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Welcome to everyone. It's good to be back in the house of our God for this Lord's Day evening worship. Just by way of reminder, Naftali will be here on the 17th and he will give a report at the 9:30 hour. Steve was adamant that I make sure everybody know that uh it's a good time for us to hear what's going on there at the ground level. Of course, we helped along with Siri to finance the building of their building and so Naftali is really happy about our church and about the church in Suriri. So I would encourage everybody to be out for the 9:30 hour on the 17th. Well, for our call to worship this evening, you can turn to Psalm 18. Psalm 18. I'll read the latter few verses. Verses 46 to 50. Psalm 18 beginning in verse 46. The Lord lives. Blessed be my rock. Let the God of my salvation be exalted. It is God who avenges me and subdues the people peoples under me. He delivers me from my enemies. You also lift me up above those who rise against me. You have delivered me from the violent man. Therefore, I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the Gentiles, and sing praises to your name. Great deliverance he gives to his king and shows mercy to his anointed, to David and his descendants forever more. Amen. Will turn with me in your hymbooks to Psalm 134. Psalm 134. Will stand as we sing together. Bless the Lord our Lord. You faithful servants of the Lord who made his house to stand by and praise him with all your might. out your hands in prayer [Music] to his sanctuary. Oh, bless the Lord be at his feet and worship him with reence. The Lord now bless you from [Music] Zion in his boundless love. Our God and earth. Bless be his great and holy name. [Music] Well, let us pray. Our blessed God and holy father, we thank you for this Lord's day. We thank you for the beautiful day that you have made. Thank you for the created order and for the revelation of God generally. We thank you as well for the revelation of God through a special means even the word of God. We thank you for your power, for your wisdom, for your goodness displayed. We thank you for your grace and your mercy. We thank you for your kindness and your love toward us and that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. We bless you for the gospel of our salvation. We thank you for the champion of our of our salvation. We thank you for that life and death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. And as we gather together tonight for the Lord's supper, may our minds be drawn out in in remembrance of all that he has done on behalf of his church. May you be glorified in this glad hour. And may you cause us to approach you with that reverence and with that awe and that fear that is appropriate to such a holy God. And may it be mingled with gratitude and with great joy knowing that you have saved us from our sins. We ask that you would bless this local church. We thank you for all of the brothers and the sisters here. Thank you for what you are doing in our midst. We pray for your continued hand of mercy upon us. We pray for those who are ill that you would just bless them and strengthen them and help them. And God for all of us with the various spiritual trials and temptations and difficulties that we face. We pray that by your spirit you would see us through these things. Cause us to be steadfast. cause us to be persevering and cause the means of the Lord's table and the preaching of your word and all of these things you've ordained for our good to be of use to us in these endeavors. We ask now that you would forgive us for all of our sins and unrighteousness as we gather before such a holy God. We are mindful of our own our own remaining corruption. Yet we thank you that we have an advocate with the father even Jesus Christ the righteous. So we confess that sin now praying for cleansing in the precious blood of the lamb. We pray for your blessing as well to be upon our our sister churches. We think of the brethren in Suriri. We pray for pastor Mike that you would just bless this brother and use him for your glory in the proclamation of truth in that part of the world. We pray there would be unity and peace in that local church. you would just be pleased to demonstrate your power in saving sinners and in sanctifying saints and be with our brother Ryan as well in Armstrong. We thank you for that work. Pray for your hand of mercy to be upon them continually. We pray that they too would experience peace and unity and joy in the Holy Spirit that you would use this body for your glory in that part of the world. We pray for Naphali. We thank you for our brother. We pray for your blessing upon him as he travels soon. We know he's an older man. We know he's been a faithful man for many years. We pray that this would be a time of refreshment for him and a time of great encouragement as he sees the saints in the US as he comes to visit here. We pray that he would just be glad and rejoice in what you are what you are doing in terms of our our union together as churchmen. And we ask God that you would be gracious to the situation in Myanmar. As we read this morning, our hearts go out continually to the great suffering and the great tragedy go going on there. We do pray for a ceasefire. We do pray that there would not be the constant threat of bombs and and gunfire and and the threat of of of killing all of these children. We just pray that they would know peace, that they would have some degree of stability, that they would be able to eat and be sheltered and have clothing and all the things that we so so quickly take for granted here. And God, give great wisdom and great grace to our brother Peter. strengthen him and help him to continually faithful uh to faithfully labor on in what you have entrusted to his hand. Lord, continue with us now. We thank you again for this time together as the as a church of the Lord Jesus Christ, as a family gathering under the householder that we may celebrate the supper that you've ordained for our good. And we pray now through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Well, you can turn with me again in your hymbooks to 23B. Psalm 23B as in Bravo. Will stand as we sing together. [Music] The Lord my sheer on. He brings me down to life in pastures. The quieters mine. [Music] My soul need [Music] again to walk away with the path of righteousness for his own sake. Though I walk in our will, yet will I fear the hill. Lord, thou art with me and I have come still. might thous in presence of my host. I am thou just with all and my cup. Goodness and mercy all my life shall surely follow me. And in God's house forever more, my dwelling place shall be. [Music] >> Well, please turn with me in your Bibles to First Corinthians chapter 1. 