Bruised But Not Broken
Bruised But Not Broken
We come into the service singing I’m on the battlefields for my Lord, and if you know anything about battle you know there are going to be some casualties of war. From the time of our last revival until now, some of us have gone through some battles that have left us bruised. Somebody’s health has gone down hill. Somebody else has been tossed to and fro by the trials of life. And each time we come into the service, we come in limping. Limping from wrestling against principalities and the powers of this world. We come into the service bruised from fighting against spiritual wickedness in high place that desire to destroy us. And if you are here tonight bruised and battered by the trials of life, God would have you to know that no matter how bruised you are, he still wants to use you. Some of us are so quick to throw away fruit that gets bruised, when all we have to do is cut away the bruised part and use the first anyway. God see our bruised and he will not crush us and throw us away, but he want to cut away the bruise of sin and use us to his glory.
Matthew 12:20
This is the 10th OT prophecy fulfilled in the Gospel of Saint Matthew. This prophecy with a promise is also found recorded in the 42nd chapter of the book of Isaiah. Now somebody said that this servant is the nation of Israel, but I think not. Every evident point to Jesus the only begotten Son of God. Notice Isaiah says the Lord will put his spirit upon him. When John the Baptist baptized Jesus, the bible says the heavens opened and the Holy Spirit descended like a dove and rested on Jesus. Yea over in Luke 4:18, Jesus said “the Spirit of the Lord is up on me, because he has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor, he has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captive and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised. And because Jesus was on a divine assignment from God, Isaiah went on to say, “ he will not cry or strive with man. He will not lift up nor cause his voice to be heard in the street.”
When the solider came to arrest Jesus in the garden, he didn’t fight with them, matter of fact he rebuked peter for using a sword. When he stood falsly accused before Pilate, and the crowd was screaming crucify him, he never said a mumbling word. After Jesus stayed in the grave for three day the Lord raise him up, and the bible says he rose will all power in heaven and on earth. Even thought Jesus has all power, he is still God’s suffering servant. He is still a conquering lamb; somebody called him the prince of peace, a wonderful councilor, and a mighty God. He is also the God of all compassion. For that reason, a bruised reed he will not break and smoking flax he will not quench: until he bring forth judgment unto truth.
This text that is recorded here in Matthew’s Gospel is centered on controversy. Number one, The Pharisee that followed Jesus on this Sabbath day did so out of a desire to spy on him and his disciple, to see what Jewish law they would break so they would have reason to charge Jesus with a crime. They accused Jesus of letting his disciples break the Sabbath by plucking wheat to feed themselves. But true to the text Jesus did not argue with them. Instead he asked them a question, “have you not read what David did?” how when he and his men were hungry on the Sabbath, they didn’t pluck wheat, they went into the house of God and ate the show bread, the bread that was reserved for the priest. Now if the Pharisees were really as wise as they claim to be, they would have known that is greater than David for he is the Lord of the Sabbath. Again they accused Jesus of breaking the Sabbath by healing a man with a withered hand. Jesus did not raise his voice in dealing with them, matter of fact he did not even use the scripture. He uses plain old common sense. Notice what he said, “what man among you that have a sheep who falls into a pit on the Sabbath will not pull him out?” he goes on to say isn’t a human life worth more than a sheep? Yea they spoke of how it was unlawful and a sin to work on the Sabbath unless you were a priest. Well over in the 4th chapter of Hebrews, we find then that Jesus, the Son of the Living God is the great high priest that has passed into heaven. In essence Jesus was letting them know that He was the Lord of the Sabbath and the great high priest. He let them know that what power they thought their laws gave them was no match for the power that comes from God on high. This made the Pharisees mad and the text says they took council against him to see how they could get rid of him. And because God is all knowing, the bible says he withdrew himself that the prophecy of Isaiah might be fulfilled, which brings us to our test tonight.
Verse 18-19: Jesus the only begotten, beloved Son of God was chosen by God to come into this world in the form of man for a purpose. And that purpose was to redeem all of mankind back unto God. Yea Paul put it this way; God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto him. And in the process of reconciling you and I unto God the father, there is some healing that has to take place, there are some broken hearts that need mending, there are some captivates that need to be set free before we can get home. Somebody eyes are bruised today, somebody’s heart has been stomped on by time and the trials of life, but God want to heal you if you would only let him. Text says he did not come to strive or argue with anybody, nor cry or make a lot of noise, for his voice will not man hear in the street.
