There are many things in the Bible concerning the spirit of man. One aspect of this spirit is the broken spirit. In this sermon we’re going to discuss what happens when your spirit is broken.
You spirit should be broken at salvation – Ps 34:18 – When you first get saved, a broken spirit is excellent because it’s what draws the Lord close to you. A contrite spirit is a sorrowful spirit [2 Cor 7:10] that leads to godly repentance. The greater the brokenness at salvation, the nearer the Lord. Too many people these days come to Christ without contrition and brokenness, which seems to leave them in a very shallow relationship with the Lord.
Your spirit should be broken over sin – Ps 51:17 – David said, after confessing his sin with Bathsheba, “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.” When God has dealt with you about a sin in your life, there should be brokenness and a desire to never go back to that sin again. Ecc 7:2-5 shows you that sorrow and sadness make you better in salvation and repentance. These keep you in good fellowship with the Lord. When your spirit is broken, you’re not just looking right to others, you are right with God.
After your spirit is broken, your heart is merry – Prov 15:13 – there is a process then. The sorrow of the heart leads to the broken spirit, and the broken spirit gives way to a merry heart. Once the sorrow of the heart has accomplished its work, the heart should become merry and the countenance cheerful. In Ps 51:10-12 David asked the Lord to renew a right spirit within him and to restore the joy of his salvation. After brokenness, the Lord will restore your joy.
A broken spirit for some other reason can be destructive – Prov 17:22 – Solomon said, “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.” When your heart is supposed to be merry and yet your spirit is broken, something is wrong. You are out of balance. Something has made you sad and stolen your spiritual joy [Gal 5:22]. You have to deal with this broken spirit because it will affect your health, your perception of others, and your conversation.
For example, in Prov 18:14 your spirit is supposed to sustain your infirmity. But when your spirit is wounded it is unbearable. This affects your health. Jack Wood, the former pastor of Shady Acres Baptist Church in Houston, complained to his wife that the song leader, the associate pastor and a couple of deacons were backslidden. His wife suggested that he fast and pray for a couple of days. He came back and said that it was amazing how all these fellows had gotten right with God. You understand, don’t you, that his spirit was refreshed which changed his perception of these other men. A woman in subjection to a disobedient husband can’t have a chaste conversation unless she maintains a meek and quiet spirit. How is it some men only see the devil in the field where they are working? How is it that they can only see the darkness around them and not the light that is within them? The trouble is with their spirit.
Conclusion: when you have sufficiently dealt with a sin in your life that is a stronghold, your spirit should be broken. And after you get “the victory” over this one, your heart and countenance should be merry and your spirit should be right. When your spirit breaks for some other reason, deal with it. Don’t let your broken spirit steal your spiritual joy.