Broken for a Purpose

Amen.

So good to see you and be with you this morning.

I am so excited for this word as this has been one of a personal, very near and dear word in my own life.

But before I do that, man, how many of you are thankful for the blood of Jesus?

Anyone?

Come on.

And they have set the worship team has set us up in just such a sweet way.

I feel like this is just a holy moment.

And so I don't take this opportunity lightly.

I am grateful to be able to bring a word that I hope the Lord will use in an instrumental and very practical way in your life.

I've come with my wife, who is sitting here on the front row, and our two kids.

Hopefully they don't break anything in the nursery.

We're at a guest church.

We've got to be on our best behavior.

So we've had that thought, but we'll see later on how that how that goes.

But I'm just truly humbled and thankful.

Uh serving Somerset as associate pastor of recreation and outreach because basically I love sports and I'm wild and I love doing outreach because I just don't like fitting in a box and sitting still for too long.

So I love what God is doing here at Multiply Church and reaching the community for Christ.

And I think God is doing a great and a special work in this place.

And so just to come alongside and to be a part of a very, very small part, man.

I'm humbled and honored.

And so thank you for gathering for worship this morning.

Thank you for coming.

Um I believe the Lord is going to bless this morning and this moment.

If there is anything that I know for certain, I don't know a whole lot of things for certain.

I've not typically ever been the smartest or the or the best person in the room.

But one thing I do know for certain is this.

If there was one word that I would use to describe parenting, okay?

Um, you know, you you could come up with a lot of words crazy, uh stressful.

I know I'm supposed to say blessed.

I'm in church.

I know I'm supposed to say exciting.

However, the the best word that I would use to describe parenting, maybe you'd agree with me here, is unpredictable.

Does anyone understand what I'm talking about?

Unpredictable.

I mean, it's like we we we get so excited at the house when we feel like we have found a food that both kids are eating and not throwing to the dogs.

We have found it, we have found it.

Maybe you go to Kroger and stock up on it, and we stock up on it and we bring it home, and then then that's when the kids decide I do not like that food anymore.

Like, what are we doing?

Or or we'll we'll say, you know, we must be like really figuring this parenting thing out.

They're listening to us.

Doesn't happen very often.

They're they're really listening, you know.

We say stop, they're stopping, they're not hitting.

And then we come home and we feel like we are in the middle of a civil war.

And we're like, man, we spoke too soon.

Or we think like, okay, sleep training.

Sleep training is so important and it's so crucial.

Okay, the kids are in their bedroom and they're they're starting to go to sleep, and mom and dad are gonna get some time together.

I said, Mom and dad are gonna get some good time together.

Some of you guys will get that later, and that's okay.

Mom and dad are gonna get some good time together, and then right when we think that, Dad! What is happening?

But last year, we had a very unpredictable moment that was probably like one of my least favorite parenting moments of all time.

Lake, our son, had croup or RSV.

I I don't know what it is.

It's it's all just feels very hellish, but uh croup or RSV couldn't breathe, and so we had to rush him to the ER.

And we spent Thanksgiving in the emergency room because we were with our family, so we weren't even home, didn't even have our own toys.

And while we're taking him to the ER, um the doctors were saying we've got to give him this medicine, and our son does not like medicine at all, like at all, or didn't like medicine at all.

Like he was kicking and screaming, and we'd go wild anytime medicine was mentioned, anytime it was brought out.

And so we gotta give him this medicine, and we're like, well, good luck, you know, we don't we don't know what to do.

And so, like, all right, we're gonna need you guys to hold them down.

And there is nothing worse than a three-year-old being held down that does not want to be held down.

Oh my goodness, we're trying with all of our strength.

And so I'm I I feel like like I enjoy lifting, and you know, I I like to see how strong I can be, but I just I couldn't do it.

So I'm calling in for like backup, like nurses and nurses are coming in, and there's just some super strength of nurses.

If there are any nurses in the room, you are a hero for sure because nurses are coming in and they're holding the legs down, holding the arms down, trying to talk to them.

We're we're offering like everything in the world we can think of offering.

Like you get popsicles after this if you listen.

You know, we don't we don't typically do a whole whole lot of sugar, we we try to limit it.

You get you get blippy after this, and we don't even like watching blippy on YouTube.

You get anything, you you can have daddy's whole savings account if you want it, if you just take this medicine.

But he didn't he didn't want it, and he kept kicking and screaming, and we had like four different people holding him down, and in that moment, I wish he could understand.

