Walking in the Favor of God
This sermon explores what it means to live in the "favor of God," highlighting it as a state of divine approval, acceptance, and support. It emphasizes that a vital first step to experiencing this favor is learning to genuinely listen to God's voice in our daily lives.
This sermon explains that walking in God's favor means experiencing His approval, support, and joy. The primary key to living in this favor is learning to consistently listen to His voice.
Overview
The sermon introduces the concept of "Walking in the Favor of God," defining it as God's approval, acceptance, support, provision, divine energy, and joy. Using Noah as an example from Genesis 6, it posits that God intends for every believer to sense and experience His favor through the Holy Spirit.
The first and most basic evidence of God's favor in a believer's life is learning to listen to Him. The Holy Spirit, who indwells believers, acts as an internal guide and director, helping to discern God's will and direction for daily life, including during prayer.
Listeners are taught how to identify God's voice: it is consistent with scripture, often conflicts with human reason and fleshly desires, challenges faith, calls for courage, and is always quiet, clear, and personal. God does not call us without also providing the necessary power and strength to fulfill His will.
Finally, the sermon explores various ways God gets our attention, such as through restlessness, messages from others, blessings, unanswered prayer, disappointments, failures, financial problems, and even sickness or injury. These methods are ultimately acts of God's grace and goodness, designed to lead us back to listening to Him and walking in His best plan for our lives.
Key points
- Walking in God's favor signifies His approval, acceptance, support, provision, divine energy, and joy in a believer's life.
- The Holy Spirit, given at salvation, empowers believers to sense and experience God's favor and guidance.
- Learning to listen to God is identified as the fundamental and first indication of walking in His favor.
- God's voice is consistent with scripture, often conflicts with human reason and sinful desires, challenges faith, requires courage, and is always quiet, clear, and personal.
- God provides the necessary power and strength to accomplish whatever He calls a person to do.
- God uses various means to get our attention, including restlessness, messages from others, blessings, unanswered prayer, disappointments, failure, financial problems, and sickness.
- God, as a loving Heavenly Father, consistently desires the best for believers and guides them to walk in His favor.
In Charles Stanley's words
“God does not call you without giving whatever is necessary to help you and enable you to do it.”
“God is an awesome, wonderful, exciting, beloved, heavenly Father who wants the best for us in every area of our life.”
“To walk in the favor of God, whatever it takes, it's worth it.”
Outline
- I. Defining "Walking in the Favor of God"
- A. Expressions of God's Favor: approval, acceptance, support, provision, divine energy, joy
- B. The Holy Spirit's role in sensing favor
- II. The First Indication of God's Favor: Listening to Him (Psalm 32:8-9)
- A. The Holy Spirit as internal guide and director
- B. How to Identify God's Voice
- 1. Consistent with scripture
- 2. In conflict with human reason
- 3. Clashes with fleshly desires
- 4. Challenges your faith
- 5. Calls for courage (God provides power with command)
- 6. Speaks quietly
- 7. Speaks clearly
- 8. Speaks personally
- III. How God Gets Our Attention
- A. Restlessness
- B. Messages from somebody else
- C. Blessings
- D. Unanswered prayer
- E. Disappointments
- F. Failure
- G. Financial problems
- H. Sickness or injury
- IV. God's Desire: For Us to Walk in His Favor
Scripture references
5 And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
6 And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.
7 And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.
8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.
8 I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.
9 Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding: whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they come near unto thee.
Insights
God's favor encompasses His deep acceptance and generous provision.
Listening to God is the foundational lesson of a surrendered life.
The Holy Spirit within guides us in God's specific will.
Questions & answers
What does the sermon mean by "the favor of God"?
The sermon defines "the favor of God" as God's approval, acceptance, support, provision, divine energy, and joy. It represents the comprehensive blessing and presence of God in a person's life.
What is the primary way to experience God's favor, according to the sermon?
The primary way to experience God's favor is by learning to listen to Him. The sermon states that until one learns to listen, they will live outside of His will and not fully experience His favor.
How can a believer identify God's voice?
God's voice will always be consistent with scripture, often conflict with human reason and fleshly desires, challenge one's faith, call for courage, and be communicated quietly, clearly, and personally to the individual.
Why might God's voice be in conflict with human reason or fleshly desires?
God's voice often conflicts with human reason because He knows past, present, and future, and His will may not always seem 'reasonable' from a human perspective. It clashes with fleshly desires because it directs away from sinful choices and towards God's righteous path.
What are some of the unexpected ways God gets our attention?
God gets our attention through various means, including feelings of restlessness, messages from others, blessings, unanswered prayer, disappointments, failures, financial problems, and even sickness or injury.
Does God empower us to follow His commands?
Yes, the sermon affirms that when God gives a command, He always accompanies it with His power, strength, energy, and know-how, enabling the believer to do what He calls them to do.
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Source
Unofficial AI summary for study purposes. Watch the full sermon on In Touch Ministries. Sermon Insights is not affiliated with or endorsed by the pastor or church.