Transformed Through Brokenness: Living for God's Glory

Devotional

Day 1: Embracing Misunderstanding for God's Glory

Living for God's glory often requires a journey of brokenness, where one moves beyond the desire for admiration and becomes willing to be misunderstood or even despised for their faith. This transformation is not about enhancing one's reputation but about aligning one's life with the example of Jesus, who was despised and rejected yet lived solely for God's glory. The process of brokenness is essential for true spiritual growth, as it shifts the focus from self to God, allowing His glory to shine through our lives. This path may be challenging, but it leads to a deeper, more authentic relationship with God. [06:21]

"For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ." (Galatians 1:10, ESV)

Reflection: In what areas of your life are you seeking human approval over God's glory, and how can you begin to shift your focus today?

Day 2: The Miracle of a Transformed Heart

The story of Jacob illustrates the profound miracle of a transformed heart, where God takes years to break down self-reliance and deceit. Unlike external miracles, this internal transformation is a slow and deliberate process, requiring patience and perseverance. Jacob's journey from deceit to dependence on God is marked by a lifelong limp, symbolizing his brokenness and newfound reliance on God. This internal miracle is far greater than any external sign or wonder, as it reflects a heart that has been truly changed by God's grace and power. [08:44]

"And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh." (Ezekiel 36:26, ESV)

Reflection: What areas of self-reliance or deceit do you need to surrender to God for a heart transformation, and what steps can you take to begin this process?

Day 3: Solitude with God for True Transformation

Being alone with God, as Jacob was, is crucial for true transformation. In these moments of solitude, one must be honest about their weaknesses and sins, asking God to change them and make them more like Him. This requires a willingness to wrestle with God, to confront one's true self, and to seek His blessing not in material terms but in spiritual transformation and freedom from sin. It is in these intimate encounters with God that true change occurs, leading to a deeper relationship with Him and a more authentic faith. [10:10]

"But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you." (Matthew 6:6, ESV)

Reflection: How can you create intentional moments of solitude with God this week to honestly confront your weaknesses and seek His transformative power?

Day 4: Desperation for Spiritual Blessing

Desperation for God's blessing should focus on spiritual transformation and freedom from sin, rather than material gains. This requires a deep, honest wrestling with God, as Jacob experienced, where one acknowledges their need for God's intervention in their life. True desperation for God's blessing is marked by a longing for spiritual growth and a desire to be free from the bondage of sin. This kind of desperation leads to a deeper relationship with God and a life that reflects His glory. [12:00]

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied." (Matthew 5:6, ESV)

Reflection: What spiritual blessings are you desperately seeking from God, and how can you prioritize these over material desires in your daily life?

Day 5: Living Unforgettable Lives Before God's Face

A life lived before God's face, uninterested in human opinion, leaves a lasting impact on others. Like Jesus, who was unforgettable to those He encountered, we too can live lives that reflect God's glory and leave a lasting impression on those around us. This requires a focus on God's opinion rather than human approval, allowing His love and truth to shine through our actions and words. By living for God's glory, we become unforgettable to those we encounter, making a difference in their lives and pointing them to Him. [17:08]

"Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven." (Matthew 5:16, ESV)

Reflection: How can you live more intentionally before God's face today, allowing His glory to shine through you and impact those around you?

Sermon Summary

In our journey of faith, we are called to live for the glory of God, not for our own reputation or satisfaction. Jesus, our ultimate example, was despised and rejected, yet He lived solely for God's glory. This path often requires a deep work of brokenness within us, a process that transforms us from seeking admiration to being misunderstood and even despised for our faith. This is a crucial question for us: Is our Christianity enhancing our reputation, or is it leading us to a place of brokenness where we lose our reputation for the sake of Christ?

The story of Jacob is a powerful illustration of this process. God had a tremendous plan for Jacob, but it required breaking him of his self-reliance and deceit. Jacob's transformation was marked by a lifelong limp, a symbol of his brokenness and dependence on God. This was not an external miracle like the parting of the Red Sea, but an internal one, where God took years to break Jacob's will. This is the miracle of a transformed heart, which is far greater than any external sign or wonder.

