READ | SERMON NOTES
Summary l God’s amazing grace restores and redeems us from our brokenness.
We all live in a broken world, people are experiencing failed relationships, financial problems, disappointment, hurt, depression, abuse, and more. Author Nancy Leigh DeMoss (Brokenness-The Heart God Revives) suggests that true brokenness is an ongoing constant way of life – agreeing with God about the true condition of one’s heart and life – not as everyone thinks it is, but as God knows it to be… Brokenness is the shattering of my self-will- the absolute surrender of my will to the will of God. It is saying “Yes-Lord!”… simply submitting myself to His direction and will in my life.
Lessons About Brokenness from King David’s Prayer of Confession – Psalm 51
1.(V1-7) Acknowledge Our Brokenness – David pleaded for God’s mercy after being confronted by the prophet Nathan for his acts of adultery and murder, punishable by death. (Leviticus 20:10) He recognised that his wilful rebellion against holy God was evil, and that God alone was justified to judge him. (v4) Shattered and broken, David remembered God’s mercy, faithfulness, compassion, and unfailing love. Knowing he was undeserving of forgiveness, David approached God humbly, not justifying his depravity nor blaming anyone else but himself. Suffering the consequence of his sins, he painfully endured the death of his infant son. (2 Samuel 12:13-14)
True repentance is turning away from our sins in order to turn our eyes back to God. It is to fully acknowledge our unrighteousness, sincerely accept responsibility, and wholeheartedly desire never to repeat our sin. Humble confession is key to forgiveness. “If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)
2.(V8-12) Restoring Our Hearts from Brokenness – Knowing that sin had affected his life, David yearned to be restored to serve God acceptably. He wanted the joy of the LORD within him again, along with a clean heart and renewed spirit. (v9-10) Knowing that his heart was the source of his trouble, yet the place where his joy and blessing would come, he sought God to restore his heart. (v11) Just as the Spirit of the LORD came powerfully upon David to restore him (1 Samuel 16:13), Christians need the Holy Spirit to reign within them to conquer sin. “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever.” (John 14:16) Jesus assures us that God’s grace is greater than all our sins. (Romans 5:20)
3.(V13-19) Embracing Brokenness – Embracing his newly cleansed and broken spirit, David committed to glorifying and praising God his Saviour. (v15) He realised that the fundamental sacrifice God wanted was a broken spirit and contrite heart. (v17) To the lowly, God revives their spirits; and to the contrite, their hearts. (Isaiah 57:15) After encountering and wrestling with God’s Angel the night before meeting his estranged brother Esau, patriarch Jacob – having schemed, deceived and manipulated all along – finally confessed who he really was, and thereafter received God’s promised blessing. (Genesis 32:24-29)
God brings beauty and worth to a lowly spirit – broken and yielded to Him. Repentant sinners are restored back to Him with healing and peace, to live abundantly. John Newton, once a wicked slave trader, advocated an end to the slave trade after receiving God’s mercy for his undeserving life one violent, stormy day at sea. Broken in spirit and having encountered the pure, undeserved love of God whom he once mocked, Newton went on to pen “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me.”
Jesus Christ offered His unblemished blood to cleanse our conscience from acts that lead to death. So that we, in experiencing full redemption from our brokenness, may begin to serve the living God! (Hebrews 9:14)
(Sermon notes by Marjorie Tan)
PONDER | REFLECTION QUESTIONS
- What is one key takeaway for you from this message?
- What is your current understanding of “Brokenness”?
- Share a personal area of your life where you are currently experiencing or have experienced a season of “Brokenness”. How are you processing it or how have you overcome it?
- Reflect and consider how God could use your own “brokenness” to minister to others as well.
