Being Completely Broken — Sandeep Poonen

Naaman and the Lifestyle of Death to Self

The first session yesterday we thought about the person of Naaman and how Naaman was somebody who Jesus highlighted as being the only leper who received healing in all of Israel even though there were so many people who were so many lepers.

And we saw how he was willing to humble himself to be able to dip himself into the river Jordan and to immerse himself. Not once not just do a quick dip and come back but seven times almost a sign of completion saying I'll do as much as it takes until it's completed into the river Jordan which is a symbol or picture of the way of the cross.

And we talked about how we have to come to rest with this lifestyle of death to self. We have to come to rest we into this is you know reconcile that this is the only way for me to live for the rest of my life is a life of death to self.

And we heard at the very end from brother Jamon that what made Naaman do that was because he was so sick of his leprosy. That's what in spite of the great command of God from the Prophet of God and the instruction was very clear it was very prescriptive go and do this.

We wish he would be that prescriptive God. Should I do this. Should I take this job. Should I go here should I go to this school. If only we could go to the Prophet and the Prophet would just say yeah do this.

But even when it was so prescriptive we found that Naaman was not willing to do it because there was a cross involved. But when he considered when he took into account his leprosy and how horrible that condition was he was willing to do anything and in all of our lives.

And I as I think about you all I think especially about the young people and I think about my life and whoever wants to think they're young can take this advice as well. But I really believe that the Lord can start to work through our lives when we really come to that point in which we are willing to surrender everything and we have really come to that breaking point.

And then it's not that there's one event in your life and then that's a breaking point. And then you're all set we have to come to a lifestyle of knowing that we must be completely broken. We must come to a revelation that the only way God will work in my life is when I am completely broken I must be gripped with the truth that God only works to create out of nothingness.

He doesn't he doesn't like he doesn't enjoy working with. And I'm still hanging around trying to add my two centers. He really wants me to be crushed and broken. And if you think about the story of God which is given to us sometime in his book and is continuing to be written in all of our lives.

The book about the great the acts of God have been written in this book. But they're continuing to be written in heaven about our lives too. And there's a possibility that our lives too could speak about the great acts of God.

It's good for us to think about that. But when we think about the great acts of God working through our lives what is God going to highlight. And Jesus among all the stories in the in the Old Testament shows the story of Naaman.

Imagine being highlighted by Jesus among all the stories a lot of much greater men never got highlighted. But what an honor it must have been for Naaman that his name was highlighted by Jesus. Okay think about that story.

Jesus talked about the great centurion the centurion and he said great is your faith this Roman centurion. But Jesus highlighted it. You've got a great faith aside the Syro-Phoenician woman who said Lord I'll even take the crumbs that fall from the table like the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from the master's table.

Jesus marveled and said great. What a great faith. And as we look at all the stories in the Bible what we find is that Jesus is trying to underline certain parts in your life. Not all the events in your life are going to be underlined.

There can be a great story with many many chapters that if you were to write the story of your life there'd be many many chapters that you could write when you were born when you finished school when you got a job when you got a promotion when you got married when you had children when you gave your heart to the Lord when you were baptized.

But there's gonna be some parts where the Lord has an opportunity opportunity to underline. And in Naaman's case it was his breaking point and God underlined it. Why. Because Naaman chose correctly. Even if it was Naaman's breaking point Naaman could have been still proud and said nope I'm a great Syrian warrior.

I'm not gonna dip myself in that filthy river. All of Syria would have talked about the great Naaman who had won all these victories. It wouldn't have been written in the story of the book. But because God had.

Because Naaman was able to come to his breaking point as it came to his leprosy. And he saw that his leprosy was more bothersome to him than all of his victories and his medals and his crowns as a great warrior he was willing to humble himself and said I'll take care of that leprosy.

I'd rather be known as that stupid Syrian who dipped himself in that dirty river because I'm that leprosy is so horrible to me I cannot take it anymore. And if you think about Luke chapter 4 in that passage where Jesus said that in Luke chapter 4 he actually underlines two stories.

And it's two very small stories in the whole book in the Old Testament these are two very very small stories. And Luke chapter 4 he talks about two stories. I talked yesterday about verse 20 Luke chapter 4 verse 27 where he talked about Elisha and Naaman.

