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STANDING OUT AMONG THE CROWD
TEXT: I Chronicles 4: 9-10
STEVE WAGERS
INTRO: In the text before us, today, we find a man who was more than just an average Christian.
As you read the first nine chapters of I Chronicles, you find that they resemble a Hebrew telephone directory, with more than 500 names mentioned, most of which we have never heard of.
Yet, right in the midst of that, we find a “real oasis in the apparent wilderness”, in the man by the name of Jabez.
Though he is not mentioned any other time in scripture, he is a man who was the cream of the crop, a cut above, and one who was obviously “Standing Out Among the Crowd!”
Notice, in these two verses, three things about this great servant of God.
We see:
I.
A PERSON THAT WAS HONORED(v.
9a)
In this verse, we clearly see that though Jabez was not well known of men, he was extremely well known by God.
It’s interesting to note, in these verses:
A. WE SEE HIS UNUSUAL NAME
1.
By looking at his name, we catch a glimpse of the unusual meaning that is implied.
Notice, again, the name “Jabez”.
The name Jabez means “he will cause pain, or son or sorrow.”
2. It’s quite interesting to see why he was tagged with such an unusual name.
3. Perhaps his mother, like Rachel, in Genesis 35, who called the boy who was later named Benjamin, “Benomi”, which means “Son of My Sorrow,” named him this because of her hard labor, and travail in birthing him.
4. Perhaps he was named this to be a constant reminder to not only his mother, but to him as well, of just who he was.
Or, perhaps this name was to remind him of his personal roots, and lineage.
5. Whatever the case may be, his name, no doubt, was an unusual name.
ILLUSTRATION:
No doubt, many of you, have heard of the little boy whose parents named him “Odd!”
Throughout his schooling years, he was ridiculed, laughed at, and made fun of because of his strange name.
He would go on through life, carrying with him, everywhere he went, this unusual name, even to his grave.
One day, while he lay cold in the ground, there were people who were placing flowers on a grave next to him, in the cemetery.
One of them couldn’t help but notice the unusual inscription on the marker, which read, “Here Lies Odd!”
He looked at that with amazement, and wonder, and said, “THAT’S ODD!”
Truly, this was a man who would be remembered forever, for his unusual name.
6.
So it is with Jabez.
Though we do not know much else about him, through the scriptures., we cannot forget an unusual man, and We See His Unusual Name.
B. WE SEE HIS UNIQUE NOTORIETY
1.
Notice verse 9.
Not only do we see his unusual name, but his unique notoriety.
Notice the Bible tells us that he was “more honorable than his brethren.”
2. It’s somewhat strange to discover that a man with such an unusual name, would receive such notoriety.
3. How could a person whose name brought the remembrance of continual sorrow, and pain, be a person with such attention, and such acclamation from God.
4. Yet, though his name meant nothing but “sorrow” on earth; his name meant nothing but “satisfaction” in heaven.
5.
In the sight of God, Jabez was a man who had obtained divine favor, and honor.
6.
I can’t help but glean from this, that the way we may appear to men, may not be the way we appear to God, and visa-versa.
7.
You may be here, today, and you may not be the most popular, the most prestigious, the most powerful, or the most prominent person in your community.
8. But, blessed be God, He can take your dishonor, and turn it into honor.
He can take your disadvantages, and make them advantages.
He can take your weakness, and make them strengths.
9. Thus, if God can take a man, whose name was a lifelong reminder of pain, and sorrow, and use him.
Then, Praise His Name, that lets me know that He can take, and use somebody like me.
ILLUSTRATION:
I think of D.L. Moody, one of the greatest preachers of history.
He was a simple man, with a limited education.
But, oh, how he was used of God.
On one occasion, Mr. Moody was approached by a man about writing his biography.
Moody replied, “A man’s life should never be written while he is living.
What is important is how a man ends, not how he begins.”
If you travel to a place called “Round Hill Top,” the hill on which he is buried, you would find the inscription on his tombstone:
Dwight Lyman Moody,
February 5, 1837—December 22, 1899
“He that doeth the will of God abideth forever!” 2
Today, 100 years after his death, a simple unlearned man is still honored, and bearing fruit from his life.
ILLUSTRATION:
I think of the great preacher G. Campbell Morgan.
Morgan preached, on May 2, 1888, a trial sermon in a large British Methodist church.
He received word from the church that they were not even considering him any longer.
He felt totally humiliated, and utterly rejected.
Morgan sent his father a one word telegram, “Rejected!”
His father replied, “Rejected on Earth, Accepted in Heaven!”
As you know, G. Campbell Morgan was mightily used of God, and became the best known Bible expositor in the English speaking world.
3
10.
Friend, you may not feel like, look like, or act like much.
But, God has a special, and a specific task for you to perform.
11.
You may think that you’re nothing, but God can make you something.
He took Jabez, a man unknown, unappreciated, and undeserving, and took the dishonor of his person, and used it for the honor of His purpose.
He may have had a Unusual Name, but God gave him an Unique Notoriety.
Thus, in the sight of the Almighty, he was A Person that was Honored!
I.
A PERSON THAT WAS HONORED
II.
A PETITION THAT WAS HUMBLE(v.
10a, b)
We not only see a person that was honored, but a petition that was humble.
I believe that this is one of the greatest prayers in all of the Word of God.
It only consists of 33 words, but how it touched heaven, and moved God.
Notice, in his petition he:
A. HE APPROACHES A SOVEREIGN PERSON
1.
It doesn’t take long to read the first part of verse 10, to see who it is that Jabez turned to.
2. If you were to carefully observe these chapters, you would not find that any of the other, 500 plus, persons that are mentioned, are in prayer.
3. Therefore, we must assume that while others may have been making a good life, and drawing a good salary, Jabez was a man who knew how to get in contact with God.
4. No doubt, he knew who he was.
No doubt, he knew that he was a “Son of Sorrow, and Pain.”
But, that only made him aware that he stood in need of approaching his sovereign Lord; and, he did!
ILLUSTRATION:
I’m reminded of a story I read about an old Scottish preacher named Jim.
He was a man, who had a wonderful, and a personal relationship with the Lord.
When he prayed, you would almost want to look and see if Jesus was sitting by him.
Once, when they were in a preaching service, and things weren’t going too well, Jim would get on his knees, and say, “Hello Jesus, this is Jim.
This service isn’t going too well.
Jesus, how about you coming down and taking control?”
Somehow He would, and the service would do well.
Whenever there was a problem, Jim would get on his knees and say, “Hello Jesus, this is Jim.
We’ve got a problem down here and we can’t seem to figure it out.
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