1 Corinthians chapter 1. Our focus will be on verses 30 and 31, but I want to read a bit of an extended section to put the section in the context. So I'll pick up reading in chapter 1 at verse 18 and read to chapter 2 at verse 5. So 1 Corinthians 1 beginning in verse 18. For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For since in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom. But we preach Christ crucified. To the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness. But to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise. And God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty and the base things of the world and the things which are despised. God has chosen and the things which are not to bring to nothing the things that are. That no flesh should glory in his presence but of him you are in Christ Jesus who became for us wisdom from God and righteousness and sanctification and redemption that as it is written he who glories let him glory in the Lord. And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom, declaring to you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you, except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. Amen. Well, let us pray. Father in heaven, we thank you for your word. We thank you for the wisdom of the cross, the power of the gospel, the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. And we pray now you would feed our minds and hearts and cause us to rejoice in what Christ has accomplished on our behalf. Again, forgive us for all of our sins and guide us by your Holy Spirit. We pray this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Well, in this extended section, the Apostle Paul is contrasting God's wisdom and the world's wisdom. And he says very, very obviously that what we see as the wisdom of God demonstrated in the cross, the world looks at it and sees it as folly. They think the message is messed up, and that's the emphasis in verses 18 uh uh verses 18 to 25. They think the recipients are messed up, and that's verses 26-31. and they think the preacher is messed up according to chapter 2:es 1:5. So basically what Paul says is that the message of the cross is wisdom. He says the fact that God has chosen the Corinthians demonstrates his wisdom and the fact that the apostle Paul is used by God even though he is as he describes there in weakness, in fear and in much trembling. Nevertheless, God uses Paul to demonstrate the power of the Christian message and the glory of Christ's cross. Our focus tonight is on the spiritual blessings that we have in Christ Jesus our Lord. Notice that the Corinthian believers were not wise. They were not mighty, nor were they noble, but they had been blessed by God, chosen by him, sovereignly placed in Christ, and then the recipients of righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. So, we'll note first the source of spiritual blessings in verse 30A. Secondly, the identification of spiritual blessings in verse 30b, and then finally the result of these spiritual blessings in verse 31. As you might expect, it's not for the glory of man. It's not for the magnifying of man, but for the magnifying and the glorying of the great God of heaven and earth. But note first the source of spiritual blessings in verse 30. He describes them as being in Christ Jesus. But he describes them as being in Christ Jesus. Not owing to themselves, not owing to their own decisions, not owing to their own wisdom or by virtue of their own works, but of God. Notice in verse 38, but of him you are in Christ Jesus. Remember looking at verse 26, they were not called because of their wisdom, their might, or their nobility. The Corinthian believers were actually foolish. They were weak and they were base. According to verses 27 and 28, there was nothing in them to commend them to God. There was nothing in them that said or suggested God owes us this great salvation. He says, "But of him you are in Christ Jesus." And the reason why the purpose for this particular design is that no flesh should glory in his presence. Notice in verse 29, God chooses the base. God chooses the insignificant. God chooses the weak. God chooses the sinful so that when they are saved they cannot glory in his presence. They cannot pat themselves on the back. The design of God in salvation is that man cannot boast in his own accomplishments. We saw that in Philippians chapter 3 when Paul says we are the true circumcision. We worship God in the spirit. We we uh boast in Christ Jesus having no confidence in the flesh. Paul says as much in Galatians 6:14, "God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ." In Romans chapter 4, the Apostle Paul says that if Abraham was commended to God by his own works, then he has a reason to boast. He has a reason to to to sort of pat himself on the back. But God has designed this salvation in such a way that not only do we not have ground for boasting in ourselves, our boast is only in the glory of God and the mercies that he has displayed to us in and through our Lord Jesus Christ. A similar thought in Ephesians 2, for by grace you are saved through faith and that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, lest anyone should boast. So, the gospel truly understood uh strips man of any ability to boast or to applaud himself. It reduces us to humble recipients of God's mercy and grace. So, negatively, we're not in Christ Jesus based on our works, based on our wisdom, based on our ability, but we are in Christ Jesus because of the sovereign God. Notice again in verse 30 at the first part, but of him you are in Christ Jesus. Notice in the larger context that which we didn't read, the Corinthians were called to be saints according to verse two. Those who are called, verse 24, those who underwent calling, verse 26, and were chosen