God works with "BROKEN THINGS"

Mark 2:17 (KJV)

17 When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.  

IF IT AIN’T BROKE, DON’T FIX IT!  THAT IS WHAT JESUS WAS SAYING.  HE WAS SAYING “I WORK WITH BROKEN THINGS”.

YOU SEE, GOD DEALS WITH BROKEN THINGS!

MARK 14:3 SHE BROKE THE ALABASTER BOX BEFORE THE PERFUMES COULD BE SMELLED

SEVERAL TIMES IT IS RECORDED HOW CHRIST BROKE THE BREAD AND THE FISHES BEFORE THEY COULD BE MULTIPLIED

MARK 2:4 SAYS THAT THE FOUR FRIENDS OF THE MAN SICK OF THE PALSY HAD BROKEN UP THE ROOF BEFORE THEY COULD LET THEIR FRIEND DOWN TO JESUS

SEE JESUS WORKS WITH BROKEN THINGS!

 It’s O.K. IF YOU’RE COMING TO CHRIST BROKEN, JUST DON’T BE BROKEN AND NOT COMING TO HIM.  IF YOUR CAR BREAKS DOWN, DON’T YOU TAKE IT TO THE MECHANIC?  WELL IF YOUR HEART, MIND, BODY, SOUL, FAMILY, MARRIAGE, OR HOME BREAKS DOWN TAKE IT TO JESUS.

AT SOME POINT IN LIFE EVERYONE WILL BE BROKEN, BUT NOBODY HAS TO BE CRUSHED.

Matthew 21:44 (KJV)

44 And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.  

 Isaiah 57:15 (KJV)

15 For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.  

HE SAID HE WOULD REVIVE THE HEART…BUT PREACHER MY HEART IS NOT JUST SICK IT IS ACTUALLY BROKEN…HAVE NO FEAR FOR LOOK AGAIN AT THE HOLY WORDS OF A HOLY GOD…

Psalms 34:18 (KJV)

18 The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.  

 Psalms 147:3 (KJV)

3 He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.  

 Ezekiel 34:16 (KJV)

16 I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick: but I will destroy the fat and the strong; I will feed them with judgment.   

 Luke 18:10-14 (KJV)

10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.  

11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.  

12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.  

13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.  

14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.  

 GRACE IS WHAT YOU NEED.  THE BIBLE SAYS WHERE SIN DID ABOUND, GRACE DID MUCH MORE ABOUND.  SO CHRIST SAYS “I WORK WITH BROKEN THINGS”!

 Leviticus 13:13 (KJV)

13 Then the priest shall consider: and, behold, if the leprosy have covered all his flesh, he shall pronounce him clean that hath the plague: it is all turned white: he is clean.  

AT FIRST READING OF THIS SEEMINGLY STRANGE VERSE IN LEVITICUS, IT MIGHT BE HARD TO FIGURE OUT.  AS THE LEPROSY WAS BEGINNING TO SHOW ITSELF AND WHILE THE MARKS WERE HARDLY NOTICEABLE, THE POOR PATIENT WAS CALLED UNCLEAN; BUT, WHEN THE DISEASE WAS FULLY DEVELOPED, FROM THE CROWN OF THE HEAD TO THE SOLE OF THE FOOT, THEN THE PRIEST ANNOUNCED THE LEPER CLEAN.

THERE ARE MEDICAL REASONS FOR THIS…IE. MEASLES OR SMALL POX, WHEN THE SORES ARE FRESH AND COMING ON THE PATIENT IS VERY CONTAGIOUS, BUT ONCE THE BODY IS COVERED WITH SORES THAT ARE SCABBED OVER, THE CONTAGIOUS NATURE OF THE DISEASE IS PAST…IF A GARMENT OF ONE OF THESE PATIENTS HAD A SPOT ON IT, THEN YOU JUST WASHED IT.  IF IT WAS COVERED, THEN YOU BURNED IT. IF THE FLESH HAD A SPOT THEN YOU CLEANSED IT AND EVEN IF IT WAS HEALED YOU WERE STILL UNPURIFIED BECAUSE IT WAS HARD TO TELL WHAT WAS NEW AND WHAT WAS OLD, AS FAR AS THE SORES WENT.  BUT IF YOU WERE COVERED AND IT WAS WHITE AND DRY, THEN IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT YOU WERE OF NO HARM TO ANYONE.  NOW, LET'S APPLY ALL OF THIS KNOWLEDGE………

THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF ALL OF THIS IS THUS…IF YOU ONLY SEE YOUR LITTLE FAULTS, YOU MIGHT BE PRONE TO HIDING THEM.  IF YOU THOUGHT THAT YOUR FAULTS WERE IN AN INCONSPICUOUS PLACE THEN THEY MIGHT BE OVER LOOKED.  BUT THE TRUTH IS, WE WERE ALL BORN INTO SIN, WE WERE, AS DAVID SAID, SHAPED IN INIQUITY.  AND THE ONLY WAY WE ARE GOING TO GET ANY REAL HELP IS IF WE JUST COME CLEAN AND SAY, LORD I’M SICK, I GOT A PROBLEM, IT’S OBVIOUS, AND PLEASE HELP ME.

WE EXCUSE OUR SIN, WE DREAM OF MUCH THAT IS IN US THAT IS LOVELY AND GOOD, BUT WE ARE THEN UNFIT FOR GOD’S LOVING GRACE AND TENDER MERCIES.  BUT WHEN WE TAKE OUR PLACE AS HELPLESS AND UNDONE WITHOUT ANY TRAIT THAT IS GOOD ENOUGH IN US TO DESERVE ANY OF GOD’S BLESSED HELPS THEN AND ONLY THEN ARE WE ALL OF A SUDDEN ELIGIBLE FOR THE FREE SAVING POWER OF CHRIST.

WE MUST COME TO THE END OF OUR ABILITIES.  ONE MAN SAID, YOU MAY BE SIN SICK AND THAT WILL QUALIFY YOU FOR A SAVIOR, BUT UNTIL YOU ARE SICK OF SIN YOU AREN’T GOING TO ACCEPT YOUR SAVIOR.  WE MUST CONFESS THAT FROM THE CROWN OF OUR HEAD TO THE SOLE OF OUR FEET WE ARE SICKENED WITH THE DISEASE CALLED SIN AND STOP APPROACHING GOD WITH OUR EXCUSES.

SOME ARE READY TO RISE TO THE OCCASION OF BECOMING ONE OF THE REDEEMED.  IT DOES NOT WORK THAT WAY.  YOU DO NOT RISE TO THIS OCCASION, YOU FALL TO IT.  YOU JUST HUMBLE YOURSELF BEFORE ALMIGHTY GOD.  GOD’S THRONE IS HIGH AND LOFTY BUT IT IS NOT APPROACHED BY STEPS GOING UP TO IT, IT IS APPROACHED BY STEPS LEADING DOWN TO IT. 

 An Indian and a white man were brought under deep conviction of sin by the same sermon. The Indian was immediately led to rejoice in pardoning mercy. The white man was in distress for a long time, almost to despair. But at last he was brought to a joyous sense of sins forgiven. Sometime after, while meeting his Indian brother, he said to him, "How is it that I should be so long under conviction, when you found peace at once?" "Oh, brother," replied the Indian, "I will tell you. There comes along a rich prince. He proposes to give you a new coat; you look at your coat and say, 'I don't know; my coat looks pretty good; it will do a little longer.' He then offered me a new coat. I look at my old blanket; I say, 'This is good for nothing,' and accept the beautiful new garment. Just so, brother, you try to keep your own righteousness. You won't give it up; but I, poor Indian, could see that I had none, so I was glad at once to receive the righteousness of God-the Lord Jesus Christ."

 Acts 27:41-44 (KJV)

41 And falling into a place where two seas met, they ran the ship aground; and the forepart stuck fast, and remained unmoveable, but the hinder part was broken with the violence of the waves.  

42 And the soldiers' counsel was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim out, and escape.  

43 But the centurion, willing to save Paul, kept them from their purpose; and commanded that they which could swim should cast themselves first into the sea, and get to land:  

44 And the rest, some on boards, and some on broken pieces of the ship. And so it came to pass, that they escaped all safe to land.  

THIER TRUST WAS IN THE INGENUITY OF THE SHIP THAT THEY BUILT, BUT SOME OF THEM WERE SAVED BY BROKEN PIECES.

 Isaiah 61:1-3 (KJV)

1 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;  

2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;  

3 To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.  

GOD WORKS WITH BROKEN THINGS!!!