Sunday sermon by Pastor Rajesh Mathew, Cornerstone Church, 28 June 2020

The Lord brought the children of Israel out of Egypt. The beginning of their journey and end of the journey into the Promised Land was through the waters. It was by the parting of the Red sea that the journey began and the parting of the river Jordan that their long journey ended. You spiritual life too begins with the Word which is the Living Waters and the end also is the Word. If so, then you will experience the Promise of God.

Psalm 30:5- For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; Weeping may endure for a night, But [a]joy comes in the morning.

The favour of God. Favour means:

• A special preference or privilege that God gives someone that gives them an advantage over others.
• The marvellous kindness of God.

Psalm 31:21- Blessed be the Lord, For He has shown me His marvellous kindness in a [a]strong city!

His favour is life-long.

God is show His marvellous kindness this morning over your life.

Favour means preferential treatment

• Joseph was the 11th son. The parents usually love the eldest and the youngest the most. Usually the ones in the middle are forgotten and neglected. Joseph was the 11th son, the one in the middle. Still, God had a special preference and privilege over his life.
• This morning, you may not have anybody who loves you or is merciful towards. Let these thoughts be removed from your mind. This morning the marvellous kindness of Jesus is finding you. This is the morning of your favour. It is like the marvellous countenance of God

Psalm 44:3- For they did not gain possession of the land by their own sword, Nor did their own arm save them; But it was Your right hand, Your arm, and the light of Your countenance, Because You favored them.

• God’s favour can be imagined like this: Suppose you are on a stage or in a theatre to watch a play. Though there are many people of the stage, there is a spotlight on those that are then being highlighted through God’s light and the light of his countenance shall be upon you from this morning, write this date down.
• It doesn’t matter how big the crowd is. The favour of God will distinguish you from the crowds.
• Not by your qualification or your ability. It is God’s special love and liking towards you. There is a special liking towards people who belong to Him. Who are His children. In the midst of this economic recession, God will still bless you.

Favour is a heritage

Deuteronomy 7:6, 13 and 14- For you are a [a]holy people to the LORD your God; the LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth. And He will love you and bless you and [a]multiply you; He will also bless the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your land, your grain and your new wine and your oil, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flock, in the land of which He [b]swore to your fathers to give you. 14 You shall be blessed above all peoples; there shall not be a male or female barren among you or among your livestock.

• In the Old Testament, God had chosen His own and set them apart from all other people. The Lord is raising His people. We may be a minority in this nation but we are God valued vessel. He will raise us up.
• Every disease will be broken. Declare that I am a heritage in the Lord. I am healed by the stripes of Jesus. Kidney, liver ailments, skin diseases etc will be removed. Let there be healing in Jesus Name.

One day of God’s favour can terminate a lifetime of struggle and labour

• In the world there is a labour. In the Kingdom of God there is favour.
• Favour is God’s effort. Labour is human effort.
• My God will descend and act on your behalf- that is favour.
• There are labour unions. We need to start favour unions.

Luke 5:5- But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.”

• There is toil and labour in this world. This was skilful fisherman, Peter. But his capacity and knowledge about his job and effort did not help him catch fish. He toiled all night. But one moment of favour, and he had a net breaking catch. The net was filled.

When Jesus came, along with him came Favour and Love.

Nets are getting filled. The emptiness within homes is changing in the Name of Jesus.

• They tried all night. There is a limit for skill, knowledge and capacity but His love and favour is limitless. It is surplus!
• Oral Roberts says, a net breaking, boat sinking, friends calling, enemy-angering load of fish!

Favour is the flavour of life

• Favour makes life sweet. It makes life exciting, pleasurable and colourful.
• Labour is pressure! Favour is pleasure. No stress.
• When favour visits, it is the end of human struggle and effort.

Exodus 3:21- 22- And I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians; and it shall be, when you go, that you shall not go empty-handed. 22 But every woman shall ask of her neighbor, namely, of her who dwells near her house, articles of silver, articles of gold, and clothing; and you shall put them on your sons and on your daughters. So you shall plunder the Egyptians.”

• For 430 years they were under hard labour but one night, God’s favour and love visited this people. They did not leave empty handed but along with interest, retirement fund, wages and interest, with all this, they left Egypt.

If you are empty after all the labour from the many previous years, God’s favour is about to descend upon you and restore everything back. A lifetime of struggle and toil is being removed!

• Lord, let me grow in your grace and favour oh Lord!

