1 Chromicles 4:10

1 Chronicles 4:10 New International Version (NIV) 10 Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me and 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. Everyone who reads the prayer of Jabez delights in it. “Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.” These are great words. I will comeback to this scripture at the end. Now I will discuss something of a different matter. Today the world is focusing a great deal on the Olympics. The kind of records which will be broken? What events will take place? Which country will take the most gold medals? We spend a lot of time thinking about these things. The Olympics, which are about the spirit of competition have now become a way to make money by a certain kind of people. Can you guess who? It used to be that those who could participate in the Olympics were only amateur athletes, but now the rules have change and professional athletes are also allowed to compete for their country. Unfortunately, this has brought with them people who wager on these events. They will wager on athletes, countries and events to see if they can win or end up losing money. I am informing you that this is what is happening currently in the world. These gamblers gather and try to predict the outcome of the games. For example, they might think that the country of Korea may medal in swimming, and Tae Kwon Do. They will be trying to predict the number of medals for the country. In yesterday’s news, I read and article that said Korea will not get a gold medal in swimming. The article said that the Korean athlete will not win, and is not even capable of coming close. This is what they have predicted and published. I share this with you because there are people who hear these things and feel good about it and those who hear it and feel bad. There are those who hear these things make a judgement and wager money. They can either win money or lose it. Depending on how an athlete hears these words and reacts, he can either overcome and succeed or he can believe what has been written and not succeed. It would be great if one could read these words and be more determined to win rather than be a person who uses it as an excuse to fail. An entire country can read and hear the same thing and be united to overcome that attitude or succumb to it. People can also get caught up in the news and information to make wagers and either win or lose. I am trying to explain to you that many times in our lives we get caught up in the moment emotionally and make choices that effect our lives greatly. The oddsmaker who uses cunning and deceit to steal someone else's money through gambling rather than working honestly, or the one who gets caught up in the moment and gambles it all away, or the one who wins it through gambling, do any of these people live well in financial stability? Generally, we know that they do not. Life teaches us this lesson. but many of us fail to realize that we must learn from this lesson and apply it our lives. We think nothing of associating ourselves with these people and getting caught up in the moment and amusing ourselves with them. We don’t realize how foolish it is. When we entice people we create problems. I am speaking about myself. When I was around these children’s age we had no TV in our house. There were only a few TVs in the entire neighborhood. We had our first TV in our house when I was in high school. When we had our TV, I did not watch what I wanted to watch but I watched whatever my father wanted to watch because he had the power. When he wanted to watch it he turned it on and turned it off when he wanted. I never really watched TV when I wanted and having to work, I really never had the time to watch it. Later, when I had immigrated I finally had my own TV. Now that I had my own TV I wanted to watch it. I did not understand the language and did not have much else so I started to enjoy watching TV especially sports. I am not sharing this story to tell you about TV but to let you know that when I was enjoying myself watching TV, I was also teaching my children, who were about 6 years old , to also watch TV. Now they are much older and restrain themselves, but as teenagers as soon as they woke up, as a habit they went straight for the TV or computer. Who made them this way? I taught them. The children were consumed in their shows and games and could not be taken away from it. Who taught them? It is the parents who have shown the children by example and now the children can’t get away from these things. We don’t think about it. What I considered as harmless and enjoyable has damaged those around me whether it be our children or others. When I am the center of my life and do things how I want, the seeds I sow will be reaped by others. There are many people who ruin their lives over drugs and entertainment. Just to do whatever is their pleasure they create problems, they don’t study, they throw everything away. Do you learn about life in front of the computer? No. Can you just live only through entertainment? No. You need to stop playing and live your life to acquire the necessary things to be able to live in peace and enjoy life. If you cannot break this habit, then for that brief satisfaction your body will get sick and you will lose your life. Yesterday, when we all gathered for dinner, the person who always controls what I eat had left. I openly expressed to you my desire to want to eat more, but I stopped myself from eating too much. If I do not stop myself, then the urges to keep eating will take over. I must decide that I will not overdo it. The decision must be made by myself. I expressed to Dr. Shin the emotions that were inside me. I can hide them and pretend as if they do not exist, or I can be open about it, and though embarrassing, I can make the decision to stop. If I stop, then I have accepted it and acted upon my decision. But if I hide my true feelings and go away and satisfy myself when no one is watching then I can never correct my problems. Many of us refuse to acknowledge our problems in order to save face. When no one is around we go and do whatever we want, and when people are around we pretend that we don’t behave a certain way. You can never correct yourself. For example, if there is food and I act