It Blossoms in a Desert Experience - Delayed

It was Teddy Roosevelt who said these words: Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failures, than to take rank with those poor spirits. Who neither enjoy much nor suffer much because they live in the gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat. How many people live in that gray twilight of neither victory nor defeat, but kind of in limbo land? That's what religion is. But the relationship with Jesus Christ experiences great joy and great victory because God does a mighty work in us that he might do a mighty work.

Through us. People ask, why do you speak about the desert experience? Why do you speak about the brokenness that's to come in the life of the believer? It's because I really want God to release His power in your life more so than ever before. It's there, but it's got to get out. And it gets out through broken vessels as people can see and smell that fresh aroma of God Almighty. Brokenness is that process by which God shatters our independence from Him to establish our dependence upon Him. We've been talking about intimacy with the Master.

What does it mean to walk with God? God wants everybody to be highly favored in His eyes. God wants everybody to be His friend. But He only reveals Himself to those people who are truly Broken. And that's what God wants to do in our lives. Tonight, we come to the fourth part of this. Desert experience we've been talking about. We try to, first of all, describe for you this brokenness process.

We try to define it. For you, we try to let you see how it's designed for all men. But tonight, what we want to do is talk about why it's delayed, why some people are not broken. And I want to give you four reasons why and then the solution for each one. And then next week, we'll pick up the fifth element of the ingredients to intimacy, and that is, of course, it's always inv. With the warfare. And we're going to talk about the diabolical vengeance that we face as Christians because Satan is against those who walk in intimacy with God.

But why are Christians not broken? Number one is this: we are strangers to the whole concept of brokenness.

We are strangers to the concept. That's one reason people don't find themselves rel in the desert experience. We don 't know what's going on. After salvation, we're told we need to pray, so we pray. After salvation, we know we need to go to church, so we worship with God's people. After salvation, we realize That we need to be sharing Jesus with people, so we start sharing Jesus. With people. And then all of a sudden, things don't seem to be going as smoothly as they did when I gave my life to Christ.

All of a sudden, my girlfriend says, Well, you know what? We're through. All of a sudden, my boss says, You know what? We appreciate your workforce the last 10 years, but you're done. All of a sudden, when I was so well off financially, everything seemed to crumble round about me. And I begin to ask myself the question: what's happening? What's going on here? And sometimes people even get angry, they get mad at God. They begin to question God's sovereignty. They begin to question God's plan for their life.

But most of us are just strangers to the whole concept. Of brokenness. It was Ward We who said these words: Our values determine our evaluations. If we value comfort more than character, then trials will upset us. If we value the material and physical more than the spiritual, we will not be able to count it all joy. If we live only for the present and forget the future, then trials will make us bitter. Not better. So many times we as Christians find ourselves looking at Christianity as almost a farce, don't we?

God says that I'm supposed to have abundant life. Some kind of life that is above and beyond anything that I've ever experienced before. There's a certain kind of peace that's supposed to come my way. A certain kind of joy that's supposed to come my way. The love of God is supposed to be shed abroad in my heart, according to Romans chapter 5. And yet, I find myself an unloving person. I find myself not really in tune with this peace and with this joy that somehow the sovereign God of the universe offers me.

And I asked myself, wait a minute, Lord, is this Christianity all that the preacher said it was? Is it all the good life? What has happened? What's taken place? And all of a sudden, I begin to think: well, God must be punishing me. I'm such a sinner. Sometimes even depression sets in. And therefore, we go back to not even reading our Bible, not going to church, maybe. Just kind of sitting back and wallowing in self-pity. J was sort of this way. He didn't quite understand what was happening with God.

He began to question God and began to. Carry on an argument with God. It's amazing the dialogue that Job would have with Almighty God. All because he could not understand what was happening. And I am convinced that most Christians today in churches don't understand God's sovereign plan when it comes to the desert experience. And not only do they not understand it, they don't want to understand it. Think about that for a moment. No one relishes living in the desert. No one relishes a broken life. No one relishes going through hardships and difficulties and trials.

