“BLESS ME”
I Chronicles 4:9,10
9Now Jabez was more honorable than his brothers, and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, “Because I bore him in pain.” 10And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, “Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!” So God granted him what he requested.
Introduction
My subject this morning is…Bless me. My brothers and sisters, I don’t know where each of you are individually in your spiritual walk. I don’t know whether you’ve been in the church all your life…or you just joined church last week. I don’t know whether you are on your way to becoming a spiritual warrior…or you’re still a spiritual baby, but one thing is for sure. If there is going to be any significant change in your life…if you’re going to be able to overcome the trials and tribulations that life throws in your path. If you’re going to be able to weather the storms and ascend the multitudes of hills and mountains that this world consistently causes you to have to climb. It is going to have to be through prayer. Amen.
It’s not just going to happen by happenstance and circumstance alone.
I’ve discovered that…”much prayer, much power…little prayer…little power…no prayer…no power.” And it is a sad fact that the church today, is filled with powerless saints, because the way to get your breakthrough…is to talk to God.
As we continue on our Christian journey, we will come to discover that talking to God is easy yet complex at the same time. Yes, every Christian has the right to pray…but you must realize that there is a method…in approaching God. You just don’t come to God in any old kind of way.
I don’t care who you are and how well you think you’ve got it together…if the president of the United States (and I know most of us didn’t vote for him), but if George W. Bush called you and requested your presence at the white house Monday morning, none of us would go about going to the white house…just any kind of way.
As it is with the president, so it is with God…you just don’t approach the Lord in any kind of way. Do I have a witness?
And so as we continue on in this year of 2002, I’m calling on every member of this church to realize that you can’t make it on your own. Is there anybody here this morning that will testify with me that in order to make it in this world, you are going to have to have some supernatural assistance to handle the pressures that marriage brings, to deal with the difficulties of singleness, to be able to weather the storms of bringing up your children…in order to deal with all of these things and more…you are going to have to have the Lord on your side. I wish I had somebody to pray with me this morning.
And so in order to accomplish this, I want to notice a few things about this man mentioned here in our text. Because the record tells us that he was successful in his approach to God and was able to secure the blessing of God. The text is not very detailed in giving us much background about Jabez. The only thing we know for sure about his past is the fact that during or shortly after childbirth…he caused her pain. So much so that she decided to name him after the sorrow she had endured.
It says she named him Jabez because she bore him in “pain”. I don’t know why she decided to name him “pain”. Maybe she thought that she was too young to go through the pain of childbirth. Maybe she was mad at his daddy…listen mothers.
You do know that some folk take things out on their children. But I come to tell you today that your drama shouldn’t be passed down to your children. Ya’ll know what I’m talkin’ about….You get mad at yo’ man and you cussin’ and fussin’ the whole world out. You get mad and send everybody to bed…it’s only 4 o’clock and you punishing everybody ‘cause you mad at Antwan! Come on and talk to me somebody!
So, I don’t know why she decided to name him Jabez, but there was something going on that made her name him pain. And all throughout his life…when someone would say, “Hey Jabez.” He was reminded that he represented “pain”. That’s why you’ve got to be careful what you say to your children. That’s part of the reason why our young folk are walking around lost, because folk are going around their homes talkin’ bout you remind me of pain, you make me sick, you remind me of your no-good daddy. And then turn around…and wonder what in the world is wrong with them…when they act out and get themselves in all kind of trouble.
They’ve been brought up to think that they represent pain, sorrow and trouble.
Jabez walked around all his life being constantly reminded that something about him caused his mother sorrow. Church you don’t realize how many folk are walking around messed up because of what somebody called them. I know you’ve heard the saying, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.”
Well, I came to tell you this morning that that is a lie from the pits of hell!
Words do too hurt! Words cause damage and wounds that run deep. So deep that some folk never recover from hearing “You are stupid, you’re a fool, you ain’t never gonna be nothin’! Words do too hurt. So be careful what you say, ‘cause once you put them out…you can’t take them back! Say amen somebody!
So Jabez was reminded daily about his past. But what I love about him is the fact that he did not allow the pain of his past to overshadow the possibility of his now!
Can I get a witness here. He did not let the possibility of his future!
How many of you here know that you can’t let your past dictate you future?
Jabez could have gone his entire life dwelling on his past and missed out on the blessings that God had in store for him. I don’t care how bad it was five years ago.