by God, according to verses 27 and 28. The Corinthians are not in a state of grace because of the Corinthians. The Corinthians are in a state of grace because of God, because of God's sovereignty, because of God's grace, because of God's mercy in choosing them for salvation. Turn to John 1 where we see the similar sort of emphasis in John chapter 1 specifically at verse 11. He came to his own and his own did not receive him. But as many as did or as many as received him to them he gave the right to become children of God to those who believe in his name who were born not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God. Turn to Acts 13. that first missionary journey when the apostle Paul is in Pacidian Antioch in Acts 13:48 it says, "Now when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed." The order there is very conspicuous. It's not that they believed and then were appointed unto eternal life. No, they believed because by God's grace they had been appointed to eternal life and believed as well. Romans nine, Romans 9, a showstopper text when it comes to battling with Armenians. Romans 9:16. So then it is not of him who wills nor of him who runs but of God who shows mercy. The same thought is conspicuous in 1 Corinthians chapter 1 at verse 30. not of him. You are in Christ Jesus. And that union with Christ is glorious. According to Ephesians 1:4, God chose us in him before the foundation of the world as well. Christ is our representative. He is our federal head. He is our high priest. We are in him judicially. We are justified freely by God's grace as it comes to us through the doing and the dying and the rising of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. and believers are in him mystically. And I know that word mystically is a mystical word, but there is a Christurch solidarity that the Bible affords or highlights in Ephesians chapter 5. Calvin says, "Therefore, that joining together of head and members, that indwelling of Christ in our hearts, in short, that mystical union are accorded by us the highest degree of importance, so that Christ having been made ours makes us sharers with him in the gifts with which he has been endowed. We do not therefore contemplate him outside ourselves from afar, in order that his righteousness may be imputed to us, but because we put on Christ and are engrafted into his body." in short because he dains to make us one with him. So we are by God's grace in him. And that's the emphasis of the Apostle Paul. And that brings us then to the identification of these spiritual blessings. Notice what he goes on to say in verse 30b. Who became for us wisdom from God and righteousness and sanctification and redemption. Now that wisdom from God is contextually sort of uh fed. This is Paul's point in the whole section 118 to25. He is paralleling or rather contrasting the world's wisdom and God's wisdom. And so he highlights the fact that Christ is both the power and the wisdom of God. He says as much in verse 24. Verse 23 he says uh we preach Christ crucified to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness but to those who are called both Jews and Greeks Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. So it shouldn't surprise us in verse 30 as he introduces these spiritual blessings he does so under the context or under the framework of wisdom from God. Now I don't take this as four spiritual blessings. first, wisdom, second, righteousness. Third, sanctification, and fourth, redemption. I don't think that's what's happening. I think those three terms explain what it means that Christ is the wisdom of God. In fact, we could read the text this way. For those grimarans in our presence, it's what's called an epexeetical uh use of and here. We might read it this way. But of him, you are in Christ Jesus who became for us wisdom from God. that is righteousness and sanctification and redemption. So those three terms flesh out for us or specify what he means by Christ being wisdom, the wisdom of God. So how is Christ the wisdom of God for us? Righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. So notice first this righteousness. The Lord Jesus fulfilled all righteousness for us. We know that in his announcement uh just after the baptism when John the uh John the Baptist tries to prevent him from being baptized and Jesus says permit it for we must uh fulfill all righteousness. The Lord Jesus fulfilled all righteousness as our covenantal head. In Adam all died but in uh Christ all shall be made alive. Paul develops this federal or covenant theology in in in a great great extent in Romans chapter 5. He shows that in Adam, because of Adam, that transgression is imputed to us. And because of Christ, that righteousness is imputed to us. The Lord Jesus fulfilled all righteousness so that he could save us from our sins. We celebrate the doctrine of justification often in our church. And this is essentially what he is saying here. That wisdom from God is seen in that glorious truth that Christ is our righteousness. prophesied thus by Jeremiah. When Jeremiah names the Lord Jesus in Jeremiah 23 at verse 6, he calls him the Lord our righteousness. This is most important for us. Jesus doesn't just come to show us a better way. Jesus fulfills all of the obligations of the father laid upon him so that we might have that righteousness imputed to us and received by faith alone. We are forgiven and we are cleansed and we are clothed in his blessed righteousness such that we may enter into the presence of a holy God. Calvin says he says that he has made unto us righteousness by which he means that we are on his account acceptable to God in as much as he expedated our sins by his death and his obedience is imputed to us for righteousness. That's the wisdom of God. again in the context that wisdom is seen in the message of the cross. That wisdom is seen in the recipients of this salvation and that message is seen or that wisdom is seen rather in the the the the ability of the apostle Paul. So these things which the world scoffs at these things which the world mocks these things are the actual wisdom and manifest glory of God most high in the saving of sinners. Gil says this righteousness by an act of the father's grace is imputed, reckoned and accounted to them as their