Sermon Tone Analysis

*BBC THE PRAYER OF JABEZ 1 CHRON.

4:9-10 JUNE 17, 2007 *

*FATHER’S DAY*

* *

*1 CHRONICLES 4:9* NOW JABEZ WAS MORE HONORABLE THAN HIS BROTHERS, AND HIS MOTHER CALLED HIS NAME JABEZ, SAYING, "BECAUSE I BORE /HIM /IN PAIN." 10 AND 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.

INTRO: ONE PERSON IN THE FAMILY CAN MAKE ALL THE DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD WHEN IT COMES TO MAKING OR BREAKING THE FAMILY.

THIS TRUTH HAS COME TO OUR LIVES AND INTO OUR HOMES WHEN IN THE 70’S WE WERE INTRODUCED TO TV SHOWS ABOUT THE FAMILY.

THERE WAS “ALL IN THE FAMILY” WITH THE INFAMOUS ARCHIE AND EDITH BUNKER; AND WHO CAN FORGET “GOOD TIMES” WITH EVANS FAMILY – JAMES, FLORIDA, THELMA, MICHAEL AND KID DYNAMITE.

AND WHO CAN FORGET THE JEFFERSON’S – GEORGE AND LOUISE JEFFERSON AND SON LIONEL.

EACH FAMILY DEPICTED AN AVENUE OF WHERE WE LIVE.

FROM THE BLUE COLLAR, TO BLACK FAMILY IN THE PROJECT THAT STUCK TOGETHER TO THE BREAK THROUGH FAMILY WHO WENT FROM THE HOOD TO THAT HIGH RISE APARTMENT IN THE SKY.

THE COMMON THEME OF ALL THOSE RENDITIONS OF FAMILY, NO MATTER HOW CRAZY, CULTURALLY CHALLENGED OR HOW FAR UP THEY WERE CATAPULTED  UP THE CORPORATE LADDER…THERE WAS FAMILY AND AT THE FOUNDATION OF FAMILY WAS LOVE.

A SECOND COMMON THEME THAT TIES US TOGETHER IS OUR FAMILY STORIES; THE TELLING AND RETELLING THAT HAVE BEEN PASSED DOWN BY ORAL TRADITION, WRITTEN FAMILY HISTORY AND THE VISUAL RECORD OF THE PHOTOS AND PICTURE BOOKS THAT HOLD THE KEYS TO MAY OF OUR PAST.

AND IN ALL OUR STORIES THERE ARE THE GOOD GUYS AND BAD GUYS, THE GOOD GIRLS AND THE BAD GIRLS; THE HEROES AND THE VILLAIN’S.

THEY SILENTLY TELL US THAT

 

FAMILY LIFE IS A BATTLE

FAMILY LIFE IS FULL OF TENSION

FAMILY LIFE HAS MANY SCHOOLS

ONE OF WHICH IS THE SCHOOL OF HARD KNOCKS.

FAMILY PASSES DOWN THE LESSON OF WHAT TO DO AND WHAT NOT TO DO; FAMILY PASSES DOWN WHAT IS EXPECTED AND WHAT IS AVAILABLE.

EXPL: THE BIBLE IS A BOOK OF STORIES ABOUT FAMILY;

FROM THE FIRST FAMILY OF ADAM AND EVE;

TO THE FAITHFUL FAMILY OF ABRAHAM AND SARAH

TO THE FRUITFUL FAMILY OF JACOB, RACHEL AND LEAH

 

IN THE BOOK OF CHRONICLES WE HAVE A LIST OF NAMES AND PLACES; WE HAVE A GENEROUS LIST OF GENEALOGIES THAT INCLUDE NAMES WE’VE HEARD OF  LIKE THE FIRST KING, SAUL; THE FINEST KING, DAVID AND THE WISEST KINGS, SOLOMON.

AND IN CHAPTER 4 AMONG THE LIST OF NAMES WE STRUGGLE TO PRONOUNCE

 

WE MEET, JABEZ FROM THE FAMILY OF JUDAH.

*WHO* IS THIS PERSON NAMED JABEZ?

WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM HIM? WHY IS THE PRAYER OF JABEZ LISTED IN THE BIBLE?

WHAT CAN WE LEARN THAT WILL IMPACT OUR LIVES? 

 

*GREED AND PROSPERITY *- FIRST OF ALL THIS IS NOT A PRAYER OF PROSPERITY; IT IS NOT A MAGIC FORMULA TO TURN GOD IN TO A MAGIC GENIE; IT IS NOT A MANTRA FOR MONEY OR  REPETITION FOR RICHES.

*GOD’S PROLOGUE* - NEXT, WE SEE THAT GOD HAS A PARADOXICAL VIEW OF THIS PERSON BECAUSE HIS NAME IN “PAIN” BUT HIS LIFE IS PROSPEROUS.

IN ANCIENT TIMES; PARENTS GAVE CHILDREN NAMES THAT WE FILLED WITH THEIR HOPES, DREAMS AND DESIRES.

BUT BEFORE WE GET TO THE FACT THAT HIS NAME MEANS PAIN, GOD SAYS HE IS MORE HONORABLE.

THIS PHRASE IN V. 9 SERVES AS A TYPE OF PROLOGUE TO THE STORY.

PROLOGUE IN GREEK DRAMA WAS A CHARACTER THAT STOOD IN THE PLAY; APPEARING BEFORE ANY ACTION IN THE PLAY.

