalm 49 verse 6, they that trust in their wealth and boast themselves, what does it mean to boast?
To glory in, right?
Boast themselves in the multitude of their riches, none of them can by any means redeem his brother nor give to God a ransom for him.
So it's like no matter how much money you have, you can never buy salvation.
You can have billions and billions of dollars and all the money in the world, all the silver and gold, none of it can purchase salvation for your brother, let alone for yourself.
Because riches are vain.
Riches cannot profit in the day of judgment, the Bible says.
He says, for the redemption of their soul is precious and it ceaseth forever.
Go to 1 Timothy chapter number 6, 1 Timothy chapter number 6.
This is why it's hard to get rich people saved, because they trust in their riches and the Bible even tells us that it's easier for a camel to go through an eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God because of the fact that they're trusting in their riches.
And I'm sure you've experienced that here where you go to the rich neighborhoods and it's just like, you know, the van drops you off there and you're like, this is going to be rough.
This is going to be rough.
This is really nice.
And everyone needs the gospel, but it's just this is going to be one of those Wednesdays.
You know what I mean?
And in fact, I remember the first time I went soul winning, I'd gotten saved on July 22nd, 2007.
And at my old church, they were having this thing called summer saturation.
It was like a big push to go soul winning on Tuesdays.
And I showed up and I thought it was going to be like a church service, but he's like, no, we're going out.
We're going to go out and preach the gospel.
We're going to go do some soul winning.
So then my pastor said, you know, you can come with me.
So I went with him.
He got a map and we drove to this place called Bixby Knolls.
And Bixby Knolls was a very rich area filled with juice.
That's like a double whammy right there.
And this is the first lesson that my pastor, my father-in-law now, but my pastor then he said this.
He said, I'm just letting you know right now that probably not a whole lot of people are going to get saved here.
And I said, really?
He's like, yes, this is a very hard area because these people are rich.
And I was like, oh, okay.
And he's like, and rich people are hard to get saved.
And I didn't really understand that concept back then because I was still a babe in Christ.
But the first door he knocked on, a guy comes out and my pastor tells him, asks him, are you 100% sure that if you die today, you go to heaven?
And he says, yes.
And he said, how do you know?
And he goes, because I go to a synagogue.
And I just kind of look at my pastor and he's just like, okay, well, and he's trying to go through the verses.
And the guy was like, I don't want to hear and he closed the door on him and that was it.
And he kind of looked at me like, see, I told you, you know.
Now, what he didn't know is that that, you know, it's not that the fact is not only that they're rich, it's because they're also Jews.
And I do not deny the fact that Jews, I know Jews can get saved, but, you know, very little of them.
They're not necessarily the most receptive pool to fish from, you understand?
And I learned that was the first door that I learned that.
And who would have known, you know, years later, I would understand the full extent as to why.
But that guy was wealthy, he's rich, he thought he was God's chosen people.
But he doesn't have enough money to redeem his brother or himself.
He's probably glorying in his riches and his money, but it's not going to do him anything.
You know, it's not going to save him in the day of judgment.
Riches don't profit in that manner.
Look at 1 Timothy, chapter 6, verse 17 says here, charge them that are rich in this world that they be not high minded.
So, you know, the Bible doesn't condemn people to, you know, it doesn't say that Christians shouldn't be rich or believers shouldn't be rich.
Because some people just come from money, right?
I get saved and they come from a wealthy family.
But the charge is that they should not be high minded though.
So if you come from money and you come from wealth, don't be a proud person.
Here's another way of saying it, don't boast in your riches.
He says, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God who giveth us richly all things to enjoy.
And then he tells them that they do good, that they be rich in good works and ready to distribute, willing to communicate, laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come.
That they may lay hold on eternal life.
So the instructions that he gives to the wealthy who are believers, he tells them don't be proud, don't trust in riches, recognize that God gives us all things richly to enjoy.
And he says, and you better invest those riches into that which is eternal because you don't want to get to heaven broke.
Because it's a possibility that yeah, you can be rich here, but because you're not laying up in store, a good foundation against the time to come, you die, you go to heaven and you're a pauper in heaven.
You get no rewards in heaven because you didn't communicate, you didn't invest those riches into that which is eternal.
He didn't save your money, he didn't redeem your money and therefore you'll end up paying for that in the long term.
Go back to verse 5 in 1 Timothy chapter 6, talking about individuals who we should stay away from.
It says in verse 5, perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness.
