Welcome to
Zion Bread of Life Christian Church

Sunday, 9th October 2022

Pastor Kathy Poon

Nobody likes to be broken, but there will be times in our lives that we have to face brokenness. The definition of brokenness is actually the ‘removal of one’s self-righteousness’. Job had everything a man could ask for in the world, but when he met Satan, everything he had was taken away. Job was a righteous man, but he also faced brokenness. At the beginning, Job had the faith and believed that everything was from God therefore everything He could take away. But as time went by, Job also started to doubt. He started to think that he might have done something that displeased God.

James 5:7-11

Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned. Behold, the Judge is standing at the door! My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and patience. Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord—that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.

The patient of farmers and prophets are different to the patient of Job, which also includes endurance and being steadfast. It’s easy for us to judge God’s blessings for us based on our hard work. Therefore when we don’t receive whatever we prayed for, and when we face hardship, we would doubt God and we would become self-righteous. Slowly we will feel God is unfair and we will lose our faith in God.

Job 1:20-22

Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped. And he said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return there. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong.

Job 23:10

But He knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold.

Job 40:6-9

Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said: “Now prepare yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer Me: “Would you indeed annul My judgment? Would you condemn Me that you may be justified? Have you an arm like God? Or can you thunder with a voice like His?

Job was questioning God’s decisions, then God answered him and told him not to be self-righteous. We like to use our own values and mindsets to determine how God should work in our lives. We pray for God to fulfill our needs with our own timing, but today God is reminding us that He is God, not us. It should be by His timing, not ours. Are we still fighting with God? Do we still want God to work in our way instead of His Way? We proclaimed that blessings are from God, but at the same time, we forgot that all blessings come from God. We complain, we compare, and we are dissatisfy with what God has prepared for us.

Job 42:2 says that “I know that You can do everything, and that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You.” Romans 8:28 also says that, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” Who are those who love God? It’s those who are called according to His purpose, not our own purpose!

When Moses came down from the Mountain, God told him that He would not go with Moses, but Moses held onto God and said that if God did not go, then Moses would not go. Moses wanted God Himself, even though at the end, he did not enter the Promise Land, but he knew the most important thing. The blessing is from God, not from ourselves, we must know where this blessing comes from. Blessings are from God therefore our life plan should also be according to Him, not according to us. We are so easy to be self-righteous, and we are so easy to pray for the things we want in the ways we want to happen.

II Corinthians 12:7-9

And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Paul knew his weakness and therefore he knew that the throne was to help me not to be proud. In our brokenness, God will restore us, it’s not about how good we are or how hard we work, but it’s about how God wants to be close to us and set us free.