November/27/ 2018
Favor
Part 2
Finding Favor
Genesis 39:1-6 “Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. Potiphar, an Egyptian who was one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him there. 2 The Lord was with Joseph so that he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. 3 When his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did, 4 Joseph FOUND FAVOR in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned. 5 From the time he put him in charge of his household and of all that he owned, the Lord blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph. The blessing of the Lord was on everything Potiphar had, both in the house and in the field. 6 So Potiphar left everything he had in Joseph’s care; with Joseph in charge, he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate.”
One day of God’s favor is better than a lifetime of my labor.
Three things about God’s favor:
1. Talent can not replace God’s favor.
Genesis 39:2 “The Lord was with Joseph so that he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. 3 When his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did, 4 Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned.”
Exodus 33:17 “for you have found favor in My sight and I have known you by name."
2. Troubles can not remove God’s favor.
Genesis 39:20-23 “Joseph’s master took him and put him in prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined. But while Joseph was there in the prison, 21 the Lord was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him FAVOR in the eyes of the prison warden. 22 So the warden put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison, and he was made responsible for all that was done there. 23 The warden paid no attention to anything under Joseph’s care, because the Lord was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did.”
When God’s favor is on your life, troubles might be painful but they won’t be permanent.
3. There are traits that can release God’s favor
You cannot achieve God’s favor, but you can receive it.
Ephesians 2:8-9 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.”
How did Joseph position himself to receive God’s favor?
A. Integrity
Psalm 5:12 “Surely, Lord, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield.”
Psalm 84:11 “For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor;
no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.”
Proverbs 12:2 “Good people obtain favor from the Lord, but he condemns those who devise wicked schemes.”
1 Peter 3:12 NLT “The eyes of the LORD watch over those who do right, and his ears are open to their prayers. But the LORD turns his face against those who do evil.”
b. Humility
Numbers 12:3 “Now Moses was very humble—more humble than any other person on earth.”
Exodus 33:12 ‘I know you by name and you have found favor with me”
Genesis 39:8-10 “and after a while his master’s wife took notice of Joseph and said, “Come to bed with me!” 8 But he refused. “With me in charge,” he told her, “my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care. 9 No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” 10 And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her.
Isaiah 66:2 “Has not my hand made all these things, and so they came into being?” declares the Lord. “These are the ones I look on with favor: those who are humble and contrite in spirit, and who tremble at my word.”
James 4:6 “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”
c. Faithfulness
Proverbs 3:1-4 “My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, for they will prolong your life many years and bring you peace and prosperity. Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man.”
Genesis 6:8 “But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.”
November/18/ 2018
Four Seasons of Waiting
1. Growth
1 Timothy 4:13 ESV “Until I come devote yourself to public reading of scripture, to exhortation, to teaching.”
2. Learning
Romans 5:3-5 ESV “... but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”
3. Preparing
1 Timothy 4:8 NLT “Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.”
4. Stretching
Mark 7:8-9 ESV “You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.” 9 And he said to them, “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition!”
The difference in perspective
Growing turns to WAITING
Learning turns to FAILING
Preparing turns to MUNDANE
Stretching turns to DISCOMFORT
November/08/ 2018
Stories Chapter 2: Get in the plot
Part 3
Obey and Trust
Hebrews 12:1 “Jesus Christ, the AUTHOR and perfecter of our faith.”
PRAY
LISTEN
OBEY
TRUST
3 things about obedience:
1. Obedience usually RAISES OPPOSITION
I Kings 19:1 “Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2 So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.”
2. Obedience often RELEASES MIRACLES
3. Obedience always REQUIRES FAITH
I Kings 18:41 “And Elijah said to Ahab, “Go, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a heavy rain.” 42 So Ahab went off to eat and drink, but Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel, bent down to the ground and put his face between his knees.”
I Kings 18:22 “22 Then Elijah said to them, “I am the only one of the Lord’s prophets left, but Baal has four hundred and fifty prophets. 23 Get two bulls for us. Let Baal’s prophets choose one for themselves, and let them cut it into pieces and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. I will prepare the other bull and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. 24 Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord. The god who answers by fire—he is God.”
Mark 16:20 “And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following.”
Hebrews 11:1 “Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see.”
What area is God calling you to step out in obedience?
1. Maybe it’s to SPEAK something
2. Maybe it’s to START something
3. Maybe it’s to STOP something
4. Maybe it’s to SERVE somewhere
5. Maybe it’s to STRETCH somewhere
November/02/ 2018
Stories Chapter 2: Get in the Plot
Part 2
Listen
Hebrews 12:2 NKJV “Jesus, the AUTHOR and finisher of our faith.”
1 Kings 19:9-13 “There he came to a cave and lodged in it. And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and he said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 10 He said, “I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.” 11 And he said, “Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper. 13 And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him”
How does God speak?
1. His word
2 Timothy 3:16-17 “All scripture is God breathed and useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training for righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for EVERY good work.”
2. His Spirit
1 Corinthians 2:9-10 “However, as it is written:
“What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived”—
the things God has prepared for those who love him—10 these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.”
John 16:13 “But when the Spirit of truth comes He will guide you into all truth.”
Acts 20:22 “and now compelled by the Spirit I am going to Jerusalem”
3. His people
Proverbs 1:5 “let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance”
Proverbs 19:20 “Listen to advice and accept discipline and at the end you will be counted among the wise.”
Proverbs 22:17 “Pay attention and turn your ear to the sayings of the wise; apply your heart to what I teach”
4. Our circumstance
How do we get in a listening posture?
1. Right living
Isaiah 59:1-2 “Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear.
But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.”
Matthew 13:14-15 “You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.15 For this people’s heart has become CALLOUSED; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.”
2. Right attitude
Psalm 111:10 NKJV “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who DO His commandments.”
3. Right influences
4. Right environment
1 Kings 19:9 “There he came to a cave and lodged in it. And behold, the word of the Lord came to him…”
Psalm 46:10 “Be still and know that He is God.”
Psalm 92:12-13 “The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the LORD, they will flourish in the courts of our God.