These are people who boast in their riches. They boast in making money, thinking that well, if you make a certain amount of money or you get a certain amount of wealth, that's God blessing you and gain is God.
These are the prosperity preachers of today, right? The gain is godliness, crowd. The Bible says from such, withdraw thyself.
Stay away from people like that. Why? Because verse 6 is the philosophy that we should have, but godliness with contentment is great gain.
So gain isn't godliness, but godliness with contentment is gain. In fact, it's great gain.
For we brought nothing into this world and are certain that we can carry nothing out and having food and raiment, let us therewith be content.
What's the point? The point is this, don't glory in your riches. Don't glory in your resources and your possessions, how nice of a car you have, how big of a house you own, how much money you got in the bank, how much money you got saved up.
That's something vainly to boast about because riches, they can have wings and they can fly away at any moment.
And they're uncertain. The Bible says that those riches are uncertain. They can be gone just like that.
Turn with me if you would to, let's see here. I always forget what time we finish church. We'll figure it out. Go back to Jeremiah 9.
So he says, don't glory in your wisdom. Don't glory in your might. Don't glory in how healthy you are. Have wisdom, that's great. Get the wisdom of God.
Be mighty. Be strong. Eat healthy. New Year's resolution. You're going to lose some weight. You're going to start hitting the gym or whatever it is that you decide to do.
Maybe, I don't know, get on a bicycle or something. How many of you got New Year's resolutions? Two people. No, I'm just kidding. How many of you got New Year's resolutions regarding your health?
Amen. Hey, stick it out. It's good. Look, it's good to be healthy so we can serve the Lord better. Amen. But here's the thing, let's not glory in it.
Let's not boast about it as though it's more important than that which is spiritual. Don't glory in your riches.
But the Bible does say that there are certain things that we can boast about and one of them, for example, is our infirmities. Why is that?
Well, because of the fact that when we are in tribulation, when we are sick, when we are suffering physically, mentally, the Bible also translates that or interprets that as having fellowship with Jesus.
And in fact, the apostle Paul said that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and listen to this, and the fellowship of his suffering being made conformable unto his death.
You know, one of the greatest ways for you to increase the depth of your fellowship with the Lord is when you suffer.
It's when you're suffering physically, you're suffering mentally, you're suffering in your life, you're going through some tribulation or trial.
Those are the instances that we often draw closer unto the Lord because we need God a little more. You know, you pray a little more, right? You read the Bible a little more.
And when God becomes a little more important to you when those things happen, that's called the fellowship of his suffering.
So suffering is good, and it's good when we are stricken with infirmities, when we are stricken with hardships and difficulties and pain.
We can glory in that because we know that at that point, the power of Christ shall rest upon us to draw nigh unto the Lord, to become better Christians, to become better believers.
And we ended up leaving that era or that stage of pain with more wisdom, more godliness. We can draw closer to the Lord because of it.
Let me read to you a couple of verses here. 2 Corinthians 11, verse 29 says,
Who is weak and I am not weak? Who is offended and I burn not? If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities.
Now, the Apostle Paul, if he really wanted to, can boast about a lot of things because he accomplished a lot.
I mean, the man just outdid all the apostles, even though he came later on in the story.
But he accomplished so much. There's a lot if he wanted to be a carnal person, can boast about a lot of things.
But here he says, I'm going to boast about my infirmities.
2 Corinthians 12, verse 5 says this, Of such and one will I glory, yet of myself I will not glory, but in mine infirmities.
But though I would desire to glory, I shall not be a fool.
For I will say the truth, but now I forbear, lest any man should think of me above that which he seeth me to be or that he heareth of me.
Verse 7 says this, And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of revelations,
there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan, to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.
Verse 9 says this, And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee, for my strength is made perfect in weakness.
Most gladly, therefore, will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
Let me just predict something for you. One of you is going to go through a really hard time this year.
Or you're already going into this year with a hard time.
Someone here is probably going to suffer greatly this year.
You're going to experience sorrow and pain and misery that you probably never experienced before.
Just remember this though. You can glory in those infirmities knowing full well that you're going to experience the fellowship of the Lord.
That God will enable you to withstand in the evil day and strengthen you and that you'll have God's power upon you.
And obviously sometimes people go through hardships like that and they feel like God forsook them and he's not there.
But when we navigate through the scriptures we see that God is with us.
He's nine to those who are of a contrite heart and of a broken spirit. He's close to people like that.
But lastly this, and this is mainly the main sermon. I'm going to spend just a few minutes on this.