One of the things that I I just so wish he could have understood in this moment is like though this does not taste like candy, and though this does not feel comfortable, you need this because it's for your better, and dad's not ever holding you down to break you, dad's not ever holding you down to do anything to you, but to build you to be healthy, because I have your health in my mind, I don't have anything, ulterior motive, other than you getting over this and you getting better.

And I would just love to say, as I was praying for and preparing for this moment for multiplied churches is different than probably any message that I've preached.

It's the first time preaching this message to y'all are kind of the test for this.

If it's if it's bad, then you don't have to even put up with me another week because I'm just a guest preacher.

But if it's good, then then that's okay too.

Praise praise God, because He He gave it to me.

But the message is this that God often does his greatest building through breaking.

God often does his greatest building through breaking.

Many of the people that God used most mightily, let me just remind you, were broken people.

You can even ask Paul, who wrote much of the scriptures that we read.

Yes, the Lord did a great and phenomenal work through Paul, and Paul was instrumentally used to plant churches and to lead people to Jesus and to call people to awakening and revival.

But we can't also discount the fact that he went through pain and grief and misunderstanding and false accusations and character assassinations.

And we get a glimpse in 2 Corinthians of Paul's vulnerability and his brokenness.

One of my favorite and most used passages I get to share with you this morning.

I'm excited for that.

If you have your Bible and want to go there, it's 2 Corinthians chapter 12, or if you want to read along on the screen, or if you guys have your iPad or iPhone, whatever.

2 Corinthians 12 · chapter mention

Your neighbor has a Bible, that's fine too.

But 2 Corinthians chapter 12, verse 1 through 10, Paul says this, and he's very honest.

2 Corinthians 12:1–10

I must go on boasting, although there is nothing to be gained.

I will go on divisions and revelations from the Lord.

I know a man in Christ who 14 years ago was caught up to the third heaven.

Whether it was in the body or out of the body, I do not know.

God knows.

And I know that this man, whether in the body or apart from the body, I do not know, but God knows, was caught up to paradise and heard inexpressible things, things that no one is permitted to tell.

I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses.

Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth, but I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say, or because of these surpassingly great revelations.

Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.

Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.

But here's what God said to him in verse 9.

But he said to me, My grace, I think someone needs to hear that today, my grace is sufficient for you.

For my power is made perfect in weakness.

Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.

That is why, for Christ's sake, Paul says, I delight in weaknesses.

I delight in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties.

For when I am weak, then I am what?

Strong.

Paul has said here to have pleaded with the Lord to remove this thing.

He's pleading.

I mean, it's not just this passive sitting back.

If it if it happens, it happens.

If it doesn't, it is what it is.

Paul is pleading that his life would look different, that this thing would be removed.

I wonder if I'm talking to anyone who is currently in a pleading season.

God, why do you have me here?

Why do you have me doing what I'm doing?

Why is this person still in my life?

Why haven't you changed my circumstance?

Maybe I'm pleading, God, asking for a certain result.

Maybe I'm pleading, God, asking that you would intervene in this moment or in this workplace.

Maybe I'm pleading that the Lord would just do something, just anything.

Got good news.

Paul's there with you.

Now, scholars and theologians have long debated what is this thorn that Paul is referring to?

Some say it was maybe a temptation, some say it was a trial, some say it was a mental barrier, some say it was it was someone with whom Paul had relational strife.

Some say maybe it was something that Paul was dealing with in his own personal life.

Basically, we have no idea what it is.

But we do know this.

It was inconvenient.

Because if it wasn't, Paul wouldn't have pleaded for it to be removed.

There's this thorn, God, but but can you remove it?

And I love, I love this.

Paul's honesty.

He's just he's laying it out there.

Paul is not taping religious phrases, which we'll talk about in a little bit.

But Paul is honest, but I love you more.

The Lord's response.

You and I would think if you're pleading with the Lord, the Lord would respond something along the lines of this.

Yes, Paul, I will remove it.

Or the Lord would say something like this I'm doing X, Y, and Z in keeping the thorn there.

The Lord doesn't say that.

The Lord doesn't even say, hey, if you stay faithful for just a little bit longer, this will all make sense to you.

Or, hey, if you just keep on, I promise in a few years I will remove it.

Instead, the Lord does not say anything about the thorn.

The Lord says something instead about what?

His grace.

My grace is sufficient for you.

