The Beauty of Brokenness

You know that he and Dr. Tony Evans is broken is often the first most important step in as the prayer maybe the very first celebrating 40 years of faithfulness. This is the alternative Dr. Tony Evans, author, speaker, senior pastor of Oakland Bible Fellowship in Dallas, Texas, president of the urban alternative restoring furniture involves stripping away any old paint or varnish reveal all the scratches, gouges and imperfections in the piece and only when the original veneer is been removed and the restorer completely give new life to that old furniture today. Dr. Evans explained why the same is true for the human spirit. Let's join him as he explores the upside of falling down to talk to you about a broken one of the premier way that is Jesus Christ and his reality preference is broken because that's not how we want to discover it every day. Work will if you really want.

If you really want to be related so that the light of Christ time, let me say that again is where God strips you want your independence of your own ability to take a flash in such a way that you know to pick yourself that you want to get you out of this so that he alone is your resource complete create shell around them block the light of Christ we are raised to be self-sufficient to be self sufficient. Maybe okay but horrific before a holy God.

When you say I am looking at his back what you say that you're asking him to break the Bible is replete with this God that strips about self-sufficiency. First Thessalonians chapter 5 verse 23, but may the God of peace himself. Think about you entirely imago spirit soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. I want you to be totally transformed, but please know how we want you to be transform your body, soul and spirit want to be transformed in your spirit, soul and body of the waters. Everything the transformation you need to step up independence will not come back outward performance will come become the spirit so small, transform the body. Many people want to get three all the things I do it with without there being a transformation in the you can get that drink what you're doing with your hands up unless you're getting three format inner part with you, and you can only get victory over the small life went back has been freeing up the spirit life. So what happens is that the spirit transforms the song and the song transforms the batting's breaking must occur in order to write you in order to break me down. God must your back like a bronco writer riding the back of a wild mustang was the process that God uses to break us what fundamentally three things one way uses to break us is you may say the devil you may only be half right that maybe God uses the devil another thing God uses us in now.

God never endorses sin.nobody challenges sin and it is government. What you sow you reap. So it's a bad investment to sin, but he nevertheless would use to accomplish his purpose God use the sin of Moses when he learned of the Egyptian just sufficiency is that Israel from the bondage of major MMA anywhere that I have God in one God strip to do it again… Me when I started body when he thought he was ready. One when he thought he was ready, the different 40 year track people from self-sufficiency insufficiency. God could become a sufficient I will speak to John Mark John Martin ministry. Paul also called. I got the bottoms of the John not take long walks away from John Locke one minute single quit when the going gets that man John Mark will hold a broken link at the bottom is downhole works with the minister to them.

Paul said John, I think I can use it uses sin to break you will get the regular one uses circumstances of the word.

For those trials listen to my folks listen carefully when you go to trial. That is a circumstance of life that burden you could be a marriage trial job trial of financial trial, you will circumstance you try to help trial to be any sort of life that breaks you down must stay the hand of man for the hand of God explained to me God that that person that that situation right now right you changing jobs, changing mates, changing startups that the problem to break you down a job to break down if you get you nowhere not right every wrong one goes trying to break the Scripture is not well when you know that he will strip you will self-sufficiency will remove the training I like Jacob: with all the good night's game against the law and was broken people when I want to make God have been made and be a bad person and the problem breaking to strip you of your self-sufficient you safe with them whenever you breaking is breaking you, but only breaking use of the life of Christ we were kids.

Middle-age member piggyback that will hold the top that was only one way to get that money out of the piggyback back to when what sophisticated taking I handle P but to put the money in for months. All you know I had to flip it over and touched shaken.

Why was not you on the inside that I needed to come out on the outside, but the way to get it from the right and on the side want not what sex does not how second with 12 when you are broken, you will see God like you've never seen before we send it again as scary as the prayer is more break me when you are broken, you will see God. Maybe for the very first time Paul says in verse seven. I have the surpassing greatness of the revelations God show me things he'd never shown any man before because he had gone to heaven and come back God wanted to keep it self-sufficiency low to keep me from exalting myself. Verse seven says it was giving me a Ford in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, God had given me great ministry opportunity and God wanted to keep me from ever becoming prior to working. Once give me a full one.

You know what is the stick affording your box something that irritated me and was in last in the cool part of myself sufficiently and it Corrected me and it was John never says what is what God wanted to be applied to anything anything this nagging you can get rid of any stick and you and is driving you stock raving mad and you say right about it.

