I once had a friend named Harvey, a great big guy that worked with us in the construction and renovation of houses.   Harvey    was really valued because he was crazy with a sledge hammer. The boss could send him in ahead and set him loose to tear out walls and even floors. He was like one of those people you see on the Extreme Makeover Home Edition shows, totally eager to get in there and shatter the dismal walls of some wretched dwelling. Breaking things in this way is a really good thing, it gets rid of all kinds of deadness from old paint to unseen mould, from the walls that were too close together and doors that wouldn't close. Breaking things like this opened up the way for new construction, new coverings, new life.

Did you ever think about the things that the Bible talks about that were  also broken like this? Things like broken clay jugs in the hands of Gideons men as they attacked a force so much greater than they that night.

I once had a friend named Harvey, a great big guy that worked with us in the construction and renovation of houses.   Harvey    was really valued because he was crazy with a sledge hammer. The boss could send him in ahead and set him loose to tear out walls and even floors. He was like one of those people you see on the Extreme Makeover Home Edition shows, totally eager to get in there and shatter the dismal walls of some wretched dwelling. Breaking things in this way is a really good thing, it gets rid of all kinds of deadness from old paint to unseen mould, from the walls that were too close together and doors that wouldn't close. Breaking things like this opened up the way for new construction, new coverings, new life.

Did you ever think about the things that the Bible talks about that were  also broken like this? Things like broken clay jugs in the hands of Gideons men as they attacked a force so much greater than they that night. Things like a broken alabaster vial that was full of an extremely expensive perfume, poured out onto the head of Jesus by a faith-full woman. Things like the few pieces of bread that were broken and used to feed five thousand people. When you begin to think about it there were many things that were broken. You could say that they were perfectly broken, for in the process of their being broken, light, love and life came out from the shattering. Do you remember the words of Psalm 51:17, 'the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise.? The original word that is translated ?broken? is the Hebrew word 'shabar? which can mean 'shattered, crushed or wrecked?. The sacrifices of God are a 'shattered? spirit, such a heart He will not turn away from. Perhaps that is where your heart is, here, this morning, it feels shattered, even wrecked. Will you look at a few verses of scripture with me that describe how this can not only be a good thing but is also a God ordained thing. Turn with me to 1 Thessalonians 3, as we read verses 1 to 8.

I. To Be Perfectly Broken May Cause You To Suffer Alone.

There are probably few things in the world that are harder to endure than to have someone not only think poorly of you but to also slander you with that. That's where Paul was, for the citizens of Thessalonica were slandering him to the newly formed church. This is the context behind the letter of 1 Thessalonians, it's written to a group of people who are having their unbelieving neighbors tell them that this Christian thing is no good, come on back and forget these things this Paul guy was saying, look he's left you, probably doesn't even care about the chaos he's caused in your life. And so you see this encouraging tone throughout the letter that the exact opposite is true and that they need to keep moving forward in faith. But let me draw your attention for a minute to what Paul says about this suffering as being something that God has set up. Look at verse 3, ??you yourselves know that we have been destined for this.? Who is the ?we? here, who is it that has been destined for the suffering of afflictions? Certainly it is Paul, Timothy and Silas, the messengers, but isn't it also the Thessalonian believers? Why would Paul be telling them in advance (verse 4) that they were going to suffer if he wasn't also referring to truth they too would experience rejection. Indeed it was the teaching of Christ. Just turn to Matthew 10:24 to 39 for a minute.

 "A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a slave above his master. It is enough for the disciple that he become like his teacher, and the slave like his master. If they have called the head of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign the members of his household! "Therefore do not fear them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. What I tell you in the darkness, speak in the light; and what you hear whispered in your ear, proclaim upon the housetops. Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows. Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven. Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I came to SET A MAN AGAINST HIS FATHER, AND A DAUGHTER AGAINST HER MOTHER, AND A DAUGHTER-IN-LAW AGAINST HER MOTHER-IN-LAW; and A MAN'S E NEM IES WILL BE THE MEMBERS OF HIS HOUSEHOLD. He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.

And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it.?

As you read these verses it does point out that the disciple will experience what the teacher has, more so it points out that the fear of the Lord will direct you to over rule the fear of man, it tells that Christ did not come to bring peace on the earth, He came to bring a sword in that the exposure of sin, the need for forgiveness and the humility of faith will set people into conflict. So it appears that God is indeed in this experience of being perfectly broken  and it is evident that there will be times when you will feel all alone as you endure it, just like Paul writes. Why is this a good thing?

II. To Be Perfectly Broken Is Where You Will Grow.

A husband and wife were getting ready for bed. She was standing in front of a full-length mirror taking a hard look at herself. "I look in the mirror, and I see an old woman.  My face is all wrinkled, my hair is grey, my shoulders are hunched over and my arms are all flabby." She turns to her husband and says, "Tell me something positive to make me feel better about myself." He thinks for a moment and then says in a soft, thoughtful voice, "Well, there's nothing wrong with your eyesight."

Husbands, please do not attempt to do this at home!  The truth does not always set us free does it, sometimes it is one of the hardest loads to bear. In fact there will be many times in our lives when we do not want to hear the truth, we do not want to grow and consequently the idea of being broken is resisted. Ask yourself for a moment, what are the things that will hinder emotional, spiritual and even physical growth in a person. There will be things like fear, pride, self love, lack of faith. We seek to protect ourselves from getting hurt, we're careful about how and who we will love. I like what C.S. Lewis wrote on this : 'to love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly broken. The only place outside of heaven where you can be perfectly safe from all the dangers of love? is Hell.?   

So if you carry fear, bitterness, self love, pride, do you think it would be a good thing to have them poured out of you? You are like a vessel carrying toxins and God seeks to come and break that clay, spilling out it's contents and consuming those things in the fire of His holiness. How does that work?

Someone once said, 'there is a Cross and there is a Throne in all of us. If ?I? is on the Throne, then Christ is on the Cross. If ?I? am on the Cross then Christ is on the Throne.?  What this means is that if ?I? am on the cross I am on an instrument of death, I am not trying to promote my personal rights, I am not fixed on having a great reputation or having a wonderful financial future or having fun as the great goal of life. No one on a cross is all about fun. They are there because  Christ is on the throne, and they have chosen to be on that cross. The cross didn't just happen to them, they made a choice about whether or not to die to themselves. They made a choice about whether or not God was going to be their God, Christ their Lord, Jesus their Savior. By these things they would grow into mature believers in Christ.

These were the very things that Paul wondered about, he wondered if Satan would have argued them out of a desire to grow, for Satan will give many reasons to you why you are right and the other is wrong, why you are justified in doing wrong even when you know it to be so. Faith can cave in under such affliction and you can resist being perfectly broken. The news came back to Paul that hearts had yielded to God, faith and love grew, and this became more than good news, it became affirming joy that gives life in the midst of ongoing crisis. Read for yourselves the words of verses 7 and 8.

Dear friends, dear brothers and sisters in Christ, for such you are, do not let your hearts become hard and crusted over with pride and fears and self love. Choose to be broken, perfectly broken as you confess these toxins to Christ and as you die to yourself. Look, He ascends to the throne of your heart!

Rev. Spence Laycock pastors at Church of the Open Bible, Ponoka, Alberta, Canada.
www.churchoftheopenbible.ab.ca