Replay | Brokenness & Kindness with Chris Schlotterbeck

Welcome to Hub City Vineyard.

To get connected or to give online go to connect.hcv.church or give.hcv.church.

If at any point during this message you feel called to make a change in your life, text

change me to 970-00.

Thank you and enjoy the message.

Hey, good morning everyone and welcome to Hub City Vineyard Sunday live stream.

No matter where you are, thanks for joining us and more importantly, thanks for welcoming

us into your home.

I just want to start by saying happy Mother's Day to all the moms that are listening this

morning.

We honor you, we are praying for you and we thank you for all that you're doing in serving

your kids and your families during this crisis.

And just know that we are here for you and just want to encourage you through this time.

Now for the last few weeks we've been discussing a new series.

I've got two words for you and the series is based on Galatians 5 verses 22 to 23 that

Galatians 5:22–23

says, but the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives.

Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

So far we have discussed the two words fear and peace, depression and love.

Last week we looked at anger and self-control and today I want to share about a word that

many people feel is negative when it comes to a relationship with Jesus and that is the

word brokenness.

Now yesterday Jess was watching a show that she enjoys on HGTV called Hometown and the

series follows a couple as they renovate turn to the century homes for first time home buyers

or older clients in a way of just giving them something new in the town of Laurel, Mississippi.

Now one part of the show that makes it very unique is the husband Ben uses his building

and woodworking skills to preserve and celebrate the home's history by using found materials

in the house's walls or old furniture that was left behind and what he does he rebuilds

and restores it to keep the character and the integrity of the house.

Now if you think about restoring furniture, when you restore furniture it involves literally

the stripping away of old paint and we use chemicals, real strong chemicals in order

to remove that old paint or that old varnish and it reveals these old scratches and gouges

and spots that's all over the furniture and then he would take sandpaper or even a machine

that sands the wood down to a smooth finish and it takes away all the imperfections and

all the negative elements of the furniture.

The furniture is then ready to receive a new coat of paint or a new stain and suddenly

the furniture comes to life in a new excitement that was once old is now new and the reality

is God can do the same thing with us.

He can put new excitement inside of an old life but we have to realize he must first

strip away the old nature and the old sinful habits and strongholds and we shouldn't run

from being broken and friends even though it's not pleasant it will produce a better

life.

Brokenness is a blessing because it literally puts us on the road to breakthrough and to

redemption after all Jesus did say blessed are the poor in spirit.

Now before I get into my talk I need to set the context of what was happening in Jesus's

life in Matthew chapter 14.

Matthew 14 · chapter mention

See Jesus was getting ready to receive some bad news.

John the Baptist, his cousin, his friend, the man that literally leapt within the womb

of his mother when the two were not even born yet when they were still inside their mother's

womb John leapt with excitement that Jesus was near.

John also would be the one that baptized Jesus ushering in his kingdom and recognizing him

as his savior.

This man was about to die and see we have to realize that these men were close.

They had a connection and we read in Matthew 14 that there was a birthday party for Herod

and at this birthday party Herod's daughter was dancing.

Now you have to realize she wasn't doing the Macarena she was dancing and she was dancing

so well that Herod the Bible said was moved and he was moved to the point where he offered

her anything.

He said I will give you anything up to half of my kingdom in order for you to continue

in your dance.

So the daughter after speaking to her mother she went back to Herod and said I would like

the head of John the Baptist on a platter.

Now you have to realize this was a difficult decision for Herod.

John was a voice of reason for Herod in tough times but see in this situation he couldn't

lose face with the guests that were at the party so he had John killed.

You know I was reading this part of the Bible this week and it just dawned on me I was like

I'm reading Matthew 14 and here's this party there's this birthday party there's dancing

there's excitement and then there's a head.

Have you ever realized just how graphic and exciting the Bible is?

I mean you don't need social media just go out and read the Bible and have your heart

change and turn towards God.

Now while all this was happening Jesus had been on a ministry tour and the disciples

were experiencing God's kingdom coming to earth there was healings and miracles and

signs and wonders and isn't it true that quite often when it comes to being more like Jesus

we always focus on you know being more loving.

Maybe we need to show more mercy or develop more compassion in our heart we need to serve

or we need to volunteer more and they're all important things but our first thought is

quite often a characteristic about Jesus's life that is often overlooked and that is

this Jesus broke.

