Mini-Series: Seasons Of Spiritual & Physical Enlargement - The Jabez Factors To Enlargement [pt. 2 Oh Lord, That You Will Bless Me Indeed]

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."