The Favor Of God - The Potential Principle Series

The Favor of God

The Potential Principle

Part 2 of a 3 Part Series

Introduction: Today we are continuing with a very important series that will absolutely transform and revolutionize your life if you can get it. This really is one of the most important messages I could share with you. You see, all of us want the favor of God but you must understand that God’s love for you and His favor are related but yet are two completely separate things. God loves us all the same, He is no respecter of persons; and that love is deep and intense. The favor of God is another thing entirely.

? Review:

? Part 1- Use it or lose it

o Session 1 – Vashti

o Session 2 – 7 Princes

Now, as we begin this week’s word, let’s look at Esther. I will be primarily using the New King James Version this week.

After the King basically banished Queen Vashti, he was looking for a new queen and this was a very big deal.

Esther 2:1-4 NKJV, “After these things, when the wrath of King Ahasuerus subsided, he remembered Vashti, what she had done, and what had been decreed against her. 2 Then the king's servants who attended him said: "Let beautiful young virgins be sought for the king; 3 and let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom, that they may gather all the beautiful young virgins to Shushan the citadel, into the women's quarters, under the custody of Hegai the king's eunuch, custodian of the women. And let beauty preparations be given them. 4 Then let the young woman who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti." This thing pleased the king, and he did so.

Esther 2:2 NKJV

Then the king's servants who attended him said: "Let beautiful young virgins be sought for the king;

? From all 127 Provinces

? Scholars tell us there were somewhere between 400-1500 contestants

Esther 2:4 NKJV

Then let the young woman who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti." This thing pleased the king, and he did so.

? God is looking for a church

? People He can use in His Kingdom for His purposes

The first qualification was that the candidates must have POTENTIAL!

Of course, the candidates must be virgins. And in this case, this parallel for us between Queen Esther and us, virginity means unstained and unspoiled by the world, by the flesh. This means the first thing God looks for is people who are completely committed and absolutely faithful.

Some people wonder why God doesn’t seem to bless them with His favor. But, when you begin to evaluate things, not everyone is as faithful, as obedient, and as spiritually pure as they need to be. And, God cannot fully use people like that or bless people like that, as much as he would like. “A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.”

All the candidates were beautiful and gifted. They had talents and abilities or they would not have been considered to start with. But, talent, beauty, giftedness and abilities are not always enough. We must take this thing farther.

All the Young Virgins were put in care of Hegai

? His job was to Prepare them

Esther 2:8-9 NKJV

So it was, when the king's command and decree were heard, and when many young women were gathered at Shushan the citadel, under the custody of Hegai, that Esther also was taken to the king's palace, into the care of Hegai the custodian of the women.

Now the young woman pleased him, and she obtained his favor; so he readily gave beauty preparations to her, besides her allowance. Then seven choice maidservants were provided for her from the king's palace, and he moved her and her maidservants to the best place in the house of the women.

Esther stood out

? Had a quality beyond natural beauty

? She had a quality or “Spirit” of Godliness

? Christian women are the most beautiful

All day spa treatments for a year

? Potential without Preparation creates disappointment

? Potential without Preparation creates dysfunction

? Potential without Preparation creates embarrassment

? Potential without Preparation creates disunity and confusion

? Potential without Preparation creates failure

Hegai = Type of the Holy Spirit

? To develop you in everything, to be all you can possibly be

? God uses prepared Vessels

If you want to be useful in the Kingdom, you must be doing everything you can to be prepared for your destiny and calling; it doesn’t just happen.

It takes much more than being called, you must also be commissioned. Between the two there is a thing called preparation.

When Potential & Preparation come together….

? It creates OPPORTUNITY and FAVOR