No one is looking forward and anticipating that wonderful, joyous experience. No one wants that. And so we remain aloof. And we skip over those verses real quick in our Bible when we get to them because we don't want to talk about the cost too much because we're afraid of what happened to our lives. Turn with me over to 1 Peter chapter 1 for a moment.

Would you please? Verse 6. He says this. In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials. That the proof of your faith being more precious than gold, which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be sound or be found to res in praise, in glory, and honor. And the revelation of Jesus Christ. And though you have not seen him, you love him. And though you do not see him now, But believe in him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory.

If we were to take time and go through and digest those scriptures, you'd find some amazing truths about the desert experience. Peter wants you to know that the trials are only temporary. That's important to understand that they're just for a little while. Now, when you're in the midst of them, you think they're going to last forever, right? But Peter reaffirms the fact. Remember, these people were going through very difficult times. I mean, they were the people who were being burned at night, you know, put up on Nero's sticks and being burned so he could light his gardens and they were being fed to the lions.

And so Peter says, look, this trial is just for a little while. Not a long time, but a little while. And it says, if necessary, you have been distressed. If necessary, and because you are going through this, it is necessary. So, not only are trials temporary, but trials are very time. Peter says, Look, it's necessary. Or these things wouldn't be happening. It's necessary, or in other words, God's not sovereign, God's not in control. And friends, we all know God's in control. And so, not only are these trials temporary, they're very time.

And thirdly, they are very, very taxing. It says, you have been distressed by various trials. Man, you've been shackled. You've been wrapped hard. Is that not true the way trials are? But the Bible explicitly speaks of the difficulties and hardships in which we go through. Read through the scriptures. Did Jesus ever have a rally? Hey, you know, let's all get together, you know, and all clap their hands and singing and all kinds of things. Did Jesus ever do that? Let me ask you a question: how come we do that?

Jesus never did. Getting all excited about Jesus, you know. Every time the crowds got bigger, what did Jesus do? Hey, listen, I glad you're with me. Let me tell you something.

If you't hate your mother, father, brother, sister, don't follow me. If you don want to take up your cross and follow me, well, you know what? Don't come. Every time the crowds got bigger, Jesus got harder with the presentation of the gospel. He wanted people to know exactly what they were getting themselves into. You've got to give people the word of God and let the Spirit of God touch their lives. We said it last week. If you want a revival, Revival is a byproduct of something. It's a by of a broken and contrite heart.

You don't get a broken and contrite heart. Out clapping your hands and singing hallelujah and all kinds of things. I not against clapping your hands and singing hallelujah. What I'm saying is, I think our focus is wrong. I think we're focusing on the wrong thing. The truth of Scripture is very, very em. And tells you, listen, you want to walk with God? This is what's going to happen. This is what it's all about. And my friends, that's why there are so few people who really are serious about walking with God.

And you know what? When you see him, when you see him, and when you meet him. They're a joy to be around, aren't they? They're real people. They've been through the desert experience. You like being with them. There's a depth about their lives. Again, you don't find Jesus preaching feel religion. Struggles and trials are God's process, God's tools to make us just like him. A well-taught Christian never tries to weasel out of God's breaking process. We got to teach people the truths of Scripture. Tell them exactly what's there.

And so, what you need to do is if things aren't right in your life and things are really bad, My suggestion would be that you get on your hands and knees and say, God, is there sin in my life? Is there some reason your hand is heavy upon me? Is it because of some sin that there needs to be a purging, a discipline from my Heavenly Father? And confess your sins. If you can't think of any sins and God's Spirit does not reveal anything to you, you get off your knees and say, okay, God, I know what you're doing.

I understand what's going on here. You're in the process of taking me through a desert that I might learn to depend upon you, and I want to do that, Lord. And I want to know what your word says about that for my life. Need to counsel people in the truths of God's Word because they're strangers to the concept. The second reason, people.

Don't understand, or this brokenness process is delayed in people's lives. It's because we're self-deceived about our condition. That's number two.