In our own lives, we must be willing to be left alone with God, to wrestle with Him as Jacob did, and to be honest about our true selves. This means acknowledging our weaknesses and sins, such as the love of money or deceit, and asking God to change us. It is in these moments of solitude with God that true transformation occurs. We must be desperate for God's blessing, not in material terms, but in spiritual transformation and freedom from sin.

This journey of brokenness and transformation leads us to a place of power with God and with people. When we live before God's face, uninterested in human opinion, we become unforgettable to those we encounter. Like Jesus, who was never forgotten by those who met Him, we too can live lives that reflect God's glory and leave a lasting impact on others.

Key Takeaways

1. reliance and deceit. This internal miracle is greater than any external sign or wonder. [08:44]
3. Being alone with God, as Jacob was, is crucial for true transformation. In these moments, we must be honest about our weaknesses and sins, asking God to change us and make us more like Him.

4. Desperation for God's blessing should focus on spiritual transformation and freedom from sin, rather than material gains. This requires a deep, honest wrestling with God, as Jacob experienced.

5. A life lived before God's face, uninterested in human opinion, leaves a lasting impact on others. Like Jesus, we can become unforgettable to those we encounter, reflecting God's glory in our lives.

** [08:44]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[06:21] - Living for God's Glory
[07:33] - The Necessity of Brokenness
[08:44] - Jacob's Transformation
[10:10] - Alone with God
[12:00] - Desperation for God's Blessing
[13:08] - Honesty Before God
[14:38] - A New Identity
[15:26] - Finding Solitude with God
[16:26] - The Power of Being Alone with God
[17:08] - Living Before God's Face
[17:51] - Unforgettable Impact

Bible Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:

Genesis 32:24-30
Hebrews 11:21
John 12:25

---

Observation Questions:

What was the significance of Jacob being left alone with God in Genesis 32:24? How did this solitude contribute to his transformation? [10:10]
In Hebrews 11:21, why is Jacob leaning on his staff considered a great miracle among other miraculous events listed in the chapter? [08:44]
How does John 12:25 relate to the idea of losing one's reputation for the sake of Christ, as discussed in the sermon? [13:08]
What does the sermon suggest about the relationship between brokenness and spiritual growth? [07:33]

---

Interpretation Questions:

How does Jacob's story illustrate the process of God breaking our self-reliance and deceit? What does this tell us about the nature of true transformation? [08:44]
The sermon mentions being "left alone with God" as crucial for transformation. What might this solitude look like in a modern context, and why is it important? [10:10]
How does the concept of being desperate for God's blessing, as Jacob was, challenge our understanding of what it means to be blessed? [12:00]
In what ways does living for God's glory, rather than human opinion, make a person unforgettable to others, as exemplified by Jesus? [17:08]

---

Application Questions:

Reflect on a time when you felt misunderstood or despised for your faith. How did you handle it, and what might you do differently now to live more for God's glory? [07:17]
Identify an area in your life where you rely on your own strength rather than God's. What steps can you take to surrender this area to God, as Jacob did? [09:26]
Consider your current prayer life. How can you incorporate a deeper desperation for spiritual transformation and freedom from sin, similar to Jacob's wrestling with God? [12:34]
Think about a specific weakness or sin you struggle with, such as the love of money or deceit. How can you be more honest with God about this, and what practical steps can you take to seek change? [13:08]
How can you create moments of solitude with God in your daily routine, even in a busy world? What changes might you need to make to prioritize this time? [15:26]
Reflect on how you can live more before God's face, uninterested in human opinion. What practical changes can you make in your interactions with others to reflect God's glory more clearly? [17:08]
Identify one person in your life who might be impacted by seeing you live for God's glory. How can you intentionally demonstrate this in your relationship with them this week? [17:25]

Sermon Clips

"do all for the glory of god don't do things to just improve your impression you make on others or to find some satisfaction yourself that you have become a better person that's not the glory of god jesus did not just seek to be a better person or to live a life that brought honor in fact he was despised and rejected by all men and that's why god has to do a work of brokenness in us" [00:06:10]