In other words, Paul and someone here pleading in the room needs to hear this.

You don't have to know why I'm not removing it.

You don't have to know what will happen in and through or with it.

Just know I've got you.

And my grace is sufficient for you.

We don't really know what the thorn is, but we know the grace that is sufficient.

And I want to make something very clear.

There are two different types of breaking that we see all throughout scripture.

The first type of breaking is this there's a breaking that leads to death.

And I'm not talking about that breaking.

That's James, James chapter 1 actually says in this breaking, this is what it looks like.

James 1 · chapter mention

That when tempted, no one should say, God is tempted me, for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone.

But each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desires and are enticed.

Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin.

And sin when it is full grown, gives birth to death.

That's a breaking that leads to death.

When we are willfully choosing what God says is wrong.

And it leads to death.

Death from not being able to hear and walk in relationship and intimacy with God because we're choosing the thing that God opposes and calls us out of and draws us out of by His Spirit.

But I've got good news.

If your breaking is one that's leading to death, that you are willfully in this morning.

I just want to tell you, God has a higher calling and a purpose for your life, and your setback doesn't have to be greater than what God can make a comeback.

No matter how far setback you are in your sin, no matter how deep you are, his ear is not deaf to hear, his arm is not too short to reach.

But you call in the name of Jesus, and he can bring life and hope, pull you out of the breaking that leads to death, and put you on the plan and the purpose that he has for you.

Then there's the second breaking that I know sometimes in churches like we just don't like talking about because it doesn't feel fun and it doesn't really feel like a shouty type of exciting message that you know we can get on Instagram about and be like, oh yeah, Lord, break me for life.

You know, I'm so excited to be broken for life.

I'm so excited to be broken and built.

But it's a breaking that leads to life.

It's refining.

John chapter 15 says it like this that I'm the true vine.

John 15 · chapter mention

Jesus is saying my father is the gardener.

He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit.

While every branch that does bear fruit, he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.

I I I would love to assert this to you though while while I go down this lane.

And the truth is this God is not an abusive God.

Okay?

God is not ever delighted in breaking his children for just breaking sake.

I just want to break you just so I can see how broken I can break in, just because I I revel in or delight in.

God loves his children.

And the the truth of the matter is this if he breaks something off of our life, it is because he is building something better in and through us for his name and his glory's sake.

So his breaking is not one that is just broken for nothing.

His breaking is one that he brings for a purpose, which is for building his name and his glory through us.

And sometimes, though it doesn't feel comfortable, and though it's not exciting, and though it's not one that we sing a whole lot of worship songs about, sometimes he has to break pride off of us.

Sometimes he has to break this selfish desire that we have.

Here's what I want my life to look like, God.

And God says, I've got to break that desire off of your life because I have a greater desire for your life that you haven't even considered yet.

And in the breaking, we've got to remember that our Heavenly Father always has our best interest in mind.

It may not taste like candy, but the medicine of breaking is far better than the candy of an easy life ever could be.

So if you're in this breaking season, I would love to assert to you just a few points of encouragement that we find from Paul's life that we see clearly throughout scripture.

What do you do in breaking seasons?

How do you stay confident and victorious, faithful in breaking seasons?

Like what does this look like?

I'm not very much like a high latitude, let's let's talk deep intellect.

I'm just a very practical this is this is cookie on the bottom shelf, low-bearing fruit.

What can we do in a functional way to stay hope-filled in breaking seasons?

There are four truths that I would love to submit to that I'd love for you to write down or write in your notes or take pictures of.

I don't know how you want to do it.

And you can cue this up for when you're in a breaking season because every single one of us are in a broken world dealing with brokenness and frustration.

And when you're in a broken world dealing with brokenness, what you need is not empty inspiration and a pat on the back and a few Instagram quotes.

What you need is the inspiration of God's word and God's truth that has not changed.

And so this is just God's word given to you so that you can stay hope-filled in breaking.

What does it look like?

Number one, the truth is this gratitude.

I'm gonna be a person of continual, consistent, intentional gratitude.

Because his grace is sufficient.

Jesus says, hey, I know you want this, I want to be honest.

My grace is sufficient for you.

I was like, all right, I'm gonna go on to get closer to that.

I'm gonna I'm gonna be excited through trials and pain and hardships and difficulties.

I'm gonna I'm gonna stay hopeful through this.

And gratitude is not often the place that we drift in difficulty.

Not difficult.

Gratitude doesn't often come easy.