as if I don’t eat it, but when no one is around I go and eat it secretly, can you fix this problem? You cannot. What you don’t realize is that what you do for your comfort and pleasure is hurting others around you. You may think that you are doing a good job, and argue that it is the others person's responsibility if they are being hurt by your actions. Yesterday, something happened, but it was not the only time. This has happened many times before. I understand that being busy that these things can happen. When someone is aware things can be fine, but when someone is unaware, someone can be hurt. Yesterday, the dishes were done and people all left. Common sense tells me to put the spoons with the spoons and the knives with the knives. The knives should be placed with the blade down so that someone will not get hurt. I am saying that this is common sense. But there was a fruit knife placed with the spoons with the blade placed up. They are about the same length. I went to grab the spoons to put them away and grabbed the blade of the knife. Did the person who put the knife there think about what they were doing? They could say that that they were doing their job, but when you realize that your lack of judgement could hurt someone do you do think and act with more caution? There are many things that you can do easily without care and thought. Even when you speak you can do so without realizing that what you are saying can have consequences, even though you may not have a problem with what you are saying. Yesterday, someone posted on an internet blog about something that angered them. When we go play soccer we clean the field of dog poop. Someone posted on their blog that a customer had allowed there dog to poop in front of their store and people had stepped in it and walked into the store and made a mess. They commented that people who raise dogs should carry with them bags and clean up after their dogs. It is easy for the someone to take their dog outside and not clean up after them, but they don’t realize the trouble that they are causing others. They are only thinking about their own comfort. Another person blogged about how they were driving with the window down, and someone next to them threw out a cigarette and the ashes hit their face. They commented that it could have been more problems if the the lit part of the cigarette had hit them or entered into the car. They posted multiple picture of people and their bad behavior. All people want to be free of trouble and live comfortably. The bible teaches us basic principles to live by. Are you living according to these principles? Or are you living how you want? Are you living how you want to live but telling your children how they should be living? If you are not showing them how to live a life of faith, then how will they be able to do so without anyone showing them? The grandparents, parents and children all know in their head what they are to do. The reason no one is able to do what they know is because no one has seen it to be able to follow the example. They end up thinking that all they need to do is know it in their head. The children think that to get to heaven all they have to do is say that they believe in God because that is what their grandparents showed them and what their parents showed them. The children assume that they can go do whatever they want with their friends and come on Sunday and pray to God and everything is fine. There is no change because the parent showed no life of change. The parent does not change, so the children do not change. Because I do not change, I am unable to change the world around me. And because I am unable to change I cannot be the light to this world or the fragrance of Christ. No one can look at me and call me a Christian, but I ignore what others think about me and think that I am myself a good believer. I am living in my own stubborn way, but the bible says that I am not the judge, but God is the judge. The bible tells us that the things I have spoken will judge me, and the life I live will be judged and the word of God will be the standard to which I am judged. If we forget these things and have become prisoners in our own thoughts will we be able to live the life that others will call as Christ like? Let us examine ourselves. Even the world tell us that if we are able to be careful one time, restrain ourselves one time, we will keep ourselves from harm, others will take notice of our hard work, and people will consider us well, but we have a hard time restraining ourselves that one time. Because we are unable to restrain ourselves, not only will we be judged negatively but we will fail at making the necessary changes to improve our lives and we will be exposed. Rather than bettering your life it will get worse. In today’s hymn we sang about the blood of Jesus. It used to be the blood of Golgotha and then the blood of the cross. The problem is that both Golgotha and the cross is wrong. We assume that whenever we sing about the cross that it is automatically Jesus. But in truth anyone can hold a cross. Even the two sinners that were crucified with Christ both held crosses. Whose cross are you talking about? Unless you specify the cross of Jesus, then one can assume any cross even the cross of the thief. In one’s own life their own blood gives them life. Does it not? If one can make an argument like this, then you must be specific. I am not the only Kyung. Nor am I the only Kyung Jin Park. If I am in a room with other people with the same name then you must specify Pastor Kyung Jin Park if you are talking about me. If we talk about the blood, then we must specify the blood of Christ. If we specify the blood of Jesus that He shed on the cross then there can be no confusion. When we speak we must be clear so that there is no miscommunication. Between spouses and parents and their children you cannot just assume that the other person understands. You cannot expect a child to know when it is what they did not know that got them into trouble. Unless you specify exactly what you mean they will never understand. You cannot assume they will know what you mean. It is easy for you to tell them to go figure it out but you are making more trouble for them. It would have been better had you not said anything