MINI-SERIES: SEASONS OF SPIRITUAL & PHYSICAL ENLARGEMENT - THE JABEZ FACTORS TO ENLARGEMENT [PT. 1 OH LORD, THAT YOU WILL BLESS ME INDEED]
1. Isaiah 54:1-5 2 “Enlarge The Place Of Your Tent, and let them Stretch Out The Curtains Of Your Dwellings; Do Not Spare; Lengthen Your Cords, and Strengthen Your Hooks. 3 For You Shall Expand To The Right And To The Left.
2. 1 Chr. 4:9-10: 9 Jabez was More Honorable than his brothers. His mother named him Jabez, saying, “I Gave Birth To Him In Pain.” 10 Jabez Cried Out to the God of Israel, “Oh, Lord, that you would Bless Me Indeed & Enlarge My Territory! Let Your Hand Be With Me, and Keep Me From Harm So That I Will Be Free From Pain.” And God granted his request.
3. Genesis 26 1 There was a famine in the land, besides the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines, in Gerar. 2 Then the Lord appeared to him and said: “Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land of which I shall tell you. 3 Dwell in this land, and I will be with you and bless you; for to you and your descendants I give all these lands, and I will perform the oath which I swore to Abraham your father. 4 And I will make your descendants multiply as the stars of heaven; I will give to your descendants all these lands; and in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed; 5 because Abraham obeyed My voice and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws.” 6 So Isaac dwelt in Gerar. 12 Then Isaac sowed in that land, and reaped in the same year a hundredfold; and the Lord blessed him. 13 The man began to prosper, and continued prospering until he became very prosperous; 14 for he had possessions of flocks and possessions of herds and a great number of servants. So the Philistines envied him. 15 Now the Philistines had stopped up all the wells which his father’s servants had dug in the days of Abraham his father, and they had filled them with earth. 16 And Abimelech said to Isaac, “Go away from us, for you are much mightier than we.”
INTRODUCTION: PART 1: OH LORD, THAT YOU WILL BLESS ME INDEED (2)
Seasons Of Enlargement – The Years To Enlarge, Stretch, Lengthen & Strengthen. Synonyms are to expand, extend, grow, amplify, augment, add, magnify, etc. See Joseph, David, Moses, Solomon, Jacob, Job as examples of The Blessed Life. But let’s look at Isaac in addition to Jabez. Jabez gives us summary of the blessed life. Isaac gives us a detailed biography. Let us follow him today.
FOUR (4) DISTINCTIONS OF JABEZ
1. Distinction Of Name: His mother called him Jabez, saying, "Because I bore him in pain."
2. Distinction Of His Circumstances. He was living under a curse. Everything became a failure.
3. Distinction Of Honor: He was more honorable than his brothers. Certain things you choose.
4. Distinction Of Prayer: His prayer became the distinction that removed the curse.
RESULTS OF A LIFE THAT IS NOT BLESSED.
1. You Sow Much, But Reap Little.
2. You Give Much, But Harvest Little.
3. You Eat Much, But Never Have Enough.
4. You Drink, But Are Never Filled.
5. You Earn Wages, But Like Putting Money In Bag With Holes.
6. You Invest In Relationships, Nothing Comes Out.
7. You Buy Clothes, But Are Not Satisfied With Them.
8. You Have Education, But No Job.
9. You Invest In Businesses, They Fail.
10. You Start Projects, They Are Never Completed.
SOME HINDRANCES TO BEING BLESSED
1. Unforgiveness, Guilt & Letting Go The Past: Letting go the past whether yourself or others. Matthew 6:15 If we do not forgive others, our Heavenly Father will not forgive us.
2. An Unthankful Heart: 1 Thessalonians 5:18 "...in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." This can lead to a refusal to give to God or others.
3. Unbelief: Pray with confidence, believing God to do what He said He will do. James 1:6-7 "But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord."
4. Selfishness: Ask for the things in God's will, the outcome of which is to honor and glorify God. James 4:3 "You ask and do not receive because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures."
5. Failure To Ask God To Supply Our Needs – Due To Fear Of Ignorance: Many dreams are left unfulfilled because we do not take risks. James 4:2 "You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask."
6. Disobedience And Pride: Pray and ask God with confidence, obeying His commandments. 1 John 3:22 "And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things which are pleasing in His sight." James 4:7 “God resists the proud.”
