Mark 14:22 And as they did eat, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and brake it, and gave to them, and said, Take, eat: this is my body.

We had a wonderful revival this past week with Brother Brian Arnold. I think his messages – God anointed – gave us a challenge. Here is a man who lost his a leg when he was a child. That loss changed the course of his life. Brian learned to play the piano, and became quite a sensation in Branson, Missouri. Then when life seemed to be on track, and was getting better and better, Brian was hit by a semi truck, fracturing his neck, and paralyzing his left arm. Once more, the course of Brian’s life changed. Praise God for it! Brian hurt his arm before coming to preach our revival – his good arm. The doctor gave him the results of the MRI. Brian has torn his rotator cuff in two places, and tore a tendon! I hear you saying in your mind,

“How tragic this is! Why is the devil attacking Brian!
Why is God allowing this! Hasn’t he gone through enough?

Which brings me to the title of the message today. It’s called simply “The Blessing Of Brokenness”.

Before Brian was ever born, He knew him. Before God ever formed us in our mother’s womb, He knew us.

“The LORD, Who made all things, Who ALONE stretched out the Heavens, Who spread out the earth by Himself (Isaiah 44:24) – this LORD knew you before He formed you in the womb. Before you were born, God had a purpose for you (Jeremiah 1:5). The Almighty God set you apart before you were born, and calls you to His Grace (Galatians 1:15).

This wonderful God Whom we serve, the LORD He is God. It is He that made us, and not we ourselves (Psalm 100:3). God knows what is best for us. And everything that happens in our lives happens because God ALLOWS it, or because God CAUSES it.

There is a blessing found only in brokenness!

Had Brian not lost a leg, he would have never learned the piano.
Had Brian not lost an arm, he would have never preached.
What is God doing with Brian now?
He is God’s Workmanship, created to do good. (Ephesians 2:10)

And so are you. God made you, and God is the Potter, we the clay. He is the Master Artist, and we the masterpiece He is making. There is a blessing in brokenness!

Brokenness Removes From Us Pride

PRIDE keeps us from doing what God wants us to do. PRIDE makes us refuse to heed God, and makes us as gods in our own minds. PRIDE was the one sin that led Adam to fall away from God – effecting us all. The Serpent – that old devil – told Adam and Eve:

Genesis 3:4-5 … Ye shall not surely die: 5 for God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

It is PRIDE that hears God command, and says “I will listen not to God, but to others. God is a liar! He will not lead us to death. God is trying to keep me from being a god. That is my destiny … I must be a god!” Oh Beloved, PRIDE makes us into something that is not God’s best for us. God has told us:

Proverbs 8:13 The fear of the Lord is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the {perverse or contrary speaking} mouth, do I hate.

Proverbs 16:5 Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished.

Life Of Samson: As a little boy, my mamma used to read me the story of Samson. Samson was a judge in Israel. God raised up the judges to be like local magistrates. They established laws, and drove out the enemies who hurt His people Israel. Samson had great strength. Samson’s birth was prophesied by God to the barren wife of Manoah. God told her:

Judges 13:3-5 … thou shalt conceive, and bear a son. 4 Now therefore beware, I pray thee, and drink not wine nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing: 5 for, lo, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and no razor shall come on his head: for the child shall be a Nazarite unto God from the womb: and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.

It was God’s will that Samson be a “Nazarite unto God” from the womb (Judges 13:5). The “Nazarite” was not allowed to cut their hair, but dedicated their lives unto God. To my knowledge there were only three Nazarites from birth in the Scripture: The Judge Samson, the Prophet Samuel, and the Herald of Christ, John the Baptist.

