Sunday sermon by Pastor Rajesh Mathew, 11th Oct, 2020

How does pastor receive fresh manna every week? How is it possible to get the right Word, the sweet Word of the Lord that touches people across the globe in such a timely manner?

Jesus is the Good Shepherd. Looking unto that Good Shepherd is all we need to do. We are not worthy to even stand next to this Good Shepherd. The only scripture that gives us confidence is that God chose the weak things of this world to put to shame the strong. The election and calling of the Lord is all inclusive. Within that there is love, wisdom, grace and favour that we need to fulfil that calling. If you align with that calling, GOD Himself will place the Word in our mouth. We cannot otherwise figure out and put together a sermon. It is not practically possible. All glory is unto the Lord.

1 Chronicles 4:9-10- 9Now Jabez was more honourable than his brothers, and his mother called his name [a]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 enlargemy [b]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.

• The Holy Spirit has put a simple Word into my heart. It is on the favour of God that causes those to win with absolutely no chances to win!
• When you read this entire chapter, you see that many people’s names were just written. They lived and they died. In the midst of that there was one person who desired to make a difference through his life. It is about this person that we are reading/ learning. His name is Jabez.
• Most people just want to exist. They don’t want to make a difference in somebody’s life. But God is raising some people who have the desire to see God glorified through their lives. You feel that ‘God has to do something through my life’. Others just lived and died. But Jabez had a purpose of God in His life.
• He was not content in just living his life and dying. He wanted to do something.

This morning, pray and say Lord I am looking unto you. May God’s presence manifest uponthose who desire to make a difference for God in the lives of others.

Jabez wanted to be on top of the line; the best!

• He was more honorable than his brethren. Jabez wanted to be the best. Try to be the best at whatever you do. The best wife, husband, best child, best minister. I just don’t want to be normal and average.

Jabez did not do anything average bit he did what he did to the best of his ability. Worship with your full heart. If you pray, do it well, not looking at your mobile in between! Worship and pray with all your heart. I want to pray much better than this!

The ONLY one who can hold yourself back is you!

• To be the best- That is what Jabez wanted. If you are beautician, be the best beautician. If you are a cook, be the best cook. That is why we have God’s favour and God’s grace. I want to glorify Jesus with my life.
• Your limitations are not because you did not go to a good school or college. Even if you did not have any of this but if you have a relationship with Jesus you can move forward. Do not give these excuses! Whether it is in your business or job or family life, it should be blessed by the favour of God.

Jabez did not think like his other friends.

• My friends do not pray, do not clap. Did he become like them? No. He wanted to take a PhD. He wanted to excel! It is upon people who have this heart and desire to be the best that the favour of the Lord descends.
• His mother called him Jabez because he was responsible for the pain she went through. May be something made her unhappy, maybe she got pregnant at the wrong time or she must have carried that baby in much pain. Labour pain is as close as it gets to the pain of death. So, remember to honour your mothers. Have patience, love and tolerance towards them. Maybe she called that because she prophetically saw something.

PAIN

• Pain can be physical and many people know this pain.

This morning, let the Lord heal you of every type of physical pain, back pain, knee pain,stomach and shoulder pains etc. All pains to leave in the name of Jesus. We rebuke every spiritthat is behind these pains.

What we call our children is what they will be. So, name your children carefully.

I named my older girl Rania. Meaning Song from heaven. But when I heard her voice, I thought may be she is more suited to preach the Word or to cast out demons but off late I see her walking around just worshipping spontaneously in the Holy Spirit!

• Here a mother has called her son pain. What is worse than physical pain is the emotional hurt or pain. Rejection. These things have entered your heart and there is a lot of hurt and heaviness. May the Lord’s great healing come upon your heart and let those wounds dry up. May be your children or grandchildren have behaved badly. Amy be you wife or your husband have hurt you. But Lord is healing those who are in pain. Those negative thoughts and feelings be healed in Jesus Name.
• Doctors can’t find out emotional pain. It cannot be caught on X rays. Even those sitting next to you, your husband or wife cannot even sense it at times.

Physical pain can be resolved by a pill. Just take a pain killer. But who will cure emotional hurt? What medicine is there for this hurt and wound? There is only one medicine - the Presence of Jesus.

Pain as a purpose

Pain makes you think

Pain is called the earthly body’s warning system

Pain can make you better or bitter depending on whom you take it to Every pain is a message

• If you have taken your pain into the Presence of Jesus, the Lord will heal you. Paul and Silas were thrown into the prison and they worshipped God.
• In your struggle, If you can worship Jesus, He will heal you of the pain. If you don’t give your pain to the Lord the devil will step it and make you very bitter.

God can speak through your conscience, He can speak very softly through your blessing but GOD shouts through your pan. He is trying to get your attention.

