What God can do with a Broken Man?
To become truly a man of God you have to reach a breaking point and then choose to be broken.
Some men choose to harden.
Men like the Pharoah of Egypt who would not let Moses lead the people to the promised land. Men like Judas Iscariot who betrayed the savior into the hands of his enemies. Men like King Agrippa who “almost” became a believer.
Others choose to be broken. Men like King David.
Men like Saul the persecutor of Christians who became Paul the Apostle of Jesus. Men like John Mark who went home from his first missions trip in disgrace and who later became valuable to Paul. Men like Peter who denied Jesus and later preached the first sermon declaring the good news about his death, burial, and resurrection.
Being Broken is necessary and eventually even good.
Brokenness changes you permanently. And when God heals you – you become a better person than you ever were before.
Where there was hardness – there is now tenderness.
Where there was icy ferocity – there is now a quiet gentleness. Where there was arrogant cold fury – there is now a warmth and acceptance of all.
Watchman Nee
“Our spirit is released according to the degree of our brokenness. The one who has accepted the most discipline is the one who can best serve. The more one is broken, the more sensitive he is.”
Peter was a man who came to his breaking point the night Jesus was arrested. But while the breaking was sudden and painful the hardening was not. The process of hardening against God is a gradual one, often overtaking a person by stealth.
We shall carefully examine the process that led to Peter’s denial of Christ and how before the night was over Peter was broken….
Peter was proud.
Mk 14
27 "You will all fall away," Jesus told them, "for it is written: "’I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’
28 But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee."
29 Peter declared, "Even if all fall away, I will not."
Peter had always been quick to rely on himself. He is the first to understand and confess that Jesus was the Son of God. He was the first to walk on the water. He boasted that he would not fall away or deny Christ!
Peter was careless.
Mk 14
32 They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, "Sit here while I pray."
33 He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled.
34 "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death," he said to them. "Stay here and keep watch."
35 Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him.
36 <"Abba>, Father," he said, "everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will."
37 Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. "Simon," he said to Peter, "are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour?
Told to keep watch, Peter kept falling asleep. When they came to arrest Jesus he lopped off an ear of one of the accusers. When asked to pray he fell asleep.
More often than not, it is a "gradual drifting" that catches us off guard. It is not the lions that eat us up – it is the mosquitoes.
Peter was ashamed and afraid
Mk 14
53 They took Jesus to the high priest, and all the chief priests, elders and teachers of the law came together.
54 Peter followed him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest. There he sat with the guards and warmed himself at the fire.
Note that it says "...Peter followed Him at a distance"
Now that Jesus had become unpopular.. Peter stays far enough away so as not to be identified with Him.
When we are ashamed of Christ, it is natural for to fall into the next step of Hardness against God...
Peter took comfort in the wrong things with the wrong people
Mk 14:54
54 Peter followed him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest. There he sat with the guards and warmed himself at the fire.
We now find Peter sitting with the servants of the High Priest and warming himself by the fire. Ashamed to be seen with Christ, it becomes easy to mingle with those of the world and enjoy their comforts.
But one cannot be "comforted by the fire" of the world, and not be "burned"! Close contact with that which can harm has its effects! -
Proverbs 6:27
27 Can a man scoop fire into his lap without his clothes being burned?
28 Can a man walk on hot coals without his feet being scorched?
By the time we become "friends with the world", it is only a short time before we take the next and final step of Hardness against God...
Peter denied ever knowing him
Mk 14
66 While Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came by.
67 When she saw Peter warming himself, she looked closely at him. "You also were with that Nazarene, Jesus," she said.
68 But he denied it. "I don’t know or understand what you’re talking about," he said, and went out into the entryway.
69 When the servant girl saw him there, she said again to those standing around, "This fellow is one of them."
70 Again he denied it. After a little while, those standing near said to Peter, "Surely you are one of them, for you are a Galilean."