You see the Pharisees thought they had the power to make folk do what they wanted them to. And often time you would find them praying in the street and making a lot of noise, trying to show how Holy they were. But I hear the Lord saying, I didn’t come for all that outward show. I don’t have to prove myself to no man, because I’m on a divine assignment and my work will speak for me. You and I are on a divine assignment and we don’t have to go around making a lot of noise, we don’t have to go around arguing with folks about the word of God. God fights his own battles. All we have to do is let our work speak for us. Jesus could have called down fire from heaven and destroyed them all, Jesus could have called down legions of angels to his aid, but a bruised reed he will not break and smoking flax he will not quench.
Some scholars suggest that this prophecy is about God’s enemies, those that oppose the will of God. Those that have been led astray by the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life, those that have fallen to the snarls of Satan. I believe it also refers to those that are fighting the good fight of faith. I believe it refers to those that life has just about squeezed all the faith out of. You Satan wants to destroy us, and the battle is raging and it may not look like you are winning, but God is behind the scene working it out for our good. But in the midst of trying to do the will of God, in the midst of trying to serve other, we are going to encounter some bruises, but I serve a mighty God that wants to use each of us no matter how bruised we may look to ourselves. So he says a bruised reed I will not break. A reed here is a picture of a musical instrument. Anybody here that has every played the clarinet knows how fragile a reed is. Shepherds often times used reeds to play music to sooth the sheep and to keep themselves company on lonely nights. When one reed got damaged, instead of crushing it and throwing it away, they often times repaired it. They would not crush or break it until all hope was gone.
This is a picture of you and I in the sight of God Almighty. Job says we come forth like a flower and is cut down, we flee like a shadow. Yea the writer of Ecclesiastes say we are but a vapor, a puff of smoke. We are fragile, our feeling are easy to crush. But while we are here, God want to use us. And as long as there is life in you, there is hope for you. For the bible says a live dog is better than a dead lion. But Satan wants to make you feel that just because you can’t do what you use to do, that you are no good to God. Satan is a liar and the father there of.
Yea choir time will take its toll on your voice and bruise you, but God can still use you. Usher when your feet are swollen and you can hardly stand, just wave your hand. Deacon your eyes don’t got dim and the scripture is hard to read now, but if you know “for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, “ God can use you. A bruised reed he will not break. Mother your steps are getting short but God can still use you. Yea pastor your mind may not be as sharp or your memory as long, but God can still use you. But Satan has an agenda of his own, he wants to make us think that just because we don’t sing like we use to or pray like we use to that we are all used up and now God is going to put us out to pasture. But God wants you to take comfort in his word tonight comfort in the fact that a bruised reed he will not break. I’m reminded of a mother of this church who was on her sick bed for as long as I have known her. I never heard her complain, I never saw her acting like she was all used up by life, but she would tell me often how she was working harder for God from her bed then she ever had while she was on her feet. She captured the essence of this passage.
Don’t allow Satan to rob you of your purpose, by telling you that you are no good to God because of your health, because of your age, because of anything that man may see on the outside. Sometimes we may feel that if we are not involved in every activity that goes on at the church throughout the week we are not saved. You are getting ready to walk out the door on Sunday morning to come to church, the phone rings; a family member has an emergency and they need your help. What do you do? Satan says if you don’t go to church today God will be displeased, or you say to yourself it’s first Sunday and I been preparing all week for this, I got to be there to usher today. Well God knows the heart. And a bruised reed he will not break. God knows some days we are just to sick to be involved in public, but right where we are God can use us. One of the reasons we feel that we are no good is pride. We like the Pharisees like to make a show of our faith from time to time. And if didn’t no body see me shout, I didn’t do my duty. Take heart my family, God is a spirit, and they that worship him but do so in spirit and in truth.