Samson’s job was to “deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines”. That was his entire job description. But Samson had several problems. First and greatest of all, Samson was prideful. Though the Israelis were NOT supposed to intermarry with unbelievers:

Deuteronomy 7:3-4 … neither shalt thou make marriages with them; … 4 For they will turn away thy son from following me, that they may serve other gods

Though Samson was supposed to be dedicated to God, we are told in Judges 14 that Samson saw a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines. (Judges 14:1). Samson told his parents, “get her for me to wife” (Judges 14:2), though his parents encouraged him to marry an Israelite. Marrying a Philistine when you are suppose to “deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines” is foolish. But PRIDE is like that. Samson had numerous troubles because of his Philistine wife. His greatest trouble came when he – prideful and arrogant – divorced his wife and began to take up with a prostitute called Delilah (Judges 16:1). Samson’s bad decisions and his utter arrogance would lead him to end up in a Philistine prison, his hair cut, and his freedom – as well as his eyesight – gone (Judges 16:21).

The Philistines “gathered them together for to offer a great sacrifice unto Dagon their god, and to rejoice: for they said, Our god hath delivered Samson our enemy into our hand.” (Judges 16:23). Samson, bound and blinded, was brought out to the coliseum, and bound to the pillars of that place to be mocked. This broken Samson – no longer filled with PRIDE – cried out:

Judges 16:28 … O Lord God, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes.

Samson then pulled the pillars of the house down. The Bible says, in Judges 16:30, “the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life.”

This was Samson’s calling. Not to intermarry with unbelievers. Not to dally with prostitutes. He was called to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines. He only did this when he was broken.

Tony Evans: Oh Beloved, there is a blessing in brokenness! Pastor Tony Evans said:

“We shouldn’t run from being broken. Even though it’s not pleasant, it will produce a better life. Brokenness is a blessing because it puts us on the road to a breakthrough. Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit” (Matthew 5:3). Those who are spiritually broken will be blessed because they will see God, and God’s power will flow through their lives. Brokenness is a blessing because it puts us on the road to a breakthrough.”

God’s Israel: planted in Egypt by the faithfulness of Joseph – eventually was enslaved by Egypt. How horrible, I’m sure you are saying. But their affliction caused Israel to look to God for deliverance. The Bible says:

Exodus 1:12 … the more {the Egyptians} afflicted {Israel}, the more {Israel} multiplied and grew.

Not one of us enjoys affliction and brokenness, but faith, genuine saving faith, is found through affliction.

Life of Jacob: Faith also grows through affliction. Jacob stole, lied, cheated, and was generally a miserable wretch of a person. That is, until he met with Someone who “wrestled …. with him until the breaking of the day (Genesis 32:24).”

It was not until Jacob’s thigh was was pulled out of the socket that Jacob became Israel (Genesis 32:28)

This pattern is found all throughout Scripture. It is only in brokenness that most come to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Saul was arrogant, a persecutor of the Church until he met Jesus on the Damascus Road. Saul became Paul, God’s Apostle to the Gentiles. As Paul pursued Christ, the Bible says that Paul had wonderful revelations and wonderful power from God. The Bible says that because of Paul “all they which dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks (Acts 19:10).” The Bible goes on to say:

Acts 19:11-12 … God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul: 12 So that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them.

Oh, He had power with God! But then affliction hit. The Apostle Paul said:

2 Corinthians 12:7-10 … lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. 8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. 9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

The Apostle said “I glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me”. The weaker we are, the greater God can use us. What an amazing statement: “I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong”.

It Is In Brokenness That We Come Together
With Christ And One Another

When Jesus walked on the face of this earth, where was He usually found? Was it among the self sufficient Scribes and Pharisees, or the highly political Sadducees and Herodians? No. The Bible often said:

Matthew 9:10 … as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples.

When the “In Crowd” asked Jesus “why do You eat with publicans and sinners?”, Jesus said:

Matthew 9:12-13 … They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. 13 But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

Jesus did not come for well people. He came for the broken. He came for the hurting. The sinner is just a person seeking relief in all the wrong places.

