Job 42:1-17
1 Then Job replied to the LORD: 2 "I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted. 3 You asked, 'Who is this that obscures my counsel without knowledge?' Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know. 4 "You said, 'Listen now, and I will speak; I will question you, and you shall answer me.' 5 My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. 6 Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes." 7 After the LORD had said these things to Job, he said to Eliphaz the Temanite, "I am angry with you and your two friends, because you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has. 8 So now take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and sacrifice a burnt offering for yourselves. My servant Job will pray for you and I will accept his prayer and not deal with you according to your folly. You have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has." 9 So Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite did what the LORD told them; and the LORD accepted Job's prayer. 10 After Job had prayed for his friends, the LORD made him prosperous again and gave him twice as much as he had before. 11 All his brothers and sisters and everyone who had known him before came and ate with him in his house. They comforted and consoled him over all the trouble the LORD had brought upon him, and each one gave him a piece of silver and a gold ring. 12 The LORD blessed the latter part of Job's life more than the first. He had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen and a thousand donkeys. 13 And he also had seven sons and three daughters. 14 The first daughter he named Jemimah, the second Keziah and the third Keren-Happuch. 15 Nowhere in all the land were there found women as beautiful as Job's daughters, and their father granted them an inheritance along with their brothers. 16 After this, Job lived a hundred and forty years; he saw his children and their children to the fourth generation. 17 And so he died, old and full of years.
Do you want more this Christmas? We live in a society that thrives on more. People everywhere are after more money, more stuff and more power. From the billionaire who wants more money, to the politician who wants more power, to the child who wants more toys for Christmas; everybody just wants more! While the people who live in this world all want more of this world’s stuff, there seem to be very few people who are after more in the spiritual realm.
In verse 12 of our text we are told that “the LORD blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning”. I am interested in that word “more”. Webster defines “more” as being “in greater quantity, amount, measure, degree, or number.” In other words, the Lord worked in Job’s life to give him “more” at the end of his life than he had at the beginning of his life.
I want the more that God can give me! I am not interested in the more of money, the more power, the more recognition, etc. I am interested in the more of the spiritual realm. I want to tell you that I Want More! I want more of everything God has to give me. Getting more from God doesn't mean we have to become involved in a whole range of Christian activities. It doesn't mean that we quit our jobs and become missionaries, although it might mean just that. Getting more from God is a lot more organic and basic to our existence.
First, you cannot love God and serve other gods at the same time. This is what Jesus said: in Matt 6:24 "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will hold to one, and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon". Therefore we must completely remove everything that competes for our loyalty to God. Many idols demand our service: the god of more money, the god of more success, the god of more perfection, the god of more education, the god of more family, the god of more Christian activities. But to really serve the Lord we must remove these idols from our lives. God requires our exclusive loyalty and service in order to receive more from Him.
Secondly, serving God must occupy every event, every affection and attitude. Throughout the day we must live for him and not ourselves. We must be conscious that everything we say and do can be an expression of serving God: the way we look at someone, the way we smile and say hello. We serve by praying, caring, and practicing hospitality.
In verse 12 of our text we are told that “the LORD blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning”. I am interested in that word “more”. Webster defines “more” as being “in greater quantity, amount, measure, degree, or number.” In other words, the Lord worked in Job’s life to give him “more” at the end of his life than he had at the beginning of his life.
I want the more that God can give me! I am not interested in the more of money, the more power, the more recognition, etc. I am interested in the more of the spiritual realm. I want to tell you that I Want More! I want more of everything God has to give me. Getting more from God doesn't mean we have to become involved in a whole range of Christian activities. It doesn't mean that we quit our jobs and become missionaries, although it might mean just that. Getting more from God is a lot more organic and basic to our existence.
First, you cannot love God and serve other gods at the same time. This is what Jesus said: in Matt 6:24 "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will hold to one, and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon". Therefore we must completely remove everything that competes for our loyalty to God. Many idols demand our service: the god of more money, the god of more success, the god of more perfection, the god of more education, the god of more family, the god of more Christian activities. But to really serve the Lord we must remove these idols from our lives. God requires our exclusive loyalty and service in order to receive more from Him.
Secondly, serving God must occupy every event, every affection and attitude. Throughout the day we must live for him and not ourselves. We must be conscious that everything we say and do can be an expression of serving God: the way we look at someone, the way we smile and say hello. We serve by praying, caring, and practicing hospitality.
We can serve God at work, in the kitchen, at the grocery store, as well as at church. We are God's redeemed possession, the vassals of a great King. Let us live in more service of him.
But we're not very good at that, are we? Adam and Eve failed miserably in the garden. So did Israel in Canaan. We are no different. We are proud and selfish and competitive people. We have our own goals and agendas. We lack the readiness to make ourselves available to serve. We don't come to church with an attitude of offering ourselves fully to God. We try to serve him while continuing to hold onto the things we want… more! We are too big and our God is too small.
Yes, I want more! I want the more God has to offer! I want the privileges of more that are available to those who will walk the pathway and pay the price. Do you want more? Come get it! There’s plenty of more to go around! YES! I want more this Christmas; I want more of an understanding of His word. I want more prayer time. I want more fasting from myself. Yes! I want MORE! AMEN.
By: Elder Michael L. Hargett
But we're not very good at that, are we? Adam and Eve failed miserably in the garden. So did Israel in Canaan. We are no different. We are proud and selfish and competitive people. We have our own goals and agendas. We lack the readiness to make ourselves available to serve. We don't come to church with an attitude of offering ourselves fully to God. We try to serve him while continuing to hold onto the things we want… more! We are too big and our God is too small.
Yes, I want more! I want the more God has to offer! I want the privileges of more that are available to those who will walk the pathway and pay the price. Do you want more? Come get it! There’s plenty of more to go around! YES! I want more this Christmas; I want more of an understanding of His word. I want more prayer time. I want more fasting from myself. Yes! I want MORE! AMEN.
By: Elder Michael L. Hargett
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