But I want to tell you, and I'm saying this from a very real spot, there is not a season, moment, or place in your life that you cannot be grateful.

And if you think that I've got to have this to be grateful, then you're missing the point of gratitude.

I've got to have God do this and then I'll be grateful.

I've got to have God change this season and answer this prayer and open this door and make this job possible.

And the truth of the matter is gratitude is not about your wishes coming true.

Gratitude is about how good God is and has already been to you.

Gratitude, I would even say it like this, like as I was wrestling with the definition of what gratitude is and what it what it looks like.

This this definition came to mind, and it's so good.

I'm not even boasting in myself in this.

This had to be the Lord because I am not this smart to come up with this good of a definition.

I'll just tell you that, alright?

Gratitude is this.

Gratitude is not ignoring reality.

Alright?

Okay, none of this is happening.

Life is not that bad.

I'm just gonna cover my ears and close my eyes and la la la, God is good, God is good, God is good.

That's not gratitude.

That is not gratitude.

Really, that is not gratitude.

That's a limited perception of often what we think gratitude is.

That is not gratitude.

So I want to say this definition to you.

Gratitude is not ignoring reality, gratitude is instead, this is a good definition.

Fixing your mind on a greater reality.

Okay, let me let me break down what that what that means, okay?

That means this refusing to let what I see override what God says.

Okay?

Gratitude is refusing to let what I see and what I'm going through override what God says.

I want to tell you what that looks like in a practical way because some of you guys still are giving me the stone-cold face and you don't get what I'm saying.

So I'm gonna give it to you like this, alright?

It looks like this.

Lord, it feels like I am surrounded by problems right now.

But thank you, Lord, that you surround my problems.

This is what it looks like.

I'm acknowledging the problems real, but I'm acknowledging even more that your grace is great and even more real through this problem.

Or what about like this?

God, I don't feel like I have enough, enough money, enough, whatever it is, friends, enough.

But Lord, thank you that you are my provider and you are faithful to provide enough.

That's what it looks like.

I'm acknowledging the real problem, but I am speaking gratitude over the problem.

Lord, I feel like I have been done so wrong by that person, and it's festering and it's frustrating me.

And I keep replaying what I should have said, could have said, or want to say next time I see them.

But instead, Lord, thank you that you are my vindicator and judge, and you will take care of the person, the problem, and myself and my frustration threats.

Or it even looks like this, Lord.

I don't understand.

Could I just say this?

Could I just be honest with you?

Here's what it looks like for me.

I don't I don't understand why my life looks like this.

I thought that it looked different than it does right now.

But thank you that your way is higher and better.

And so I trust your way.

Gratitude is not ignoring reality, it's fixing our mind on the greater reality, refusing to let what we see override what God says in his word.

His grace is sufficient for you and I, even now in this moment, to be grateful.

What is grace though?

Sometimes we even have a limited view of what grace looks like, as if grace was this one-time thing.

And we even recognize it from scripture that we are saved by grace through faith.

So grace was God's undeserved, unmerited, unearned goodness towards sinners like you and I to give us abundant and everlasting life.

And that is a great definition of grace.

However, that is a greatly limited definition of grace if you're stopping right there.

Grace was not just enough to save you to get you to heaven one day.

Grace is sufficient for you now in the moment in your problem.

Okay, so grace is not only the saving grace for eternal and everlasting life, grace is also the power of God demonstrated through people who want to walk with him.

Jesus doesn't say to Paul, My grace was sufficient for you when I saved you and called you out of the mess.

Jesus doesn't even say to Paul, my grace will be sufficient for you one day when you get to heaven.

Jesus says, My grace is.

It's a present tense.

My grace is sufficient for you now in the moment and in the season that you are in.

Can you give God praise and gratitude because of his grace this morning?

Absolutely.

That is why James is writing in one consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.

Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

I wonder if the best thing that someone could do today is just sit alone in stillness for a moment and start in gratitude, listing all the ways that God has been good to you.

Start listing the ways that God describes himself as good in his word because you've been so fixed on the thorn that you've missed the grace.

You've been replaying the thorn, vestering over the thorn.

I'm gonna be thankful for your grace.

Even if the thorn is here, if it's removed, I'm gonna be grateful for your grace.

Number two is this.

A Paul says is humility because his power is made perfect in weakness.

Okay, I'm I'm weak, but I'm gonna boast all the more about my weakness.

I'm gonna seek humility.