Throughout Jesus’ ministry, Who flocked to His side? The Bible says “many publicans and sinners sat also together with Jesus and his disciples: for there were many, and they followed him” (Mark 2:15).

John the Baptist – wrongfully imprisoned by Herod, and broken himself – sent two of his disciples to Jesus with a question: “Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another? (Matthew 11:3).” How did Jesus answer John? Our Lord said:

John 11:4-6 Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see: 5 the blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. 6 And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.

It is in brokenness that we stop trying to be self sufficient. It is in brokenness that we cease trying to rely on other broken people. It is in brokenness that we look up and see Jesus. Musician Lauren Daigle sings a beautiful song called Look Up, Child. In the song she says:

Where are You now, when darkness seems to win?
Where are You now, when the world is crumbling?
Where are You now, when all I feel is doubt?
Oh, where are You now, when I can’t figure it out?
Oh I, I hear You say, I hear You say,
Look up, child, ayy. Look up Child, ayy.
You’re not threatened by the war
You’re not shaken by the storm
I know You’re in control.
Even in our suffering
Even when it can’t be seen
I know You’re in control.

There is blessing in the brokenness. Brokenness blinds us to self, and causes us to look up. Look up, Child. Look up! Look unto Jesus. It is brokenness that leads us to Jesus. Didn’t Jesus say:

“Come unto Me, all Who have it all together!
Come unto Me, if you have no problems – I’ll help you!”

Did Jesus say that? No. He said:

Matthew 11:28-29 Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

It is brokenness that leads us to salvation. There is a blessing in brokenness. It is brokenness that leads us to one another. “The Lord upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth up all those that be bowed down (Psalm 145:14).” A Church is a body of broken people, totally reliant upon Jesus. We are not God’s critics, nor are we God’s advisor’s. We are God’s Children, Children by faith in Christ Jesus.

Jesus Loved Us So Much That
He Willingly Embraced Brokenness

Back to our focal text:

Mark 14:22 And as they did eat, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and brake it, and gave to them, and said, Take, eat: this is my body.

Who were those gathered around the Table on this night of nights? There were eleven broken men, and one perfect Man, the Man Christ Jesus.

The Bible says “as they did eat”. Those around the Table were celebrating the Jewish Passover, a time in which Israel commemorated their salvation from Egyptian bondage. A lamb without spot or blemish would be the center of this Passover Meal, a lamb sacrificed for the sins of the people. But at this Table sat “THE LAMB OF GOD Who taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). Jesus Christ, in just a few hours, will go to the Cross of Calvary, dying for my sins and yours. Jesus willingly accepted this calling. Jesus –

1 Peter 2:22 who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth

Would willingly give His precious Body over to the Romans, to be broken like this bread, for you and I. The Bible says:

1 Peter 2:23-24 … when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: 24 who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

Jesus suffered hell on earth, so we would not have to go to hell beyond this earth. An ancient prayer from the Valley of Vision notes:

Christ was all anguish that I might be all joy,
Cast off, that I might be brought in.
Trodden down as an enemy,
that I might be welcomed as a friend.
Surrendered to hell’s worst,
that I might attain Heaven’s best.
Stripped that I might be clothed,
Wounded that I might be healed,
Athirst that I might drink,
Tormented that I might be comforted,
Made a shame that I might inherit glory,
Entered darkness that I might have eternal light.

Jesus Christ embraced brokenness so that we might be saved. Will you receive Him as Lord and Savior?

I wish I could go on with this, but we must now approach the Lord’s Table. Are you broken? It is in brokenness that we find blessing. If you are without Christ, your brokenness has brought you to Him, to this wonderful place and time. Will you receive Him as Lord and Savior? Will you lay your brokenness before Him, and pledge to follow Him both now, and forever? Let us, with hearts and minds wide open, turn our eyes to Jesus Christ.

For in brokenness, there is great blessing!

Amen and amen. May God, through His Holy Spirit, draw us all to His bleeding side!