Job 42:1-17 I WANT MORE!
Intro: Do you ever just want more? 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 mashed potatoes; 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 Jobs 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, power, recognition, etc. I am interested in the more of the spiritual realm. (Ill. On the little end of something real big!)I want to tell you that I Want More! I want more of everything God has to give me. I want to take a fresh look at the life of Job today. His experiences have something to say to us about this matter of getting “more. I would like to share the facts of getting “more as they are revealed in the book of Job. I want to preach on the subject I Want More. Let’s talk about how to have more!
I. THE PATHWAY OF MORE
(Ill. Those who get “more walk a special path. God doesnt just give His more to everyone. He gives His more to those who walk with Him.)
A. 1:1, 8; 5 It Is A Path Of Holiness Only those who live clean lives qualify for the more (Ill. 2 Cor. 6:14-18; James 4:8; Amos 3:3)
B. 42:1-4 It Is A Path Of Honesty Those who want more keep short accounts with the Lord! (Ill. David had more because he was honest about his sins, Psa. 51:17.) God doesn’t want us to hide behind a mask of hypocrisy. He wants us to be honest about our condition, Pro. 28:13; 1 John 1:9. (Ill. Isa. 57:15)
C. 1:20-22; 42:5-6 It Is A Path Of Humility (Ill. Job humbled himself before the Plan of God and the Person of God. It was a plan he could not understand and it was a Person he could not comprehend. He yielded to the Lord anyway! He got under God!) Those who get “more are those who humble themselves and yield to God and what He is doing. (Ill. You can see this truth worked out all the way through the Bible Abraham, Moses, Elijah, Widow of Zaraphath, Simon Peter, Luke 5; the Disciples, John 21; Three Hebrews; Daniel; Noah; etc. They all got “more because the humbled themselves before God and His perfect plan!)
(Ill. This path is not easy; but it is the only path that leads to “more; and I want more!)
II. THE PRICE OF MORE
(Ill. More isn’t cheap! The price involves the loss of all you value. Obtaining the “more requires living with less! )
A. The Price is Less Stuff (Ill. Job lost everything he valued in life! Finances, Family, Fitness, Friends) Most of us are in the business of increasing our stuff. We fail to understand, however, that our stuff can come between us and getting “more. Sometimes more stuff equals less of Gods more. Jesus cautioned us against seeking the more of this world and He challenged us to seek the more of that world, Matt. 6:19-21. Ill. 2 Cor. 4:17-18 The more of this life is temporal. (Ill. Oprah – $260 million) The more God gives is eternal. Sometimes we will have to lose our more so that we can obtain His more. (Ill. Paradox Less will equal more!)
B. The Price Is Less Self (Ill. Job was humbled and humiliated! Ill. Job 2:7; 1:3; 2:8-13) Often the biggest obstacle between us and “more is us! Job got more when Job became less, Job 42:6. Before Job got more he had to settle for less! Let’s be honest, self doesn’t want “more if self has to become less. Self wants to be more. (Ill. Self like the glory, recognition and praise) The secret to getting God’s “more is making self less. (Ill. John the Baptist He was willing to be less so Jesus could be more, John 3:30. But, by becoming “less John got more, Matt. 11:11.) The way you and I become “less is by being sure He becomes more, 1 Cor. 10:31. (Ill. Getting “more isnt cheap! It may cost you everything you value in life. Still, getting Gods more is worth living with less.)
III. THE PRIVILEGES OF MORE
A. v. 8-10 The More Of God’s Power (Ill. Context) Those who get more have power with God. They are in a place of intimacy with God and He responds to their requests. (Ill. Elijah, 1 Kings 17:1; James 5:17-18) (Ill. Percy Ray; John R. Rice; etc.) I want “more of that!
B. v. 11 The More Of God’s Provision Those who have more dont seem to fret over the needs of this life. They trust God to give them what they need, according to His promises, Phil 4:19; Matt. 6:25-34. (Ill. God will move Heaven and earth to meet your need – Ill. Elijah and his ravens, 1 Kings 17:3-6; Ill. Hungry widow and son.)
C. v. 11-13; 16-17 The More Of God’s Providence Catalog the latter blessings of Job. Those who get more soon discover that God has a way of bringing His more out of our less. (Ill. God blessed everything Job had for years!) He does the same in our lives! (Ill. West Side Baptist Church; Beatrice, NE – 3-1-1950 – Wednesday – 18 people saved!) (Ill. Rom. 8:28; 2 Cor. 4:17) (Ill. Life is all about John 13:7!)
D. v. 14-15 The More Of God’s Praises Out of the darkness of Jobs life God displayed the light of His glory. He gave Job some reasons for praise on the heels of heartbreak. (Ill Jobs household, quiet and sad; and the birth of new babies.)
1. Jemima Day or Dove God had turned darkness to light. God had brought peace out of turmoil.
2. Kezia Fragrance God had replaced the stench of loss with the fragrance of victory.
3. Kerenhappuch Box of Eye Paint; Cosmetics Used to refer to glory and brightness Same word used of Moses in Ex. 32. God had replaced Job’s pain with God’s glory.
– Those who get “more will find that they always have a reason to praise the Lord, even when the bottom falls out of life! (Ill. Job 1:20-21) (Ill. “The Church Of Providence in Swana Corner, NC)
Conc: 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! Theres plenty of more to go around!