Is that what God is saying here in Jeremiah 9 is that we should glory in the Lord because we know and understand him.
He says, let him that gloreth glory in this that he understandeth and knoweth me.
And I think sometimes Christians don't really understand how valuable that really is.
To know God. I mean you think about the entire world.
There's people in this world who are not even in close proximity to the right God.
You have Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam. They're not even close.
I mean Catholics are not close but at least we would say they believe in God, they believe in Jesus to a certain extent.
But like Buddhists, Hindus, they worship rats at a temple.
Not even close.
So when you take that into account, what should it make you think? Man, I should glory in the fact that I know and understand God.
I know the Lord. I know the God of the Bible.
And then if you were to narrow that down just a little bit more and just go into the realm of Christianity, again I use that term loosely in this example.
There's sects of Christianity that they think that they know God but they don't know God.
Because they're not even saved.
Because they have a false gospel, they've been taught false doctrine.
They think that they're saved and they'll probably live the rest of their lives thinking that they're saved but they're not really saved and they don't know God.
And you know what? God doesn't know them either.
So when you think about that, man, I mean I think to myself, what glory is it to know the Lord as a saved person.
And obviously I'm not talking about just yet, I'm not referring to knowing God by reading the scriptures.
I'm talking about just knowing Him as your Savior.
Like we know Jesus Christ as our Savior. Like He is our God.
The God who did all the miracles in Genesis and Exodus and throughout the Old Testament, that's our God.
The God of the Old Testament, chosen people of God of Israel, that's our God. We know Him.
And we don't have to go to a tabernacle, we don't have to go to a temple, we don't have to do animal sacrifice so we can literally talk to Him at our house, in our bed, in our car, at whatever given time and you'll listen to us.
We know Him. I mean what glory is that?
And you know what? God says we can boast about those things.
And you say, well why bring that up? Well you know, people get upset when you do that.
Oh you sound so prideful.
You know they're thinking that you know, I do know Him though.
He lives within me.
The Holy Spirit is sealed in me.
In whom you also trust that after that you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and whom also after that you believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.
Which is the earnest of our inheritance, unto the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of His glory. We know Him.
So yeah, I do know Him.
I know Him, in fact I'm His son.
We know each other so well that He calls me His son.
And I call Him not just my God but my Father, my Heavenly Father.
And in fact I know Him so well that He would even call me a royal priesthood.
Like I can go to Him before His throne and ask Him for whatever.
In fact that's what He expects me to do.
I mean folks, this is something to glory in.
Because I'm telling you, there is groups of Christians so called, even in America, who think that they have that but they don't.
And they can criticize us all they want because we're once saved always saved, we believe in salvation by grace through faith.
But at the end of the day, they don't know jack squat.
They don't know God, they don't know Jesus, they don't know, they believe in another Jesus.
But we actually know God though.
And look, let's narrow it down some more.
Because maybe there's people who are saved but they don't read the Bible.
So they don't know and understand God.
See we know and understand God if we're reading the Bible.
We're hearing the preaching of God's word on a regular basis.
We're reading the Bible cover to cover.
We're meditating upon the word of God.
Oh man, not only do we know God, now we understand Him as well.
And you know what, there's Christians out there who, yeah, they're saved but they don't understand the Lord.
In fact they get offended about the Bible sometimes.
In fact, you know, they sometimes have a hard time believing some of the things that the Bible says.
They try to make excuses for what the Bible says.
They try to excuse it away because they think the world will find it offensive.
Why? Because they don't understand God.
But you know we can glory in the fact that we know and we understand.
So when we read Leviticus 2013, it's not offensive to us.
We understand it.
When we read Romans 1, it's not offensive, it's I get it.
When we read about Genesis 19 and Judges 19 and we read about Genesis chapter 6
and we read about all the events in the book of Revelation and all the wrath that's coming to come upon the world from Revelation 8 all the way on
and we see all the blood and all the gore and all the judgments, we get it.
We don't read it like, oh man.
What's wrong? Nothing.
I just read something really, you know, it's just like I get it.
No one flinches when they read the Bible and read about those things because we get it.
You know what? It's a glory to get it.
It's a glorious thing and we can boast about the fact that we get it, that we understand the Lord.
And you know what? God wants us to boast in the fact that we understand Him.
You say, why? Because not many people do.
Not many of His people do sometimes.
You say, how do you know? Well, we're looking at a nation right here in Jeremiah chapter 9 that didn't get it.
In fact, they were rejoicing in deceit and they like false prophets and they had God there and they still didn't want it.
