sf988 - Brokenness (Hosea 10 12)

Hosea 10:12

Introduction

Unbroken ground brings forth weeds; it is hard, unproductive, unfruitful ground.

Brokenness that God brings joy to our lives, it deals with the hardness of our hearts, we come to the end of our pride, worldliness, selfishness, and disobedience.

Psalm 51:17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart -- These, O God, You will not despise.

Psalm 34:18 The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit.

2 Corinthians 2:15 For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.

We need a breaking by God.  God uses broken vessels, broken hearts.  The fragrance of Christ cannot be released in our life until the container is broken.

The path to blessedness comes from brokenness.

1A.      Why is Brokenness Required?

Brokenness – My response of humility and obedience to the prompting of God’s Word and the Holy Spirit.

1B.      Because of our pride

Isaiah 66:2b (HCSB)  I will look favorably on this kind of person: one who is humble, submissive in spirit, and who trembles at My word.

A broken person is:

Ø      Open

Ø      Available

Ø      Pliable

Ø      Surrendered to God

Pride is sneaky

Jonathan Edwards, “pride is like layers of an onion you have to peel the off one after another.  Pride is often expressed when we are critical of others and focus on the faults of others.

Romans 12:3 For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.

James 4:6 But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: "God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble."

Ø      “Resists” to stand and fight

Ø      We must experience God’s enabling grace in order to give up our pride.

Ø      Prayerlessness is an indication of our pride.

Proverbs 16:18 Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall.

Ø      We cannot fight Satan in our own strength, we must be broken over our sin.

John 15:5 "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

2B.      Because of our worldliness

Our relationship with Christ can be likened to the relationship between the sun, moon, and the earth.  When the earth gets between the sun and the moon we experience the darkness of a lunar eclipse.  The same happens to the Christian when the world gets between us and the Son!

In the church we tend to fall into worldly ways to accomplish what is a good end, but we do not glorify God because we utilize worldly means.

We seek security in self and the world but true security is only found in Jesus.

3B.      Because of disobedience

It is like saying, “Lord, I have a better way.”

1 Samuel 15:22 Then Samuel said: "Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, As in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams.

Delayed obedience is disobedience!

2A.      How is Brokenness Brought About?

1B.      Repentance

2B.      The Word applied by the Holy Spirit

Jeremiah 23:29 "Is not My word like a fire?" says the LORD, "And like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?

Ø      The hammer of God’s Word breaks apart our hard hearts!

3B.      Circumstances

2 Corinthians 12:9 And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

3A.      What are the Results of Brokenness?

1B.      Humility – the opposite of pride

1 Corinthians 1:26-29 For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. 27 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; 28 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, 29 that no flesh should glory in His presence.

Humility means to live in total dependence upon God.

God seldom uses those who the world sees as influential, no brokenness means no humility.

God uses the common, everyday, ordinary people.

2B.      Wisdom

Wisdom is seeing life from God’s perspective.

Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

Two things will last for eternity

Ø      God’s Word

Ø      People

3B.      Obedience

Doing what God tells me to do, when he tells me to do it and doing it in a right attitude.

Psalm 40:8 I delight to do Your will, O my God, And Your law is within my heart."

Broken people long to obey God.

What would happen if a whole church was broken before God?