Break Me - Part 1
Notes
Transcript
This morning, after a couple weeks off, we are continuing in our sermon series “Dangerous Prayers.”
I want to remind us of classic definition for Christian prayer that we find in The Bake Encyclopedia of the Bible:
“an offering up of our desires unto God, for things agreeable to his will, in the name of Christ, with confession of our sins, and thankful acknowledgement of his mercies”
Before we get to this idea of break me, I want to remind us where we left off a couple weeks ago.
We began the series with this idea that we need be willing to pray bold prayers. We talked about how in a biblical sense boldness is not a personality trait and that we are to ask God for boldness. Even introverts can be bold! We were reminded that bold pray often triggers spiritual opposition, but that it often releases God’s miracles. We talked about how God is still in the miracle working business, but that we are often to busy to see them. We concluded with the idea that boldness take faith - belief that if we really do pray the bold prayers that are in line with God’s Spirit and Word that we need to truly believe that God is capable of doing so. We were challenged to pray bold prayers, because we will never fulfill the mission that God is calling us to from our comfort zones.
We then talked about God speaking to us, and that we need to be better listeners and do less talking during our time with God. We talked about the importance of finding the quiet time alone with God to have space to hear him speak to us.
Be Still
God speaks through His Word
God speaks through others
God speaks through circumstances
Be Willing
Be Ready
We then looked at the prayer of search me. This is a prayer that I am more convinced all the time is one that is about our attitude and willingness to be vulnerable before God. It is a prayer that requires faith, because the road that comes with it may not be easy or safe or comfortable. We also must be ready to deal with whatever it is that God brings forward - otherwise we quickly move into disobedience. This is only a prayer to pray when we are serious about doing so.
“It is strange that, while praying, we seldom ask for change of character, but always a change in circumstance.”
There were four things that we talked about with this prayer of search me.
The first is that when we pray dangerous prayers, we will need to make hard choices. First among these is the decision to pray it first. We pondered this decision, asking ourselves if we would be ready right now to pray the prayer search me right now and if we are ready for what God will point out to you and are you ready to deal with it? Are you ready to be blindsided with the depths of yourself that you have rationalized for far too long?
We talked about needing to talk the talk and walk the walk, but that we need to allow God to search us, convict us, change us, and send us for that to happen.
When we pray search me, it is a different type of prayer. We are not praying for God to give us something or provide some sort of blessing, but to do a work in us, on a deeper and personal level. You see, in my experience we are hesitant to pray these types of prayers because we know what God is going to point out. Maybe it is our lust, maybe it is our critical spirit, maybe it is pride, maybe it is selfishness, maybe it is any number of things.
The second thing we see happen when we pray this prayer of search me - when we pray dangerous prayers such as search me God will reveal our fears.
Here are some things about fear that we need to understand, because they can keep us from praying this prayer of search me (or any other bold prayer for that matter):
Fear cripples
Fear stops us
Fear terrifies us of letting go of those things we are hanging on to
Fear can paralyze us when we are anxious about things we cannot control - or things that we don’t want to trust God with
Our Fears show where we are relying on our own effort, not on God - we are inadequate and need God - we cannot do it on our own
To please God, to serve Him, to honor him, to live for him, we cannot be driven by fear - we MUST be led by faith!
The third was to see if there is any offensive way in me.......literally asking God to uncover our sins. We have to be ready when we pray that prayer, he knows those things we have gotten good at hiding or rationalizing away.
Nothing is ever hidden from God’s view. This should give us something to think about. No matter how hard we may try to hide something or how much we might try to rationalize it, God knows the truth.
We need to be prepared when we pray this prayer. God will point out the things that we have been covering and rationalizing. Maybe it is gossip. Maybe it is selfishness. Maybe it is pride. Maybe it is any number of things, but God knows.
The last thing we see from these verses is from the last part of verse 24. Lead me in the way everlasting. This is the part where we see the young man following God’s leading regarding coming clean to what he had done. When we pray for God to lead us in the way everlasting, we are asking God to change us - to align us more with him. It is not God who moves, but we move to align more with God. We are asking him to lead us, guide us, and direct us toward his calling for our lives - who he wants us to be.