7. Praying Alone: Pray with others and agree in faith. Matthew 18:19 "Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven."
8. Disharmony In Family Or With Others: Be at peace with one another. 1 Peter 3:7 "Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered."
9. Idols: Not putting God first in our lives. Ezekiel 14:2-5 "And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 'Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their hearts, and put before them that which causes them to stumble into iniquity. Should I let Myself be inquired of by them? Therefore speak to them, 'Thus says the Lord God: 'Everyone of the house of Israel who sets up his idols in his heart, and puts before him what causes him to stumble into iniquity, and then comes to the prophet, I the Lord will answer him who comes, according to the multitude of his idols, that I may seize the house of Israel by their heart, because they are all estranged from Me by their idols. '"
10. Forgetting The Poor: Ignoring and not having compassion. Proverbs 21:13 "Whoever shuts his ears to the cry of the poor will also cry himself and not be heard."
11. Lack Of Reconciliation: Bearing malice, hate, grudge etc. Matthew 5:23-24 "Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift."
12. Not Wanting To Wait On God: Matthew 7:7-8 "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened."
BY THE WAY, WHO IS ISAAC?
Isaac Is The Son Of Abraham & Sarah. Isaac means “laughter” because Sarah laughed at the idea of having a child in old age (90 & 100). Isaac is born & grows up. But Sarah dies & later Abraham. Ishmael has settled in the wilderness. By then Isaac is married. He is the carrier of the blessing & begins to feel the weight of responsibility. Then a famine confronts him and he chooses to flee to Egypt like his father did (Gen. 12). God says no. He settles in Gerar in Philistines territory - the land God promised Abraham & descendants. In Gen. 26:2, God promised to guide Isaac to the place he should dwell. Staying in Gerar during famine, Isaac sowed and harvested a bumper crop: Gen. 26:12-14 Now Isaac sowed in that land, and reaped in the same year a hundredfold. And the Lord blessed him, and the man BECAME RICH, and continued to GROW RICHER until he became VERY WEALTHY; for he had possessions of flocks and herds and a great household, so that the Philistines envied him.
TO BE BLESSED YOU WILL MOVE FROM DOWN TO UP – SYMBOLS OF THE WELLS
1. Esek (Well Of Contention): Gen. 26:20: First well that must be opened in our walk with God - where we contend with the enemy. It is the place of early struggles in our lives; where every day seems a battle; living for God seems sometimes discouraging. The News Is: God doesn’t want us stay at Esek. In the midst of the battle, God moves us on, we open a new well.
2. Sitnah (Well Of Separation): Gen. 26:21: Place of enmity between us & the world. The world hates us. We’re stepping out with God - away from comfort zone; moving to another level. Just like Esek, there are struggles here. Here we declare war on the devil: “You may have filled my wells before, but you will never fill them up again”.
3. Rehoboth (The Well Of Room): Gen. 26:22: The Lord has made room for us, enlarged us, made us fruitful. This is a well of maturity - those who made it through struggles. Those who don’t understand our struggles envy us – they think we are lucky. Instead of the enemy moving you, you moved the enemy. You can’t get here without Esek & Sitnah. Keep digging & believing.
4. Shebah (The Well Of 7-Fold Blessings): Gen. 26:23: If I had a wish for your life, it would be that you drink from the well of Shebah. Isaac has made his share of mistakes, lost battles and moved on. Now he has arrived at the place where God has settled him in the Spirit.
TO BE BLESSED BECOME AWARE OF CERTAIN PRINCIPLES. LET US FOLLOW ISAAC.
1. We Must Go Where God Tells Us To Go & Do What He Tells Us To Do. GO: Geographically, obey God’s direction. Be where God told you to be to get what He promised you. Elijah: 1 Kgs 17:3-4 3 Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan. 4 And… thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there. God has a commanded blessing looking for you. It may have flown over your head many times, but it won’t land until you’re in position. Moses: The Fire By Night & Cloud By Day. DO: Whatsoever he saith unto you do it. Naaman: Dip 7 times. Widow: Borrow empty vessels not a few. Jesus: Take away the stone. Jesus: Fill the water pots with water. Joshua: Step into the raging Jordan. Joshua: Walk around the walls of Jericho. Isaac was in Lahairoi. God said don’t go to Egypt. God didn’t say go to Gerar. Yet Isaac went there.
