ALLEY OOP

(Part IV)

John 14:25-26

²⁵ “These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. ²⁶ But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.

Ephesians 1:13

¹³ In whom ye also trusted, after that, ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise.

John 16:13

¹³ However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.

Psalm 139:7-12

⁷ Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? ⁸ If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. ⁹ If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, ¹⁰ Even there Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me. ¹¹ If I say, “Surely the darkness shall fall on me,” Even the night shall be light about me; ¹² Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, But the night shines as the day; The darkness and the light are both alike to You.

I.                   MOSES

Exodus 2:5-10

⁵ Then the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river. And her maidens walked along the riverside; and when she saw the ark among the reeds, she sent her maid to get it. ⁶ And when she opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the baby wept. So she had compassion on him, and said, “This is one of the Hebrews’ children.” ⁷ Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and call a nurse for you from the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for you?” ⁸ And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Go.” So the maiden went and called the child’s mother. ⁹ Then Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child away and nurse him for me, and I will give you your wages.” So the woman took the child and nursed him. ¹⁰ And the child grew, and she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. So she called his name Moses, saying, “Because I drew him out of the water.”

II.               JESUS

1 Corinthians 2:7-8

⁷ But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, ⁸ which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

III.            THE SAINTS

The Power of Favor

 I.            Definition of Favor

a)    Webster:

To prefer (someone) especially in an unfair way:

To show that you like or approve of (someone) more than others: To approve of or support (something):

To regard (someone or something as most likely to succeed or win.

b)   Baker's Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology:

Means gaining approval, acceptance, or special benefits or blessings.

c)    Means gift, grace, divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life, including gratitude

II.           Where does favor come from? It comes from the love, grace, and mercy of God.

a)    John 3:16- For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

b)   Proverbs 8:17-1 love them that love me, and those that seek me early shall find me.

c)    1 John 4:16-And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love, and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.

d)   Psalms 86:15 - But thou, 0 Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.

e)    1 Corinthians 16:14- Let all your things be done with charity.

f)     Ephesians 2:4-5 -(4) But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, (5) Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

g)   Romans 8:35-39-Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation,

_     Or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness,

or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of.God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Ill.      The Power of Favor

a)    Supernatural Increase and Promotion!

Genesis 39:21,23- (21) But the Lord was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison.

Restoration of all the enemy stole! (23) The keeper of the prison looked not to anything that was under his hand; because the Lord was with him, and that which he did, the Lord made it prosper.

b)   Restoration of all the enemy stole!

Exodus 3:21 -And I will give these people favor in the sight of the Egyptians: and it shall come to pass, that, when ye go, ye shall not go empty.

c)    Honor in the midst of adversaries!

Exodus 11:3 - And the Lord gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians. Moreover, the man Moses was very great in the land of Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh's servants, and in the sight of the people.

d)   Increased Real Estate and or Income!

Deuteronomy 33:23 - And of Naphtali he said, 0 Naphtali, satisfied with favor, and full with the blessing of the Lord: possess thou the west and the south.

e)   God is with you!

Joshua 1:9 - Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

f)     Recognition before authorities!

1 Samuel 16:22 -And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, let David, I pray thee, stand before me; for he hath found favor in my sight.

g)   Prominence or Status!

Esther 2:17 -And the king loved Esther above all the women, and she obtained grace and favor in his sight more than all the virgins; so that he set the royal crown upon her head, and made her queen instead of Vashti.

h)   Petitions Granted!

Esther 5:6 - And the king said unto Esther at the banquet of wine, What is thy petition? And it shall be granted thee: and what is thy request? Even to the half of the kingdom, it shall be performed.

i)     Written laws changed and reversed!

Esther 8:4-5- (4) Then the king held out the golden scepter toward Esther. So Esther arose, and stood before the king, (S) And said, If it please the king and if I have favor in his sight, and the thing seem right before the king, and I be pleasing in his eyes, let it be written to reverse the letters devised by Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, which he wrote to destroy the Jews which are in all the king's provinces:

j)     Win battles you didn't even fight!

Psalms 44:33 - For they got not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them: but thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, because thou had a favor unto them.

To Sum Up the Power of Favor

It promotes, opens and closes doors, protects, gives victory over your enemies, transfer the wealth of the wicked to you, positions you to have needs met, gives you special preference, elevates you, gives you a supernatural advantage over others. More than anything it causes you to walk in the love and will of God!

IV.         How to get God's Favor!

a)   Romans 10:9-10 -Accept Jesus

(9) That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. (10) For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

b)   Luke 10:27- Love

And he answering said Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself.

c)    Proverbs 3:5-6 - Trust

Trust in the LORD with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

d)   Hebrews 11:6- Faith

But without faith, it is impossible to please him: for him that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

e)   Isaiah 66:2 - Our Positioning toward God.

For all those things hath my hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.

f)     Luke 11:28 (NIV) - Obedience

He replied, "Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it."

1 Samuel 15:22 - And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.

Explain the acronym for:

1)    Show

      2)    Fog

Deuteronomy 7:9- Know therefore that the Lord thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;