"you know and i think of that story of jacob this one that always comes to my mind when i think of brokenness how god tried god had a tremendous plan for jacob and he was very shrewd and all that but god could not accomplish his purpose in jacob's life till he had broken himself thoroughly that the bible says in hebrews chapter 11 it says he leaned upon a star he walked with a walking stick for the rest of his life" [00:07:40]

"and that is written in a chapter like hebrews where it speaks about red seas being split open and walls of jericho being pulled down and people shutting the lots of lines and in the midst of abraham getting his son at the age of 100. in the midst of all these miracles you find this miracle of jacob leaning upon his staff that's amazing i say what's the great miracle there in hebrews 11 jacob leaned upon his staff" [00:08:18]

"i believe that was the greatest miracle because all those other things were external god could do today god can do a hundred split open 100 red seas and pull down 100 walls of jericho but to break one man it took him such a long time it took him years it didn't take god years to split up on the red sea i see that as they didn't take your god years to shut them out of lines but to break jacob make him for the rest of his life a broken man" [00:08:56]

"jacob was left alone and i wrestled with him a man until daybreak this was god trying to tell him i've been struggling with you for years i've been trying to break you i wonder whether god says that to any of us first he tries to break us away from sin okay i think most of us are finished with that now he seeks to break us away from trying to build a reputation as a very godly person in nccf" [00:10:10]

"yeah yeah you have to be left alone with god this is precious when god deals with us alone just me and me there's nobody else jacob was left alone have you had experiences like this my brother and sister was just you and god not even your wife or husband or anybody else with you and god but he deals with you and in ways which you can't even talk about because it's so inward but you know he has succeeded in breaking you" [00:11:02]

"and then he tested him saying let me go genesis 32 26 you're testing him are you happy he said no i'm not happy lord you've got to bless me if you really want god's highest blessing anything whether it's fullness of the holy spirit a lot of people pray for that what about praying for freedom from the love of money with as much passion as we pray for the fullness of the spirit how many of you do that" [00:12:01]

"the passion we pray for the fullest spirit lord free me from the love of money i find it deeply rooted in my life i will not let you go verse 26 until you answer this prayer that's the man who gets answers from god who's desperate lord i will not let you go unless you free me from the love of money hundred percent unless you fill me with the holy spirit that we'll be ready to pray" [00:12:40]

"what's your name he said esau but now he doesn't try to fool god you know jacob means deceiver that's a minion and a supplanter a grabber one who grabs what belongs to other people he came out grabbing his brother's leg and that's why they called him jacob deceiver subplanter grabber and when the lord asks you forget about what people think of you what is your name what are you really uh really like" [00:14:00]

"can you tell the truth lord i deceive people giving them an impression about my life is not true what's your name lord my name is lover of money a lustful man that's my name lord i tell you if you're honest with god you change it i've seen that the lord says okay since you're honest verse 28 you will no longer be called a deceiver you will no longer be a lover of money you will no longer be a lustful person you will be a prince of god" [00:14:48]

"and he was blessed there when he had seen verse 30 god faced the face in verse 31 the sun rose upon him that is when the sun rises upon our life that is god's choice for us god's way for us and that's the way we should say lord these are these are things you know that first sentences he was left alone with god you cannot do this in public you cannot do this in a meeting it has to be alone with god" [00:15:26]

"i'll tell you you know in the busy world in which we live with so many other things to do during the day i have found personally the only time i can have quiet time with god is the times when i'm awake at night early in the morning before you get out of bed or before you go to sleep at night or in between if you happen to wake up those are the times in a busy world where you don't have wildernesses to go to" [00:15:59]

Ask a question about this sermon

Chatbot

Transcript

What was the most surprising thing in this sermon?

Were there any personal stories shared?

Transformed Through Brokenness: Living for God's Glory

Devotional

Day 1: Embracing Misunderstanding for God's Glory

Day 2: The Miracle of a Transformed Heart

Day 3: Solitude with God for True Transformation

Day 4: Desperation for Spiritual Blessing

Day 5: Living Unforgettable Lives Before God's Face

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Chatbot

Transformed Through Brokenness: Living for God's Glory

Share