This morning we are going to turn our attention to the prayer of break me. At initial glance, I believe many cringe at, because it sounds like it would be painful and uncomfortable. Let me just say, likely it will be. However, I want us to realize this morning and next Sunday that this prayer of break me is not just to break our will, but to allow God to transform us into what he wants us to be.
Turn with me this morning to:
24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.”
We have talked about how we are comfortable with safe prayers and maintaining the status quo. If we really want God to use us, we need to allow him to break us, to break us of things such as pride and self-sufficiency. God needs to break of us of things in our lives that do not allow us to fully live for him and his purposes, things that get in the way if he is going to truly transform us.
A question we have to ask ourselves is this. Are we willing to even pray this prayer? What is holding us back? Are we afraid of what will come if we do? What we may have to give up? But what about this question. If we do not pray for God to break us of things that are not of him, what are we losing by clinging to our comfortableness?
No one likes to suffer, but I think we can all agree that our suffering throughout our lives has helped us to develop into who and what we are today.
Sometimes we suffer under the illusion that our incompleteness, our brokenness, our deadness is something like a sweater that we can easily unbutton and slip off. It is not that easy. Our brokenness is us. Like Pogo, “we have met the enemy and he is us.” This is what Jesus indicates when he speaks about losing yourself.
That part of you which has not yet been formed in the image of Christ is not simply a thing in you—it is an essential part of who you are. This is what Jesus is pointing to when he calls us to take up our cross.
Our cross is not that cantankerous person we have to deal with day by day. Our cross is not the employer we just can’t get along with. Our cross is not that neighbor or work colleague who cuts across the grain in every single time of relationship.
Nor is our cross the difficulties and infirmities that the flow of life brings to us beyond our control. Our cross is the point of our unlikeness to the image of Christ, where we must die to self in order to be raised by God into wholeness of life in the image of Christ right there at that point. (https://thepastorsworkshop.com/sermon-illustrations-on-brokenness/)
What could God want to do through breaking us of those things that are not consistent with him? Let’s look at a couple of examples. There is a common theme here that I think is important. When something or someone is broken, something else can be released.
Turn with me to:
3 While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head.
4 Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, “Why this waste of perfume?
5 It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages and the money given to the poor.” And they rebuked her harshly.
6 “Leave her alone,” said Jesus. “Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me.
7 The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me.
8 She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial.
9 Truly I tell you, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”
Here we have a womn who was a prostitute. She wasn’t that because she wanted to be, but likely because she had no other choice. She brings in this jar of expensive perfume, a year’s wages. Imagine what you make in a year and pouring it out in just an instant on a single act of worship. We probably all shuttered a bit at that suggestion.
Jesus showed her love, respect, and compassion. He defended her breaking this jar of perfume when she was rebuked by those in the room. However, perfume was not an everyday thing then as it is today. Some theologians believe that those who did wear it were sending a clear message - I’m available, for a price. So in her breaking open this jar of perfume open, she was giving up her former life, giving all of herself in worship to Jesus.
In the act of breaking this perfume, she released all of herself, surrendered her life to Jesus.
Turn with me to
22 While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take it; this is my body.”
23 Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and they all drank from it.
24 “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many,” he said to them.
You might be thinking, what does this text have to do with this idea of break me. Frankly, my answer is everything. Jesus by taking the bread and the cup was explaining to the disciples just what would happen to him. When his own life would be broken and poured out for all. Did you catch that last word? ALL!
Like the bread, Jesus’ body would be broken. The wine represented his blood. He knew that very soon his blood would be spilled and poured out for the sins of all people.
Why is that word all important? Well here are a couple of examples:
Jesus knew Peter was going to deny him - he served him anyway.
Jesus knew that Judas was going to betray him - he served him anyway.
When we see the command to “do this in remembrance of me” in Luke 22:19, the do this means more than just observe Holy Communion from time to time. I believe it goes deeper than that - to the way we live our lives day in and day out. Our lives should look like we are pouring out of ourselves to serve others, just like Jesus did.
This process of being broken - of being poured out like Jesus is really a reminder to us that we need to die to ourselves - our carnal desires, our selfish wants, our very comfort, our resources - in order to live for Jesus as a disciple.