Paul said verse eight is an upright concerning the entry to the Lord three times and it might depart from the lot, get this, this person, God let Satan give a messenger so this is to be used by God to create a phone that was irritating but then I heard God speak I heard some my grace is sufficient for you. What this power. Dr. Evans will come back in just a moment with some thoughts about what to do with the thorns in our own lives to God for some reason doesn't take away, but first I want to let you know the lesson your hearing today as part of a brand-new four volume collection of messages we put together, spending 40 years of ministry. We're calling it Tony Evans top 40 right now will send you volumes one and two of this powerful said is her way of saying thanks for your investment in us which enables us to continue investing in you that's 20 full-length messages including several we won't be able to present on the air this time around and as a special bonus will send it to you along with Tony's booklet on a nearly forgotten spiritual discipline, fasting, it'll help you discover how saying no to your physical appetite. From time to time can really sharpen your spiritual one and lead you to the breakthrough you been praying for this double resource package is only available through tomorrow so visit Tony Evans.org to make the arrangements today. That's Tony Evans.org or call us at 1-800-800-3222 resource center is open 24 seven. Once again, that's 1-800-800-3222. I repeat all that information for you later after part two of our message and this thing about serving an incident God is that no matter how much you know there's always more to learn so brand-new the Scripture or an experienced ministry professional.

There's something for you Tony Evans training online courses covering core concepts working at your own pace and schedule historical context of the book uncover the key teachings and learn how to apply for situations there's lots of exclusive content from Dr. Evans to keep you interested and motivated an online forum where you can ask questions and answers and collaborate with other students. The more you learn, the more you want to give it a try Tony Evans training discover any time anywhere.

Paul Paul is in its power God's power is made most visible in weakness. Top is possible and makes us when you weakest, Gideon had to fight last. This was what God told even though it left me 201.

There because when you wake with 300 you will be stronger than you've ever been before.

The changing Psalm 119 broken right person. I've already Bible written, I write the Bible when you are broken you finally get finally get to see what God can do to get the audience weakness that leads to one final discussion.

I'm weak, but I don't see this power nor am I experiencing this grace that was just a preacher. God wants to strip me okay that I am not experiencing this grace because most people read the first half of verse nine. Second, most gladly therefore, I would rather just about my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may dwell in me, let me tell you how we quote that verse complain about my weaknesses that may not dwell in… You need on why I wanted to experience the grace from way to pray on God, if you got a 40 person in your life and you only pray that the more deliberate you from the person and he is not delivered you from the person maybe what he wants you to experience his grace, but you won't experience the grace until you move to the praise.

This all in my weakness that we call that in the Scripture refines the praise everything that we bring the sacrifice of praise that no missing to bring the sacrifice that I want somebody thought to bring the sacrifice you have to take that lamp for you to put that lab lab God when the praise went into the holy of holy God states that God and see God if you want to see God himself. When you're praying for the words leads the praise for the problem.

Your gospel did Grace know who's the problem in your life, what is that problem in your life if you pray for which you should always pray for you, but you got grace to give you if I don't you've got grace, but instead of complaining about the one I want to thank you for this person in my life could not understand using that person to break me so that you can review yourself to me so that I will experience Paul. I've never had before. Paul didn't experience sufficient grace on tell he saw something conceived verse 10.

Therefore, I am content with weaknesses and gives us a little slick distresses problems to just discourage me persecutions and difficulties for the sake of Christ. When I am weak, then I am strong. Lord, I want to thank you for this thing you have in my life right now because you going to use this to show me your grace and reveal your power like I've never seen it before but put another way, you won't discover that Jesus is all you need until Jesus is all you have talked to what you want to stop that Jesus is all you need until Jesus is all you have an widget you have to be just down the backbone you will discover what you when they are refinishing antique furniture. It's an awesome process strong chemical strip away the old varnish eat away at it may have the sandpaper machines that stand down when they sanded down and exposes all the same crannies that need repair. The standing continues until they said it down to an even level varnish and varnish over it.

You see the new furniture polish.

Then they take steel wool and go over it again and again until you have a smooth prefinished brothers and sisters. God will strip down God will strip me down. People say insane and streamed an old saying we just naturally and saying and saying the same on the Lord God praise the chop chop chop… My chop chop chop.

No change (table showing the wax could you been stripped in the life of Christ begins to shut your identity in Christ.

We give you a bad you been Dr. Tony Evans talking about the process God uses to make a stronger if you like to hear the full-length version of today's message comes as a part of our current featured resource Tony Evans top 40. As I mentioned earlier, all 20 messages in volumes one and two of this collection are our gift to you. When you make a contribution to help us keep Tony's teaching on the station and through tomorrow will also include a copy of his booklet on fasting as a special bonus just Rabbi Tony Evans.org or you can get all the details and make your donation online again that's Tony Evans.org or you can call her 24 hour resource Center at 1-800-800-3222 let one of our team members help you with your request, you know there's never a shortage of bad news we can find it pretty much anywhere we look, from TV and radio to the Internet and social media even just in the concerns of our friends and family will tomorrow. Dr. Evans will remind us that in the midst of anxieties there's always some really good news and a lot of reasons we should be sharing with others. Join us for that tomorrow the alternative with Dr. Tony Evans is brought to you by the celebrating 40 years of faithfulness, thanks to the generous contributions of listeners like you