The subject of my sermon this morning is, “BROKEN FOR ABUNDANCE” - - - - “BROKEN FOR ABUNDANCE”
When the Lord gave me this subject “BROKEN FOR ABUNDANCE”, I thought to myself, “Lord, isn’t that a bit of a conflict in terms?” It was sounding to me like a type oxymoron phrase - - - kinda like “bitter sweet” and my personal favorite “pretty ugly”, because the terms BROKEN and ABUNDANCE just didn’t seem to go together
- - - BROKEN meaning to separate into pieces suddenly or violently - - has a negative spin to it and
- - - ABUNDACE meaning a great or plentiful, overflowing amount - - has a positive spin to it.
So what do you mean, Lord, when you say “BROKEN FOR ABUNDANCE”? Turn with me to the Gospel according to Mark 8 and
I’ll share with you what the Lord shared with me . . . about this subject, “BROKEN FOR ABUNDANCE” - - - the Gospel according to Mark 8 and I’d like to pull out two versus from this particular chapter text. I’ll start with the b clause of verse 6, which reads “he took the seven loaves, and gave thanks, and broke, and gave to his disciples to set before them;” and then go down to the b clause of verse 8, which reads “and they took up of the broken pieces that were left seven baskets.”
Now, before these particular versus we see Jesus expressing his concern for the multitude, because He was aware of the multitude’s natural need for food after such a long period of time - - - it had been three days - - - and we see that Jesus didn’t want to send the multitude away without meeting that obvious need. But the disciples couldn’t see how Jesus was planning of feeding this multitude of folks in the middle of the dessert?
And, I tell you honestly that I would have been thinking the same thing as the disciples at this point - - - Where are we going to get enough food from to feed all these folks?? All we’re working with is seven loaves of bread? It’s not even enough to just feed us?
But isn’t it just like God. This PROCESS, wasn’t a natural process - - - because the sum of all the parts, or seven baskets full of left-over pieces were greater than the whole of seven loaves they started out with!
“BROKEN FOR ABUNDANCE”
Here we’re working with seven loaves of bread - - - and the seven in reference to the loaves represents completion and perfection, because like the seven loaves we each have a complete and perfect gift from God inside of us - - - and that’s His Spirit, as Genesis 2:7 states “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” - - - God’s breathe is His Spirit which gives us life.
We are the seven loaves in these focus versus - - - God is going to use us to feed the multitude. but as with any PROCESS - - - there is a beginning - - - a middle - - - and an end. And, in order to get to the end you’re got to start and once you start you will go through the middle to ultimately reach the end - - -
The PROCESS, in our text was started when Jesus gave thanks to God. We too in order to start the process, must give thanks to God - - - In our act of giving thanks to God, we are acknowledging that:
- God is present,
- We depend on Him - - - as He is the source of our blessings and it’s an act of submission,
- We trust Him - - - the clay doesn’t understand the potter at the wheel, but the potter knows the clay and forms it into something beautiful and good, because as Romans 8:28 says “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them”
“BROKEN FOR ABUNDANCE”
The breaking stage is the middle of the PROCESS - - - in order for those loaves to become the next seven that’s mentioned in our text . . . the seven baskets of leftovers - - - they had to be broken.
If anyone here has tried to break a loaf of bread, by hand like they would have done in the setting of our text, you’d know that it’s messy and the bread isn’t even. But the bread is still bread - - - it taste’s and smells the same as it did prior to the breaking, but it’s easier to spread the butter on the soft part, after it’s broken off the loaf.
Our breaking stages, will be the same way - - - they will be messy, they won’t be even - - - and as the definition for broken states they will be sudden, abrupt and at sometimes violent . . . . because, as anyone knows, if you’re comfortable doing a particular thing or thinking or feeling a certain way - - - changing from that thing isn’t an easy task by any means!!
When the Lord takes us through this stage of being broken, there will be things that will get knocked off kilter or out of place in reference to the way we think they should go and moved out of our comfort zones
- - - this is all necessary, so that God can get the fullness out of us for the glory of His kingdom work. Therefore, we must go through the breaking process:
Being broken of our areas of things described in Galatians 5:19-21:
Unforgiveness - - - we can’t hold on to the areas or situations of our past where we’ve been hurt, mistreated, or otherwise because, the Lord is a forgiving God and we too much so forth forgiveness.
Selfish Ambition - - - I’m going to get what I want when I want it no matter what it takes to get it and who I’ve got to go through or climb over or knock down to get it.
Impure thoughts - - - revenge and getting even for a past hurt or a feeling of wrong doing towards you
Sexual immorality
Idolatry
Jealousy & Envy
Being Judgmental – seeing the faults of other and not our own.
Let me say it again, this is a messy process, but not only that it’s painful, because we have no choice but to look at the short comings within ourselves, but just like the loaf of bread - - - God wants to get to the soft parts of us - - - that inner core, because it’s what’s on the inside that will work the outside to bring about the desired divine transformation. And with the middle of a PROCESS there must be and end - - - and I’m not speaking of the afterlife, because Christ can that we could have life and have it more abundantly - - - in the here and NOW.
So at the End of the PROCESS, the seven represents maturity and abundance. The gifts and talents that were taken through the breaking process are now at a level of maturity and abundance, as God is shown forth in you through them. The multitudes will be feed and there will be and abundance of leftover pieces!
“BROKEN FOR ABUNDANCE”
As I draw this to a close, I want to make sure that we all know and understand that God has a plan for each of our lives and it’s like the scripture say in Jeremiah 29:11 – “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.” We must make the choice to start the PROCESS : Give God Thanks – submit your heart and ways to Him, acknowledge that He alone is God, placing your trust in Him and depending upon Him to take you through the PROCESS : and even though the breaking process is NOT be an easy one - - -for every middle there is and end - - - Christ’s breaking process was the crucifixion - - - and by Him going through that process and reaching the end through His resurrection, we are all given the opportunity to gain abundance in the here and now and eternal life on the other side.
Will everyone please stand . . . . (Call to Christian Discipleship)
