What Do You Brag About?

2. The life of Christ compels us 

• I love that Paul is stating the source of his bragging – vs14 – For the love of Christ controls and compels us, 

• Romans 6:6-7 (Nkjv) knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be [a]done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. 7 For he who has died has been [b]freed from sin.

• • Paul declares that his old sinful and selfish self-desires have been crucified with Christ. His new life is fully surrendered to Christ, who now lives and works (compels) him 
  • If someone did an audit of your life- desires, actions- investments, goals, would there be any trace of Jesus compelling influence on you?
  • Paul is saying, this brag is not for me, If I have to brag- let me boast on what the Lord has done 
  • Let me boast on how He has saved me, healed my sister, set my friend from drugs, brought back my kids to following him, how He has wiped my past transgressions and given me a new future 
  • LET ME BOAST OF THE LORDS HAND OVER MY LIFE 
  • You’ve met those people – How are you doing sister? – Oh man, let me tell you what the Lord has done
  • Man, that dude can’t shut up about Christ – that dude knows where he was saved from and who saved him 
  • We see them every day, someone who can’t stop smiling, the hugs are a little tighter- because they just can’t contain the goodness of God 
  • Sometimes we are like Jeremiah 

• Jeremiah 20:9 Then I said, “I will not make mention of Him, Nor speak anymore in His name.” But His word was in my heart like a burning fire Shut up in my bones; I was weary of holding it back, And I could not.

• • Other times we are like John the Baptist

• Luke 1:39-41( Esv) – In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, 40 and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41 And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit,

• Does the Holy Spirit compel you to speak of His goodness in your life?

• Can your testimony of God’s goodness compel others to jump – desire to know your God?

• It does matter what others are bragging about. I am compelled by the one who loves me to speak only of Christ death and resurrection that set me free 
• If we are going to brag, lets brag that He has taken control over everything that we have 

3. No longer old but New 

• • Since I was a little boy I loved cars – and I have had a share of my cars 
  • I still love cars, the only difference is that I am an Adult and between a new, or classic car, or having daily bread, I married, and I am wiser 
  • So, when I shop for cars for myself, or family, there is a lot of prayers involved and also – I love the art of negotiation
  • Recently I was shopping for a car, and I thank God that phase is over 
  • For my non car people when buying a car, you have 3 options 
    • New – Smells good, top $, options, warranty, 100% new- still wrapped in plastic 
    • CPO – Certified pre-owned – preowned, inspected, and restored, almost as new but not really
    • Used – You get what you see – no warranty and they make you sign – low $$
  • Sometimes God speaks to me in analogies – And so here was a question that came up in my mind – What kind of car do I see myself as – Am like Lord: 
    • I am a 2018 Porsche 911, 7 speed Manual transmission 700 horsepower, black with white strip from the hood to the back- I am fast 
  • Noo, not type –  what kind are you? New, Certified preowned or used 
  • Tendency 
    • I want to say new but Lord, you know my past 
    • I am somewhat used but restored – so more like Certified by the best mechanic ever
  • WRONG!!! 
  • Here is the problem with that..
  • You are a new creation, Not a Certified pre-owned 
  • I am God, I make you NEW!

• Paul is saying in vs . 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

• • I have been made new, the old has passed away!!
  • When I look around the room and pardon my analogy – I don’t see used cars
  • I see people who have been given their lives to Christ, they have been made new 
  • Unfortunately, some of us have partial freedoms from what we used to be 
  • Some of us are comfortable walking around as a Certified pre-owned 
  • We look new, we smell newer, we have the extended warranty, but you still have an old owner 
  • One of the characteristics of a certified pre-owned is that “Comes with inspection and certification for quality, but still has some prior history 
  • We still answer to the same old lies the enemies has been held us captive with – the door to freedom is open but we are still in that mental jail cell that Christ died to set us free
  • We use language like, God is still working on my anger – its not yours and God not inspecting and certifying your anger. You have been made new
  • We look the part, but we still have not realized that we have been made new and the old things have passed away 

• 2 Corinthians 5:17 (Esv) Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.[a] The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

• God does not certify the old self and put an extended warranty – no no – He give you a new life and a new heart

• Ezekiel 36:26 (Amp) Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you, and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.

• • If you gotta brag, brag that you are a new creation and the old is gone, Trust the Lord in your newness and glorify Him for His mercy 

• Lamentations 3:22-23 (Nkjv) Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. 23 They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.

• • There is this amazing process that happens every morning – That His Mercies makes us new all over again- no prior history, no prior owner– Newness 

• Hebrews 8:12 (Nlt) And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins

4. New is usable in the Kingdom of God

• Matthew 9:17 (Nlt) And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the old skins would burst from the pressure, spilling the wine and ruining the skins. New wine is stored in new wineskins so that both are preserved.”

• If you have to brag about anything, brag that you have been made new 
• Not in ourselves – He purifies us so that we can be in His presence
• That what make its possible
• Go and brag about OUR GOOD GOD!!!