Elijah, the Widow, and God’s Purposes in a Dried-Up Brook

But the first story that Jesus highlights again was about Elijah and the widow in Zarephath. Now just remember remind us of what was the context in which Jesus said this. Jesus had said I've come to preach the gospel the good news.

I've come to free the captives. I've come to bring sight to the blind people. And everybody was like yes what a great man Jesus you're the right man. But then he said just remember not everybody's gonna get this.

There are many people who are facing the famine but only one widow got helped by Elijah and there were many lepers but only one and they got so angry that they wanted to kill Jesus. Because Jesus was saying just because the good news and this freedom from the captives and sight for the blind it's not available to everybody.

And he highlighted Naaman because Naaman was willing to do anything to set aside all his medals. Can you imagine the great Naaman coming out decked in war taking up all his medals at the River Jordan and dipping himself.

He humbled himself and said Lord I'm putting all my trophies I lay down. That's what the picture I have of Naaman taking all his trophies of war and saying I'm gonna cling to the way of the cross. And he dipped himself seven times and he got cleansed.

The other story is about the story of the woman the woman of Zarephath and that's in 1 Kings chapter 17. I believe yeah 1 Kings chapter 17 we can turn there where Elijah predicts a drought or a famine and he goes to a brook where God sends him to a brook and he drinks water from the brook and ravens feed him.

Just imagine what an incredible picture there must have been crows coming and feeding him in the morning and in the evening bread and meat. So he was being fed. And then the brook dried up. Though some of us may feel that the Lord really called us to a particular brook a place that gave us into sustenance.

And then God may dry up the brook. God who sent Elijah to the brook also dried up the brook because he says I want to send you to a widow. And Jesus was going to reference this widow many years ago. What an incredible news that the brook dried up.

But the brook never dried up. Elijah would have had the great story of having ravens feeding him. But Jesus could reference that story. Jesus was able to reference the story because the brook dried up.

So no circumstance even if it was started by the Lord is without God being in control. God who takes us to the brook. God who gives us a job may dry up that job. God who gives us certain things to comfort us or to help us may suddenly take that away.

Because that's the time when God says I'm going to send you to your next assignment. Lord this brook was so good for me ravens. This clearly is a miracle from you Lord this is your hand is on that brook and those ravens.

But then the Lord sometimes will dry that up take it away. But then we have to say God what's my next assignment. And what God took Elijah to was to a widow and Zarephath. And you see what Zarephath the widow and Zarephath had to do in 1 Kings chapter 17.

The Widow’s Last Meal and Obedient Faith

I wonder how many of us would even come close to what this widow did in verse 8 onwards. In what. Sorry verse 10 Elijah the brook is dried up goes to this city in Zarephath and he sees this widow who's gathering sticks and says please give me a little water.

Some random person coming to the city and says give me some water. You know what this widow does. Sure. No excuse me. Who are you. Who am I to get you water. No okay I'm a widow. I don't have much. But you want some water.

I'll go get it for you. And as if that was not enough and I said okay thank you. Since you're being so helpful actually can I ask you for some more things. Please give me some bread too. In verse 11 we see the widow was even willing to give him bread too but said you know actually I don't have any bread.

I just have a little bit left. I'm collecting sticks so I can make some food. And then we're gonna die. She was literally had one last meal left. Not five meals left. Not one can of flour left. My heart's beating fast because I don't have one flower.

Just little left for one meal left. And see what the Word of God was through Elijah. Don't be anxious. But here's what you're gonna have to do. Come and feed me first. Make that bread. What will most men of God say.

Oh no. So I'm so sorry to trouble you. Yeah please feed your family first didn't mean to trouble you. Completely illogical like this is. I appreciate that you're on your last meal your son. And you're about to die.

But honestly this is what you need to do. You need to feed me first. But thus says the Lord verse 14 the bowl of flour will not be exhausted. And what an incredible faith of this woman in verse 15. Some of the stories in the Bible some of the great acts of faith are so small.

Like the great act of this woman is in verse 15 of 1 Kings 17. So she went and did according to the Word of Elijah. Someone such a simple thing. But if you put yourself in her shoes one meal left. That's it.

I have one son. My husband has died. All I have in life is my son. And I'm gonna have one meal left. No complaining spirit no murmuring spirit. One meal left. Here comes God saying give that up. The very last thing.