Listen to Matthew 14 verses 12 through 13 later John's disciples came for his body and

Matthew 14:12–13

buried it.

Then they went and told Jesus what had happened and as soon as Jesus heard the news he left

in a boat to remote area to be alone.

See Jesus demonstrates for us a response that for honest many of us struggle with when it

comes to church.

Quite often when it comes to church people within churches have a tendency to hide or

or cover up or pretend that there's no problems or emotions when it comes to this life we're

living for example before the virus if chances are if you have kids on your on your way to

a Sunday gathering at at H.T.V. that that that that drive would turn into an argument

or disagreement because the kids are arguing and fighting and then husband and wife are

suddenly yelling at each other and there's this complete blow up in the car on the way

to church.

But yet when you get into the parking lot and you walk into the door someone asks you

how you're doing.

We're great.

Or now you may have received a phone call or a text message or someone reached out to

you on Facebook simply asking how are you.

Do you need anything.

Can I pray for you.

No I'm good.

I don't see that there's any needs.

See in this verse we we literally see Jesus breaking.

Now when Jesus heard the news he could have went in and got John's body found his head

and performed a miracle because see nothing is too big for God.

He could have just literally healed John and continued on with ministry.

And you say well Chris is that really possible.

Of course it is.

You saw where Jesus excuse me a guard had his ear cut off.

Jesus quickly grabbed the ear.

He healed it and addressed Peter in John 11 35.

We read then Jesus wept and another time that Jesus broke before raising Lazarus from the

dead.

But you see here Jesus hears the news about his good friend John about his cousin John

and his first reaction is not well let's go share the good news.

Let's let's go pray for people.

Let's perform miracles.

Let's teach a parable.

And you know he literally gets in a boat to be alone.

Now the Bible doesn't tell us how long he was in the boat.

It could have been five minutes 10 minutes could have been three hours.

All we know he was traveling from one place to the other and and Jesus in the boat he

is completely alone and he wanted to be alone because he literally was breaking for before

God.

He didn't expect to to hear the news.

He didn't expect for his cousin his friend to die.

He didn't want to receive that kind of negativity that day.

Yet he retreated to be alone with God so that he could break down.

And for many of us friends we don't practice breaking for many of us.

We need to learn what it means to break.

You know for for some of you you didn't expect to to lose your job of 25 years and suddenly

be without work.

For some of you you you didn't want to be divorced 10 years ago and and you didn't want

to recognize that that you wanted to be alone or for some of you you don't want to divorce

right now.

You know for you high school seniors you you didn't want to graduate virtually.

You didn't want to miss your senior prom and and for some of you you're still stuck inside

and and you don't understand why the government is shut down and why you can't go to work

and why you can't return to school.

And think about it.

Jesus was connected to the Father.

Jesus did more good than anyone yet he felt the pain.

He was hurt and he allowed himself to break.

See for so many followers of Jesus they they just show no emotion.

If you're anything like me it's almost like we you've become calloused and and stone-faced

thinking thinking more scriptures that I can quote greater is he that is in me that is

in the world and the pain will go away.

Yes that verse is true.

But the reality is this.

Jesus was the word he he knew the Bible yet he broke.

Plain tough doesn't make the pain go away.

You know we can act like we got it all together and we can pretend that that fight didn't

happen last night that argument didn't happen last night.

We can believe the words spoken over us weren't painful yet if we live that way we're not

going to be living like Jesus.

We have to find a place to cry and and to weep and and to vent and to let it all out

in order for change to come.

God can't fix what you think when our words are constantly well I'm good.

I don't need anything.

I don't need prayer.

We're not allowing God the space in our heart for change to happen which leads us to our

next stop.

See Jesus composed himself in Matthew 14 verses 13 to 14 continuing on.

Matthew 14:13–14

Remember Jesus was in a boat he he had broke he was going to the other side but the crowds

heard where he was headed and followed on foot from many towns.

Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the bow and he had compassion on them and

healed their sick.

So here's the story.

Here's the news about John.

He steps into a into a boat he begins to cross to the other side he needed to be alone.

He was struggling he needed to get before God but but as he steps out of the boat something

changed something was different.

I mean think about Jesus's life.

He was misunderstood.

He was hated.

He was judged.

He was mocked.

He was ridiculed.

He was beaten.

He was broken.

And he never blamed anyone.

