The Spirit of Brokenness
Pastor Jamie Wright Maranatha Fellowship Church 02-15-04
Brokenness is a spiritual condition that attracts the attention of God
The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart. Ps. 34:18
I. Brokenness exposes the flame! (LIGHT)
Philippians 2:15 KJV
That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;
We can see this illustrated in Gideon’s army.
Judges 7:19
It was just after midnight, after the changing of the guard, when Gideon and the one hundred men with him reached the outer edge of the Midianite camp. Suddenly, they blew the horns and broke their clay pitchers.
vs. 20
Then all three groups blew their horns and broke their pitchers. They held the blazing torches in their left hands…
The torches were lit but the flame could not be seen. Once the pitcher was broken the flame exploded into the darkness dispelling it.
What needs broken in me so the flame of God can shine out? Is it my arrogance, my complaining or murmuring? Could it be my vanity or my fault finding? What have I allowed to become a cover hiding my light?
Luke 11:33 GN
"No one lights a lamp and then hides it or puts it under a bowl; instead, it is put on the lamp stand, so that people may see the light as they come in.
Don’t keep the light in the pot, let it be exposed; become broken. Allow God to break your clay pot open today.
God will use your broken pitcher to expose your shining light in two ways:
1. Affect the lost. Without our lights shining the lost in the world see no hope. They can’t see were they are going. They need light to dispel their darkness. We must be broken so our lights will shine in this dark world.
2. Assist us. We need light to help reveal to us our need for Him.
Brokenness always gives us more understanding of ourselves and Him.
II. Brokenness produces fruit (LIFE)
John 12:24 NKJV
Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die it abides alone: but if it die, it brings forth much fruit.
Seeds must be broken open and die. Once they die and are buried the transformation begins. Nothing of its former existence remains. It has died in the process of giving life. Gone are its identity, form, independence, value and beauty. All has been surrendered.
Admittedly, we resist this process. It is hard to give up our agendas, objectives, aspirations and interests. But that is what we must do.
Our example is Jesus. His life was broken. He said He came only to do the will of His Father who sent Him. We hear Jesus repeatedly say this. Even in the Garden when He is praying to the Father to take the cup of death from Him. He says, but nevertheless, not my will but your will be done.
The will of the Father was that Jesus’ body be broken and planted as a seed so we all could have eternal life. He was beaten, spat upon, mocked, beard plucked out, a crown of thorns with 2 inch long thorns mashed into his skull. His heart probably exploded in the garden, thus the drops of blood. Then he is given 39 bone crushing, skin tearing, blood splattering lashes on his back and sides until his vital organs are exposed. One lash away from death. Then a splinter filled wooden cross is placed on his back and he was driven through the crowds of people carrying his cross up Calvary’s hill. He is our example. His hands and feet were nailed to the cross. His side was slit open by a spear and blood and water flowed. His body was literally broken for you and for me. He died. Just as the seed dies and is placed in the ground Jesus was placed in the tomb, dead as a seed. What was he going to produce? What fruit would he bear? He was about to come up out of the ground, the first of many brethren to be resurrected. His death produced life. Eternal life for me and you.
We must follow his example. I am not talking about sack cloth and ashes. Crawling up stairs until your knees are bloody. I am not even talking about your physical body being broken as Jesus’ was. But the word of God says
Luke 9:23
And he said to them all, if any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
Galatians 2:20
I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
If we want to produce life we must be broken. If we want eternal life, we must crucify the outer man. We have to be broken. Our will must break to do his will. Our agendas and plans are dead to his will and his way. Humble yourselves.
John 12:25
Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who despise their life in this world will keep it for eternal life.
1. Daily carrying our cross (The will of God)
2. Denying ourselves
God uses brokenness to rid us of ourselves. It is a painful process
III. Brokenness releases a fragrance (LOVE)
Mark 14:3 GN
Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon…While Jesus was eating; a woman came in with an alabaster jar full of a very expensive fragrance made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the fragrance on Jesus’ head.
What was in the jar? A fragrant perfume, made from a PURE nard. The element in the jar was pure. The spirit of God in us is pure. Our true man is on the inside. When broken that pure substance comes out. An aroma will permeate the area where that fragrance is released.
She came in brokenness to break open the most valuable thing she had and give it to him. Something valuable is within you. We must love him enough to break open our lives, becoming a sweet aroma to him.
This woman had been through some bruttle things in her life. She had been abused and misused. She had been rejected and unloved. Then she met a man who loved her. He took her worthlessness and gave her something valuable within. She realized that and it broke her. It broke her to know he loved her and she wanted to break open the most valuable thing she had and give it to him.
He loves you! He wants you to be broken. When you are broken you don’t care what people say about you. If you are broken, you will be poured out as a fragrant perfume before the Lord. In our brokenness there is no person who can stop us and there are no words that can slow us down.
Some of us have been like the Pharisees and indignant people who said what she did was a waste. We have watched people in lavish worship pour out their love in brokenness and we stood back with our arms folded and said “what a waste.” That is the spirit of JUDAS.
When in reality what is being wasted is that which is bottled up in our spirit. That fragrant perfume, that pureness deep within your spirit. It needs to be released. It will only be released in brokenness.
There is something of pure value in you. It must be released. Satan wants you to hold it in. God wants to break you open so it can come out. It is expensive. It has a high price on it. It’s your worship. Release it. We try to worship. But that pure worship, with fragrant aroma, like that woman gave is yet to be experienced. Why? Because we aren’t broken.
This fragrance will be wasted if it is not released. The only wasted fragrance is the fragrance that is still bottled up and unused. The only wasted worship is the worship you have bottled inside you. Break it open today.
Stop wasting your life.
Start worshipping with your life.
Brokenness always leads to a new level of intimacy with the Lord.
IV. Brokenness allows for multiplication (LEFTOVERS)
Matthew 15:36
Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, thanked God for them, broke them into pieces, and gave them to the disciples, who distributed the food to the crowd. 37 They all ate until they were full, and when the scraps were picked up, there were seven large baskets of food left over!
When you allow God to break you, he will multiply you. In other words He will bless you. He will cause increase in your life.
1. Brokenness doesn’t lead to bareness.
2. Brokenness leads to blessedness.
Brokenness always opens the door for us to receive the abundance of God’s hand.
God will not allow brokenness to crush o destroy us.
He only breaks us to bless us. The process of brokenness will stop and the blessings will begin, the instant that we abandon our fleshly resources and submit to God’s will—allowing Him to be God, the one who can exclusively meet our needs.
I Corinthians 11:23
On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took a loaf of bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is broken for you.
