God’s Favor: Part 2

Favor: It’s Not For You

Preparation and Faithfulness

 Introduction:  Last week Pastor Don began a series on Favor and launched it out of the book of Esther, where we find ourselves back today.

If you are here today and feel like you are a person who desperately needs and wants the Favor of God…here are a few things before we get into the meat of today’s message…

As a believer, we are pre-positioned for favor.

  • God puts us in a place called salvation and then brings favor to us…as we mature.
  • It’s the relationship that brings Favor.

Relationship Matters Greatly

ILL: DeLisa and I got married on June 6th 1987. 36 years this past Tuesday.

We had an apartment…then a duplex. We each could go in and out as we wanted. Others had to be invited in as we chose.

Then something happened and we had a baby named Victoria.

Now there is another person who immediately has favor and access to my home. She belongs there.

  • But she can’t touch everything.
  • As she grows she has more access.
  • To the drawers…to the toilet properly…to the fridge…to the car…

Now all my children have access to my home. They have my Favor. Lots of it.

Scripture Introduction:  Mordecai (Queen Esthers guardian…her first cousin) has just found out that Haman has agreed with the King to plot to kill all the Jews in the 127 provinces of Persia.

Haman…the antagonist in the book of Esther and King Xerxes top official…is furious with Mordecai because he won’t bow down before him as ordered by the King. So he hatches a plan to kill all of the Jews.

  • Now Haman was an Agagite which was a descendant from the king of the Amalekites named Agag. Now King Saul was told to kill this king and all the descendants of the Amalekites but he failed to do so, so now the Jews are threatened with destruction because Saul wasn’t obedient.
  • Your disobedience effects the next generation.
  • In your family if you don’t conquer and allow the Lord to win over certain areas of your life you will face them all your life and so will your children.

Haman goes to Xerxes and says there is a group of people dispersed through all the land “whose customes are different than all other people”…If it pleases the king…let’s kill em all.

Est 4:1-17 NIV

When Mordecai learned of all that had been done, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the city, wailing loudly and bitterly. 2 But he went only as far as the king’s gate, because no one clothed in sackcloth was allowed to enter it. 3 In every province to which the edict and order of the king came, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping and wailing. Many lay in sackcloth and ashes.

4 When Esther’s eunuchs and female attendants came and told her about Mordecai, she was in great distress. She sent clothes for him to put on instead of his sackcloth, but he would not accept them. 5 Then Esther summoned Hathak, one of the king’s eunuchs assigned to attend her, and ordered him to find out what was troubling Mordecai and why.

6 So Hathak went out to Mordecai in the open square of the city in front of the king’s gate. 7 Mordecai told him everything that had happened to him, including the exact amount of money Haman had promised to pay into the royal treasury for the destruction of the Jews. 8 He also gave him a copy of the text of the edict for their annihilation, which had been published in Susa, to show to Esther and explain it to her, and he told him to instruct her to go into the king’s presence to beg for mercy and plead with him for her people.

9 Hathak went back and reported to Esther what Mordecai had said. 10 Then she instructed him to say to Mordecai, 11 “All the king’s officials and the people of the royal provinces know that for any man or woman who approaches the king in the inner court without being summoned the king has but one law: that they be put to death unless the king extends the gold scepter to them and spares their lives. But thirty days have passed since I was called to go to the king.”

12 When Esther’s words were reported to Mordecai, 13 he sent back this answer: “Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape. 14 For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”

15 Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: 16 “Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my attendants will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.”

17 So Mordecai went away and carried out all of Esther’s instructions.

Transition:  The story of Esther is probably most famous for this sentence if v14… “And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?”

Pastor will be jumping into that soon…but the Phrase “And who knows…” is a loaded phrase and brings lots to the story.

Because it ties directly into Esther’s words just right before that where she reveals… “But thirty days have passed since I was called to go to the king.”

 The book of Esther takes place decades after many of the Jews took advantage of the opportunity to return back to Palestine after Exile to rebuild the temple.

Esther (who was too young to know to leave) and Mordi are some of the hundreds who remained.

It’s interesting that so many stayed when the prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah had instructed…Flee when you get the chance…flee judgment. (Isaiah 48, Jer 50)

Sometimes where we are seems better than what God has.

The challenge is how do I remain faithful in a land of evil. And not only that…a land that I’ve grown to love it’s advantages?

Mordecai in his understanding of God knows he can’t bow to another.

Esther in her obedience to Mordecai and commitment to what she knows of her Jewish heritage… knows she is there for a reason but can’t figure it out.

  • I’m favored but nothing is happening.
  • I know I need to do something but this is dangerous!

Mordicai’s “who knows” is his him learning to hear the voice of God.

