Living in Divine Favor
Foundational Text: Psalms 5:12 For thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield.
Intro: This morning I want to begin a new series concerning the favor of God. I believe that this place of favor is where our Heavenly Father wants us all to walk in, and enjoy to the fullness. Before we are finished, we will understand what God’s favor is, who has it, and how to activate it in our lives. We will look at just a few of the areas in which we have favor, and begin to activate it in those by releasing favor. We will be teaching on the twenty ways in which we can lose our favor. I will also be handing out scriptural prayers concerning favor for relationships, marriage, on the job, at school, in ministry, and in winning the lost. There will be many scriptures given by means of hand-outs for you to meditate upon. We should be expecting the favor of God on our lives. Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Let’s begin today’s study with defining what the favor of God is.
I. What is Favor?
“One day of favor is worth a thousand days of labor” God can do for you in one day what could take years to accomplish alone.
Psalms 5:12 For thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield.
A. Definition of favor:
1. Webster; a spirit of approval, goodwill, or liking, partiality. An act of kindness or generosity. Unfair partiality; favoritism, attractiveness, be partial to; prefer unfairly, help; assist, to do a kindness for… endorsing.
2. To be favored means: regarded or treated with favor; provided with advantages… specially privileged
B. Would you call the Children of Israel, in their dispensation, God’s favorite, or the favored of God? Paul did.
Ephesians 2:11-12 Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; (12) That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:
1. This means that during the entire Old Testament, God’s favor was upon the children of promise.
2. David knew of, and walked in this favor.
1 Samuel 17:26 And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God? 1 Samuel 17:34-37 And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father’s sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock: (35) And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him. (36) Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God. (37) David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with thee.
3. David is the one who wrote our foundational text for this morning.
II. Marked for Favor
A. Bless the Righteous!
Romans 3:21-22 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; (22) Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
1. The original sense of the word “bless” meant “mark with blood”
2. The Bible tells us that whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord, shall be saved. The same chapter tells us we can not call on Him whom we haven’t believed. That means it is what we believe that enables us to be counted righteous. Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness. We also believe and therefore speak.
2 Corinthians 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
B. The moment we cry out to Jesus and confess Him as Lord, we become “in Him’, we are made righteous. He then marks us with the Blood of His covenant, His blood. We become marked with blood. Remember the Passover? Why were the children of Israel shown favor? Their door posts were marked with blood. They were blessed!
1. The more light that you walk in concerning being marked with the Blood of Jesus, the more you will realize that we are not being left here for the tribulation. We are blessed, marked with the Blood! We do not have an appointment with wrath.
a. Romans 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
b. Romans 5:9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him
c. Ephesians 5:6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.
d. 1 Thessalonians 1:10 And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.
e. 1 Thessalonians 5:9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
2. …with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield.
a. He tells us He will mark the righteous with His blood, so that His favor will compass us as a shield!!!!
b. Compass = ‛âtòar (aw-tar’)A primitive root; to encircle (for attack or protection); especially to crown (literally or figuratively): - compass, crown.
c. Illustrate with volunteers.
