Getting God's Blessing
Written by Ed Allen
Saturday, 13 November 2004 19:00
notes for sermon...
1 Chronicles 4:9-10
Today I want to give the other side of the story – the opposing view. Last Sunday we talked about giving and we highlighted the critically important principle from 2 Corinthians 9:6. We summarized with this: “The key to successful living is now what you have but what you’re giving.” This is not only true, this is vitally true. We have no shot at financial success or freedom without living out of this principle. Because if we live out of the principle of getting all that we can a keeping all that we get, then we will experience, not success and freedom, but desire and anxiety. We will, in fact, be driven by desire and anxiety whether we have little or much.
And while this may all be true, as we cover this I can almost hear a collective groan. Can’t it ever be about me? Can’t I just have some good stuff without feeling guilty all the time? Instead of always giving, can’t I ever receive? Can’t I ask God to bless me?
So today, we cover the other side of the story. Today we talk about getting God’s blessing. In some ways, if we’re honest, this is what the spiritual life is all about.
Prayer of Jabez gave us a blueprint for how to do this. Tells us how to pray and be blessed by God. But is it okay?
- Why asking God to bless us should create some tension in our minds
- Why it is appropriate to ask God to bless us
- When can we ask God to bless us
- The purpose of God?s blessing us
Read 1 Chronicles 4:9-10. Tell about Jabez’ name...
Why asking God to bless us should create some tension in our minds (So what’s the problem?)
USA Today quote...
Last week’s sermon “ PRAYING FOR GOD TO BLESS YOU CAN BE HIGHLY SELF-CENTERED. Remember, the key to success and freedom – financially and otherwise – is our focus on giving. This is how God made us.
Why it is appropriate (So what are we to think?)
Highly appropriate because God is generous and longs to bless us... Begins with Abraham – Genesis 12:2-3... Continues through Isaac – Genesis 26:24... Continues through Jacob ? Genesis 28:13-15... In fact, God even longs to bless us when we are in rebellion against Him – Isaiah 30:18... Also highly appropriate because of the Biblical examples... Jabez, Psalms 67:1, Also Psalms that cry out for God to be gracious: 4:1; 6:2; 9:13; 25:16; 26:11; 27:7; 30:10; 31:9; 41:4; 56:1; 86:3, 16; 103:8; 119:58, 132
PRAYING FOR GOD TO BLESS YOU IS HIGHLY APPROPRIATE. SO GO AHEAD, PRAY WITH ABANDON – BECAUSE HE LONGS TO ANSWER YOU.
When can we ask God to bless us?
The many passages have nothing in common. So all the time. Always appropriate to ask God to bless. In fact, Jabez’ prayer covers his whole life. There is a big indicator that you need God to bless you – worry.
Why will God bless us? What is the purpose of the blessing?
To free us from worry (Philippians 4:6-7). Jesus in Matthew 6 says worry is irrational and unproductive and it keeps you from focusing on what is really important.
So that we can be a blessing to others... John Powell “It’s very hard to love others when you have a toothache.” Abraham, Isaac, Jacob all intended to be a blessing to others.
Interesting thing about Jabez – his name means pain. Jabez wanted God o change his identity. He did not want to be a pain to himself or to others.
Some of you have a name that you would like God to change. You have an identity that you would like God to reshape. Ask Him.
USAToday quote
“Is Jabez for the needy or the greedy? The Prayer of Jabez: Breaking Through to the Blessed Life by Bruce Wilkinson is one of the hottest selling books this season. But it’s also making some readers hot under the collar. The slim non-fiction volume has sold 4.9 million copies since it was published in April 2000. (I think its over 7 million now.) Bible classes are studying The Prayer of Jabez. Ministers are preaching on it. Churches have incorporated the prayer into their services. Many people are writing testimonials about how it has changed their lives. But critics charge that Jabez encourages prayer for material gain and other selfish reasons.