in the first place. Through the word we are taught everything and through Jesus we were shown how to live our lives. The disciples followed Jesus and recorded all these things. It is difficult for us to follow Jesus when we do not see Him. It is not easy. Jabez was born through difficulty. His name means sorrow. Was it because Jabez was born and his mother felt sorrow for the child, or was it that his mother was going through a sorrowful time in her life. We do not know for sure. What we do know is that Jabez’s prayer and the answer to that prayer is recorded. There is no other mention of Jabez. Even if there is no other history or record of my life, though I live in sorrow and difficulty, I am able to live my life in a way that will allow God to answer my prayers and be evident for others to see. I may come from a family that does not believe or maybe I am able to change my life from one of pursuing my own pleasures to pursuing God, and God answers my prayer and he expands my territory and keeps me from harm. Then I will be able to speak boldly of God and how He has answered my prayers. Are you prayer warrior? If you want to live like this, then you must cut yourself off from the pleasures of this world. You must decide that you will no longer chase after the things of this world but pursue only God through prayer and His word. Rather than watching TV you will use that time to get closer to God. You must decide to stop chasing pleasure, going after entertainment, cut out TV, or pursuing the pleasures of the flesh. Y must decide that you will use that time to pray, to sing praises, to read the word, to unite the family as one, to live your life centered around God’s word and stand up and go forth and live it. When you live like this then your prayer will be answered. I spent all week meditating on this verse. What do you see when you read the verse? 10 Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me and 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. Is it where God granted His request? Or where He enlarged His territory? I would like to share with you other translations of this verse. In one translation it states that "Jabez cried out to the God of Israel," If you are going to bless me, then enlarge my territory... Another translation states "Jabez cried to to the God of Israel, "I want you to bless me and increase the blessings... The King James Version states, "And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast..." Yet another translation states, "Jabez called out to the God of Israel, 'God bless me and enlarge my territory..." What is the difference? Do they say the same thing? That is why I keep emphasizing to you that when your mind has been conditioned a certain way you will pass by the words and not truly understand the meaning of it. In the past the translations were from a standpoint where one would ask God, but now if we see the newer translations they seem no longer to ask but rather demand from God. It is not enough to demand, now we demand more and more from Him. We tell God that we will do things with our own strength, and if He is going to bless us, then not only do we want what He is going to give us but we demand everything as well. When the meaning of these words are embedded into our hearts, will we humble ourselves before God or will we start raising ourselves up to Him? By raising ourselves up we bring God down to our level. Is this not the way we use words when we pray? Is this not the way we speak to each other between husband and wife, children and other people as well? We say things in passing without thinking that the consequence of what we say is hurting someone else. The things we say are what separates us as either Christian or part of the world. This is very important. Do you realize that the words are showing you the truth in you about the things you must change as you desire to get closer to God? Or do you keep changing the meaning of words to make it easier for yourself to live the way you want? Will God answer that prayer? How can anyone think that we are Christ like if when we pray rather than asking God, we are demanding of Him, and rather than being humble, we are rude? People will realize that we are not real Christians, but that we have been tainted by some other belief. We have changed the truth.This is is how people are considered cults because it starts with twisting the truth. If everyone jumps off the bridge will you also jump? That is foolish. It does not matter that someone may deem me worthy, if before God I am unable to stand before Him justly then I have failed. It does not matter that others will persecute me and bring me down, as long as I live by His word and am acknowledged by Him, then I can stand confident before any man. Our problem is that we want other people to notice us and acknowledge us. If our focus is on others then just like the spirit of the Olympic games is being effected by outside influences, we too will be effected by our desires or the desire to please others rather than to live our lives focused on Christ and worshipping God and giving Him glory. What use is it to make huge sums of money by gambling? If I become wealthy and accumulate much land and receive much praise, in the end I will stand before Him with nothing and end up going to hell. Let us live centered around the word of God. Let us live glorifying God. Let us live proclaiming that Jesus is our Lord and Savior. Let us live in obedience to the Holy Spirit. Unless I decide to die to myself everyday we will end up being like the rest of this world. We must avoid living this life. We must be people who use each word with the proper meaning, and be one who is acknowledged by Jesus as a true Christian. Examine yourself and see if you have any habits that you are showing your children as bad examples and cut them out of your life. You must cut them out so that your children can remove them, also. Then others can see the example of Christianity and you can be acknowledged by God. Lay your life before Him and live the life of change. May you live the life that allows you to be one with Jesus by using your strength and humbling yourself before Him. May you and your family be one in Jesus. Sermon by Pastor Howard K.J. Park translation by Miguel Park