You know, I pray and I read my Bible and I walk with God. Man, I go to church, I give my money, and things are going real well. And you know what? I don't need that. I can walk with God without a desert experience. People say that all the time. You see, the Bible has called us to what? Holiness. Be holy, for I am holy. 1 Peter 1:15 and 16, right? God wants us to be just like Him. Matthew 5:4, be perfect even as your Father in heaven is perfect. You see, the problem is that we are not that concerned about our un.

Holiness. Are we? Sure, we're not. All you got to do is put a little TV camera on you and watch. And determine what shows you watch on TV or what songs you listen to on the radio or what you do in the privacy of your home. You can tell that we're just not that concerned about our unholiness. Yet, God calls us to holiness. He wants us to be just like Him in every area of our lives, not just some area, but every area. God created people to walk with Him, to have fellowship with Him, and yet we leave.

Leave he who gives the living water to go after cisterns that hold absolutely no water. And the intriguing thing about all this is that people are actually motivated to do it. Isn't that amazing? We are actually motivated to walk away from God and get things. That do not last. Proverbs 14: speaks of that. There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the ends thereof are the ways of life. No. Death. None. The state of nothingness. The state of total separation from God. There are many ways that seem right to us, but there's only one way that's really right, and that's God's way.

So there's a solution. And I believe the solution is that we need to have the courage to ask God exactly what we are really like. I'm not sure people want to do that. S said over in Psalm 26, verse 1: Vindicate me, O Lord, for I have walked in my integrity, and I have trusted in the Lord. Without wavering, exam me, O Lord, and try me. Test my mind and my heart. That should be your prayer every morning. Examine me, Lord. Do this inter scrutiny. Whatever you got to do on the inside, Lord, to turn it around.

Show me what's on the inside. There needs to be an examination. There needs to be an internal scrutiny. There needs to be an intense surgery. Search me, O God, and know my thoughts. Try me, and see if there be any wicked way in me. Psalm 139 tells us that. And then lead me in the way of righteousness. My friends, that ought to be our prayer. And the constant reminder that we all of us need to read is that we are nothing without Jesus Christ. Absolutely zilked. We're zero without Jesus. Without me, ye can do some things.

Is that what Jesus said? No, he said, without me, you can't do a thing. Nada, Zilch, Zippo, Zer, nothing. But most people, most people will say, you know, I don't need that. And God says, Oh yeah, yeah, you do.

Be astonished, oh heavens, that people would go away and seek their own desires, their own directions. Not only are we strangers to the concept, but we are self-deceived about our condition. Isaiah thought he was a pretty holy man. Until God showed him his holiness. And when God showed Isaiah, and Isaiah was a great man of God, a great prophet. But when God showed him his holiness, all he could say was, Woe is me. I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell amidst the people of unclean lips. Lips. I am a rotten, filthy, stinking sinner.

I am. And God then could use that man. He touched his lips. Now you're ready to be used, Isaiah. I can use that kind of vessel. Where are you in your spiritual pilgrimage? Where are you in your evaluation of yourself? Examine yourself in light of the scriptures. Let God do the intense surgery. Thirdly, there's a third reason why people are not broken and refuse to be involved in the desert experience.

They're scared to death of the consequences. They're scared to death of the consequences. The cost is too high. God is liable to take away the person I love the most. God is liable to pry my hand off of that object or that job, that thing that has been my security for 55, 65 years. And the cost is just too great. And people are just scared to death. And whenever you find those kind of people, It's because their eyes are not on God, but their eyes are on that object or that person, that thing that gives them that security.

And when their eyes are on that individual or that object, It's at that time that they have taken their eyes off the strength, and the power, and the love, and the comfort that God promises that He wants to give you, that you need. And without him, you will fail. I got an answer for that. If God takes it. You don't need it. Let him have it. Because what God wants is your heart. All of it. Not just part of it. The solution? You need to cling to biblical truth. You need to hold fast to biblical truth.

It was Paul when he prayed for that thorn in the flesh to be removed where God says, No, Paul, my grace is sufficient for thee.

