Favor

Favor -- When someone likes you.  He approves of you.  He's not mad 
at  you.  You are OK by him.  You are on his good list.

In OT they always saying, "Oh King, if I have found favor in your 
sight, do this or that."  What if God has favorites, people he likes?  
Not just saved people (yahoo), but people he really likes.  People 
with whom he wants to hang out.  You know that you can't be his 
favorite, but what if he had favorites.  Who would they be?

1.  He does have favorites.  Here are some.

	1Sam. 2:26   And the boy Samuel continued to grow in stature 
and in favor with the LORD and with men. 
	Luke 2:52   And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in 
favor with God and men.

(what do we have here?  It is particular to individuals.  It grows.)
Any more favorites?

	Luke 1:24-25   After this his [Zechariah's] wife Elizabeth 
became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion.  "The 
Lord has done this for me," she said. "In these days he has shown his 
favor and taken away my disgrace among the people." 
	Luke 1:28-31  The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you 
who are highly favored! The Lord is with you."   Mary was greatly 
troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might 
be.  But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have 
found favor with God.  You will be with child and give birth to a son, 
and you are to give him the name Jesus. 
	
(Any other favorites?)
	
	Prov. 18:22   He who finds a wife finds what is good and 
receives favor from the LORD.
	Ps. 5:12   For surely, O LORD, you bless the righteous; you 
surround them with your favor as with a shield.
	Ps. 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.


2.  Not us though.  Maybe there's a way we can earn God's favor.  No 
my friends, it's a lie from hell.  You already have God's favor, and 
here's scripture and testimony to prove it.

	Luke 2:13   Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host 
appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,  "Glory to God in 
the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests." 
	
	Luke 4:16-21   He [Jesus] went to Nazareth, where he had been 
brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as 
was his custom. And he stood up to read.  The scroll of the prophet 
Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is 
written:  "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed 
me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim 
freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to 
release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."  
Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to 
the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue 
were fastened on him, and he began by saying to them, "Today this 
scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."

	2Cor. 5:20-6:2   We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as 
though God were making his appeal through us.  We implore you on 
Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God.  God made him who had no sin 
to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of 
God.  As God's fellow workers we urge you not to receive God's grace 
in vain.  For he says, "In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the 
day of salvation I helped you." I tell you, now is the time of God's 
favor, now is the day of salvation. 
 
(What verse is Paul quoting?  It's again from Isaiah, 49:8  And this is 
talking about now.)  Later on in the same part of Isaiah, This whole 
chapter is talking about the coming of the Messiah, God says this:

	Isa. 49:813 Shout for joy, O heavens; rejoice, O earth; burst into 
song, O mountains! For the LORD comforts his people and will have 
compassion on his afflicted ones.   14 But Zion said, "The LORD has 
forsaken me, the Lord has forgotten me."   15  "Can a mother forget 
the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has 
borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you!   16 See, I have 
engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before 
me.


	
4.  We have his favor, we are convinced that his favor is for us 
corporately.  Now how do we individually receive God's favor.  

-- Ask him to show it to us.
	
	2Chr. 33:9-13   But Manasseh led Judah and the people of 
Jerusalem astray, so that they did more evil than the nations the 
LORD had destroyed before the Israelites.  The LORD spoke to 
Manasseh and his people, but they paid no attention.  So the LORD 
brought against them the army commanders of the king of Assyria, 
who took Manasseh prisoner, put a hook in his nose, bound him with 
bronze shackles and took him to Babylon.  In his distress he sought 
the favor of the LORD his God and humbled himself greatly before 
the God of his fathers.  And when he prayed to him, the LORD was 
moved by his entreaty and listened to his plea; so he brought him 
back to Jerusalem and to his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the 
LORD is God. 


Ps. 30:0   A psalm. A song. For the dedication of the temple. Of David.   
1 I will exalt you, O LORD, for you lifted me out of the depths and did 
not let my enemies gloat over me.   2 O LORD my God, I called to you 
for help and you healed me.   3 O LORD, you brought me up from the 
grave; you spared me from going down into the pit.   4 Sing to the 
LORD, you saints of his; praise his holy name.   5 For his anger lasts 
only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may remain 
for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.   6 When I felt 
secure, I said, "I will never be shaken."   7 O LORD, when you favored 
me, you made my mountain stand firm; but when you hid your face, 
I was dismayed.   8 To you, O LORD, I called; to the Lord I cried for 
mercy:   9  "What gain is there in my destruction, in my going down 
into the pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it proclaim your 
faithfulness?   10 Hear, O LORD, and be merciful to me; O 
LORD, be my help."   11 You turned my wailing into dancing; you 
removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,   12 that my heart 
may sing to you and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give you 
thanks forever. 


I said all that to say this.
Share about intercession page in journal.  Convicting of righteousness.
	(It's difficult to ask someone to tell us what they like about us.  
But we can do this with God, and instead of waiting around for him to 
show us if he wants.  We need to ask, and he will, in abundance.)
Share about, "You are my favorite, and I am very proud of you."
Share quotes from journal.
Pray that God will show his favor on his people.
Ask them to pray and listen.

 

wake