Sermon Central
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Divine Favour: Shield Of The Righteous
Contributed by Bishop Prof. Julius Soyinka on Feb 1, 2016 (message contributor)
Summary: When a believer walks in righteousness, his life will be surrounded by the favour of God, that will make things to work out for him on every side, without the enemy prevailing over him.
DIVINE FAVOUR: THE SHIELD OF THE RIGHTEOUS
Study Text: Psalms 5:12
Introduction:
- One thing holding Christians in bondage than anything else is a lack of knowledge of righteousness.
- When a man accepts Jesus, he is moved into a position of a new birth. He enters into the Kingdom of God and he becomes a joint heir with Jesus Christ.
- That man would automatically become God’s very own child. With this new relationship, there are certain privileges, rights and freedom that he will enjoy.
- All these are combined together in what we can describe as Divine Favour.
- Favour often shows up in hard times, in storms of life. When our world falls apart, God's favour shows up just in time to show us His kindness and goodness.
- Shield is used in Scripture to illustrate God's divine strategic protection around His people against any and all weapons, intentions, and attacks of the enemy seeking to harass, harm, or destroy God's work in us and around us.
- Many believers are lingering in one place for years, they have prayed, they have waited and yet there is nothing coming into their lives.
- My beloved, what you need to change your situation is the Divine favour of God. One day of favour is worth a thousand days of labour, God can do for you in one day what you could take years to accomplish alone.
- We shall discuss the topic under three sub-headings:
1. The Meaning of Divine Favour
2. The Motivations of Divine Favour
3. The Manifestations of Divine Favour
1. The Meaning of Divine Favour
- Divine Favour is blessings from God that you do not deserve nor can you explain how you received them other than by the hand of God.
- Favour can be displayed in many forms. For example: wealth, riches, connections, wisdom, compassion, faith, knowledge etc., these are just a few.
- Favour is very important in our lives, because it is the engineer of every great future. It is the master key to a world of fulfilment. It changes and gloriously repositions people. God determines the placement of everyone by His favour (Psalm 30:5-7).
- Life is not a race of strength, swiftness, or skill. It answers absolutely to favour. The quality of a man’s life is a function of the favour at work for him. (Ecclesiastes 9:11).
- The favour of God is what determines the limits of every man’s destiny. Once you are favoured, you are made.
- Favour is what converts labour into fortune. It enhances the value of your labour. Apostle Paul said, I am what I am by the grace of God. The limit of your destiny is defined by the level of favour operating in your life.
- Your destiny is favour limited. So the more favour you enjoy the more glorious your destiny. Every man is limited by the level of favour he enjoys.
- The psalmist said God’s favour surrounds us like a shield. That means everywhere you go you have an advantage, a divine presence, opening up the right doors, causing things to fall in its place and giving you the right break.
- No matter who is against you, what is not working out God has surrounded you with his favour to thrust you to your destiny.
- Job 10:12 You have granted me life and favour, and your care has preserved my spirit. If you believe it or not, God’s children are surrounded by God’s favour day and night.
- God told Abraham in Genesis 12:2 AMP And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you [with abundant increase of favours] (God’s favour is not for just once or twice, he said he will do favour in abundance.) and make your name famous and distinguished, and you will be a blessing [dispensing good to others].
- You and I are the seed of Abraham. God wants to do favour us likewise. God’s favour is such that it keeps on coming and he will bless us so much that we will end up to be a blessing to others.
- God’s favour causes you to be promoted even though you are not qualified, God’s favour gives you blessing even though you don’t deserve it.
- God’s favour will put you at the right place at the right time. God’s favour heals you in spite of your condition.
- God is saying to you what he said to Abraham, “I am going to assist you, I am going to provide you with advantages, I am going to give you preferential treatment and bless you.”
2. The Motivations of Divine Favour
1. Godliness (righteousness and Holiness):
- This will always produce greatness even in the midst of opposition and challenges. All uniquely favoured men in the bible like Joseph, Job, and Daniel were lifted because of their godliness.