They didn't get it.
And so it's okay for us to say, you know what?
I'm going to boast in the fact that I know the Lord, that I understand the Lord, I understand His judgments.
You know, the Bible tells us, for you see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh,
not many mighty, not many noble are called, but God has chosen the foolish things of this world to confound the wise
and God has chosen the weak things of this world to confound the things that are mighty,
base things of this world and things which are despised.
You know, had God chosen the things which are not to confound the things which are, why?
That no flesh should glory in His presence.
And then He finishes off that chapter by saying, as it is written, he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.
So yeah, He provides all those things, but you know what?
At the end of the day, He does it so we can glory in Him.
So if you're wise, that's great, but glory in the Lord.
If you're strong, that's great, but glory in the Lord.
If you are noble, if you are a person of status, that's great, but you know what?
Glory in the Lord.
You know, some people have, you know, they have a hard time with that because they think, you know, how can you say you really know God, though?
How can you say you really understand God?
Well, I'm not saying that we know Him completely because God is very vast, right?
And, you know, the Bible tells us that in Ephesians chapter 3, trying to think of the verse here,
it says that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit and the inner man,
that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith, that ye being rooted and grounded in love may be able to comprehend with all saints
what is the breadth, length, depth, and height, and to know the love of Christ that passeth all knowledge.
So God says you can know those things even though it passes our knowledge, right?
It talks about the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God and how wonderful His judgments are,
how great His ways are past finding out. We can know those things.
And so the sermon this evening, as I close here, I'm going to skip some stuff because I'm out of time.
Actually, go to the last verse here. Go to Psalm 34, if you would. Psalm 34.
The point that I'm making is let's glory in the Lord because there's enough to glory in that.
You know, people who glory in their riches and their wisdom, they obviously haven't thought about the Lord very much
because our riches, our wealth, wisdom, and might compared to the riches of Christ, there's no comparison.
Because we brag about those things that are grand. Well, if you actually study who God is and you understand Him,
His loving kindness, His judgments, His righteousness, you would see why God's telling us to glory in that because it's enough.
It's sufficient to satiate the desire to boast about something, our God, right?
Boast about His loving kindness. You say, how do I boast about His loving kindness?
Well, about the fact that as high as the heavens are from the earth, so great is His mercy towards them that fear Him.
We know that. Each and every one of us here has experienced the loving kindness of the Lord through Jesus Christ if you're saved.
But even after salvation, we've experienced that. It tells us that He's a God who exercises loving kindness and judgment.
We can know about His judgments. We rejoice in that. We know about the laws of God and His judgments.
That's why when there is some sort of cataclysmic thing that takes place in this world, some earthquake, some evil that befalls the city,
we don't blame God. We give glory to God. We're like, God did that.
You know, an earthquake hits Japan, 7.5, you guys hear about that? It's like, the Lord did that.
Glory to God for His judgment. You say, why? Because Japan needs the Lord.
And God's trying to shake them up a little bit to wake them up to get saved, amen?
He's lucky he didn't say anything to 9.5 or something.
Glory in His righteousness. The sermon simply is this, glory in the Lord, boast about the Lord.
Look at Psalm 34 verse 2, it says, my soul shall make her boast in the Lord.
The humble shall hear thereof and be glad.
Look at Psalm 44 verse number 8, Psalm 44 and verse number 8.
Here's the New Year's resolution for all of us here in Psalm 44 verse 8.
In God we boast all the day long and praise Thy name forever, Selah.
Here's a good goal for you for 2024, boast about what great things He has done.
Who He is, His loving kindness, His judgments, His righteousness, and boast about the fact that we know and understand Him.
Because you do, if you're reading the Bible, you do. If you're saved, you know Him.
If you're reading the Bible consistently, you understand Him.
And that's a huge flex. That's a major flex.
To understand the God of the Bible is big. It's enough to merit glory, amen?
Let's pray. Father, we thank you so much for how magnificent you are, Lord, how great you are.
And obviously it's past finding out, Lord.
And it would take a lifetime to even scratch the surface, but we're so thankful that we have access to this knowledge through the Bible.
And Lord, as we go through 2024, maybe we succeed in certain areas, whether that's financially, maybe it's physically, maybe it's intellectually.
May we give you the glory, the credit for it, but more important, may we glory in you.
And never elevate anything else to the position where we would glory or boast about those things more than your attributes and who you are, Lord.
And I pray you bless us as we go on our way. We love you. We thank you. We pray these things in Jesus' name, amen.