justifying righteousness. So when we come to this section and we look at this concept of wisdom, we are mindful that in Colossians 2 for instance, it says that in Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. And certainly in Christ we have the mind of Christ according to 1 Corinthians 2:16. there's a noetic or an intellectual effect upon us when we are born again. It doesn't mean we can do quantum mechanics, but it certainly means that we can think God's thoughts after him according to scripture. Prior to our conversion, the Bible looks like a a Chinese phone book. But once we get saved, we understand. We hear the voice of Christ coming to us in that scripture. It is most excellent. And what we have in Christ in terms of wisdom is his righteousness. That next statement is sanctification. And we usually think of sanctification as the spirit wrought power of Christian living. Right? When we get justified freely by God's grace, uh faith alone is the instrument, but it's not alone. It's ever accompanied by all other saving graces and and is no dead faith. We think of sanctification as our day in dayout grind. We think of sanctification and the the language of the apostle in Romans 13, put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh to fulfill its lusts. We think of Paul in Romans 6:7 and 8 where he tells us to, you know, if by the spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, then you will live. We think of uh sanctification as our movement forward in the Christian life. And I'm not suggesting that concept is foreign to this passage, but I think it's more objective. I think it's more what Christ has done for us. He is our righteousness or our justification, but he is our sanctification as well. Not our daily progress in holiness, but one that kept the law. not only in terms of its particular application with reference to uh the ten commandments but every jot and tit in terms of holiness and right living. Gil and and hajj favor this interpretation. These hodgej says righteousness and sanctification are intimately united as different aspects of the same thing. Righteousness is that which satisfies the demands of the law as a rule of justification. Sanctification or holiness is that which satisfies the law as a rule of duty. Christ is both to us and it's on that basis or foundation that we live the life of sanctification wrought out in us and by for us by the spirits. Again, I'm not suggesting that sanctification subjectively is absent from the passage. But I think the wisdom of God is seen in Christ, our righteousness and our sanctification. You know, we've often thought or often said, "We're not going to go to heaven based on our sanctification. We're going to go to heaven based on Christ's sanctification, Christ's righteousness, Christ's virtue, Christ's impeccability, Christ's absolute obedience to every jot and tit of the law. Christ satisfied divine justice. Christ obeyed perfectly. And Christ is not only our righteousness but our sanctification. And then he goes on to say redemption. Now the word redemption has the general meaning of buying back something out of let's say a slave market. And it's the it's done through a price. Redemption isn't just the exercise of sovereign power on the on the part of God. It is the exercise of sovereign power on the part of God. that there's a price paid when the New Testament celebrates our redemption in Jesus Christ. It's not just the exercise of sovereign power. Though it is the exercise of sovereign power, but it's the price paid by the savior for us men and for our salvation. It is that debt satisfied. It is that penalty uh uh penalized. It is that divine justice satisfied not averted or diverted but taken by the shity in our place. So redemption here is not specifically that general meaning but I think when it's used with these other two terms it it probably has the idea of glorification or our finality when we get to heaven. In fact you can turn to Romans chapter 8 where we see that reality facing us in the future. Notice in Romans chapter 8 at verse 23, not only that, but we also who have the first fruits of the spirit, even we ourselves grown within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. Again, redemption, generally speaking, is the purchase of a price to buy something out of. But also, it has this idea that we find here that's more cosmic in nature, the redemption of our body. Other words, Paul sees that this current uh creation because of sin is under bondage. It yearns for full deliverance. And in the apost apostles argument that full deliverance comes at the second coming of our lord, the ushering in of the eternal state, the redemption of our body. This is why we confess with the apostles creed. I believe in the resurrection from the dead. Brethren, we are not gnostics. I feel at times evangelicals and even reformed can fall into a bit of anasticism. We talk about God saving our souls and that's good. We should talk about God saving our souls. But there is a redemption of our body. Bodies aren't bad. Nature isn't bad. Creation isn't bad. God is not at war with creation. God is not at war with nature. God is at war with our sin and our rebellion and our transgression. But we confess the resurrection from the dead. We confess this redemption of our bodies. We confess body and soul in the presence of the triune God world without end. Amen. Brethren, we are not gnostics. We long for this this red uh redemption that is on the horizon for the people of God in Jesus Christ. Notice in Ephesians chapter 1 just to see a a more specific use or more uh uh uh contextual use of this idea of redemption. Notice in 114, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession to the praise of his glory. So there's a narrow use in terms of redeeming, price paid, get us out of the slave market of sin. There's also this use of the future. this redemption. Notice in 4:30, Paul uses the same language in a similar way. Do not grieve the Holy Spirit by whom you were sealed. Note, for the day of redemption. And then again in Hebrews chapter 9. Hebrews chapter 9, specifically at verse 12. Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with his own blood, he entered the most holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. That kind of combines both themes there. But going back to first Corinthians, the wisdom of God in this particular section is all about Jesus, his righteousness, his sanctification, and his redemption. It's not participatory. In a section that is to demonstrate God's wisdom, it would seem odd to include our participation in Jesus' work. The emphasis in 130 is on the objectivity of the Christian gospel for the salvation of all the elect, those whom the father gave to the son. For of him you are in Christ Jesus. And Jesus is the wisdom of God. And that wisdom of God is seen in righteousness. That wisdom of God is seen in sanctification. That wisdom of God is seen in redemption. Now you're the beneficiaries of that. You are the blessed recipients of that. But the accent here is not our participation in it. The accent here is on Christ as the power and wisdom of God. Hajj says this term redemption sometimes includes all the benefits received from Christ. When he is called our redeemer, he is presented as our deliverer from guilt, from hell, from sin, from the power of Satan, from the grave. But when redemption is distinguished from justification and sanctification, it refers to the final deliverance from evil. So all of this to say this wisdom from God is seen in what Christ accomplishes, what Christ accomplished in his life, what Christ accomplished in his death, what Christ accomplished in his resurrection, what Christ has accomplished as the mediator of the new covenant, wherein God has placed us savingly in him. He chose us in him before the foundation of the world. In love, he predestinated us unto adoption as sons. Everything is by virtue of our union with Jesus. Jesus is the wisdom of God. And that brings us then thirdly to consider the result of spiritual blessings. And again, it's very simple and this should be very simple. Why does God save his people from their sins? Well, it's according to his own good pleasure. It's according to his own sovereign grace. Jacob I loved. Esau I hated. I read about that this morning in that section on AW Pinks, the love of God. He highlights the sovereignty of God's love. There's nothing in the creature that deserves God's love, the sinful creature. There's nothing in us that that that that earns God's love. Everything in us to repel that love. I love the way pink highlights what happens in Deuteronomy. God tells the people of Israel, "I chose you not because you were more numerous, but because I loved you." Isn't that a great argument? I love you because I love you. That's a great argument. Typically, we're conditioned to say, "I love you because you make a good waffle. I love you because you clean a good garage. I love you because you're a hard worker." None of those things are bad. The psalmist says, "I love the Lord because he heard the voice of my supplication." That's not necessarily wrong. But when you come to the divine love for the creature, there's no, "I love you because I love you because no, I love you because I love you." God set his affection upon Israel not because they were more numerous or because they were more righteous. It wasn't as if they were the shining jewel amongst all those Canaanites that populated the land. Basically, God takes none too righteous Israel and raises them up to chasen less than even none to righteous Israel, the Canaanites. But what happens when the Israelites become like the Canaanites and engage in the same sorts of activities in the land? Well, God raises up Assyria and in 7:22 the northern kingdoms are judged. What happens when Judah doesn't learn that lesson? Read the prophets Jeremiah and Ezekiel. They upgrade uh the the the southern kingdom for not seeing and not divining and not discovering what God did to their northern counterparts. So when they continue in penitent and they continue in breaking covenant, well, it's Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians in 586, beginning a 70-year exile. So it's God's not got some special people because they radiate goodness and holiness. No, I love you because I love you. I love you because I'm gracious. I love you because I'm sovereign. So back to our text, he is the wisdom from God. that is righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. That as it is written, he who glories, let him glory in the Lord. So the obvious implication is simple. If I'm saved because of my wisdom, if I'm saved because of my nobility, if I'm saved because of my might, I have a reason to boast. I have a reason to boast. I have a reason to say, "Well, you know, I'm better than that guy. I may not be as good as that one, but I'm better than at least a few, and that's why I'm in the state that I'm in." The design of God is that no flesh should glory in his presence. None of us will ever say, "I was accepted because of my wisdom. I was accepted because of my might. I was accepted because of my nobility." No, we can't do that. Christ is our righteousness. Christ is our sanctification. Christ is our redemption. That as it is written, he who glories, let him glory in the Lord. Calvin says, "Mark the end that God has in view in bestowing all things upon us in Christ that we may not claim any merit to ourselves, but may give him all the praise." That's the design. That's the emphasis. That's the mechanism. That's the vehicle. It has been well said as believers in Jesus Christ, when you do something right, give glory to God. When you don't, confess your sin and rebellion to God. If we do anything, it's God who is at work in us, both to will and to do according to his good pleasure. Now, notice that the apostle grounds this in an Old Testament text. He who glories, let him glory in the Lord. You can turn to the prophet Jeremiah. Jeremiah chapter 9. Jeremiah chapter 9, specifically at verse 23. Thus says the Lord, let not the wise man glory in his wisdom. Let not the mighty man glory in his might. Interesting that Paul uses those terms when he describes the Corinthians. Interesting that Paul uses this text. It's very consistent in theology that we are to give God glory and praise and not boast upon our own merits. And in a moment, I'll show you why this is here in Jeremiah 9. So, let not the wise man glory in his wisdom. Let not the mighty man glory in his might. Nor let the rich man glory in his riches. But let him who glories glory in this that he understands and knows me that I am the Lord exercising loving kindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight, says the Lord. Now, in this context, Jeremiah gives his first temple sermon in Jeremiah chapter 7. And interestingly, as Jeremiah is preaching this temple sermon, it's not a message of self-help. It's not a message to just buck up the people of God. It's not a message to, you know, do upon them and their good efforts in serving Yahweh of Israel. No. In typical prophetic fashion, Jeremiah is a prosecuting attorney on behalf of Yahweh. And he comes to point his finger in their faces and call them to repentance and call them to faith. And he highlights and he illustrates and he demonstrates what their confidence is in. Notice in chapter 7 in verses 8 to 11. Behold, you trust in lying words that cannot profit. Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, burn incense, to bail, and walk after other gods whom you do not know? and then come and stand before me in this house which is called by my name and say we are delivered to do all these abominations. Has this house which is called by my name become a den of thieves in your eyes? Behold I even I have seen it says the Lord. That's the text applied by gospel writers to our Lord Jesus Christ when he deals with the temple. Right? The same thing was going on in Jesus' day that was going on in Jeremiah's day. Do you see what it they're trusting in the temple? As long as the temple stand in, everything's cool. As long as the temples here, that's our badge of identity. As long as the temple is not decimated, then then all is good. Notice you trust in lying words, it cannot profit. We steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, burn incense to Baal, and walk after other gods whom you do not know. and then come and stand before me in this house which is called by my name and say we are delivered to do all these abominations. You you actually think that your wretched, filthy, godless conduct is mitigated by the existence of the temple. It you've missed the point. But notice as well in 21 to 29, they're trusting in sacrifice, not the God to whom a sacrifice. Verse 21. Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, your burnt offerings to your or add your burnt offerings to your sacrifices and eat meat. For I did not speak to your fathers or command them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices. But this is what I commanded them, saying, "Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people, and walk in all the ways I have commanded you, and it may be well with you." Yet they did not obey or incline their ear, but followed the councils and the dictates of their evil hearts, and went backward and not forward. Since the day that your fathers came out of the land of Egypt until this day I have even sent you all my servants the prophets daily rising up early and sending them. Yet they did not obey me or incline their ear but stiffen their neck. They did worse than their fathers. Therefore you shall speak all these words to them but they will not obey you. You shall also call to them but they will not answer you. Again this idea that as long as we do the sacrifice it doesn't matter what we're doing. Doesn't matter about our religious life or conduct. And then as well the religious leaders, the religious leaders who were deceitful. Chapter 8 specifically at verses 8 to 12. How can you say we are wise and the law of the Lord is with us? Look, the false pen of the scribes certainly works falsehood. The wise men are ashamed. They're dismayed and taken. Behold, they have rejected the word of the Lord. So what wisdom do they have? Therefore, I will give their wives to others and their fields to those who will inherit them. Because from the least even to the greatest, everyone is given to covetousness. From the prophet, even to the priest, everyone deals falsely. For they have healed the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, "Peace, peace," when there is no peace. Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? No, they were not at all ashamed, nor did they know how to blush. Therefore, they shall fall among those who fall. In the time of their punishment, they shall be cast down, says the Lord. Now, that's not to say that temple is bad. It's not to say that sacrifice is bad. It's not to say that prophet and priest is bad. That's not what I'm saying. I'm saying they abused that. They hid behind those things in order to commit their sins, their idolatries, their Baal worship. So, right smack dab in the midst of this, Jeremiah comes and says, "Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom. Let not the mighty man glory in his might. Nor let the rich man glory in his riches, but let him who glories glory in the Lord or glory in this that he understands and knows me that I am the Lord exercising loving kindness, judgment and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight says the Lord. Bit of a different context at least in some sense. But when Paul takes this from the prophet Jeremiah, he is highlighting that the purpose of God in the salvation of sinners is not the magnifying of the sinner. It is the magnifying of the grace of God in and through our Lord Jesus Christ. That one who is to us wisdom from God. That is righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. May the Lord encourage our hearts and build us up in our most holy faith. And may we walk subjectively by faith in the objective truth of who the wisdom of God is, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. our comfort, our stability, our security, our benefit, our consistency, steadfastness, and perseverance in the Christian life depends not on our view of ourselves, but on our view of Jesus Christ, the Lord. Whenever I travel, I am mindful that planes crash. Whenever I travel, I am mindful that that cars crash. And I could crash going home tonight, but if I happen to crash on this trip, I hope to see you on the other side. And always be looking to that one who is our righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. There is no other hope, there is no other boast, there is no other joy, there is no other glory than Jesus Christ and him crucified and resurrected. Well, let