I had just one meal for my son and myself. She went and did according to the Word of Elijah. What does that mean. She gave him her last meal. Not only depriving her but depriving her own son said one little sentence.

Jesus as a boy listening to all these stories underlined it. When he was a little boy he heard that one little thing said the Holy Spirit underlined it in his heart that many years ago many years later when he was 30 years old when he first got to preach maybe his first sermon after he was tested he underlined her.

What an incredible honor to be underlined by Jesus. She if she read 1 Kings may have given some advice to the author saying can you please expound on what this really meant. Can you give me at least one whole chapter for myself to explain all my emotions how deep it was how many tears I cried.

No no she just went and did. But Jesus the heart of God says I I know exactly what you did that when Jesus has to talk about it he picked that story. What about the great sacrifices of Joseph. I didn't want to pick that one.

Well the group one of the great sacrifices of what David did and Jeremiah did. And great Daniel great men of God was standing in front of the lion and thrown the first. They're all great stories. But when the Lord wanted to talk about is in his first sermon what two great acts of faith.

He took two completely small stories highlighted it. And we may think of our own lives and think where this is. Ordinary person. I didn't come from much. I don't have such a great any story of a background.

I'm not a son or a daughter of anybody. I'm just an old person. I get average grades. I'm just a widow. I only have my son. I'm a Syrian. I'm a heathen person. I'm not. I'm not even a Christian. Properly.

All every single person God is saying there are gonna come times in your life. But I'm gonna put certain things in front of you. Syrian widows are fat random people. Everybody's sitting here no matter what your background is.

It's gonna come a time when God wants to break you. And God wants to use that situation to break us. But he's not trying to break us just for the sake because he's a mean God. He wants to underline things.

Job’s Breaking and God’s Use of Small Stories

Look at these people. Have you considered my servant Job. And the devil said well you give him everything. He's like. No. No you try it try that he underlined the story of Job. Why. Because of Job's breaking.

And some of us may be going through different kinds of breakings in our lives. Or may have gone through sometimes with breakings in our lives. And we may not have done what we should have done. We may have looked back at some of the God.

I missed it. I just complained and I complained and I complained. But God may have some more breakings in store for you. But it's not without a purpose. Even if you're small little trivial story nobody knows about it except three or four people.

God heard it. Jesus little boy Nazareth listening in the synagogue heard it and he underlined it. And it's worth it. It was worth it. All of that was underlined even though the authors and scripture and one Kings didn't pay much attention to it.

Jesus said hey I'm gonna read it. And billions of people are gonna read my words. And I'm gonna go and read one King 17 and I'm gonna marvel of this woman because Jesus picked it out. And Jesus is in the business of picking out a little boy with five loaves and two fish.

He's in the business of picking out that little woman who was suffering with the issue of blood for years picks him out those little people who are at God who uses to crush and God breaks. And he sees she did according to the word of the Lord when crushed when broken when humbled when laid low at that lowest point he chose to immerse himself seven times in the river Jordan in the way of death to self.

You could not stop him. You could not stop her from walking the way of the cross. Could not. He would take any shame. He would take any that despising. He was committed to the way of the cross that's to obey the word of God because his leprosy was too much.

He was willing to take anything. And so was this woman. I don't know much about her faith but she was willing to do all of that. You think about the life of Jacob. We know about Jacob the deceiver grabbing on to his older brothers handle like whatever it was.

And then deceiving his brother of his birthright receiving his father by stealing his brother's birthright. Deceiving his father-in-law with the sheep choosing all the good sheep for him. And then we find that he wrestled with an angel and God touched his hip and dislocated his hip so that he had to walk on him with a stop.

And then he loses his son Joseph this favorite son. And then you know the rest of the story of Joseph helps the family get together. Many you know goes to Egypt and finally reunited is his favorite wife Rachel.

Jacob’s Brokenness and Worship

Guys all that stuff you think about that whole story of Jacob. Now that's the whole story. What if you're the Holy Spirit do you highlight about that whole story. Lots of stories in there. What do you think the Holy Spirit highlighted.

You know what he highlighted. Tell me the Hebrews chapter 11 wonderful long story of Joseph Jacob that took many chapters almost from like almost 10 to almost 20 20 plus chapters as Jacob related in there some of it is Joseph but Jacob comes back in there too.