I don’t care how bad you messed up in the past. I don’t care how loose you used to be…I don’t care how much you used to drink…I don’t care how filthy your mouth used to be…you cannot let your past dictate your now…and you cannot let it dictate your future! Say amen somebody!
Let the truth be told…everybody within the sound of my voice is a used to be!
Used to be drunk…
Used to be a liar…
Used to be a thief…
Used to be a gossiper…
Used to be an adulterer…
Used to be a dope user…
Used to be a dope pusher…
But none of that should make any difference if you’ve got a new life in Christ Jesus!
And don’t you let nobody, call up to remembrance to many of those old things,
You do know folk will get jealous and go to talkin’ about I new him when…you don’t know her like I know her! No! You look them dead in the eye and tell them…
If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature, old things have passed away behold, all things have become new, and just when they try to refresh your memory.
Tell them, I’m sorry but I’ve got to leave you now…’cause I’m…
Forgetting those things which are behind and reaching for those things which are before me…I wish I had a church to pray with me this morning!
Yes, Jabez had been through some stuff in his past, but he refused to let his past dictate his…I’m not gone say his future…I’m gone say his now, ’cause too many folk are hung up and caught up on what they’re gone do. You did it a few weeks ago…I’m talkin’ bout those New Year resolutions. You’ve been doing it for years.
This year I ain’t gone gain no weight…and you been gaining every year.
This year I ain’t gone drink no more…and you still partying like there ain’t no tommorow.
This year I ain’t gone be with all those men…and you still got five friends and a whatchamacallit. You know how they do…”Oh, girl we ain’t serious…he’s my friend”. Yeah right! I stopped by to tell you that you need to quit making all those resolutions that you know you can’t keep. The bible says, “it is better not to make a vow, than make a vow and break it!” If you’re going to make something you need to make a covenant with the Lord and then lean and depend on Him to give you the strength to make it good! I know ya’ll don’t want to hear that but it’s straight bible this morning!
So I’m living for now. I can’t allow my past to affect my now. I can’t talk too long about what I used to do because before too long if I linger on it…I can find myself becoming depressed. I’ve got to focus on my today…in order that I might be strong enough to endure my tomorrow. Say amen somebody.
So let’s focus in on this prayer of Jabez and see if we can pick up a few things that will help us along the way. The first thing that we notice is …”and Jabez called on the God of Israel saying…Oh, that thou wouldest bless me…what?
Oh God, that you would make me rich…
Oh God, that you would get me a man…
Oh God, that you would get me a lexus…
It didn’t say any of that…it says…Oh God that you would bless me!
How many of us here need a blessing?
Please get this…I’m here to tell you…if you get this it’s gone change your life.
What you need in your life…is the blessing.
Behold, I will open up the windows of heaven and pour you out…a blessing.
Pay your tithes and I’ll bless you…not make you rich.
Worship me in spirit and truth and I’ll bless you…not get you a spouse.
Come into my gates with thanksgiving and my courts with praise and I’ll bless you…
St. John, if we can get to the point in our walk with the Lord where we realize that with the blessing comes healing…
With the blessing comes deliverance…
With the blessing comes prosperity…
With the blessing comes peace…
With the blessing comes joy…
With the blessing I might even get my man…
What I need from the Lord…is for Him to bless me. The reason I need God to bless me is because He knows what I need more than I know. You see, I am finite and carnal in my thinking, but He is infinite in His wisdom and sovereign in his divine administration! Oh, Bless His name!
You see I look at that car and see how good I’m going to look when I’m driving it,
But He looks at it and sees that I can’t handle the car payments.
I look at that house and think about how folk are going to see how I’m moving up,
But He looks at it and sees that I’m gonna get the big head and not give him the credit He deserves!
I look at that woman and see how good she looks on the outside,
But He looks at her heart and sees that she ain’t gonna be the kind of holy woman I need behind me to support my ministry! I wish I had a witness in here this morning!
Wait on the Lord, wait I say on the Lord, I need God to bless me!
I need God to bless me with some things that are going to last.
I need God to bless me with something I can appreciate.
I need God to bless me with something I can work with.
I need God to bless me with something I can keep.
I need God to bless me with something I didn’t get it on my own, I got it because…
If it had not been the Lord on my side! Touch somebody and say…
I need God to bless me!
And so the next thing we see in this text is the request to “enlarge my territory”.