The Pharisee used the law to beat and burden the people, and Satan wants to beat somebody here today. So he says you didn’t visit everybody on the sick list, so you didn’t keep the work of God, which tells us to visit the sick. My brothers and sisters, you cannot be in all places at all times. When I worked the night shift……………………………
The woman with the issue of blood was bruised by depression and sickness, but the Lord fixed her. The blind man by the roadside was bruised but the Lord healed him and the bible says he glorified God. Yea the Samaritan woman at the well was bruised, but the Lord still fixed her and used her, come see a man that talks like a teacher man, but feeds like a grocery man. Come see a man that took all my sins away. You here tonight, be not dismayed no matter how bruised you are God still wants to straighten you up and use you for his glory. I hear the Lord saying come unto me all you that are burden and heavy laden, I am the God of Healing, I am the God of deliverance I am the mighty God, but a bruised reed I will not break. And smoking flax I will not quench or put out.
God knows how you’ve been praying and wrestling against the devil and he sees that you are almost used up. God knows how you are about to faint because like is taking it’s toll on you but God still want to use you. So today he brings you here at this appointed time to be refreshed and refilled. If you can picture a coal oil lamp when all the oil is used up, the wick still smokes but without oil the wick is no good. If you can picture coals in a barbecue pit, they look cold but you still see smoke. Now we would discard or throw out the coals and probably snuff out the wick, but the Lord says all I want to do is breath on you and you will catch on fire again. All I want to do is refill your lamp with the oil of my Holy Spirit and you will be a light for me again.
Sinner man there is hope for you, you may have been running into walls and getting all banged up but God wants to heal you. Drugs or alcohol or lying and backbiting may have bruised you, but God wants to heal you. If you just cry out Lord my soul is bruised and I want to be made whole. It does not matter what you have done, where you come from or who you use to run with, a bruised reed he will not break for we are all precious in his sight. Smoking flax he will not put out but he will fill you up with his Holy Spirit. Down through the ages God has fixed up and used many a bruised reed, down through the ages God has breathed on many a smoking flax and then used them for his Glory. And the bible says he is the same God yesterday, today and forever more.
You see lying bruised Abraham and he even had his wife lie and say she was not his wife, but I heard the Lord tell Abraham I want to use you. Walk before me and be Holy. The Lord used him to bless all nations. Murder bruised Moses. But the Lord used his to lead his people out of bondage. Doubt bruised Gideon. he want the Lord to show him signs and wonders as to his power, but that did not stop the Lord from using him. Lust and selfishness cause Samson to be smoking flax. He loved to take hot coal in his bosom, and before he knew it all the oil of the Holy Spirit was gone out of him but at God’s appointed time he breathed on him, and the bible says he killed more of God’s enemies in the end than he had in his whole life. God wants to breath on somebody tonight.
Denial bruised Peter. When he turned on the Lord. Yet the Lord still used him to preach the first sermon on the day of Pentecost. Paul was bruised by the sin of perscution, but the Lord still used him. We don’t have to stay in scripture; somebody here is bruised by adultery. but the Lord can use you. Somebody here is bruised by alcohol but the Lord can still use you. If you unfaithful, that’s a bruise. If you hating your fellow man, that is a bruise.
Young folk disrespecting your parents, that’s a bruise, Cutting up and being disobedient, that’s a brusie. But God still want to use you. But you got to come down front with the Lord, and say Lord against thee and thee alone have I sinned. Purge me with hyssops; wash me and I shall be whiter than snow. Lord create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit with in me. And you can be assured that God is no shorter than his word. For he says if any man come to me, I will no wise cast him out. God is concerned about your bruises. But you got to take it to the Lord in pray. And when you do you will find strength for the journey. Because Jesus paid it all. And he is our example.
The bible says he was bruised not because of sin, but he was bruised for you and I. But God the father still used him to save a dieing world. Yea Jesus was bruised and he brought healing. They bruised his side with a spear. They bruised his head with a crown of thorns. They bruised his hands and they bruised his feel. They bruised him at Calvary for you and I. I don’t know about you, but like Jacob I got a limp. But I came to Jesus just as I was weary wounded and sad. I found in him a resting place and now my soul is glad. Lord I need you to breath on me. God see your bruises. And he knows how to heal them all.