Sunday Mornings Finding Favor #1 June 27th 2010
II Corinthians 9:8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.
I have good news for you today… Jesus delights in blessing you.
It is His good pleasure to see you blessed in every area of your life. Physically, Mentally, and Spiritually.
From my studying the Bible and from years of listening to and observing the testimonies of men and women I have come to this conclusion.
There are essentially 2 ways you can live your life.
The first is to depend entirely on your self-efforts,
and the other is to count on the unmerited favor and blessings of God.
2 Peter 1:2 says: Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.
Prayer
The sweltering Egyptian sun blazes down on the bustling market. The smell of spices are in the air. People calling out wares collected from the Known world. There is an assortment of people gathered there. Dancers musicians, thieves, housewives, and pickpockets are all gathered together.
A top bid will buy you anything you want.
Genesis 39:1-2 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 and he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master.
God’s definition of success is different then the world’s definition.
In corporate America success is based on what you have done, on what you have accomplished, and what you have accumulated.
It is based entirely on you, you focus all your time, energy, and resources in acquiring titles and collecting accomplishments.
This self focus at the corporate level has brought us as a country to the economic mess we find ourselves in today.
From the example of Joseph we read here that it is not what you have in your life that makes you a success but rather who you have.
V: 2 The LORD was with Joseph and he prospered,
I can not imagine starting in a worse place then Joseph. He was completely naked, he had nothing! No bank accounts, no educational qualifications, no natural connections with people of influence, nothing.
And I thank God for this Biblical picture of Joseph who began with nothing, so that you and I can have hope today.
Well Pastor I don’t know about this favor stuff it sounds a little like prosperity gospel to me. And you would be right, because that is exactly what it is. Do not confuse it with teachers who have put their own spin on it and have skewed the truth. Listen….. truth that you slant toward your desires is no longer the truth. So I am not talking about the teachings or gimmicks spilled out that talk of making a gift and receiving a reward.
I am not telling you that if you plant a monetary seed it will give you back everything you want in life. I am telling you to surrender your self to God and let Him do what He wants with your life.
Turn my daily life and my future over to God , that is taking quite a chance. What if He messes it up? Well so far you have been in charge… How is it going?
How do I know that he has something good in store for me? Matthew 7:11 11If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!
Friends the gospel is the good news and the good news is that you and I don’t have to stay the way we are depending entirely on our self-efforts and limited abilities, we can count on the unmerited favor and blessings of God.
Jeremiah 29:11For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
You have been led to believe that God wants to take away your rights. But the truth is God wants to give you your rights as His children.
You have believed that God is some cosmic kill-joy wanting to spoil your fun by saying don’t do this and don’t do that. When the truth of the matter He is simply saying, “Come this way, it is the path that I have laid out for you, it is the least dangerous and offers the best in the way of blessings. Come this way.”
In closing here is the key:
It is not what you have in your life that makes you a success but rather who you have.
V: 2 The LORD was with Joseph and he prospered,
Immanuel “God with Us”