Here is Esther doing what she knows to do.  Being Queen and simply just being faithful at fulfilling her duties as Queen… and she doesn’t even know that it is in her faithfulness that gives her an intimacy to approach the king.

When you have lived marginally you can’t understand fully.

But you are responsible for what you know.

  • Favor reaches where your faith struggles.

We have missed the value of Faithfulness.

The Bible is a book filled with pre-positioned people of favor and uses them and bestows favor on them simply because they are found faithful.

Let me put something out there…
Any time someone found favor in the eyes of God they brought forth something

  • Noah- Brought forth an ark
  • Abraham- brought forth a nation
  • Moses- brought forth a people
  • David- brought forth a Kingdom
  • Esther – brought forth a Victory
  • And take it Further…Mary brought forth a Son.

Favor is fertile. God is wanting to birth through you for his Kingdom’s advancement… the question is…will we be faithful?

Mordcai in 4:14 “Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place.

In other words… “Esther…God is going to get this done with faithful people…will you be faithful? Or will it be another?”

What does Faithfulness look like?

  1. Faithfulness looks Normal!!

Our problem…if we have a heads up it’s a God moment we can have Faith for days.

It’s living Normal that bores us out of our Faithfulness.

Let’s take a look at another Royal.
Life of David

1 Sam 16:1

Now the LORD said to Samuel,”How long will you mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go; I am sending you to Jesse the Bethlehemite. For I have provided Myself a king among his sons.”

1 Sam 16:6-11

6 So it was, when they came, that he looked at Eliab and said, “Surely the LORD’s anointed is before Him!”

7 But the LORD said to Samuel,”Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”

8 So Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, “Neither has the LORD chosen this one.” 9 Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, “Neither has the LORD chosen this one.” 10 Thus Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, “The LORD has not chosen these.” NKJV

Where is David?  He is tending to Natural Things.  HE is Pre-positioned for Favor but has not yet been put in the place of Favor, but none the less he is being faithful where he is planted.

Preparation is in the Normal Things

As Esther went through a preparation period of a year for one moment in the presence of the king, so did David prepare in the Pasture with the sheep for one moment in front of the man of God with the oil of Anointing and Favor?

Samuel Anointed Him, just as Esther was chosen to be queen and they both went back to doing what?… Natural Things.

Esther didn’t get an opportunity to rule until later… initially, as queen, she entertained women with Banquets…Didn’t even see the king.

We are always looking for the Super-hype or Supernatural! We want to testimony!

But the supernatural surprises! It comes in the middle of the hurt…the pain…the uncomfortable.

It takes place when we are being faithful in the natural things and a Supernatural God steps into our faithfulness of Natural Things.

  1. You Can Increase Your Favor through Faithfulness

Central Truth: While God loves everyone the same, not everyone has the same measure of favor. But increased favor from God is available.

Luke 2:52– And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.

  • Jesus grew in Favor. The implications of this are more than what we have really thought about.

To grow in Wisdom or Favor means that at one point you had less than you have now.

Jesus came to model what life in a relationship with God looks like…and he did it like we would.  He GREW in Favor.  You can grow in God’s Favor.

  • At 4 Jesus didn’t walk on Water
  • At 10 he wasn’t turning water into wine
  • At 18 he wasn’t casting out demons.

 

But what he was doing was living faithfully with what he knew of God!

  • David was living Faithful with what he knew of God.
  • Esther was living Faithful to What she knew of God
    • ..“If I die, I die!” If you want favor…get there!!
    • If you are convinced of the Presence and Favor of God in your life…get here!!
    • Miracles happen in the “If I die it’s worth it” place.
  1. Faithfulness in Natural Things Brings Opportunities.

Transition:  David and Esther were just faithful where they were until God was ready to move Favor in their path.

But at some point, the lights have to come on! It dawns on you that something bigger is at stake!

  1. David: From delivering a charcuterie board to being a warrior.
    • David is literally delivering snacks and finds himself right in front of a giant and his divine moment.
    • It is recognized when he sees everyone else is motionless.
    • He kills the Giant
  1. Esther: From fear and cluelessness to reality and courage.
  • “Everyone knows you can’t go to the King unless he calls you or you will die!”
  • “Esther…you are a Jew…you WILL die!”
  • “Let’s Fast…if I die I die! Let’s save our people!!
  • The Scepter is extended.

If you want Favor then know that Favor is dangerous. Favor and Faith are linked.

You only need God’s Favor when it means moving God’s plan.

Anytime Favor is released it’s so God can be cheered and we can celebrate his goodness.

A scepter is being extended to you. Do you realize it?

How do I get more Favor? Well, how did Jesus do it?

He was faithful to what he knew.

 

 

 

 

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