If there’s anything that gets me in this ministry…it’s mediocrity. I have a problem with folk that who really don’t want to go no further than where they are. I mean, I would hate to be married…I’m sorry if sitting with your spouse…just look straight ahead…they won’t notice your shout. I would hate to be married to someone who didn’t want more in life. I don’t know how you feel about it…but I want God to continually advance me. Advance me spiritually, advance my financially…in every area of my life…I want more.
See there’s some folk sitting around talkin’ about “Oh, ain’t we blessed, we just havin’ church up in here.” No, no, no…I want God to enlarge our territory.
I don’t want to be blessed by myself.
I don’t want to advance by myself.
I don’t want the blessing to be contained within these four walls.
I’m like David, I want my cup to run over. I want folk across the street to be blessed.
I want folk behind us to be blessed.
I want folk in the projects to be blessed.
I want Jackson St. to be blessed.
I want Mentor Avenue to be blessed.
I want N. State…and all of Painesville to be blessed.
In 2002 I want to employ a Youth Pastor.
In 2002 I want to begin to make that model become a reality.
In 2002 I want to the youth ministry to grow.
In 2002 I want the pews to begin to fill.
In 2002 I want a city-wide revival.
In 2002 I want folk to come running crying what must I do to be saved!
Don’t you get satisfied with where we’re at…
It’s time for us to come up…It’s time for us to go further than where we are.
It’s time for us to stop livin’ check to check…it’s time for us to put a few dollars in the bank for a rainy day. It’s time for us to stop struggling and every month wonderin’ how we gone make it…No, no…I’m going further than that…and if you don’t want to follow me, then you go down to 2nd Holiness, Full Gospel, Church of the Carpenter down the street, but at St. John…we are going as far as we can.
I want to turn this city out. I want Painesville to know we are here and we are here to stay! ”It has not yet appeared what we shall be…but we do know when He shall appear, we shall be like Him!” Oh, I wish I had a witness here this morning! I want Him to enlarge our territory!
I’m gonna say this and then I’m going to quit. The final thing I want you to see in this text is this…Jaybez closes this prayer with the words…that your hand would be with me. In other words, Lord keep your hand on me. Lord, I need you to lead me…to guide me every step of the way. Lord, I need you to order my steps.
David said, “Take not thy spirit from me”. St. John, if we’re going to accomplish anything here…we’ve got to have the hand of the Lord upon us. If we’re going to make this a soul-saving station, we’ve got to make sure that we have God’s hand on us. And not just when we’re doing well, because we’re all human. But we also need God’s disciplined hand on us. You see one of the things I make as my prayer is that whatever it is God has to do to get my attention and keep me on the narrow path…I pray that He will do it.
If I get the big-head and forget from whence I came and you have to break me…
Then break me.
If I so carried away that I forget who it is that has gotten me to this point and you have to shake me up to wake me up…the so be it.
If I have to lose everything…my prayer is that God would not take his hand off of me.
See I believe there’s some folk in here that know what it is for God to take his hand off of you. When God takes His hand off you…all hell breaks loose.
When God takes His hand off you…your money starts lookin’ funny.
When God takes His hand off you…marriage begins to act up.
When God takes His hand off you…your children start acting out.
When God takes His hand off you…your job starts trippin’ on you.
That’s because you done messed up and lost the move of God in your life.
Oh, I want you to bless me indeed, and I want you to enlarge my territory, but what good is any of it if you take your hand off of me! Touch somebody and say, I need His hand. St. John, I hope you know that whatever it is you have…it’s because the hand of the Lord was on you. I know you’ve got this and you’ve got that…but if He takes his hand off you…you are on your own. LTV shut up and is on it’s way out…and some folk been working there for thirty-some years and they’ve built all their hope on LTV. But my hope is built on nothing less…than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.
They can shut everything down on me…but I serve a God that is able to save from the guttermost to the uttermost. I serve a God that sits high and looks low!
I serve a God who is able to keep me from falling!
I serve a God who is able to do exceedingly and abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us! Cleveland Schools don’t take care of me…my God takes care of me. I’ve never seen the righteous forsaken or His seed begging bread! I wish I had a praying church up in here, up in here!
Nobody takes care of me…not CMSD, not LTV, not Ford, not General Motors…
Nobody takes care of me…but my Lord…and I’ve got a secret baby!
Can’t nobody do me like Jesus!
(CLOSE)