2. We Must Give God The Latitude To Use Whatever Means He Desires To Get The Blessing To Us. Jesus healed by many different methods, to reject the method he was using at the time would have been to reject the healing. Elijah’s food was delivered to him by a dirty bird. Isaac: God used the famine & plugged wells to steer Isaac to his blessings. Your blessings may come through deception, sickness, disappointment, etc. Let God choose the method.
3. Understand That Blessings Come With Hard Work. In Gen. 26:18, Isaac “dug up the old wells.” If he hadn’t worked hard, he would have never found water. God blesses hard work. Ex: Man Pool of Bethesda (Jn 9): Why aren’t you digging? “I have no man to put me in the pool when the water is troubled.” For 30 years sitting & waiting for someone? Dig for your healing. Dig for your breakthrough. Woman With Issue Of Blood (Mk 5): “If I can but touch the helm of his garment, I know I shall be made whole.” The Hebrew translation emphasizes her repeating that to herself over & over until she reached Jesus. Sometimes we play it so safe, we become blinded to what we could have done. Job: Job 1:10 Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks & herds are spread throughout the land. Isaac Knew Where To Dig - the wells his father had dug. Some are digging in the wrong places or not digging at all & can’t understand why wells are dry. We keep finding dirt! Build something, God will bless it. Noah did - Hebrews 11:7: “By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house…” Moved by faith, Noah did something. Faith moves people. Psalm 1:3 …and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. Deut. 28: …The crops, barns, baking board, etc. shall all be blessed. God waits for you to act for him to bless. Are you building a mess and wants God to bless it? Be a fool…
4. Expect Adversity Before Blessings. Adversity is normal for Christians. We shouldn’t desire trouble nor consider every problem an attack from Satan. Isaac was a man of God who did what God said by staying in the land despite a famine, and was promised the blessings of God. But he was forced to move from his land by Abimelech. He left & faced more opposition. The enemies came & plugged those wells which were the sign of God’s blessing. Receiving God’s blessings doesn’t mean easy life. You become a target for Satan directly & indirectly. Gen. 26:17-22: For Isaac, every step forward led to 2 steps backward. Water was important. Despite the difficulties, Isaac did not throw down his shovel & quit or complain. Illustration: When he was 7 years old, his family was forced out of their home on a legal technicality, and he worked to help support them. At age 9, his mother died. At 22, he lost his job as a store clerk. He wanted to go to law school, but his education wasn’t good enough. At 23, he went into debt to become a partner in a small store. At 26, his business partner died, leaving him a huge debt that took years to repay. At 28, after courting a girl for four years, he asked her to marry him. She said no. At 37, on his 3rd try he was elected to Congress, but 2 years later, he failed to be reelected. At 41, his 4-year-old son died. At 45, he ran for the Senate & lost. At 47, he failed as the vice presidential candidate. At 49, he ran for the Senate again & lost. At 51, he was elected president of the United States. His name was Abraham Lincoln, a man many consider the greatest leader the country ever had.
5. Know That Life Can Be Very Unfair: People and circumstances can hurt you and steal from you what is rightfully yours. At that point you will have a choice, you can look back at what has been lost or you can look ahead in faith for God to provide again.
6. Sometimes We Will Suffer Loss In The Promised Land. It was in the Promised Land that he kept being ripped off. You can be a child of God, be blessed and be conned. It happened to Isaac by Laban. It happened to Mordecai by Haman. But God knows how to deliver. Isaac suffered loss. Some of those losses you might never recover, but God will show you better options.
7. Know That Good Things Can Come From Adversity. We will face & respond to trials differently if only we recognize the good that God brings out of them. Did anything good come out of Isaac’s adversity?" "Yes." 2 Good Results Of Isaac’s Adversity: Illustration: Man shipwrecked on island. Hut burned. Ship came. Difficulty you have now is a smoke signal that leads to blessing. First, Troubles Turned Into Blessings. Isaac started in the land of Gerar outside of the Promised Land. He was content to stay there but adversity forced him to move toward Beersheba in the Promised Land. The Promised Land represents God’s Presence. Isaac moved closer to God because of the adversity. God used these troubles not to destroy Isaac but bring him into deeper relationship with Himself. Second, Others Could See The Wonderful Way God Was Working Through Isaac’s Adversity. The Philistine leaders watched Isaac & admitted he was special for he had overcome & been blessed despite his problems. Our problems are often opportunities for others to see and glorify God! Isaac’s blessings drive the neighbors to greed and envy – but ultimately drives them back to Isaac.