And if I'm going to be honest with you friends too many Jesus followers blame everyone else

for all their problems for all their struggles for all the temptation that are a part of

their life.

Well I don't get any better.

I can't change Chris because the devil is too powerful.

The government is corrupt.

My husband is mean.

My my wife doesn't like me.

The church is too big.

I have to watch it on TV now.

The pastor doesn't care about me.

Friends you know I quoted a verse earlier greater is he that is in me than he is in

the world.

Do we believe that just like Jesus we need to learn to compose ourselves.

We have to get it together.

Too many people's lives are depending on you and me.

I mean think about it Jesus again he composed himself.

I remember when he heard the news about Lazarus what did he do.

He wept.

He broke.

But yet he composed himself.

And we read in John 11 40 to 41 Jesus responded.

Didn't I tell you that you would see God's glory if you believe.

So they rolled the stone aside.

Then Jesus looked up to heaven and said Father thank you for hearing me.

Friends we have to stop making statements like I will never marry again.

I will never be a part of my kid's life again.

I will always be an addict.

I will never change.

I will never have a relationship with my father.

I will always be sick.

Here is the simple truth.

Staying hurt won't help you.

It won't change a thing in your life which moves us to our next stall.

Bitterness is simply brokenness left untreated.

See if we stay broken we will remain and become more bitter.

We will say things like well no one cares about me.

I can't trust anyone.

All churches are the same.

Yet we read in Ephesians 4 verses 31 to 32 get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh

Ephesians 4:31–32

words and slander as well as all types of evil behavior.

Instead be kind to each other.

There's our second word for the day.

Be kind to each other.

Friends simply stated there are people in our community of faith that are going through

the same struggles, temptations, sins, marriage issues just like you.

We cannot isolate ourselves.

When we don't allow ourselves to break, to forgive, to experience God's love, to move

on you will remain bitter.

And if you remain bitter your heart will simply break.

Jesus said in Matthew 6 14 if you forgive those who sin against you your heavenly father

will forgive you.

You see friends it's a balance.

It's a balance.

Jesus broke and then he composed himself.

He didn't remain there.

He didn't stay there.

He composed himself.

However, we also have to guard against our next thought.

See remaining composed means that we can lose compassion.

Remaining composed means that we can lose compassion.

Simply stated we can forget to feel what hurt, what real pain feels like.

There's someone struggling with an addiction.

There's couples going through a difficult season of their marriage.

There's a person struggling with sin and we simply look at them and say just get it together.

You need to change.

Come to Jesus.

I mean think about it.

Jesus stepped out of the boat, composed himself, performed miracles, right?

Laid it all out there, was kind to all the people that had followed him.

When we read this in Matthew 14 verses 15 to 17 that evening the disciples came to him

Matthew 14:15–17

and said this is a remote place and it's already getting late.

Send the crowds away so they can go to the villages to buy food for themselves.

Jesus said that isn't necessary.

You feed them.

But we only have five loaves of bread and two fish they answered.

There's that but.

Did you hear that but?

There's that excuse.

See Jesus, he didn't have to perform the miracle of the feeding of the 5,000 men.

Jesus was trying to teach the disciples a simple principle.

Think about it.

He got out of the boat.

He performed all these miracles already.

He didn't need to feed them as well.

They had already experienced God's blessing.

He was trying to teach the disciples a principle.

See the disciples had been around Jesus for so long they had forgotten what it meant to

be hungry.

They had forgotten what it meant to go without.

They had forgotten what it meant to not be successful.

I mean think about Peter.

He couldn't even catch a fish when Jesus found him.

We read this in Luke 5, 4 through 6.

When he had finished speaking he said to Simon, now go out where it is deeper and let down

your nets to catch some fish.

Master, Simon replied, we worked hard all last night and didn't catch a thing.

But if you say so I'll let the nets down again.

And this time their nets were so full of fish they began to tear.

Friends, we can never forget.

We can never take for granted what God did and continues to do in our lives.

How God changes us.

How God loves us.

How God has transformed us.

How God has set us free.

How he's healed us.

How he's made us new.

You know like that piece of furniture, that broken piece of furniture that's sanded down,

that's got a fresh coat of paint on it that's made new.

That's what he does with our lives.

And friends we can't forget where we were.

There are people all around us in the tri-state area that are struggling right now and they

need to see God's love shining through us.