25 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.
You see, our lives are to be lived for Christ and Christ alone. Jesus is not inviting us to live a life of comfort and ease as disciples, but instead one of surrender and sacrifice.
What is it that breaks our hearts? Is it the things that break God’s or is it things that really do not line up with God’s desires and God’s mission? How do we see others - as unworthy or as people who need a relationship with Jesus just like we do? I pray that we see people the same way Jesus did - whether it was the prostitute or by serving Peter and Judas even though he knew what the would do.
Will Rogers was known for his laughter, but he also knew how to weep. One day he was entertaining at the Milton H. Berry Institute in Los Angeles, a hospital that specialized in rehabilitating polio victims and people with broken backs and other extreme physical handicaps. Of course, Rogers had everybody laughing, even patients in really bad condition; but then he suddenly left the platform and went to the rest room.
Milton Berry followed him to give him a towel; and when he opened the door, he saw Will Rogers leaning against the wall, sobbing like a child. He closed the door, and in a few minutes, Rogers appeared back on the platform, as jovial as before.
If you want to learn what a person is really like, ask three questions: What makes him laugh? What makes him angry? What makes him weep? These are fairly good tests of character that are especially appropriate for Christian leaders. I hear people saying, “We need angry leaders today!” or “The time has come to practice militant Christianity!” Perhaps, but “the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God” (James 1:20).
What we need today is not anger but anguish, the kind of anguish that Moses displayed when he broke the two tablets of the law and then climbed the mountain to intercede for his people, or that Jesus displayed when He cleansed the temple and then wept over the city. The difference between anger and anguish is a broken heart. It’s easy to get angry, especially at somebody else’s sins; but it’s not easy to look at sin, our own included, and weep over it. (https://thepastorsworkshop.com/sermon-illustrations-on-brokenness/)’
As we close this morning, I want us to consider this week what it is that God needs to break us from in order to continue to transform us to be more like himself. I urge you all to take a few moments, right now, before we turn to a time of celebrating Holy Communion, to ask God what it is he needs to break you from this morning, so you can be poured out to serve him, to be broken for the sake of others.
PRAY
RITUAL
The Communion Supper, instituted by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is a sacrament, which proclaims His life, His sufferings, His sacrificial death, and resurrection, and the hope of His coming again. It shows forth the Lord’s death until His return.
The Supper is a means of grace in which Christ is present by the Spirit. It is to be received in reverent appreciation and gratefulness for the work of Christ.
All those who are truly repentant, forsaking their sins, and believing in Christ for salvation are invited to participate in the death and resurrection of Christ. We come to the table that we may be renewed in life and salvation and be made one by the Spirit.
In unity with the Church, we confess our faith: Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again. And so we pray:
PRAYER OF CONFESSION AND SUPPLICATION:
Holy God,
We gather at this, your table, in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ, who by your Spirit was anointed to preach good news to the poor, proclaim release to the captives, set at liberty those who are oppressed. Christ healed the sick, fed the hungry, ate with sinners, and established the new covenant for forgiveness of sins. We live in the hope of His coming again.
On the night in which He was betrayed, He took bread, gave thanks, broke the bread, gave it to His disciples, and said: “This is my body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”
Likewise, when the supper was over, He took the cup, gave thanks, gave it to His disciples, and said: “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this in remembrance of me.” Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
And so, we gather as the Body of Christ to offer ourselves to you in praise and thanksgiving. Pour out your Holy Spirit on us and on these your gifts. Make them by the power of your Spirit to be for us the body and blood of Christ, that we may be for the world the Body of Christ, redeemed by His blood.
By your Spirit make us one in Christ, one with each other, and one in the ministry of Christ to all the world, until Christ comes in final victory. In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Amen.
EXPLAIN ELEMENTS
The body of our Lord Jesus Christ, broken for you, preserve you blameless, unto everlasting life. Eat this in remembrance that Christ died for you, and be thankful.
The blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, shed for you, preserve you blameless unto everlasting life. Drink this in remembrance that Christ died for you, and be thankful.
CONCLUDING PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING AND COMMITMENT
And now, as our Savior Christ has taught us, let us pray:
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.