• Don’t waste your pain. Take it to Jesus. Learn to take advantage of your pain. • In the book of Revelations, it says that in heaven there is no more pain and no more tears. • No family can put a board and say “NO HURT HERE.” Most people have been hurt at some point in time.

FAVOUR DURING PAIN

• Favour is that which will make you to function even in the midst of the experience of pain in your life. When you want to get out of that marriage or when you say I don’t want children, it is in the midst of that feeling that favour helps you to forgive and still fulfil the call of God in your life.
• When you pastor a church, you will be hurt. Your sheep will bite you. But you will still feed them and you will intercede for them. That is a sign that you are genuine child of God.

Misery loves company.

• People who are hurting or in pain are looking for others who are in the same boat. Example, people who have left the church will look for others who have left the church. But a spiritual person, when pain comes, they pray to God. Jabez prayed.
• He laid his burden at the feet of the Lord in His presence. In the midst of that pain, God will give you a healing, strength, blessing. Receive that In Jesus name.
• They cried and prayed in the midst of the pain they were going through. • There is no wound that Jesus cannot heal. He came to heal the broken hearted. He is the balm of Gilead. God’s presence is coming upon you.

A Mary who is watching this sermon listen, the Presence of the Holy Spirit is descending rightinto your room.

1 Chronicles 4:10- 10 And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, “Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my [a]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.

Few points to remember

1. We have a God

Let us be very clear that we have a God who created the heavens and the earth. The God who released manna in the wilderness, who satisfies you with water from the Rock. The God of Israel. Pray to the God of Israel. The God who makes all things possible. He has a name. His name is Jesus and He died for you and me 2000 years ago. Call on the name of Jesus. Jabez was the most unlikely person to be blessed.

2. Jabez made an urgent prayer and personal prayer

His was a short prayer. Lord have mercy. Those that are in a hurry are the ones who will pray those short prayers. These are ones that will experience the deliverance of God.

Mathew 14:28-20- 28 And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” 29 So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. 30 But when he saw [a]that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!”

• Peter prayed, ‘if it is You, let me also walk on the waters etc’. But when he was drowning, he had a short prayer ‘Lord Save me!’
• Some people may know the Bible cover to cover but no dependency on the Lord. No heartfelt prayers.

Jabez prayed an urgent prayer. He prayed a personal prayer

• Pray a personal prayer. Don try to copy Benny Hinn’s style of praying!

3. Oh, that you would bless me indeed!

• We are like, if I get blessed good or else I it’s OK. That is out attitude but Jabez was very clear. Lord you have to bless me! You cannot not bless me or show me mercy! Jesus, please help me. That you would bless me Indeed.
• A lot of believers feel guilty to pray for themselves. They view them as selfish prayers. How selfish to pray for me to be blessed, they think.
• Most pastors only pray for sheep. The sheep don’t feel the need to the pray for the pastor. • It is personal. It’s about me. Don’t think it is selfish. Your personal commitment is important for your breakthrough.

Psalm 23- The Lord is MY shepherd and I shall not want. He maketh ME to lie down in green pastures and leads ME besides the still waters and restores MY soul. He leads ME in the paths of righteousness for His Name’s sake.

David all through this Psalm is talking about I, me and my. No, he is not selfish. His prayer is personal.

4. It was a daring prayer

• You have to bless me indeed. As a promise, Jabez is praying to God saying ‘you should enlarge my coast’. This means that he is ready to take that responsibility. When God makes something grow, there are responsibilities. Everything cannot be done by pastor.

Behind enlargement is responsibility.

• Jabez is ready. You are praying to God to give you a child. But are you ready to take that responsibility? Lord “enlarge my territory.” Pray for your church.

1 Chronicles 2:55- And the families of the scribes who dwelt at Jabez were the Tirathites, the Shimeathites, and the Suchathites. These were the Kenites who came from Hammath, the father of the house of Rechab.

• An entire city was called Jabez! Jabez in fact became a doctor. A PhD Doctor of the Law. • God hears our prayers. Just pray. That is enough.

5. “Your hand be upon me”

• When Jabez prays, “Your hand be upon me”, this is indicative of God’s Favour. Whatever might be the blessings, only let the Lord’s Hand be upon it. We’d rather not have that blessing/ growth/ relationship otherwise. Only that which carries the presence of God.

Favour is God’s hand upon you. It is God endorsing you.

God’s hand coming upon some of you. May you experience the touch of God.

6. You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain

• That is God’s protection. It is only God’s grace that keeps us from evil. • And God granted his request. There is power with God.
• Holy Spirit is saying to some of you listening, “get ready to receive answers from God for prayers that you have been praying or years!”
• May God make you most honorable. May God give you double honor. Be blessed in the Name of the Lord.