But then when you think about the author of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament says okay I want to think about Jacob. The Holy Spirit online is just one thing. Here's what it is in Hebrews chapter 11 verse 21.

We have many stories in the Old Testament and we can do the Hebrew and the analysis and get wonderful things out of it. But here's what the Holy Spirit said you look what I want to underline the book.

When I want to underline the story of Jacob here's what I'm going to say he as he was dying. So keeping one thing all those other stories. Actually you know as I filter through all the stories of Jacob what I want to underline is when he was dying the very end of his life he blessed each of the sons of Joseph and worshipped leaning on the top of his down.

That's it. And there are a couple of things in there. It's leaning on the toppers. They didn't know Holy Spirit didn't have to write that he was dying and he blessed each of the sons of Joseph and worshipped.

But it was important it was a critical thing in Joseph's life in Jacob's life. And this proud man Jacob who was so self-sufficient and could outwit anybody the end of the day had to lean on his. God was able to take that man Jacob and get it to where he was leaning on his top.

What everybody on this earth looked as Jacob was walking limping and said feeling sorry for him saying look at Jacob leaning always can't walk anywhere without leaning on his top so much so that it says in Genesis that the Jewish people don't eat that part of the body of the animal because of the remembrance to Jacob.

And God said that's what I see. That's the beautiful part about Jacob because that's the time I broke him. That's the time he was broken from then on walked with a lean on his top. Everybody in this earth is saying poor Jacob.

God is saying great Jacob. And we have to see that. We have to see that that even the whole world may despise me because of look he lost his job. God must be angry with him. Look this happened to him.

God must be upset with him. Look that happened. His child has this problem. What is it. Is this problem going on his marriage. God must be angry. God's looking at them and saying he's leaning on his staff now.

Now he's leaning on me now. Great Jacob. That's what I'll underline now. And he wasn't leaning on his staff and complaining. He was leaning on his staff and worshiping. We can lean on our staff. God can break you.

God can break us. And we lean on our staff and we just complain. Then there's nothing written. There's not gonna be any story written about Jacob if he was leaning on his staff. And he complained and God broke Jacob.

But Jacob still had to choose. I'm gonna worship and that's the choice before us. God allows these breakings in our lives with the hope that we will lean on him. And the question is Lord can you say that.

That's what the breaking did to me. You've allowed different situations to come in my life. You said no and I thought your will would definitely be say yes. It makes so much sense in my mind that you should do it this way.

But you did it that way and everything every dream I've ever had from a young age. You've just broken it and crushed it. And here I am leaning on my staff can't even walk anywhere not being the ridicule of people.

Look at this great man alike Jacob here I am leaning on my staff. But because you worship God says I'm gonna underline that one little story. You turn with me to Genesis chapter 49 because this is where this is the story that joke Jacob that the author Hebrews is underlining to Genesis 48 is where this story comes from where Jacob was about to die.

Jacob Blesses Ephraim and Manasseh

And he calls Joseph's two children and Joseph had two children Manasseh and Ephraim. And look what happens in verse 12. Genesis chapter 48. Verse 12 Joseph Jacob is about to die. Joseph clearly is his favorite child.

And now these are Jesus Joseph's two children. And so Joseph takes his two children to Jacob to be blessed. And Joseph verse 13 took Ephraim and put him on his father Israel. That's another name for Jacob on Israel's left hand because the blessing of the right hand in that culture was more important than the blessing of the left hand and the right hand was considered the more favored blessing.

So he puts his younger son on Jacob's left hand and put his older son on Jacob's right hand to say hey look you know birth order is important. Manasseh my firstborn son. And that was a big deal in that culture.

So clearly I'm sure your right hand will be for my firstborn son. But you see what happened in 14 it says that Israel Jacob stretched out his right hand and switched hands did the completely illogical thing and said right hand is actually gonna go to Ephraim and left hand is gonna go to Manasseh.

And it says in verse 17 that when Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on the younger boy it displeased him. It displeased Joseph. And Joseph said in verse 18 actually no no no no maybe Joseph Jacob you're old.