us pray. Our father in heaven, we thank you for your word. We thank you that Christ is for us or to us that wisdom from God. That he has satisfied all the requirements. He has satisfied all that was necessary to save us from our sins. Help us to constantly look to him in faith. Help us to glory in him and his cross alone. and help us to serve and to honor you each and every day that we live, accepting uh your holy word, listening to it as it speaks to us in our lives as individuals, our lives as as husbands, as wives, as fathers, as mothers, as children. God, give us that that spirit of sanctification so that we may internalize your truth and live in a manner that is consistent with our high calling in the gospel of our salvation. Bless this local church. Bless all the brothers and the sisters here, those unable to be with us tonight, those traveling. May you be glorified in this local body. And we pray this through Christ our Lord. Amen. We can turn to Matthew chapter 26. Matthew chapter 26. Just a couple of reminders with reference to the Lord's Supper as we transition now into this section in Matthew's Gospel. Uh remember that the the supper is an ordinance for believers. It's not for unbelievers. It's not for those who perhaps are thinking, am I saved or not? It is for the Christian to be built up and strengthened in their most holy faith. As well, the sacrament is for believers who are dealing with their sin. In fact, when we read the parallel passage in 1 Corinthians chap 11, Paul is basically admonishing the church there in Corinth and he basically says that what you're doing is not eating the supper. So basically they had a meal in connection with the supper and at that meal the halves were eating to the exclusion of the have not. In other words, you had a group of people, some had money, others didn't have money. It's pretty basic simple problem. People with money ate and drank to the point of gluttony and drunkenness. And the people that didn't have anything didn't eat at all. And so Paul basically tears into them because this is not only communion with with our blessed God, but it's communion with one another. And if there's that kind of division within the household of God, we are betraying that unity. We are betraying that that one bodiness that is represented in the the people of God. And so Paul doesn't play around. He he hits them pretty hard and he gives them or he addresses their improper conduct and then he gives them the instructions that he received by Jesus Christ. And then he highlights the importance of examination. And the examination is simple. You know, let a man examine himself. Let a man see if in fact he's living in light of the truth of God's word. It doesn't mean examine yourself and if there's no sin then you can take. It cannot mean that. It can never mean that. But it can mean those who are dealing with their sins consistently. I've always thought that Paul's statement, I think it was before Fesus, when he says, "I always strive to live with a conscience void of offense toward God and men." It's a good overarching description, a conscience void of of offense toward God. In other words, I maintain short accounts with God. I sin against God. I confess my sins to God. But I also try to have a conscience void of offense toward men. If I screamed at my wife this morning, I should probably fix that before I eat the bread and drank the cup. If I was mean to my children, I'm going back in my history here to fetch out some old sins. I wish they're not always old sins, but but the point is is a conscience void of offense toward God and men. It's not that you've got to be perfect, but you got to be dealing with your sins. In this context in Corinth, they weren't. They're eating and drinking to the point of gluttony and drunkenness and excluding the have nots and they don't see a problem with this. This is why Paul says there is a problem with it and therefore you need to examine yourself. And he gets very specific. Therefore, whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. Again, the unworthy manner cannot mean you've got some sin in your life. We've always got sin in our lives. The unworthy manner means you're not dealing with your sin. You're not confessing your sin. You're not owning your sin. You're denying it. You're hiding behind other things. You're like those those uh Jews at the time of Jeremiah. Well, the temple's standing. We're doing our sacrifices. We got prophets and priests. Yeah, but you're worshiping Baal. You don't see that disconnect. You you you can't worship Baal. It's just that simple. He goes on to say, "Let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup." I've always seen this as an emphasis. Let a man examine himself. Now, the elders certainly should fence the table. Certainly elders should give the warning. Certainly elders should say it's for Christians. It's not for non-Christians. But is a man that needs to examine himself. There's an individual aspect involved in this particular command that everybody needs to internalize and respect. Well, the elder said I could take it. Yeah, but you knew you were a bail worshipper. You shouldn't have taken it. So, so elders do their task. Deacons do their task to be sure, but it's let a man examine himself. And then he goes on to say, for uh he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. I'm probably odd in this, but I think Lord's body goes two ways. The body of our blessed savior and the body which is his church. Paul spends a lot of time developing developing the theology of the headship of Jesus and the body of Jesus which is the church. If we do not internalize the connections that we have horizontally and we're living at odds with one another, then we're not discerning the Lord's body. It's supposed to be a place of unity, a place of joy, a plea place of of peace. He goes on to say, "For this reason, many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep." There's negative sanctions appended to unworthy taking. I don't know that he's saying they weren't Christians. They were repro. I don't think that's what's going on at all. He says, "For this reason, many are weak and sick among you and many sleep. For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged." In other words, examine yourself. You