I'm gonna lay low.

I'm not gonna try to beat my chest and make it through this struggle or this difficulty.

I'm not gonna try in my own strength or in my own name.

I'm not gonna try to seek vengeance.

I am I am in humility, laying low and trusting God with this.

I love C.

S.

Lewis definition uh our C.

S.

Lewis quote uh that really calls.

For humility.

He says this we can ignore even pleasure.

But pain insists upon being attended to.

God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pain.

It is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world.

I didn't think I'd get a single amen, but thankfully I got one who is spiritual in the room.

Praise the Lord.

Because often, please hear me say this.

It's when we get to the end of our strength that we can begin to see his strength.

We get to the end of ourselves, that we can begin to recognize how much we actually needed him.

And it's true.

And in the comforts of life, we can forget that we need him.

And in the convenience of everyday moments, we can forget how broken we really are.

We can forget how limited an understanding we really are.

But I would just love to tell you that God delights in making himself known where we know we need him.

He delights in making himself known where we know we need him.

Though your trials don't taste very palatable, no, they're far better than the candy of an easy life.

There's a head theology that we we know this somewhat to be true in our minds.

We should think this.

There's a heart theology of what we feel, but then there's this experiential theology of just everyday broken life that we have to live out in a way that is truly one that compels our hearts and minds to reorient around the grace and the goodness of God.

And reorient around the fact that because we are broken, we don't have to hide it.

Because we are broken, we don't have to run from it.

But because we are broken, we can run to the throne of grace with confident assurance that his strength is sufficient and enough to complete the shortage of our brokenness.

Sufficient means this, like there's nothing else you have to add to it.

It's sufficient, it's complete.

It's enough.

And his grace is enough.

I I even wrote this down, and I would love to read this.

I know it's not like the best strategy to read and look at your bed a whole lot, but I would love to read this.

You wouldn't need his peace if you're already at peace without him.

You wouldn't need his comfort if you're already comfortable.

You wouldn't need his joy if you've already found a cheaper happiness, and you don't need his power if you can do it on your own.

The real reason that we often don't see a revival is because we're okay without it.

To pray and to humble ourselves, to acknowledge that we need Jesus day in and day out.

Like we need him on a Monday, and we need him on a Tuesday, we need him on a Thursday, we need him on a Friday, not just on a Sunday morning.

Alright, bless my family, and I'll go back to everyday ordinary life and my strength.

But humility says, Lord, I lay low and I need you.

I submit to you.

Your way is so much better.

I would love to encourage you in 1 Peter chapter 5 with this truth that God opposes the brow, but he shows favor to the humble favor is this delight, this intentional delight.

1 Peter 5 · chapter mention

I want the favor of God on my life.

You want to know what attracts God to your life?

Humility.

We would humble ourselves and say, it's not about making a name for me, it's about making a name for you, Jesus.

So I lay low and I trust you.

And then three, I would love to encourage you with this.

What is this?

Look at we start in gratitude, then we go into humility.

And this one's the one where I'll just be honest, this is where we get a little uncomfortable, okay?

This is where, especially in Christian contexts, religious circles, we get a little uncomfortable.

And you do not have to be uncomfortable about this.

This is actually where we should lean into instead of lean away from.

And it's this honesty.

He can handle you.

All right?

Here's the truth.

Here's the great thing.

God can handle you.

Your insecurities and your frustrations and the battles that you're fighting that no one else knows.

God can handle you.

He is prepared and equipped.

He is not shaking his head saying, Oh my goodness gracious, I wonder how we're gonna make it through this time.

Instead, he is with open arms saying, Man, I've got everything you need here.

I can handle what you're going through.

I know that you said you weren't gonna fall into that sin again, but my grace is sufficient for you.

Come back.

I know that you thought life was gonna look different, but what you're going through, I've got enough to get you through.

Oftentimes, I think when we when we start talking honest in Christian circles, we try to cover it up with these religious phrases like, you're too blessed to be stressed, and you're too anointed to be disappointed, and you're too called to be, I couldn't think of a word that rhymes, but if you think it's something, let me know.

But man, God's got too great of a calling on your life for you to deal with mental illness, or God's got too great of a calling on your life for you to go with frustration and anger and wanting to choose someone out.

God's got too high of a calling, and yes, he's got a great and a high calling, and yes, the blood makes a difference in how we live and how we should live and how we operate.

But I will tell you too, we still live in a broken world.

