Extreme Favour: His Anger Lasts a Moment, His Favour a Lifetime
Dr RJ Sing, 1 hr 9 min
Originally preached as “Sunday Message, 29 June 2014”
Sermon outline
You are entitled to God's favour through Christ, not because you earn it, so stop focusing on your problems and start expecting and declaring extreme favour.
Main text
- Psalm 5:12
- Psalm 30:5
- 2 Corinthians 4:1
Opening
After a long time of worship around the name of Jesus, he leads the tithes and offering from Proverbs 10:22, declaring that Jesus took our poverty on the cross. He prays for revelation and understanding, binds every hindering spirit, and announces his title, Extreme Favour, saying Job 22:28 came to him during worship as a call to decree things and not only pray.
God wants you to be a winner in life
His anger lasts only a moment but his favour lasts a lifetime, so meditate on his favour, not his anger. Because God grants us mercy, favour, benefits, opportunities and salvation, we have no reason to become discouraged, despondent or faint. Favour is the commodity to thirst after: once God grants it, you flourish even in dry and desert places.
Illustration: The Hebrew word for joy in Psalm 30:5 means a shout of rejoicing and loud cheering in triumph, and Zephaniah 3:17 pictures God dancing over his people with a shout of joy.
“Once God grants you favour, no matter where you will go, you will flourish.”
- Job 22:28
- Psalm 5:12
- Psalm 30:5
- Zephaniah 3:17
- 2 Corinthians 4:1
Take heed lest you let it slip: you are entitled to his favour
Even the best of us let things slip, because the heat of the battle makes us forget God's favour. When problems overwhelm us we focus on them and they grow bigger, as the psalmist did in Psalm 102, yet God remembered he was entitled to his favour. You win life's battles not by your own arm but because his favour is on you, and while people plot against you, God is already sending help your way.
Illustration: While Joseph's envious brothers plotted to throw him into the pit, God had already arranged a band of Ishmaelites travelling towards him.
“God has not forgotten that you are entitled to his favour.”
- Hebrews 2:1
- Psalm 102:1-2
- Psalm 102:28
- Psalm 44:3
Favour, part one: something granted out of goodwill
Favour is not bought or earned; Christ paid the price and you receive it because of God's mercy. Trust in the Lord and delight yourself in him, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
“You don't have to buy it. You don't have to earn it. Christ paid the price for it.”
- Psalm 37:3-4
Favour, part two: a gift given as a token of regard
God gives you things simply because he loves and appreciates you. When you feed on his love and faithfulness, favour does not just visit you but sets in your life. Jesus' promise to do whatever we ask in his name means we come to God rejoicing rather than begging, and we should make room in our lives for his favour.
Illustration: Favour setting in your life like concrete: once it is set, it is really set.
“God wants you to make spaces in your life for his favour.”
- John 14:13-14
- Psalm 84:11
Favour, part three: the favour of God and man
We deal with people every day, so we need favour with them too: at work, with enemies, with authorities and government officials. God stands behind the economy and knows where money is lost, so he can cause it to be found. Keep declaring favour, because favour produces preferential treatment.
Illustration: Jesus did not send Peter to the reserve bank; he told him to catch a fish with a coin in its mouth. He also pictures a statement arriving that says 'no balance'.
“A favour of God produces preferential treatment.”
- Matthew 17:27
Favour, part four: great advantage
Favour means things work out for you as a child of God, and when the enemy tries to disadvantage you, God brings you advantage. Everything God does for us is motivated by love, not greed, so even when we miss the mark he still wants to be good to us. Choose to meditate on the love of God rather than on a stern God waiting to judge.
Illustration: As a young Christian he pictured a stern, harsh God, but now sees a God who understands his mistakes and wrong turns and will make it right.
“God is a great accountant. And he's going to balance the books for us.”
Read Deuteronomy 28 through grace
The Lord told him to read the conditions of Deuteronomy 28 as 'if you accept his grace and favour by faith', and receive the finished work of the cross by faith. Then the blessings come on you and overtake you, not because you did but because Jesus did. Stop meditating on your enemies, because those who are for you are more than those against you.
“I receive not because I did. I receive because you did.”
- Deuteronomy 28:1-13
- 2 Kings 6:16
Putting it into practice
- Meditate on God's favour rather than on your problems or your enemies.
- Declare God's favour over your life every day.
- Expect favour at work, with authorities and even with people who do not like you.
- Receive God's blessings by faith in the finished work of the cross, not by trying to earn them.
- Do not become weary or give up, because your due season is coming.
Closing
He has the church stand and make a declaration of extreme favour, then gives a prophetic declaration that they will be swimming in the favour of God, carried to victory by currents of favour rather than their own striving. He calls everyone looking for work to run to the front, prays over them with catchers behind, and says the Lord told him good things would come in cycles of seven days. The church and pastor declare seven times that something good is going to happen.
Declarations he led
- I refuse to be poor anymore.
- As I give to you, Lord, I break the back of poverty.
- I'm entitled to his favour.
- Lord Jesus, thank you for what you have done. Today I stand looking to you not because I deserve it, because I merit it, but I receive your favour by grace and by faith.
- From today I begin to focus on the favour of God. I enjoy extreme favour. It comes to me from the left, from the right, from above, from beneath. Doors open to me.
- I'm fruitful. I'm flourishing. Good things are about to happen to me. I expect it. The clouds of favour are traveling my way.
- I'm going to walk in favour. I'm going to experience favour. I'm going to enjoy the favour of the Lord. No weapon fashioned against me shall prosper.
- Every seven days something good's going to happen to me.
In his words
- “The commodity we should be really thirsting after is favour.”
- “When you focus on your problems, the problems get bigger.”
- “While people are against you, God has already got someone traveling towards you to lift you out of any situation.”
- “God is a great accountant. And he's going to balance the books for us.”
- “The currents of favour will drive you to victory without you striving and trying.”
Every scripture in this message
- Proverbs 10:22
- Job 22:28
- Colossians 1:9-14
- Psalm 5:12
- Psalm 30:5
- Zephaniah 3:17
- 2 Corinthians 4:1
- Hebrews 2:1
- Revelation 3:8
- Galatians 6:9
- Romans 8:31
- Psalm 102:1-2
- Psalm 102:28
- Psalm 44:3
- Psalm 37:3-4
- John 14:13-14
- Psalm 84:11
- Haggai 2:8
- Matthew 17:27
- Deuteronomy 28:1-13
- 2 Kings 6:16
- Isaiah 54:17