you you take in an unworthy manner, you open yourself up to whatever judgments are coming. But if you don't take in an unworthy manner or you clean up the unworthiness of the manner, you can repent right here and right now and ask God to forgive you and then take in a worthy manner. He goes on to say in verse 32, "But when we are judged, we are chasened by the Lord that we may not be condemned with the world." So even that taking some out is an act of mercy by God. I know it doesn't read that way, but it is the the language that he says. We are uh when we are judged, we are chasened by the Lord that we may not be condemned with the world. It's sometimes for the good of God's people that they meet their end to get them out of patterns and difficulties and proclivities of continuing in paths that are not not good and godly. So the Lord has his means. And then he gives very practical instruction at the end. Therefore, my brethren, when you come together to eat, wait for one another. Huh. That'll solve the pro. Yes, it'll solve the problem. a a a a a huge issue in the context of the church has the most simple fix. You ever noticed that in your Christian life, man, brother, I'm struggling getting up out of bed. Well, put your alarm clock on the other side of the room. So, you physically have to Oh, I never thought of that. Why didn't you think of that? You know, I I I'm just struggling. What? Most of our issues have very simple fixes, and this is one of them. My brethren, when you come together to eat, wait for one another. And if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, lest you come together for judgment, and the rest I will set in order when I come. It's beautiful passage dealing with a real issue in the context of a local church. And I think Paul's principles are certainly beneficial for us in the here and the now. Examine himself and then let him take and eat. And then the sacrament is ultimately uh uh means of grace but it's not transubstantiation or consubstantiation. We say that every time the bread does not become the body in uh the body of Jesus. The the wine does not become the blood of Jesus. There are huge christoologgical problems with the the Roman Catholic view and even the Lutheran view when it comes to the supper. So we don't think things change. We do move them from profane or non-sacred use to sacred use. We're using them now in the context of a church service, a sacrament, but they remain bread and they remain wine. So those things having been said, if the brothers will come and pass out the bread, we will sing number 452. While they do so, after the bread is received, I'll read the appropriate section in the text, pray, and then we'll take the bread together. So 452, please remain seated. [Music] All the me and the blood from my The flow we have in the thighs [Music] of my hands can fulfill thy events. Could my s rest I know my tears forever all for sone [Music] alone [Music] in my hand I Simply to thy cross I make to thee for now to thee your praise. How I do the fountain washing or I die [Music] while I wait. When my eyes closed in death, when I sore to world, see my judes for me. Let me hide myself with thee. [Music] So in Matthew's gospel at Matthew chap 26 beginning in verse 26 it says and as they were eating Jesus took bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to the disciples and said take eat this is my body. Well let us pray. Our father we thank you for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We thank you that the son of God, the word of God took upon himself our humanity, lived in our place, died in our place, rose again on that third day, and he now sits enthroned at your right hand. We look forward to his return again in glory to judge the living and the dead. We pray for our family, our friends, our loved ones, those perhaps who are dead in their trespasses and sins, that they would come to Jesus and they would be cleansed in his blood and clothed in his righteousness. We pray for the blessing of God upon the preaching of the gospel as it goes forth throughout this earth that many would come to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. Thank you for including us. Thank you that you loved us. Thank you that you have blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. And we pray in his most blessed name. Amen. We'll take together Well, you can remain seated and turn to Psalm 13A. 130A as in alpha. And we'll sing as the fruit of the vine is passed out. The juice is in the outer ring and the wine is in the inner ring. [Music] Lord to you. I cry Lord to me ear and give attention to my voice I cry for mercy near you oh Lord Mark our sins. Hallelu. [Music] My heart can be found with you that you may hear. Oh my. My soul awaits the Lord. My hope is in his word. As far as wait for God, my souls the Lord. Oh, hope in God the Lord for mercy is with him. With great he will sing his house. [Music] Continuing in verse 20 uh 27, we read, "Then he took the cup and gave thanks and gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it all of you, for this is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my father's kingdom." And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. Well, let us pray. Our God, we know the first covenant was ratified in blood, but blood that could not take away the sins of the world. We thank you for the lamb of God that those old covenant sacrifices pointed to, that one who does take away the sin of the world. We thank you for so great a salvation, for so great a savior. And we pray that as we drink this cup, we will proclaim his death until he comes again in glory. And we pray in Jesus name. Amen. We'll take together. You can stand and turn to 117b, one of the hell psalms that the savior and the disciples would have sung on that night of the Passover. So 117b. We'll stand as we sing together. Praise the Lord God all you nations. All you people sing his praise for his truth endures forever and his steadfast love is great. He is faithful. He is faithful. Halleluah. Praise the Lord. [Music] Oh Israel, hope in the Lord for with the Lord there is mercy and with him is abundant redemption and he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities. Amen. Well, please be seated for a brief time of meditation.