You can't see. Maybe you don't know my children. But Manasseh is the older one. So place your right hand on his head. And Jacob said no I know my son. Verse 19. I know I know I know what I'm doing. He also will become a people but his younger brother will be greater.

And he blessed him that day. And you just see a little bit of a context in verse 22 this Jacob I give you one portion more than your brothers. So all of my inheritance. I'm gonna give you a little bit more than by all of your brothers.

But where did he get the inheritance from which I took from the hand of the Amorite with my sword and my oh I don't even know what story he's talking about there. But there's apparently some story about Jacob with an Amorite which he took with his sword and his bow which you don't even know about it.

It's not written not worth underlying. The great Jacob who took all of that inheritance that he gave to all of his children. He got it from the Amorite with his sword and his bow. I don't know any story in that Jacob talks about with a sword and a bow that he took all of it.

Maybe I haven't read it carefully enough but I don't know what he's talking about. God's is immaterial to me. I don't even want to talk about it. I'm not even gonna tell anybody about it. That's what made Jacob so strong.

But what made Jacob so great in God's eye was that he leaned all this stuff. And when God said switch hands to the completely illogical thing God Jacob was finally when he was about to die Jacob said show anything you say God.

Jacob didn't just come up with this thing. He was prompted by the Lord. God said switch hands. Prophetically God said to Jacob that's the boy you're gonna have to bless more than. And Jacob didn't say.

Well let's go think about it. Let's argue this over God. Listen to have another wrestling session. Wrestling's are over. He leaned on his staff and he worshipped God. And he said whatever you say God.

That's what Hebrews 11 says that he blessed the sons of Israel. What he blessed the sons of Israel was the illogical thing. Lord the most logical thing from the human standpoint is to bless with the right hand the oldest son and to bless the left hand of the youngest.

We'll get a blessing. That's the logical thing to do. I'm gonna listen to you Lord because now I'm broken. I'm broken now. I don't have my own opinions anymore. And God said out of all of the story of Jacob's some of which we read about some which we don't even read about how he got his whole inheritance.

Isn't that worth talking about. How all of the sons of Israel all the twelve sons got their inheritance. Barely got it from the hand of the Amorite with a sword in his bow. I got no idea what he's talking about.

And God says I don't even care to talk about it. What I care to talk about Jacob. And what I'm gonna highlight in the New Testament in the book of faith is that finally I got this man who was known as a deceiver.

His name means deceiver. But I got this man to lean on his staff and to worship and to do whatever I say. It didn't need to make sense. And that's what God is asking us to do in our lives too no matter what the situation is.

God Uses Breaking to Produce Humility

God is trying to break us and he's never done with breaking us because he loved. He wants us to be broken. But whenever we harden ourselves God says I can't break you again. God would love for us to remain broken.

God says I want you to humble yourself. Remain humble but no worries. If you get hard I'll break you. But this is not such a horrible thing because even the breaking I can highlight I can use this horrible situation and highlight it.

I don't know why this widow ended up with just one last meal. Maybe she wasted her money. Maybe she gambled all the money away. Maybe she invested in the wrong things. Maybe it was her fault. Maybe Naaman got leprosy because he was an evil person.

Maybe all those things may have happened. But God still said you can redeem this situation. So maybe it's been because of our own fault that we are in the situation that we're in. And we said we've landed up in this horrible situation because of our own foolishness.

Jacob definitely is an example who made a lot of things wrong because of his own foolishness. But God still I can. I can use you if when I break. Break you because I love you. And I can't use you when you're just this hard person.

If you're soft I can use you. But I can still make you great. If when I break you you will lean on the everlasting arms. If you will lean on my arm safe and secure from all alarm. Leaning on the everlasting arm and worship and doing whatever the Lord says.

However illogical it is to underline that in the book of faith that is being written and I believe every single one of you here has his name. In the book of faith it says. In the final day the books will be opened not book books.

It's so big. This is gonna include all every one of us. And if all we did was wasted all of our breakings and complained. And then we asked for forgiveness. God will forgive you. But it'll just be blank.

Sunday poonam. Just a bunch of blanks. I broke him. I wanted him to worship but he just complained. Oh yeah. He asked for forgiveness. So I deleted it. But I can't say anything beyond that. This is name day in the book of life.