And we still deal with brokenness and we still deal with mental turmoil, and we still sometimes need counselors, and if you need medicine, yes, give prayer first.

But man, why are we so quick to patch up brokenness and instead of leaning into brokenness with the grace of Jesus and it's like, I know what it's like to be there.

So it's not a body, no, no, no, no, no.

Hey, real believers don't deal with that.

Yes, real believers do deal with that, and they're walking with Jesus and they're reading his word, but they're still struggling with it.

Oh, real believers don't struggle with lust, and real believers don't talk about.

Hey, the truth of the matter is this.

You know this to be true, please hear me say this.

You are only as sick as your secrets.

Meaning in this, if you can't honestly confess it, the Lord's probably not gonna deal with it.

Man, you keep trying to hide it and cover it up and deal with it in your own strength, and it is festering and killing you.

It is draining you of the life that Christ has for you.

But Scripture says if you really want to find healing, James 5, 16 says this, therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.

So I would just ask this is the pride of you having your life together more important than the healing that Christ wants to bring?

When's the last time that you've honestly confessed the sin in your life?

Really, I'm not trying to sound real sh shady and clappy and exciting.

I'm just trying to help you find hope and healing.

And if you want healing, scripture makes it very clear if you want it bad enough, you'll confess your sins.

This is who I really am.

This is how broken I really am.

This is how desperate I really am.

This is how tempted I really am.

This is how discouraged I really am.

Paul is not patching together religious phrases.

Paul is saying, Man, I'm broken.

But that's okay.

Because God loves making beautiful things out of broken people.

And if you're not in a small group confessing your brokenness, if you're not in some sort of discipleship group or accountability partnership confessing your brokenness, then I would love to tell you that nothing good grows in the dark.

You gotta confess it.

You gotta have a place and an avenue that you can be honest with others about what's going on, the turmoil that's going on.

That you think your life always has to be together.

And you think your life always has to be perfect.

And you can be honest.

First, do this.

Be honest with the Lord.

Be honest with what you think is really happening in your life, what's going on, lay it all out there.

Man, lay it all out there.

Uh sometimes I see it like this this picture of like we're we're swimming in a pool and we got this beach ball, and we just keep trying to press it down, and keep trying to press it down, and keep trying to press it down, and eventually that thing's gonna come up.

The greater force, the more you hold it down.

But what about at some point just lifting it up and saying, God, here's what's going on.

I confess that I need you in this.

I confess that I am so mad at that person right now.

I confess that I'm dealing with this, but you can handle it.

So confess with God, honesty.

Number one, then number two, confess with other believers.

This is a safe space for broken people.

Do you know that a church was never meant to be a country club for the religious, elite, and the polished?

But a church was always meant to be a hospital for the broken, the sinful, and the hurting that need hope and healing in Jesus.

And number four, and I'm soon to close out here.

We start with gratitude, then we go in humility and laying low, honesty and what's in our heart and lives.

Number four is this is obedience.

Because his plans are better.

Obedience.

Paul's like, God, I'm gonna stay faithful.

Actually, Paul goes on to preach the gospel still after this.

Isn't that amazing that Paul doesn't say, I'm not gonna go preach until you remove this thorn.

Instead, Paul says, Whatever you have for me, I'm gonna obey.

This may be not the thing I understand, but I'm gonna obey.

I'm gonna trust you in obedience.

And taking a step of faithfulness when it doesn't feel like I want to be faithful, and loving when it doesn't feel like I want to love, maybe in showing up in joy when I don't want to show up in joy.

In the grand scheme of things, I would love to tell you this.

If obedience is always understood and comfortable, you're probably not obeying Jesus.

You're obeying your own inclination of what you want for your life.

If you'll only obey to the point of your understanding, you will miss what God has for your life.

I would even say it like this you are not called to understand fully God's ways, but you are called to obedience.

Rick Warren says, understanding can wait, obedience cannot.

And if you keep waiting on your hands and saying, God, once you make it clear, then I'll obey, then you will miss out on the purpose that Christ has for you in building his kingdom in and through you.

I remember having an opportunity in college that we lived in in a neighborhood in Campbellsville, Kentucky, and what was the ghetto of Campbell's?

I know it's hard to believe Campbellsville has a ghetto, it actually does have have a ghetto.

And we were in this in this place and it was great.

I actually loved it and uh connected with people, and there were there were some young kids there that uh, man, we're always like trying to find something to do.

