Pastor Daniel
30th June`07
Living above the ordinary

1 Chronicles 4:9-10
JABEZ. special person in God's eyes.

>Being average is not a compliment.
>Being average is just bottom of the top, or even, just top of the bottom
>God did not create you to be average.!
>God wants you to live an EXTRAORDINARY life.

>You're in one 6 BILLION
>One becomes average BECAUSE, the belief is wrong, the thoughts are wrong and the confession is wrong.!

>We're born original, DONT DIE A COPY.

>Jabez was original, special, unique in God's eyes.
>Jabez touches God's heart and was more honorable than anyone else.
>But, what is it that made him like that.?

3 things that made Jabez special
1. Great ambition
>Jabez was not satisfied with being average.
>He was a man of ambition and dreams!
>He wanted to achieve something GREAT and SPECIAL in his life

In life, there are people who are known as DRIFTERS
They, drift through life, without a purpose, without an ambition, without a dream
These people, will never be able to make full use of their potential.!

>When you stop having ambitions, you start dying.!
>When you've no goals, you've no GROWTH.
>YOU are designed by God for great dreams and great achievements.!
>Jabez was hungry for more and he prayed earnestly for it.!
>Prayer is always the BEST action we can take
>Growth is a healthy thing as you face new challenges.!
>Life without goals and challenges = BORING
>Issues in life are what make us strong
>As a christian, you have God with you, He'll see it through with you.!

Things that hinder people from having ambition

• when HUMILITY is confuse with FEAR

>people who always say they can't do the job
>humility is not denying your strength
>humility is being honest about your weakness

• when contentment is confuse with laziness

>Phillipians 4:12
>be contented with today but CONTINUE to strive towards your goal

• when little thinking is confuse with spirituality

>your growth potential is limited by your vision and your desire
>there are christians today who are overgrown babies, they just fail to grow spiritually the way they should.!

2. Jabez was a person with growing faith
>God is the source of your blessing
>Expect great things from God and attempt great things for God

2 things to pay attention to
1. Jabez had no peculiar talent/unique gift
>the thing that made him stand out was his prayer
>he is a common man with uncommon faith
>faith is more important than any talent
>he ask God to change Him and made Him extraordinary

2. Jabez has some kind of handicap
>Jabez means painful.
>rotten name; his mum regretted giving birth to him
>Jabez had it DIFFICULT in life, but he choose to turn it around
>don't let criticism get to you
>Jabez's faith was bigger than his handicap


3.Jabez had a genuine prayer life
>Jabez prayed.!
3 things that Jabez prayed and watchout for

• Jabez prayed for God's power in his life

>he prayed spcifically
>nothing becomes dynamic unless it is specific
>the difference is by our motive
>if your motive is to honour God, God will honor that prayer
>James 4:3
>Ephesians 3:20
>Don't let your prayer be just GOD HELP ME.

• Jabez prayed for God's presence in his life

>whatever you do in your life is your ministry
>the greater the ministry, the greater the sensitivity to Him, the greater the responsibility
>the more protection you need as the more the enemy [devil] wanna attack you

• prayed for God's protection

>ask God to guard your heart and mind in Him
>pray that discouragement, criticism will not pull you down