You see, we don't really think that we can handle it. You e met somebody or been to a funeral and said, man, how did they handle that? I just could never, never handle that. You ever said that? Well, that's understandable. Because you see, you don't need the death of a loved one grace until the death of a loved one happens. You don't need loss of a limb grace until you lose a limb. You don't need financial disaster grace until you find yourself in financial disaster. God bestows grace upon people when they need it.

God doesn't give you all this grace that you can just pull from whenever you want it to help you through a process. God's grace comes at the right moment, at the right time that you need it. So when you sit back and begin to observe all these people going through whatever it is they're going through, and you ask yourself the question, how on earth could they ever handle it? Well, the answer is because God's grace is sufficient for them to handle it. And what God might take one through, He doesn't take another through.

And what God allows to happen in one individual's life, He does not allow to happen in another individual's life. But whatever it is He allows to happen in your life, He will supply the grace that's necessary. That you might be able to handle it. So you'll be able to say, as Job did in Job 23, verse number 10: I shall come forth as gold because I'll see God. Or as Jesus said in John 15:2, you'll bear more fruit. Or, as the psalm said in Psalm 119, 67. I'll keep God's word. Or Psalm:, I learn his decrees.

The day my first wife died, I can recall it very, very clearly in my mind. We were reading the mail. I was reading the mail to her that we had received that day. And had gone down to get it. I had a doctor's appointment that day for my oldest son Alan, and so I was going to take him to the doctor that day. And Sandy just reached up and just touched my arm and, No, please stay. So I said, Okay, I'll stay. I said, Mom, would you take Alan to the doctor? He's got to have his check. Sandy 's asked me to stay.

She said, sure. So she took him to the doctor and went downstairs. I got the mail and I'm reading through the mail, just different letters that people had written to us. It was all done with the mail, looked up, and she had passed into eternity. Eyes wide open. She was gone. Just reached up and took my hand and closed her eyes. There was a friend of mine who was a nurse who had come to be with me and my mother. And I called her out and I said, Sandy's gone home to be with the Lord. But I never forget the calm that day, the peace that was there that day.

Doesn mean that there wasn't a pain that was there. But it's the peace that comes through the grace of Almighty God. He bestows it, He gives it in the only way He can at the proper time. You see, that's the key to triumph and victory in difficulties. Acceptance. Do you accept the things that God brings your way, or do you just resign to the fact that they are there? There's a big difference. Job says, Can we accept good and not accept adversity? And last, fourthly, as to why we don't experience brokenness, is because we are just plain stubborn to God's course of action.

It all comes down to surrender. The issue is: will I submit myself to God? Will I run my life my way, or will I allow God to run my life? His way. How many times have I heard people say, No, I will not lay my life on the altar? No, I will not seek reconciliation with my brother. No, I will not forgive them for what they have done. No, no, no, I will not do that. Happens all the time. Remember Jonah? He was stubborn to God's course of action. God wanted him to go to Nineveh. He went the other way.

He was so stubborn to God's course of action that when the storm came on the boat, he wasn't about to repent. He said, Throw me overboard. Kill me. It's my fault. I'm going to die before I do what God wants me to do. Revival could have swept across that country. But Jonah refused to yield to God. In chapter 4, the 8th verse, he says these words, that he wished himself to die and said, It be better for me to die than to live. Here was an un man. He asked God, Why didn't you kill me? Why did you let me live?

I wanted to die, and you didn't let me die. Instead, you brought me to Nineveh, and these people repented of their sins. And Lord, I'm mad. You know what? Jonah is never mentioned again. Jonah is not in the Hebrew Hall of Faith, is he? Un people make very little impact for the sake of the kingdom. And Jonah, he had the chance, but he was absolutely stubborn to God's course of action. How about you? Brokenness is what you really need to receive, what you really want in life. God wants to give you security, value, significance, purpose, imp.

God wants to do all those things in and through your life. But unless he breaks you, you really can't do him to the fullest. In fact, A relationship of intimacy with the living God necessitates the desert experience. And that's the kind of people that God wants to work with and through.