When horses are in the wild, they do whatever they want. They run freely, wherever and whenever they desire. It’s the survival instinct built into them that causes them to run, because they are a prey animal. Running away is how they avoid wolves and big cats. When they are caught, their last line of defense is to kick. The same instinct is present in domesticated horses. That presents a big problem to the owner when trying to use them. Before a horse can be fully utilized for the purposes of the owner it must be broken and branded. But what does that really mean? The idea of “breaking” is to break the horse's spirit in order to dominate the horse and bend its will to the trainer's by a struggle. And the branding is to put the owners mark on them. This not only prevents theft, but it increases the value of the horse based on the reputation of the owner. Now this is not a sermon about horses. It’s a sermon about people. God must break us from our self dependence and brand us as set apart in order to fully utilize us for His purposes. That’s what it means to be holy. The word Holy means to be set apart for a special purpose. I heard a pastor once say that he’d never seen anyone be greatly used by God who hadn’t first gone through an extremely difficult season or two in their life. I’ve seen this be proven out in my life, so let me say this to you. If you are reading this and are currently in the middle of an extremely difficult season, I’ve got good news for you. You are in the perfect place to be used by God. Your situation, this attack, this circumstance may just be the thing God uses to turn you to His plan for your life.
There can be purpose in the pain. In the Bible we can read of many such stories. Today we will look at two of them. There was a guy in the Old Testament named Israel. Israel had 12 sons and those sons became the 12 tribes of Israel. The nation or children of Israel were his descendants. But his original name was Jacob. What caused his name change? What is his backstory? We read about it in Genesis, chapters 25-35. God speaks to his mother, Rebecca. Genesis 25:23-26 “23 And the Lord said to her, “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you shall be divided;the one shall be stronger than the other, the older shall serve the younger.” 24 When her days to give birth were completed, behold, there were twins in her womb. 25 The first came out red, all his body like a hairy cloak, so they called his name Esau. 26 Afterward his brother came out with his hand holding Esau's heel, so his name was called Jacob.” For Jacob to rule over his older brother it would be a reversal of the normal order in their society. Some shenanigans would have to take place if Jacob were to do this. And of course, shenanigans were indeed on the way. You see, Jacob's name means "trickster." If you spent any time in Sunday school you probably know that Jacob tricked his father Isaac into giving him the blessing of the first born son, even though his brother Esau was older. This set up a big problem between the brothers and Jacob basically ended up fleeing for his life. He’s gone several years...and he lives with a guy who becomes his father in law. And and then he has trouble with him and ends up running away yet again. Seems like trouble just follows this guy wherever he goes.
He is a cheater, on the run, doing things his own way. But then God speaks to him...and the breaking process begins. Genesis 32:9 “9 And Jacob said, “O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, O Lord who said to me, ‘Return to your country and to your kindred, that I may do you good,’ Jacob is on his way home because God told him to go there and He would bless him. The problem is that he has a past and it’s waiting for him back home. Remember, the last time he saw his brother Esau, he was gonna kill him. So Jacob sends some messengers ahead with gifts for Esau to hopefully appease his anger. Well the messengers come back and say that Esau is on his way to meet Jacob and he has 400 men with him. That sounds like bad news. So Jacob sends everyone else on ahead, and that night he was alone and afraid for his life. He is broken emotionally. God used the problems that Jacob caused to get his attention. Genesis 32:24-31 “24 And Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day. 25 When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he touched his hip socket, and Jacob's hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. 26 Then he said, “Let me go, for the day has broken.” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” 27 And he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” 28 Then he said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed.” 29 Then Jacob asked him, “Please tell me your name.” But he said, “Why is it that you ask my name?” And there he blessed him. 30 So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel, saying, “For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life has been delivered.” 31 The sun rose upon him as he passed Penuel, limping because of his hip.”
Jacob wrestles with God and leaves broken from the experience not just emotionally, but physically as well. His limp will forever remind him of his encounter with God. But God is not done. Jacob still has to be branded in order to fulfill God’s purpose. Did you notice the question God asks him in verse 27? He asks, “What is your name?” Before God can change him, He wants Jacob to first admit who he is. He’s a cheater, trouble maker and trickster. Genesis 35:10-15 “10 And God said to him, “Your name is Jacob; no longer shall your name be called Jacob, but Israel shall be your name.” So he called his name Israel. 11 And God said to him, “I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply. A nation and a company of nations shall come from you, and kings shall come from your own body. 12 The land that I gave to Abraham and Isaac I will give to you, and I will give the land to your offspring after you.” Now God has branded Jacob with a new name, Israel. His new name would match his new identity with God. God gave him a name that would set him apart from other men, as the one who would be the namesake of God’s own people. And after 3,700 years, the nation that bears the name of Israel is still on the world stage. After being broken of his self-dependence and branded as set apart for God’s use, Israel fulfilled his purpose. There was purpose in the pain. The second guy we will look at today was named Saul. Like Jacob, Saul is a guy with a past. Saul was running full speed as a religious zealot. He was a Jew who lived during the time of the
Apostles in the New Testament. But Saul didn’t believe in this Jesus guy who the Apostles were preaching about. As a matter of fact, he believed they were teaching straight up heresy. This caused him to use his religious influence as a Pharisee to persecute Christians. His journey into persecuting Christians began when he was with a crowd of people who were stoning a guy named Stephen for preaching Jesus. Saul was just a young guy at that point so he was the one watching over the coats of the men doing the stoning. He was an eyewitness to Stephen dying as the first Christian martyr. And he approved if it so much that he began his own campaign of persecution of those who professed this Jesus guy as the Messiah. Acts 8:2-3 “2 Devout men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him. 3 But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison.” He got letters from the religious leaders giving him permission to go to other towns and deal with the Christians there also. Acts 9:1-2 “But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.” Saul was in a religious rage, going around doing what he was convinced was the will of God. He believed this new Jesus movement must be stopped at all cost. Saul is running wild in his religious-dependence, but he is about to be broken. Religion can blind you to the truth of God. Saul is only spiritually blind.