71 He began to call down curses on himself, and he swore to them, "I don’t know this man you’re talking about."
Away from Christ, at comfort with those in the world, Peter finds himself denying His Lord and Savior!
When Peter was broken…
Lk 22
60 Peter replied, "Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!" Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed.
61 The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: "Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times."
62 And he went outside and wept bitterly.
Imagine the feeling in Peter’s heart as those eyes of His Savior pierced his soul! Peter wept bitterly over his sin.
Judas, also wept bitterly and killed himself. Peter wept bitterly and went home – a broken man.
But God mended Peter and made him to be useful to his kingdom. This same man preached the first sermon to a crowd of curious spectators just a month and a half later. After Peter was broken…
Jesus showed him what to do
John 21
4 Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.
5 He called out to them, "Friends, haven’t you any fish?" "No," they answered.
6 He said, "Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some." When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.
7 Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, "It is the Lord," he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water.
Jesus said, "Throw your nets on the other side of the boat". The proud Peter would have run off this nut.
But the Broken Peter said – "hey, Why not." And they hauled in more fish than they could ever imagine.
The proud Peter would have said “I had this happen once before during the summer of 01 and it didn’t work." But the broken Peter said “Who is that man on shore!” When John said “It is the Lord” it was a broken Peter who jumped into the water – a broud Peter would have tried to walk to the beach!
Jesus showed him what to do. Peter listened and did it!
And Jesus ate with him.
John 21
9 When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread.
10 Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish you have just caught."
11 Simon Peter climbed aboard and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn.
12 Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast."
None of the disciples dared ask him, "Who are you?" They knew it was the Lord. They sat on the beach and roasted the fish over the fire. There was bread as well.
Eating is no small thing. Why do diplomats have banquets. Eating together is a sign of peace and honor.
In their time of fellowship they surely remembered the better times. The time Jesus fed the 5000 with two fish and five loaves. The time when he broke the bread before the arrest and crucifixion.
This was a time of healing and forgiveness. We need to worship Jesus. We need to fellowship with him.
How wonderful it is to eat with someone you worship. Jesus trusted him.
John 21
15 When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?" "Yes, Lord," he said, "you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my lambs."
Three times he said “do you love me”. Three times he said “feed my sheep”.
Jesus gave Peter the “keys to the kingdom” just as he had said he would so many years before.
Men… We are all like Peter. Proud. Careless. Ashamed.
Taking comfort in the wrong things and with the wrong people. Peter denied the lord. Some of us have been broken and ruined.
You have probably heard of Jim Bakker. God broke him
He was saved and God is using him to do his work.
Jim Bakker
ANAHEIM, Calif. (July 27, 1998 5:16 p.m. EDT http://www.nandotimes.com) -- Jim Bakker is back in the pulpit again. "It’s awesome to die and come back," he told about 400 worshipers at Way of Life Church, where he was the guest speaker Sunday.
The former PTL Ministries leader presided over a multimillion dollar TV ministry until he resigned amid a sex and money scandal that led to a five-year prison term.
The reinvigorated Bakker preached against "the gospel of money."
"If you fall in love with the things of this world, you will be disappointed," he said. He apologized for his misdeeds and once lavish lifestyle and thanked the Lord for sending him to prison.
Bakker has moved to Los Angeles and joined the International Dream Center helping inner-city youth.
"My flesh doesn’t want to live in the inner city because I don’t like earthquakes," Bakker said. "Jesus told me to move to L.A."
"As the true impact of Jesus’ words regarding money impacted my heart and mind, I became physically nauseated. I was wrong. I was wrong! Wrong in my lifestyle, certainly, but even more fundamentally, wrong in my understanding of the Bible’s true message. Not only was I wrong, but I was teaching the opposite of what Jesus had said."
You probably never heard of Myron Buzak. God broke him too. Myron was a Viet Nam veteran. He was saved and God is using him to do his work.
Some have need to accept the healing of God. He will show you what to do. He will eat with you. He wants to trust you with his work.
Let’s Pray
