You Must be Broken

We’re here this evening to celebrate Christ and remind you that this is “The Season of Greater Works.”

Is there anyone in the house this evening that would like to do greater works for the Lord? After all Jesus did say in John 14:12 “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father.

Show me again those that want to do the greater works. Well, I’ve been taught when you have some not so good news to deliver you’re supposed to sandwich it. So, I’ve got some good news, I’ve got some bad news and I’ll leave you rejoicing. Is that alright?

If you have your Bibles you can turn with me to the 34th division of the Psalms. This is a Psalm of David before he was crowned king although he had already been anointed king by Samuel.

He was on the run, fleeing from Saul, living in the land of the Philistines. When he was discovered and brought to Achish, he pretended to be crazy to avoid being identified and treated as a spy. David thought it better to be labeled a madman than to be thought a threat.

But he stops to give God praise. In the midst of all he was going through, he understood and acknowledged that God is still good.

Ps 34:18 - 19 NLT - The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed. The righteous person faces many troubles, but the Lord comes to the rescue each time.

Now listen closely, I don’t have much time and I need to let you know, to do the greater works, “You Must be Broken”.

There are those who are on fire for the Lord, especially the new convert or those who have received a new assignment.

They go into their assignment with the best of intentions, they want to change the world or at least the piece they’re in and then it happens,

hurt,

opposition,

disappointment,

doors slammed in your face

what seems like an endless stream of no’s,

broken promises,

microaggressions,

snubs,

rejection

being omitted, overlooked and underestimated

And suddenly the heart that was once filled with so much excitement, so much anticipation, so much zeal is now broken.

The good news is, you’re now in the perfect place for God to use you.

David said the Lord is close to the brokenhearted. Hang in there God is right there to pick you up and get you going on the right track.

You see when you get excited about something you tend to get into your own head, with your own ideas and your own plan. Even to the point where you leave God out.

But when you’re brokenhearted there’s a change that takes place.

When you’re brokenhearted, you get humble. Now you can hear others, you can hear God.

When you’re brokenhearted, you slow down; you may even stop to regroup.

When you’re brokenhearted, you now know that just because God gave you the assignment, it’s not yours to do with as you please, there are others who may be involved in the process.

To get to the greater works, sometimes you have to be broken from the inside.

When an egg is broken from the outside, life ends because it typically becomes a meal for someone else. But when it’s broken from the inside, ahh when it’s broken from the inside life begins because a baby chick will emerge.

In order for labor to proceed and the baby to be born, the sack that houses and protects the child must rupture. When that happens we typically say her water broke. If the water breaks and labor doesn’t progress the mother is given drugs to start contractions or a c-section is performed, because when the water breaks life must progress.

It wasn’t until the alabaster box was broken that the anointing oil began to flow.

It wasn’t until Jesus broke the bread, that the people could be fed.

And it wasn’t until Jesus allowed himself to broken on the cross that we could receive salvation.

When you are broken, God will come in close, he’ll nuzzle you in like father holding his child.

Then David says, when your spirit is crushed, God will come to your rescue.

Anybody ever had your spirit crushed? Perhaps you’ve found yourself in a situation where you did all you could for someone. You gave them your best and in the end they still left you. You gave them your heart and they still betrayed you. You did everything they asked of you and they still left you with nothing.

Your spirit is crushed because you thought they were a man of their word. Your spirit is crushed because you thought she loved you the way you loved her. Your spirit is crushed because you thought that you were enough. But in the end all that was left was your crushed spirit.

As you attempt to deal with your sorrow and disappointment can I encourage to talk to God about it, he will come to your rescue.

He may not come when you want him, but he’s always right on time.

You be where you’re supposed to be, doing what you’re supposed to be doing, when you’re supposed to be doing it and let God be God.

Because here’s what you need to know, the righteous person faces many troubles. Not one, not a couple, not a few but many. So, you need to prepare yourself, and begin to praise God.

Now get ready to shout because I’m about to put the slice of good news on top. When you face your many troubles, the Lord will come to your rescue each time.

My brothers and my sisters, thank God for the greater works, but remember this; when your heart is broken, and it will be, God is close to you. When your spirit is crushed, and it will be, God will come to your rescue. When you face troubles, and there will be many, face them head on because God will come to your rescue—every—single, time.

So be encouraged and remember, to do the greater works, you must willing to be broken.