Acts 9:3-9 “3 Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. 4 And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” 5 And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 6 But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.” 7 The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. 8 Saul rose from the ground, and although his eyes were opened, he saw nothing. So they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. 9 And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.” God used the problems that Saul caused to get his attention. Jesus blinds Saul physically, in order to open his eyes spiritually. God knew exactly what it would take to break Saul and get him to surrender to His will. Saul must have been shaken to his core to realize that instead of fighting for God, he had been fighting against God. Saul is now broken mentally and physically. Acts 9:17-18 “17 So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized;” Later in his letter to the Galatians we read about the issue Paul had with his eyes. Many believe that this was the thorn in the flesh he described in 2 Corinthians. 2 Corinthians 12:7-9 “7 So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the
revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” He prayed that God would remove the problem. Paul wanted healing, but Paul didn’t didn’t “need” healing, he needed grace... so that’s what he got. God provides what we need to do what He has called us to do. Paul says twice that the thorn was give to prevent him from becoming conceited? Remember what happened when he was full of religious pride on his way to Damascus to kill Christians? Jesus blinded him. This thorn could have been continued eye problems that reminded him of the error of his religious pride and kept him humble despite all the powerful ways God was using him after his conversion. I want us to notice another thing that has happened. He is now called Paul and not Saul. Why the shift? You see his name was always Paul according to the Romans, but his Hebrew name was Saul. As long as He was doing the work of the religious system, he went by Saul...his religious name. But when he began truly doing God’s work, he went by his Roman name, because he was marked and set apart to be God’s messenger to the gentiles. The name Paul, branded his identity and purpose, but it was extremely hard at times. Here’s how he described it. 2 Corinthians 11:24-27 “24 Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a
night and a day I was adrift at sea; 26 on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; 27 in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.” There was purpose in Pau’s pain. I’ll end with a story of one more guy...me. I was running full steam ahead in my own self dependance. I was in the religious system leading worship at church and producing/directing christian movies with my companies. And yet I was not doing what God wanted me to do. I justified my actions as being christian, but I was really only interested in serving God the way I wanted to serve Him. I never asked Him what wanted me to do. But God does not work like that. God knew what He created me to do, and only that would bring peace and success to my life. So He got my attention. He had to break me of my self-dependance and doing what I wanted to do. I mentioned last week that I had some physical issues when my business was failing. We were losing a lot of money and the stress was more than I could deal with mentally. One morning I woke up and my left side was numb. Laura took make to the ER because we naturally assumed I had a stroke. They kept me until the next day and ran every test they had to check for a stroke. I didn’t have a stroke. The neurologist couldn’t figure out why I was numb. The neurosurgeon couldn’t figure out why I was numb. And the physical therapist couldn’t figure out why I was numb. Eventually, I discovered that I had
experienced a panic attack and my body could not deal with the stress, so it went numb. I was broken mentally from the stress of the business failure and now physically as well. Did God cause my problems? No. He just used what I did to myself, to get my attention. It was at this point that I really surrendered to His purpose for my life. It was only then, that we moved across the country to work in full time ministry...and I was first called Pastor Randall. When God called us back to Greenville from California, it was a very confusing time. We had only been there a year. I thought I would always be in full time ministry, but now I found myself back in the secular world. For a year I went back to work in film production, and the name pastor randall faded away. I was now back to just Randall. It was the most miserable year of my life. One morning around 10 or 11am, I was having a very hard time, so I asked Laura to pray for me. I then went into my office, I closed the door and I prayed the prayer I’d been afraid to pray my entire life. I simply said: God, am I supposed to be a pastor? Am I supposed to start a church?” Instantly, every ounce of fear, doubt, anxiety, stress just fell off of me and I knew without a shadow of a doubt that the answer was yes. So what do I do next? I google, How do you start a church? And before I looked at the links, I get a text back from Laura. Remember, I had asked her to pray for me. Her text said this: Are you supposed to be a pastor? I replied “yes.” I had been branded with a new name in California, but I had allowed it to fade away. Now God was renewing my call to full time ministry and confirmed that Pastor Randall was indeed suppose to be my name. It matched what He had set me apart
to do. I had been broken and now I was branded with a calling. Following what God has called us to do has not been easy. Most all of the numbness I had in the left side of my body is gone. Except for my hand...the process of being broken continues, but His grace is sufficient. I need His grace more than His healing. My hand reminds me what happens when I try to do things on my own. There is purpose in the pain. Am I saying I’m as significant to the kingdom as Israel and Paul? Yes, and here’s how. God called them to a specific assignment in His kingdom and they fulfilled that call. God called me to a specific assignment in His kingdom and I’m working to fulfill it. As long as I do what He’s asked me to do...I will have the impact He want’s me to have. Which is the same thing He asked of them. We do not compare assignments, but we can compare obedience to those assignments. And you can do the same. It will take being broken and it will certainly take being branded, but God’s grace is sufficient. Could your current painful situation be a time of breaking, to surrender to the purpose God has for your life? Have you asked Him?
Comentários