Luke 5:2-3- and saw two boats standing by the lake; but the fishermen had gone from them and were washing their nets. 3 Then He got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little from the land. And He sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat.

• Jesus got into one of the two boats that were by the lake. That is favour!
• There were 2 applications. Which one was chosen? Yours. Two tenders. Whose was accepted? Yours! The ones that had the favour of GOD. Two persons had businesses in the same street. Which one had better business? The one that was favoured by the Lord.
• Ask the Lord to get into your boat, into your home

The Holy Spirit is saying to an old lady, who is listening to this Word in tears. The Lord will handle the situation with your children. He will grant you favour!

• Jesus got into the boat and said launch out into the deep. He said to Peter, cast your nets. But peter cast out his net.
• Send your application to all colleges. Oxford, Harvard! Everywhere! But Peter chose only Thevara college. It is the level of your faith.
• If you have 5 nets and you cast out only one then just that one will be filled. But if you cast out all 5, then all 5 will be filled

God’s favour will fill everything that is empty

• Your thoughts may be empty. You might be feeling that you have arrived nowhere in your midlife. This is making you feel burdened.

You might have entered your middle life and got nothing but this is the beginning of time of favour for your life, get ready to cast your nets. Get ready to place your feet forward.

Exodus 3:21- And I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians; and it shall be, when you go, that you shall not go empty-handed.

• The Lord is the one who will show favour. Nobody can stop it. Witchcraft and black magic won’t stop you. No one can disqualify you if God decides to show you favour. No witchcraft that is done against you will ever succeed.
• Say “I am redeemed by the Blood of Jesu Christ. No witchcraft or magic done against me shall ever succeed.”
• The one who was empty in one night became a millionaire.
• Pastor’s anecdote: One of my fathers blessed me saying, “You have ministered to thousands so far but now will minister millions”. I release that impartation into your life. Let there be an increase in your business, in your ministry, let miracles happen!
• In the midst of the Egyptians, the Lord will grant you favour. They were the masters and lords of the Israelites.

In the midst of the same boss who said he would never promote you, in the midst of a controlling circumstances and people, God will give you favour.

The Holy Spirit is saying to someone who is caught in a wrong relationship. God is giving you a divine release. The same person who never let you go, will say to you, go and serve the Lord. You go and do what you should be for God.

Exodus 12:35- 36- Now the children of Israel had done according to the word of Moses, and they had asked from the Egyptians articles of silver, articles of gold, and clothing. 36 And the LORD had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they granted them what they requested. Thus they plundered the Egyptians.

• God showed them favour. God gave them a surplus.
• When God blessed Peter, the catch was so big that He had to invite the others in the nearby boats to come and help. When God blesses you, it is like you need to invite others too to share in it. In your business, even your competitors will ask you to take the profit!

The Holy Spirit is saying that the situations of God’s children will not be as that of the world.

• The Lord will cause his face to shine upon you. Don’t read economic times and be depressed.

You have to pursue after favour.

A Dubai Sheikh as written a book. HE states in it that, every other day the lion gets up in the morning knowing that it has to outrun the fastest deer or it will starve and the gazelle wakes up every morning because it has to outrun the lion to survive. Everybody in life is either pursuing something or someone or something is pursuing them.

Proverbs 22:1- A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, Loving favor rather than silver and gold.

• Do not pursue after gold and silver but after loving favour. ‘Nothing is greater than your favour,’ Lord. I want to delight You, I want to be in Your good will. Heaven will release everything you need.

Upon whom does the favour of God come?

Proverbs 14:9- Fools mock at sin, But among the upright there is favour.

The righteous has favour.

• Who are the righteous? Those who realise that they are sinners and realise that they cannot overcome sin on their own but depend on the Lord for bringing them out of the sinful living by His sacrifice. The Lord counts him in as a righteous person. That doesn’t mean he is perfect but that he is true and honest.
• Without your grace and help, I can’t live one single day without you Lord. Strengthen me Lord, make me strong Lord!

Psalm5:12- For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous; With favor You will surround him as with a shield.

• There is favour for the righteous
• There are two kinds of righteousness- One is positional righteousness and relational righteousness

➢ Position – when we receive Christ, by position we become a child of God. ➢ Relational- If you have three children, positionally you are their father but

relationally, you may not approve of what they are doing.