Come on in. Yes you're happy. But nothing to write about us in the book of faith. But then the woman in Zarephath broken. I can write something about her. Jacob slave the Amorite. All kinds of things of the honorable.

I got nothing I can write about that woman. I broke him. You worshiped. That's the hope that we all have as Christians. So in one Peter it says that the the testing of our feet. One Peter chapter 1. 1 Peter chapter 1 verse 7.

In this verse 6 in this you greatly rejoice even though you've been distressed by various trials knowing that the proof of your faith which is more precious than gold even though tested by the fiery trials rejoice in them because they may be found.

Here's one who was so precious about Johnny's faith even though it was so hard and so difficult and distressing distressing. It resulted in praise and glory and honor when Jesus opened up the books. Praise and glory and honor to God.

Ordinary Faithfulness in Daily Trials

I think I spoke here last year and I talked about the diapers. I talked about how there are two women or two men. Hopefully some men can help with diapers too. But when you clean a dirty diaper and that's what a lot of mothers roles are.

Cleaning the dishes cleaning the diapers. Cleaning the slobbery clothes. Bunch of cleaning whose mess other people's mess a lot of the children mess in our life. A lot of times the mother's life is full of cleaning.

Cleaning cleaning cleaning something that the kids that's kid for the spill food on the floor. Kids dirty their clothes. Diapers are dirty. But there are two kinds of diapers. Diapers that were turned into gold because there was not a spirit of complaining.

When the mother changed the diapers. Other people the diapers just remain divers. Nothing to write about dirty diapers. But if diapers were cleaned without a spirit of complaining it results in praise and glory and honor at the revelation.

Lord all I did was clean diapers and clean dishes and clean floors. Did you do it without complaining in everything give thanks. Because this is the will of God. Lord I've been born again. Lord I want to do your will.

Well my will is then everything give thanks. Everything clean diapers clean dishes. Clean the floors. Okay. Lord I'll do that. It results in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus. This is what all our breakings can do if we see that what God is looking for is if it can result in not our forgiveness.

God can easily forgive you of all the times you've complained from all the trials that you've gone through. That's the beginning thing that you should know that forgiveness is very easy when you accept Christ.

When you ask for Christ forgiveness even now if you confess your sins and if you walk in the light he can cleanse you. It's easy. But do you want those same breakings to result in praise and glory and honor.

That's another level. Then rejoice. Don't complain and everything give thanks in the hope not that you look good. That must grip us. That must grip us over and over again. That Lord these trials are so important in my life that the greater the trial the more important a chance I have to get to underline that it may result in praise and glory and honor.

Crushing That Produces the Aroma of Christ

And you know we can turn to 2nd Corinthians chapter 2 verse 14. But thanks be to God verse 14 through 17. But thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ and manifest through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of him in every place.

For we are a fragrance of God of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing to the one. And aroma from death to death to the other. And aroma from life to life and who is adequate for these things.

We are not like many peddling the word of God but as from sincerity but as from God we speak in Christ inside of God. I think of crushing so a lot of times I think of this picture of crushing a seed and a smell coming out.

Sometimes you crush garlic you crush it and a smell comes out. I smell God. You crush some fragrances you crush these sweets seeds and a sweet fragrance comes out. And Christ is saying here that we can be of an aroma from death to death.

I kept crushing Sandeep all his life. I kept trying to crush him but all it went was from one death to another death. But another story is I crushed Sandeep and it went from life to life. The knowledge of God to the aroma of the knowledge of God allowed this situation to happen in his life and it crushed him but it resulted in the knowledge of God.

And I crushed him again and resulted in the knowledge of God to the praise and the honor and glory of God. Every way I tried to crush him every time I cried every time the Lord the Lord allowed the devil to attack him here or to do this year he was crushed.

All that came out was the sweet aroma of the knowledge of God in every place every situation. At work crushed him there home crushed him there on the road crushed him there in every particular place he went to went to Atlanta crushed him there went to San Francisco crushed him there.

I send him all kinds of places. In any place he was crushed no matter what I try to crush him. Sweet aroma came out. What was the sweet aroma. The knowledge of God. Suddenly got to know me more. She got to know me more.

She didn't complain. She got to know my way. She didn't just cling on for dear life and slip into into the kingdom. No she leaned into it. He leaned into and said no Lord this situation is this specifically designed by you for me to know you.