Like, can we throw you know rocks at someone's window or can we just do them what kids do, you know?

Like I did the same thing, so I can't be too upset about it.

But but can we can we like uh try to put out things in the road so that people can run over them?

It'll pop the tires.

Like, can we just do things?

And so I thought, man, I just like these kids here.

There's just something about them.

They they like breaking rules.

I like breaking rules.

I'm I'm kind of joking with you, but uh not really.

But uh anyway, so I like these kids.

And so one one day I realized, like, man, I've talked with these guys so much and I've never shared the gospel with them.

And so I'm gonna try to have a meal and share the gospel with them.

And and I remember like setting this all up and thinking, like, the man I show up, or I don't know what's gonna happen, I don't know what this is gonna look like.

And I remember going into my college roommate and chatting with him, like, man, we we got the opportunity to share the gospel with these guys, they're actually gonna come over.

And he said, Listen, I'm I'm I'm I'm so excited for you that you're taking advantage of this opportunity, but I'm just gonna wait until I feel a little more led before I do it.

And I thought, okay, okay, that's fine.

So I went out and I shared the gospel, and these kids were okay and responding to it, like, thank you, thank you, I appreciate it, but you know, what's for lunch?

You know, like they were understanding to it to a degree.

But I remember getting back in my room, and I was about ready to prepare to go to sleep, and I just kept thinking, like, man, if these kids stood before the Lord, would they be ready?

Like, did I did I give them enough of an awareness and understanding to understand what Jesus has done for them to find everlasting and abundant life?

I thought, yeah, I did I did, Lord, but I would love to have seen them respond in a better way.

But the second thing that that really frustrated me, I mean it kept me up for a while that night, really.

Like it kept stirring and lingering.

The second thing that really frustrated me, and I brought it to his attention too, but was this truth?

This dude that had the hope of Jesus to proclaim Jesus as Lord and Savior.

That was living right next to me, okay, in the room right beside me, was so busy waiting for the right moment and the right feeling that he didn't obey and share the gospel.

Now I'm not saying you can share it with everyone, but I am saying this.

He didn't share the gospel with anyone in his entire life, never had.

Because he's so busy waiting for the moment of understanding before he obeys.

And the truth of the matter is there are many believers sidelined by waiting for understanding, and you're missing out on what God wants to do in the field of your life.

I'm waiting until it feels convenient enough to serve on a team.

I'm waiting until it feels like I really find my fit and niche before I start giving to a church.

I'm waiting until God brings the increase before I start being generous.

And the fact of the matter is, is if you are in the waiting game, you're in the missing game.

Don't just keep waiting and missing the moment of what God wants to do in your life.

Obedience says, I don't understand and I don't know, and I'm not waiting, but I'm just gonna obey what you call me to do.

I would love to tell you this too.

The breeding ground for a miracle of God in your life, the greatest breeding ground that we find in all of Scripture for a miracle of God in your life.

And I pray and I believe in miracles.

I believe the same God who rose Jesus from the dead is the same God who lives and breathes and operates and moves in this place and stirs hearts and stirs lives and wants to bring salvation to those who are far from him in this place, and you don't have to stay far from him because he's done the work.

But the greatest ground for breeding ground for a miracle in this place, in your heart, in your life, and in your family.

Listen to this.

The greatest breeding ground for a miracle of God in your life starts with obedience.

Now I know you guys were hoping I'd say something a lot more exciting than that.

I could tell by the look on your faces.

Like, come on, man.

I just thought it would start with coming to multiply on a Sunday.

Well, maybe that is a start.

But obedience is an open door and an open opportunity for us to say, God, I've done my part.

Now I trust you.

Obedience is not I'm gonna go once you show me.

Obedience is not I'm gonna go once you open every single door and make it clear and comfortable.

Obedience is as I go, I trust that you'll show.

Obedience is not show, then I'll go.

Obedience is I'm going.

I'm going with even limited understanding.

I'm going with limited opportunity.

I'm going and trusting that you will do what only you can do.

Maybe the obedience is you calling someone that you have been holding on to a fence for so long, and you keep praying, oh God, bless me and pour out your spirit, but you're harboring and holding bitterness in your heart, and you're missing out.

Maybe the obedience looks like you're just starting to tithe where you're at.

Yeah, you don't have the paycheck that you thought you would have, but you just start tithing in obedience to say, God, I trust you.

I trust that you can do more.

Maybe the obedience just really looks like you apologizing to someone.