To fend off this brokenness friends.

To move on.

To be set free.

Because we have to break before God.

We have to compose ourselves.

That means we need to be kind.

We need to understand what kindness means and that's our second word that I want to

focus on this morning.

We need to take steps to grow in kindness.

And the first one is we have to realize this.

Kindness is supernatural.

See isn't it true that kindness is kind of underrated?

I have several kindness shirts and I can wear them and it talks about how great kindness

is to be kind to other people.

And often times we relate kindness to being nice.

As though it's mainly about smiling or being happy or getting along with others.

But think about this when Paul laid out his case to the church in Corinth that he was

an apostle.

That he was truly following Jesus and planting these churches.

He wrote these words in 2 Corinthians 6, 5 through 6.

We have been beaten, been put in prison, faced angry mobs, worked to exhaustion, endured

sleepless nights and gone without food.

We prove ourselves by our purity, our understanding, our patience, our kindness by the Holy Spirit

within us and by our sincere love.

Think about it.

Kindness made his list of a spiritual fruit.

And basically what Paul was saying is you want me to prove that I'm an apostle, that

I'm a church planner?

He said in fact, okay, here it is, I'm kind.

I am kind.

True kindness friends is spirit produced.

Look at Galatians 5, the focus of our entire series.

The Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives.

Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness.

See it's supernatural.

It's a supernaturally generous orientation of our hearts, of our minds towards other

people.

Even when those people don't deserve it, even when we'll receive nothing in return, that

God desires that we see people with kindness, which moves us to our next step in realizing

that kindness is powerful.

Kindness is powerful.

Luke chapter 6 verses 35 through 36 from the message paraphrase, I tell you, love your

Luke 6:35–36

enemies.

Help and give without expecting a return.

You'll never, I promise, regret it.

Live out this God created identity the way our Father lives towards us.

Generously and graciously, even when at our worst, our Father is kind.

You be kind.

Ask yourself a simple question this morning.

Are we generously inclined toward those around us?

Or do we think and speak harshly when we look at them, think about them?

What is your natural reaction to those people that are around you the most?

Like for example, for some of us, when we're watching sports or talent shows like American

Idol, what does it do?

It simply provides us an opportunity for airing our criticism and our harsh comments and our

verbal abuse at the TV rather than at people in person.

Hey, those people on that TV are people.

And if we practice that in our minds to the TV, chances are we're going to be practicing

it to real people.

For some of us, the daily routine of being home together with our family is a simple

way of gauging how kind you are right now.

Are you extending kindness to those directly around you, your immediate family in the midst

of constantly being around them?

Some of us just have to simply admit that we're verbally negative and sarcastic.

And we're sarcastic to the point where it hurts other people.

And when we see other people being hurt by our sarcasm, we need to stop.

Kindness is no small thing.

It yields this marvelous fruit both in our lives and in the lives of those around us.

When we're kind, people are then kind in turn.

Friends, we open ourselves up to the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit when we ask Him to

produce this kind of fruit in our lives, this kindness that overflows with kind words.

Look at 1 Corinthians 13, 4, which again, many experts and scholars call the love chapter.

I read it at almost every wedding that I perform, but notice the beginning of it.

Love is patient and kind.

See, God's love is patient and kind, which moves us to our next step, our third step

this morning.

Kindness is for everyone.

Romans 2, 4, don't you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you?

Does this mean nothing to you?

Can't you see that His kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?

Friends, God Himself is kind.

His kindness is meant to lead people to what?

To repentance, to a relationship with Him.

And this implies that those people haven't yet turned to Him, haven't sought forgiveness

and asked forgiveness, yet God doesn't look at them as enemies.

He pursues them with His love.

Look at Matthew 9, 36 to 38.

When He saw the crowds, He had compassion on them.

Right?

And again, this is the same response that Jesus had to the crowd in Matthew 14 when

He got out of the boat, He had compassion on them.

He had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless like sheep without a

shepherd.

He said to His disciples, the harvest is great, but the workers are few.

Pray to the Lord who's in charge of the harvest, ask Him to send more workers into the fields.

Friends, there's people around us that are in seasons of trouble.

They're struggling in their daily lives because of this pandemic and they're just looking

for someone to be kind to them, to extend a hand of grace and mercy.

How are you treating your friends during this season?

