Break Me Series

NOTE:

This is a manuscript, and not a transcript of this message. The actual presentation of the message differed from the manuscript through the leading of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, it is possible, and even likely that there is material in this manuscript that was not included in the live presentation and that there was additional material in the live presentation that is not included in this manuscript.

› Engagement

When I was taking seminary classes at Golden Gate Seminary, I was fortunate enough to get to know one of their adjunct professors, Dane Miller, and to take several of his classes. Dane was one of the most brilliant people I have ever known. He was proficient in both Hebrew and Greek and had a Doctorate in the History and Culture of Ancient Israel from the University of Arizona.

But Dane was one of the most humble and unassuming people I’ve ever known and I am happy to say that he was a friend as well as a mentor. The only time that I and the other people who know him ever called him “Dr. Miller” was in jest. To all of us, he was just Dane.

In spite of his credentials, Dane pastored Serenity Baptist Church in Three Points, Arizona for over 30 years. If you don’t know where Three Points is located, you’re probably not alone. And if you do, you’re probably wondering why such an intelligent and gifted servant of God would stay at a relatively small church in that community for so long. During his tenure there, a lot of other people also wondered that. He was often asked why he was “wasting his talents” in a small church in that community.

Those reactions remind me that even within the church, we don’t seem to have a problem with a moderate, measured devotion to Jesus. But when someone is totally sold out to serving Jesus in a small troubled remote community, whether that is Three Points, Arizona or a remote jungle village somewhere, there will always be those who consider that to be a “wasted life”.

› Tension

The prayer that we’re going to look at this morning as part of our Dangerous Prayers sermon series is undoubtedly the hardest of the three prayers to pray for most of us. It’s certainly not easy to pray “Search me”, like we talked about last week. There are a lot of us who find that prayer difficult because we know that once God reveals those blind spots and hidden sins in our lives, we’re going to be responsible for doing something about them. And a lot of Christians just aren’t willing to go that far.

And next week, we’ll look at another dangerous prayer - Send me. That is also a difficult prayer that many of us aren’t willing to pray. But the prayer that we’re going to focus on today - Break me - is one that I think very few Christians are willing to pray. That is because praying that prayer means I’m willing to be totally sold out to serving Jesus regardless of the cost. And frankly, there aren’t many Christians who are willing to go that far. But, just like we’ve seen with the other dangerous prayers, if you’re willing to pray this prayer, it will undoubtedly draw you closer to God and radically transform your walk with Jesus.

› Truth

Go ahead and turn in your Bibles to Mark chapter 14. We’re going to be looking at two different accounts in this chapter that probably appear to be unrelated at first. But I hope I’ll be able to explain why there is an important connection between the two. Let’s begin in verse 3. You can follow along as I read:

Mark 14:3–9 ESV

3 And while he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he was reclining at table, a woman came with an alabaster flask of ointment of pure nard, very costly, and she broke the flask and poured it over his head.

4 There were some who said to themselves indignantly, “Why was the ointment wasted like that?

5 For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.” And they scolded her.

6 But Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a beautiful thing to me.

7 For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you want, you can do good for them. But you will not always have me.

8 She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for burial.

9 And truly, I say to you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her.”