I know it doesn't feel flashy, but obedience always opens the door for God to do what He wants to do in our lives.

What would it look like if we went through breaking with gratitude first on our hearts and lives instead of complaining?

With humility instead of pride, and I'm gonna make it through this.

Mama raised me better.

What would it look like with honesty instead of religiosity and obedience instead of just comfortable understanding?

I think it would look something like this.

There's a picture of these jars that I would love to show you, and I'd love to close with this picture.

This Japanese artwork, Kitsugi.

And I might have even said it wrong, I'm from Western Kentucky, you gotta give me some grace.

But this is a bowl that has been broken.

And the beauty in this artwork is this that the brokenness is actually the avenue for beauty.

Like the brokenness does not discredit or disregard the bowl.

The brokenness is actually the very thing that makes this bowl valuable because in the brokenness it is crafted with these gold layers.

And I would just love to tell you this.

Man, if if Christ is in this season of just breaking things from your heart and life that you think you need, if Christ is just in this season of breaking pride and breaking things off of your life, let me just tell you, He specializes in making beautiful things out of broken pieces.

Come on, only a few of you heard me.

That was really good.

He specializes in making beautiful things out of broken pieces and broken people for his name and his glory's sake, so that when you look at it, you realize, man, the bowl that once appeared broken was crafted together to create something beautiful.

It's in the breaking.

It's in the breaking that you'll find how good God is.

He's not an abusive father, he loves loving his children.

And if there's breaking happening in your life, it's outside of your control, but you can trust him.

I would love to say this to you.

Alright, that sounds good.

It sounds religious.

Here's where I close, though.

Do it right now.

Has God been telling you to do?

Most of us know the thing that God's been telling us to do.

Most of us don't need a new word in this place.

You don't need a new word and a fresh word.

You just need to go back to the word that God has been telling you to do, and you need to do that.

And I would just ask is he worthy of following and laying down your life for?

Or do you really think your ways are better?

Who are you to say no to God?

He loves you so much that he not only declared it from a distance, but demonstrated it up close by sending his son Jesus to die in your place.

And Jesus didn't stay dead, but three days later rose from the tomb, victorious and triumphant, with the bold claim and the promise that anyone who calls on the name of Jesus can be saved.

Jesus is now seated at the right hand of the Father.

That's important because right hand is always symbolic of authority.

And Jesus is the only one with enough authority to save you from your sin and provide everlasting, abundant life and purpose.

Broken for a purpose.

What's the purpose?

The purpose is this, so that he can build his name and his kingdom through you.

Maybe you're far from God.

You just need to say yes to Jesus today.

Maybe you're distracted and disengaged, and you need to return to a posture of gratitude to what Jesus has done in your heart and life.

Obedience is the breeding ground for a miracle.

Would you just obey what God has put on your heart?

I'm not asking you to enjoy this message or do anything crazy.

I'm not asking you to do anything wild.

I'm just asking you to obey God and watch the wild things He can do.

When you obey, you'll be amazed at God's capability.

Let's pray.

God, thank you for your word and truth.

Thank you for your promises.

And Lord, thank you for the hope and confidence that we have that when we draw near to you, your word says you draw near to us.

And so we're not shouting from afar trying to get your attention.

But because we've got your attention, we can with praise and gratitude say thank you for what you've done.

Thank you for what you've done and providing everlasting and abundant life so that anyone who calls on your name can truly, truly find hope and freedom and purpose.

And it's my prayer, Lord, that if there's anyone under the sound of my voice who doesn't know you as Lord and Savior, they're lost.

They're trying in their own strength to do something they were never called to do.

May today be the day through the goodness and presence of your spirit, they find everlasting life that's only in you.

May they repent and believe to say, God, I'm sorry for my sin.

Come and live in my heart.

I believe in you, I trust in you.

May today be that day, Jesus, that they obey.

Lord, thank you for your calling.

Thank you for speaking to your children.

Lord, we praise you and honor you.

Thank you, Lord, that there's no place that we're in, that your presence isn't in with us.

We're walking with you.

And so, Lord, may you be glorified.

May you compel and empower your people to submit in obedience to whatever you're calling, whatever you're encouraging them to do in this moment.

May we worship you well, may we fix our eyes on you the greater reality, the greater truth.

Because you're worthy of our highest praise in worship and honor.

And it's in Jesus' name we pray all God's people said, Amen.

Would you stand and worship?