• When we do certain things that God doesn’t want us to do, there is a strain relationally. That is usually indicated by us not being able to enjoy God’s presence like before. When you are righteous even relationally, then God will make His favour like a shield around you.

God’s favour will guarantee stability in your life. What brings others down will not bring you down.

Psalms 30:6-7- Now in my prosperity I said, “I shall never be [a]moved.” 7 Lord, by Your favor You have made my mountain stand strong;

• God’s favour will bring in stability.
• If your marital life, emotions, finances, blessings is unstable, as if it were about to break away, God is stabilising it. Let there be a grace and favour to stabilise you.
• Your product will stand out, if you are a businessman!

In the item of COVID- 19, God’s favour will make you stand.

• It is His favour that will promote you.
• The Book of Ruth shows how favour made Ruth marry a rich man.
• Esther was a slave girl and was called Hadassah. She married a King and became the queen. God’s favour found her. Mordecai brought her to the eunuchs who looked after the maids. He gave her an oil made of Myrrh, a sweet perfume. Esther started applying the oil.

There is an anointing that grants you favour. I release the anointing of the Holy Spirit upon you in the name of Jesus to grant you favour

• It doesn’t matter what your background is, you will find favour. You may be a widow or a slave girl. But the oil of the anointing will bring you favour.

The Holy Spirit is saying that you will have a marriage without struggle. No stress, no division or lack. Let that bondage be broken this morning.

• Marital favour is being released upon some people.

A Man of God said, ‘at the age of 30, I received the anointing and a word of knowledge and word of wisdom regarding my marriage and for 40 years ever since then, I never fought with my wife. Not even once. We have never had arguments or unpleasantness!’

Lord bless me with a good marriage Lord.

See, you don’t wait for God’s favour. You provoke it!

• Just to get favour, we don’t need to scheme, manipulate and twist things. Just have a right standing with God in your relationship with Him. Being someone who will promote the Kingdom of God. Someone who loves God’s children.

Psalm 102:13-14- You will arise and have mercy on Zion; For the time to favor her, Yes, the set time, has come. 14 For Your servants take pleasure in her stones, And show favor to her dust.

• Why is there a set time for favour? So that the servants will find love even with the stones.
• You feel like loving. It is time to make you walk in the favour of God. You can provoke favour by loving God’s people and God’s church.

Mathew 6:33- Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and all these things shall be added unto you.

• Saving of souls. Furtherance of the gospel. When these become a concern for your, then God will be pleased with you.
• The greatest joy here on earth is the church.
• Loving even the weakest of the believers. The church isn’t a building, it is relationships. You need to sow seeds. Sow seeds of love and favour.

Mathew 7:12- Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.t

• This is the golden verse in the Bible. God’s favour comes upon people with a heart of gratitude

Malachi 2:1-2- “And now, O priests, this commandment is for you. 2 If you will not hear, And if you will not take it to heart, To give glory to My name,” Says the Lord of hosts, “I will send a curse upon you, And I will curse your blessings. Yes, I have cursed them already, Because you do not take it to heart.

• You got to learn to have gratitude.
• Revelation 2 speaking to the Ephesian church says nine things are good, but one thing not great. That you forgot your first love.

You are created by God for favour and therefore you should expect it.

• Joseph was in the prison, there God’s favour was upon him. In Potiphar’s house, God’s favour favour was upon him. Even when the coat was taken away from him, God’s favour was upon him. Your location is irrelevant! Your shop must be in some corner of the city. But if you have GOD’s favour, that shop will grow. Without favour, even if you keep shop in LULU mall or Broadway nothing will happen!
• Joseph purely because of God’s favour, wherever he went God prospered him. God’s blessing will come upon your life.

Genesis 39:2-6- 2 The LORD was with Joseph, and he was a successful man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. 3 And his master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD made all he did [a]to prosper in his hand. 4 So Joseph found favor in his sight, and served him. Then he made him overseer of his house, and all that he had he put [b]under his authority. 5 So it was, from the time that he had made him overseer of his house and all that he had, that the LORD blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; and the blessing of the LORD was on all that he had in the house and in the field. 6 Thus he left all that he had in Joseph’s [c]hand, and he did not know what he had except for the [d]bread which he ate.

• God was with Joseph and he was a very prosperous man. Joseph was well favoured.

Verse 21: But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him mercy, and He gave[a] him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison.

• Whatever the work of Joseph’s hands was, he began to prosper and be blessed in it!
• Anything that you touch will be blessed!