Broken In The Right Way - Equipping The Saints Ministries

Broken in the Right Way

by Bart Nelson

www.etsministries.info

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The definition of brokenness: broken in pieces, broken in or down, to rend violently, wrecked, crushed, quenched, ruptured, be maimed, be crippled, to shatter, bring to the birth, destroyed, hurt, torn. What brings brokenness? Sin and repentance, illness and pain, rejection, depression, loss, accidents, etc.

Brokenness is how we come to God and appropriate what we need: Ps. 51:17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise. Is. 57:15 For thus says the high and exalted One Who lives forever, whose name is Holy, "I dwell on a high and holy place, and also with the contrite and lowly of spirit In order to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite. 16 "For I will not contend forever, nor will I always be angry; for the spirit would grow faint before Me, and the breath of those whom I have made. Is. 66:2 "For My hand made all these things, thus all these things came into being," declares the LORD. "But to this one I will look, to him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word. Mt. 5:3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. 5 "Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth. 6 "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Mt. 21:42 Jesus *said to them, "Did you never read in the Scriptures, 'THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED, THIS BECAME THE CHIEF CORNER stone; THIS CAME ABOUT FROM THE LORD, AND IT IS MARVELOUS IN OUR EYES'? 43 "Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people, producing the fruit of it. 44 “And he who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it falls, it will scatter him like dust."

It is the correct response to circumstances that would break us: Ps. 51.8 Make me to hear joy and gladness, let the bones which You have broken rejoice. Cracks from brokenness. Like Paul said, celebrate them! 2 Cor. 12:9 And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. 10 Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong. Read 2 Cor. to determine how many ways and times Paul was broken!

What brokenness handled incorrectly can do: Prov. 15:13 A joyful heart makes a cheerful face, but when the heart is sad, the spirit is broken. Prov. 17:22 A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones. Prov. 18:14 The spirit of a man can endure his sickness, but as for a broken spirit who can bear it? Prov. 29:1 A man who hardens his neck after much reproof will suddenly be broken beyond remedy. Mt. 21:44 but on whomever it falls, it will scatter him like dust."

The world (and, unfortunately, often the church) offers false hope, comfort and healing: Jer. 6:14 "They have healed the brokenness of My people superficially, saying, 'Peace, peace,' But there is no peace. Jer. 8:11 "They heal the brokenness of the daughter of My people superficially, Saying, 'Peace, peace,' But there is no peace.

God’s response to our brokenness: Jer. 8:19 Behold, listen! The cry of the daughter of my people from a distant land: "Is the LORD not in Zion? Is her King not within her?" "Why have they provoked Me with their graven images, with foreign idols?" 20 "Harvest is past, summer is ended, and we are not saved." 21 For the brokenness of the daughter of my people I am broken; I mourn, dismay has taken hold of me. 22 Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then has not the health of the daughter of my people been restored? Mt. 12:20 "A battered reed he will not break off, and a smoldering wick he will not put out, until he leads justice to victory. 21 "And in his name the gentiles will hope."

The result of brokenness: Ps. 34:17 The righteous cry, and the LORD hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. 18 The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. 19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all. Ps. 147:3 He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.

No fruitfulness comes unless we’re broken: Is. 61:1 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to captives and freedom to prisoners; Mk. 6:41 And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up toward heaven, He blessed the food and broke the loaves and He kept giving them to the disciples to set before them; and He divided up the two fish among them all. 42 They all ate and were satisfied, 43 and they picked up twelve full baskets of the broken pieces, and also of the fish. 44 There were five thousand men who ate the loaves. Mk. 14:3 While He was in Bethany at the home of Simon the leper, and reclining at the table, there came a woman with an alabaster vial of very costly perfume of pure nard; and she broke the vial and poured it over His head. 6 But Jesus said, "Let her alone; why do you bother her? She has done a good deed to Me. 8 "She has done what she could; she has anointed My body beforehand for the burial. 9 "Truly I say to you, wherever the gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of in memory of her." Jn. 12:24 "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 2 Cor. 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5 For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ. 6 But if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; or if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which is effective in the patient enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer; 7 and our hope for you is firmly grounded, knowing that as you are sharers of our sufferings, so also you are sharers of our comfort. 2 Cor. 12:9 And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. 10 Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong

Jesus is the perfect model of this, of course. He never asks us to do what He doesn’t already do. He left all to come to lowly birth and growing places. He became part of a hated race. He was servant to all. He was called the anointed, rather than the anointer, the lamb rather than shepherd, a sacrifice or ransom rather than the One to whom these were offered. His body was broken for us so that He and all of us could have resurrection life.