8. We Should Realize That Blessings Bring Enemies: Other people, government opposition, health problems, financial adversity, family struggles, etc. will become eneies when you are blessed.. John 16:3: "In this world you will have trouble but be of good cheer for I have overcome the world." James 1:2 "Consider its pure joy whenever you face trials of many kinds." Not everyone in the Promised Land will go for us. No everyone will be attracted to your dream. Focus on God – He never disappoints. Some folks were born to hate. Jesus’ Baptism: Tested In The Wilderness. The Angel Prospered Jacob: But He Became Limp For Life. David Conquered Enemies: Fell To Bathsheba. Elijah Calls Down Fire: Terrified Of Jezebel. Nehemiah Rebuilds The Walls: Enemy Raises Opposition. Peter Walks On Water: Denies Jesus 3 Times. Last Supper: Dispute Over Who’s The Greatest. Noah’s Ark, Safe Thru Flood: Uncovered Drunk In Tent. Abraham - God’s Covenant Promise: Wife Sarah, Hagar.
9. Isaac Chose Not To Quarrel With People, But Moved On To Places Of Peace. Resist the temptation to fight, quarrel, argue about things that are non-essentials. Learn to be at peace with all people. Isaac was not willing to dwell with people who despised peace & harmony. Isaac’s life is in sharp contrast to the belligerent Ishmael who would fight about everything, even if he knew that he was wrong. Ephesians 4:28-32 “Put away anger, jealousy, wrath, slander and clamor. Be kind one to another, tender-hearted, compassionate, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ has forgiven you for the glory of God.”
10. Isaac Maintained His Close Communion With God Wherever He Went. Isaac kept his prayer and devotional times as a priority, and so was able to hear & maintain a sweet fellowship with God regardless of the evil circumstances around him. When we abide in Christ and His Word abides in us, we will always bear much fruit & prove to be His disciples (John 15:16). Isaac built an altar to God and there pitched his tent for his dwelling. When we dedicate our life, our home and our activities to the Lord’s purposes, we can expect to receive God’s blessings.
11. We Must Believe The Time For Blessings Is Now & Praise God For It. Ecc. 3:1 To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven. You must believe it is harvest time – deliverance, prosperity, miracles. You sow & reap knowing time element is involved. Your waiting is over. This praise tells God you believe His Word & refuse to be hemmed in by circumstances. You may be in prison but your praise can reach heaven.
CONCLUSION: WHY SHOULD GOD BLESS ABRAHAM? WHY ENLARGE YOU? US? ME?
1. To Understand What It Means To Be Blessed By God. Blessing is more than big houses or fast cars. Anybody who has ever been given peace when a child is fatally ill, an unplanned death, the deception delivered of a loved one, knows what it’s like to completely rely upon God. God’s peace is considered a blessing - the exact blessing God promised Isaac if he remained faithful.
2. To Be A Blessing To Others: In Gen. 12:2 God promised Abram, "I will bless you and make your name great." Why? "So that you will be a blessing to others." God does not say: "So you will get what you want." God says: Gen. 12:3. "In you all families on the earth will be blessed." He gave you pain to bring comfort to others. Lk. 12:48 "To whom much is given, much is required."
3. So People Will See The Difference Between God’s People & The World: In Egypt, there was light in the camp of the Hebrews & darkness in the camp of the Egyptians.
4. To Testify To God’s Glory: God’s Name must be exalted. So everyone can be an evangelist. Be part of making the enlargement. Noah got his family and in-laws involved. Abraham got his family involved to rescue Lot. Isaac got all of those in his household involved in digging wells. Invite someone to church. Take some fliers to your shop. Keep them in your car. Obedience brings blessings. When you are doing God’s will, blessings are being attracted to you.
INTERCESSION:
1. Lord, Enlarge Me To Understand What It Means To Be Blessed.
2. Lord, Enlarge Me To Be A Blessing To Others.
3. Lord, Enlarge Me That People Will See The Distinction.
4. Lord, Enlarge Me To Bring Glory To Your Name.
