Brokenness to Fullness | Sunday Service | June 28, 2020

Today we will continue with our ongoing “Brokenness” series. Last week we learned about “True Discipleship through Brokeness!” and today we will continue to learn further and the topic is “From Brokenness to Fullness!“

Dear people of God, spend time with the word of God as this is the time if your really believe what you believe. Let your actions show your trust in God. During this time, we need to pray more, listen to the voice of God more, our mind and heart as well as our soul need to soak into the word of God. Trust in Him and let Him work in our lives, especially during the current situation.

If we look closely, this is a blessing in disguise, where God has given us opportunity to think about Him and this is the best time when we can Grow in Lord and vecome grow in Him. Yes, we are talking about the current pandemix, isn’t it a blessing in disguise?

When we talk about the spiritual maturity in our lives, it comes from Brokenness. This is the time for that but keep in your mind that it is a process and require complete reliance on God.

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.

Now as the author is writing to the Church, he is saying that churches need not worry. We need to understand that when we go through trials, this is going to help us, test our faith and help us grow stronger in Lord.

For length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you.

The verses talk about confidence. What confidence means is trusting, reliance, assurance of mind, firm belief in the integrity. Confidence is the word which talks about integrity, but whiae? It is about the one worthy as the Lamb, Jesus Christ.

Then you will walk on your way securely, and your foot will not stumble.

The wise will inherit honor, but fools get disgrace.

Bible is clear that we need not depend on our own intelligence but in God’s wisdom. A fool will never listen to the word of God, but we need to listen to Him for the right direction. May this lockdown period encourages you to get closer to God.

You need to listen to word of God and to His voice!

A story of Abraham and Sarah, a Child was born but he wasn’t the promised child. However, God showed them the way and made them confident of their decision.

My son, do not lose sight of these— keep sound wisdom and discretion,

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort. For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again. You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.

We are encouraged to come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. The Lord is able to give peace to the troubled conscience, and to calm the raging passions of the soul. These blessings are given by him, as the Father of his redeemed family. It is our Saviour who says, Let not your heart be troubled. All comforts come from God, and our sweetest comforts are in him. He speaks peace to souls by granting the free remission of sins; and he comforts them by the enlivening influences of the Holy Spirit, and by the rich mercies of his grace. He is able to bind up the broken-hearted, to heal the most painful wounds, and also to give hope and joy under the heaviest sorrows. The favours God bestows on us, are not only to make us cheerful, but also that we may be useful to others. He sends comforts enough to support such as simply trust in and serve him. If we should be brought so low as to despair even of life, yet we may then trust God, who can bring back even from death. Their hope and trust were not in vain; nor shall any be ashamed who trust in the Lord. Past experiences encourage faith and hope, and lay us under obligation to trust in God for time to come. And it is our duty, not only to help one another with prayer, but in praise and thanksgiving, and thereby to make suitable returns for benefits received. Thus both trials and mercies will end in good to ourselves and others.

God isn’t in a business of breakimg, rather making. You at times my think, “Why these things are happening?” Be assured, for God knows and let us trust on Him and not on our own understanding.

As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.

Various motives might cause the sons of Jacob to continue in Egypt, notwithstanding the prophetic vision Abraham had of their bondage there. Judging of Joseph from the general temper of human nature, they thought he would now avenge himself on those who hated and injured him without cause. Not being able to resist, or to flee away, they attempted to soften him by humbling themselves. They pleaded with him as the servants of Jacob’s God. Joseph was much affected at seeing this complete fulfilment of his dreams. He directs them not to fear him, but to fear God; to humble themselves before the Lord, and to seek the Divine forgiveness. He assures them of his own kindness to them. See what an excellent spirit Joseph was of, and learn of him to render good for evil. He comforted them, and, to banish all their fears, he spake kindly to them. Broken spirits must be bound up and encouraged. Those we love and forgive, we must not only do well for, but speak kindly to.

Out of Joseph’s story we see God brought comfort in their lives out of brokenness.

God can redeem you from circumstances, trials and weapons prepared against us amd He will help us to grow.

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

Every providence tends to the spiritual good of those that love God; in breaking them off from sin, bringing them nearer to God, weaning them from the world, and fitting them for heaven. When the saints act out of character, corrections will be employed to bring them back again. And here is the order of the causes of our salvation, a golden chain, one which cannot be broken.

– Whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son. All that God designed for glory and happiness as the end, he decreed to grace and holiness as the way. The whole human race deserved destruction; but for reasons not perfectly known to us, God determined to recover some by regeneration and the power of his grace. He predestinated, or before decreed, that they should be conformed to the image of his Son. In this life they are in part renewed, and walk in his steps.

– Whom he did predestinate, them he also called. It is an effectual call, from self and earth to God, and Christ, and heaven, as our end; from sin and vanity to grace and holiness, as our way. This is the gospel call. The love of God, ruling in the hearts of those who once were enemies to him, proves that they have been called according to his purpose.

– Whom he called, them he also justified. None are thus justified but those that are effectually called. Those who stand out against the gospel call, abide under guilt and wrath.

– Whom he justified, them he also glorified. The power of corruption being broken in effectual calling, and the guilt of sin removed in justification, nothing can come between that soul and glory. This encourages our faith and hope; for, as for God, his way, his work, is perfect. The apostle speaks as one amazed, and swallowed up in admiration, wondering at the height and depth, and length and breadth, of the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge.

The more we know of other things, the less we wonder; but the further we are led into gospel mysteries, the more we are affected by them. While God is for us, and we keep in his love, we may with holy boldness defy all the powers of darkness.

Joseph had great faith in God and he trusted God. He was thrown into the prison and was made to be forgotten, but he didn’t stopped trusting God and never blamed God. Joseph kept trusting in Him which brought him from being broken to be fulfilled.

The word of God says it is impossible to seeve God without faith.

And Jesus answered them, “Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen.  And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.”

I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you.

He who runs a race, must never stop short of the end, but press forward as fast as he can; so those who have heaven in their view, must still press forward to it, in holy desires and hopes, and constant endeavours. Eternal life is the gift of God, but it is in Christ Jesus; through his hand it must come to us, as it is procured for us by him. There is no getting to heaven as our home, but by Christ as our Way. True believers, in seeking this assurance, as well as to glorify him, will seek more nearly to resemble his sufferings and death, by dying to sin, and by crucifying the flesh with its affections and lusts.

People of God, get on your knees and pour your hearts out to God today. Relying totally on Him and seek the brokenness of your heart to start your journeyvtowards fulness in Christ.

We hope you are encouraged with today’s word. We look forward to see you again next Sunday, God bless!