Favor Reigns
Luke 1:46-55 (King James Version) Pastor Ken Crow
46And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord,
47And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
48For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
49For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.
50And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.
51He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
52He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree.
53He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away.
54He hath helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy;
55As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever.
This morning I truly believe God is challenging us to a higher plane of living.
Why would God do that?
Why would God want me to walk in his favor?
Because many souls, more in fact than we can even know or imagine hang in the balance.
It may well be what the lost see in you and I determine if they ever will turn to Jesus Christ.
1. Mary received the announcement that she was favored by the Angel.
Luke 1:28 (King James Version)
28And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.
The announcement of Godly favor is upon everyone who accepts Jesus Christ as their savior.
Mary was of the right lineage. She had the right bloodline .
When we come into the relationship with Jesus as he being Lord of our life and personal savior we assume the right lineage to walk in God the father’s favor.
I am here to announce to you this morning that you are highly favored due to your relationship with Jesus Christ!
2. Mary accepted the role as blessed and favored.
Luke 1:38 (King James Version)
38And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.
Someone told me recently that they heard that ever since they had been saved but that had not seen any favor or felt any favor yet.
Big Point Here: You will not have favor in your life because the Pastor says you will.
You will have favor in your life when you say so!
God has declared it ! You have received it! Now say unto the Lord be unto me according to your word!
Let’s look at the way favored people talk in the Bible.
Moses to the children of Israel.
Deuteronomy 1:11 (King James Version)
11(The LORD God of your fathers make you a thousand times so many more as ye are, and bless you, as he hath promised you!)
Zechariah when the restoration of the temple had stalled.
Zechariah 4:7 (King James Version)
7Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it.
Let’s look at how favored people see the enemy .
Moses at the brink of the Red Sea and the enemy closing in.
Exodus 14:19-20 (King James Version)
19And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them:
20And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night to these: so that the one came not near the other all the night.
Moses was looking at the enemy through the fire and the cloud.
We as favored people must learn to view the enemy through the Word of God.
3. The favored of God do not quit. They dig for water even in the dry valley.
Genesis 26:18-25 (King James Version)
18And Isaac digged again the wells of water, which they had digged in the days of Abraham his father; for the Philistines had stopped them after the death of Abraham: and he called their names after the names by which his father had called them.
19And Isaac's servants digged in the valley, and found there a well of springing water.
20And the herdmen of Gerar did strive with Isaac's herdmen, saying, The water is ours: and he called the name of the well Esek; because they strove with him.
21And they digged another well, and strove for that also: and he called the name of it Sitnah.
22And he removed from thence, and digged another well; and for that they strove not: and he called the name of it Rehoboth; and he said, For now the LORD hath made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land.
23And he went up from thence to Beersheba.
24And the LORD appeared unto him the same night, and said, I am the God of Abraham thy father: fear not, for I am with thee, and will bless thee, and multiply thy seed for my servant Abraham's sake.
25And he builded an altar there, and called upon the name of the LORD, and pitched his tent there: and there Isaac's servants digged a well.
4. The favored expect the flood.
Isaiah 44:3 (King James Version)
3For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring:
The favor of God is like a flood. You or any other human being cannot control it.
Open the flood gates of Heaven…Let the favor of Jesus Christ begin to reign in your life!
Let the heavenly blessings flow upon us this morning Lord!
Oh my goodness! Praise him this morning in the house of God!
God Bless and Amen