We rarely know all the battles that those around us are in, how they're struggling,

whether it be in their marriage or their relationship with their children or a sin or addiction

they could be having or just simply homeschooling their kids and what that means to them.

They could be struggling and friends, there's stress in this virus and in this pandemic

and the fear of what it could do to others.

People need kindness.

People need kindness.

But quite often people are so busy and so fearful and so worried that they won't ask

for it.

They won't look to you as a means of saying, will you pray for me?

We just got to extend that kindness through God's strength and through His Holy Spirit

leading us, which leads us to our final step.

See, friends, showing kindness shows the world Jesus.

Simply stated, you and I are here and alive because of the greatest act of kindness that

was ever done for all of mankind.

And it was done for you.

And it wasn't just done for you, for you to have.

It was done for you so that you could share it.

Ephesians 432 says instead, be kind to each other, tender hearted, forgiving one another,

just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

I find it deeply necessary that we are aware and become aware of the power that we hold

within our heart, within our lives each and every day, the power to be kind to everyone,

especially those who offer nothing in return because Proverbs 21 21 tells us whoever pursues

righteousness and kindness will find life, will find life, righteousness and honor.

Friends, we need to make an intentional effort to be kind to those around us.

You will never be more joyful.

You will never lead a more meaningful life.

If you open your heart and allow your heart to grow in this area of kindness, you have

to become aware of the people around you and allow the Spirit to lead you in kind words,

kind gestures, in hope, in the meaning of life that will change lives.

Now this morning the Holy Spirit just overwhelmed me and impressed on me that I needed to pray

for two different groups of people.

That first group is simply this.

You're broke.

You're broke and you feel broken inside and you needed to be given permission to come

before God and just break before him.

God can't bring you your freedom if you're faking it.

You got to be honest before him and I know where I'm coming through a TV, but that doesn't

mean the Holy Spirit can't come through it.

And if that's you this morning and you felt broken on the inside and you felt like that

person that just needed to let it out before God, I want to pray for you right now.

Will you stand?

Just stand right where you are.

I mean that just stand right where you are and I'm going to pray for you right now.

Holy Spirit come.

God, you know people's hearts.

You know where they are.

I just pray right now that you would overwhelm them.

God with your love, your grace, your mercy, your forgiveness.

God, they're forgiven.

Make them aware in their hearts.

Allow their heart to leap within their chest.

God knowing that within their brokenness, you are strong.

Give them freedom this morning, God, in Jesus name.

And the second group of people I want to pray for is those people that I'm just being honest

here.

You're just composed.

You know that you're so composed that you've forgotten where you came from.

You've forgotten those around you that you need to reach out.

You need to love on people.

You need to live on mission and purpose.

You need to get it together.

So if you're in that group of people, I want to pray for you.

Holy Spirit come.

Just overwhelm those people, God, that are so composed that they've forgotten the needy.

They've forgotten those that are hurting and broken.

They've walked away from them.

God, I just pray you would release your compassion, your mercy and your love into their hearts

and their heart would break to the point for others that they would live on mission every

day for you.

That God, they would have a mindset of just one more.

If just one more would come into your kingdom, would find peace, would find forgiveness,

would find healing, would find mercy, God, their life would be supernaturally changed.

Change us, God.

Make us more like you.

In Jesus' name, amen.

So now hear me out.

If you prayed either one of those prayers this morning, I want to follow up with you

this week.

I want to send you an email and a text.

I want to reach out for you to let you know that I'm praying for you.

Here's what I want you to do.

I want you to get your smartphone out, your cell phone out, and I want you to text, change

me to 9700.

Change me to 9700 and I will personally follow up with you with a text, with an email reaching

out to you, letting you know that I'm praying for you and giving you steps of how to get

involved and more importantly, how to passionately pursue Jesus so he overwhelms your life in

a more abundant way.

Friends, we need to move.

We need to move from brokenness, from brokenness into kindness.

Allow yourself to break before God on a daily basis.

Compose yourself, get it together, stand back up and allow the Holy Spirit to use you to

be kind to others and to change our world.

Have an incredible week.

I look forward to reaching out to you this week through video, through email, and more

importantly to gather together and worship next Sunday.

God bless you guys.

We're praying for you.

If you need anything, let us know.

Have an excellent week.

See you later.

There's no impossible.

I believe that you are working now to pour it out.

Oh, pour it out.