PROLOGUE UTTERED STATEMENTS NECESSARY FOR THE AUDIENCE TO HEAR SO THAT THY MIGHT APPRECIATE THE ENSUING AND UPCOMING DRAMA.

WE ARE FAMILIAR WITH PROLOGUES IN THE BIBLE; IN THE OT.

GEN 1:1 – GEN 2:3 IS THE GRAND PROLOGUE OF CREATION.

IN THE BEGINNING GOD CREATED THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH.

IN THE NT.

JOHN 1:1, IN THE BEGINNING WAS THE WORD, AND THE WORD WAS WITH GOD AND THE WORD WAS GOD.

HE WAS IN THE BEGINNING WITH GOD, ALL THINGS WERE MADE THROUGH HIM, AND WITHOUT HIM NOTHING WAS MADE THAT WAS MADE.

NOW THE PHRASE JABEZ WAS MORE HONORABLE SERVES AS A PROLOGUE ROOTED IN DIVINE INSPIRATION …JABEZ WAS MORE HONORABLE…AND WE ARE LOOKING AT THE END – FIRST.

WE ARE BLESSED TO LOOK AT THE END  OF THE CHAPTER FIRST.

THE FIRST WORD OF THE PROLOGUE IS, “NOW”…A WORD LINKED TO A TIME ELEMENT…JABEZ WAS HONORABLE, FAITHFUL AND LOYAL; HE WAS GREATER THAN HIS BROTHERS.

YES, GOD SAYS DESPITE WHAT WE SEE

YES, GOD SAYS DESPITE WHAT WE CALL THE PARTICULARS

 

GOD SAYS HE WAS MORE HONORABLE

DESPITE THE FACT THAT HIS MOTHER NAMED HIM PAIN.

PHYSICAL PAIN- NATURALLY, WE WOULD ASSUME THERE WAS SOME PHYSICAL PAIN ASSOC.

WITH HIS BIRTH; THE LABOR, THE LABOR PAINS, THE CONTRACTIONS, THE DILATION AND DESCENT AND THE POSITION OF THE BABY.

WHATEVER WE KNOW THERE WAS SOME PHYSICAL PAIN.

EMOTIONAL PAIN – NEXT WE MAY MAKE INFERENCE TO EMOTIONAL PAIN.

WE DON’T KNOW THE DETAILS, MAYBE HIS FATHER DIED FROM BATTLE, OR DISEASE.

PERSONAL PAIN – BUT WHAT WE DO KNOW IS THAT WE ARE ALL BORN INTO A WORLD OF

PAIN AND SORROW

TOIL AND TORMENT

DISTRESS AND DEPRESSION

SICKNESS AND A TOUCH OF INSANITY

HURT AND HARM

FEAR AND TREMBLING

SADNESS AND SICKNESS

MESS AND MISERY

 

ALL OF US…WHEREFORE AS BY ONE MAN SIN ENTERED INTO THE WORLD, AND DEATH BY SIN; AND SO DEATH PASSED TO ALL MEN; FOR ALL HAVE SINNED.

ROM 5:12.

FOR ALL HAVE SINNED AND FALL SHORT OF THE GLORY OF GOD.

ROM 3:23.

THERE IS GOOD PAIN AND BAD PAIN.

OUCH!

BAD PAIN; PEOPLE HURTING PEOPLE; SENSELESS WAR, NEEDLESS KILLING; CAPITALISTIC GREED THAT STEPS ON THE NECKS OF THE POOR; THE PAIN OF CRIME; THE PAIN OF GUNS AND KNIVES; BAD PAIN INFLICTED ON OTHER AND ON SELF…HURT PEOPLE HURT PEOPLE WITH THERE ACTIONS AND WORDS BECAUSE THEY ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE HURTING  ON THE INSIDE…IT’S OK TO BE ANGRY BUT …SIN NOT.

OUCH…THERE IS GOOD PAIN, THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COIN.

PAIN IS THE BODY’S WAY OF TELLING US TO STOP DOING WHAT WE ARE DOING.

IT IS A PROTECTIVE SIGNAL THAT SAYS SOMETHING IS WRONG.

WE DON’T FEEL PAIN THE SAME WAY…WE HAVE VARY THRESHOLD TO PAIN.

THERE ARE THOSE WHO ARE …

 

HYPERALGESIA  -  EXTRA SENSITIVE TO PAIN

ALLODYNIA – EXCRUCIATING PAIN

HSAN – HEREDITARY SENSORY AND AUTONOMIC NEUROPATHIES…THESE PEOPLE FEEL NO PAIN AT ALL.

BUT THERE ARE OTHER SIGNALS OF PAIN;

RESTLESS ~/ ILLNESS  ~/  FEAR ~/ ANGER

NIGHTMARES ~/ DENIAL AND DEPRESSION

ISOLATION AND WITHDRAWAL

 

AND THERE ARE THOSE PAIN KILLERS

DRUGS

ALCOHOL

SEX AND PORN

SHOPPING AND SLEEP

STOCKS AND BONDS

FOOD AND DRINK

ETC…ETC…ETC.

INTER: SO THE REAL QUESTION IS HOW DO WE DEAL WITH THE PAIN.

DISTRESS AND DIFFICULTY OF THE DAY

STORM CLOUDS IN CHURCH

CALAMITY IN COMMUNITY

HELL AT HOME

JABS ON THE JOB.

WE GOTTA CALL ON HIM

PAIN WILL MAKE YOU CRY; HOLLER; AND CRY OUT…

WE GOTTA CALL ON HIM

HAVE A LITTLE TALK WITH JESUS