Sermon note (3rd svc)
How favour can be increased in your life?
Literally it is grace revolution going on now.
Mega Fest has always been the largest conference.
Pastor rejoice to see how the gospel is taking roots in the lives of pastors.
God is restoring the gospel of grace!
Galatians 1:6
Only One Gospel
I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel,
The gospel that Paul preached.
It is not about behaviour transformation but it is about heart transformation.
The Lord Jesus said My sheep hears My voice.
Life are saved at the right time when they hear the gospel of grace to rescue them!
Grace is not a subject. Grace is the Person of Jesus Christ.
Grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
John 1:14
The Word Becomes Flesh
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
Jesus became fresh and tabernacled among us.
God is doing great thing all over the world.
When baby Moses was born, he was appointed to deliver the people from Israel. It was seemingly the worse time to have babies but a champion was born.
No one did so much as our Lord did in the short time.
So what if you are the richest man in southeast asia? You have joy unspeakable, blessing of this life and life to come!
Stop rejoicing over things that have no value.
Only God can give you favour.
How favour can be increased in your life? Favour can be increased and enhanced.
Favour of God. Grace is unmerited favour. When God put favour on you, people want to do business with you. The favour element, what we want is favour of God increase in our lives.
The first area of favour we need is from our family. Ask for increase favour with our spouse.
Sometimes people are frustrating the favour of God in their lives.
Sin is not the answer. We are all against sin.
We are trying to do too much. We are performing with anxieties.
Get back to the place of favour. How favour can be increased.
There is a misunderstanding of people who think only when there is sin that grace can superabound.
Where sin increased, grace superabound.
It is saying location – “where”
Romans 6:1-2
Chapter 6
Dead to Sin, Alive to God
What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?
How shall we who died to sin — died is past tense.
It is possible for us to fall here and there but it is impossible for us to live in sin. We may fall in sin but we don’t live in sin.
How long a person live in sin is not for us to say.
If one is truly born again, the heart will have turmoil. It is not for us to judge.
People are not taking advantage of God’s grace.
There are people who profess Christ but don’t possess Christ.
Romans 5:20
Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more,
Romans 6:1
Chapter 6
Dead to Sin, Alive to God
What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?
God does not want us to sin more.
The law comes to bring out the sin inside out. All the while sin is in us, the law stir up. The purpose of the law is so that we see the need for us for Christ.
Abounded much more is one word. Grace super abounded. It went over and above and on top of that more on top of that. It is something we cannot count.
There is a super abounding grace in our lives. Receive it.
Shame does not receive grace. Shame is the opposite of grace. They response with guilt and self-occupation.
Of all disciples who failed Jesus the most? Peter. However He got His angel to specifically tell the people to tell Peter He has risen.
Grace is not natural.
Romans 11:6
And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work.
Work is performance.
Grace is unmerited and undeserved favour.
The biggest hinderance is their performance. If you are not a sinner you do not need a Saviour.
Grace is now the mainstream. Songs are written about grace!
There are people who confused definition with result
Result – when we receive grace and we are empowered.
Scarlet rope represent the blood of Jesus.
When God opened up the red sea, He only opened when the first person stepped in. God expect faith and then the result.
Ruth is the only woman that the bible said is virtue woman. The only problem with Ruth was she was not Jew. The law disqualified her.
David was appointed by God.
David had 18 sons from different wives and concubines and 1 daughter.
Your sin is not your final destiny. It will not mark or define you. Grace, super abounding favour will define your life.
Just because you fall into sin, does not mean it is the end.
Where sin increased, grace super abound. This is NOT the only way.
How to increase favour in our lives?
Jesus is full of grace to give. We need to receive the grace. We cannot give what we don’t have.
Does not mean you have to sin than grace superabound.
Whatever not of faith is sin.
Because of Jesus, sin does not define us finally. Grace does and superabounding one.
Grace does not come by doing more. Grace increased by seeing more.
The law of first mention. The first time grace was mentioned – Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.
Noah – means rest.
Genesis 6:8
But Noah found grace (rest) in the eyes of the Lord.
The more you rest the more grace abounds!
This resting posture increases favor.
Humility is realising we can do nothing.
Proud people is despising other people and insisted he can do it.
House of Grace
John 5:19-20
Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner. For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself does; and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel.
Even though Jesus is the Saviour of the world, He came as a Man. He depended on His Father.
We need to let go. It is a posture of rest. (When He said He can do nothing of Himself)
Jesus’ life is a posture of rest.
The more He rested, the more His grace flow.
Sometimes we get loud because we think it carries more power.
There are times we “feel” faith, and nothing happened.
There are times we “feel” we are not up to it, and we prayed a general prayer and there is result.
We are not actually in our most “deserving” posture but grace flows!
It is not about us, it is about Jesus who does the work.
We are frustrating the grace of God because we come in.
Water flows and it always find the lowest places. Lowest place is the place of rest.
The branch cannot produce grapes on its own no matter how much we struggle.
We are frustrating the grace of God without us realising it.
We pray over things we are not gifted for and we don’t pray for things we are gifted for.
Where most undeserving, grace superabound.
When we rest, grace superabound.
Rest and you will still go ahead.
Rest and you will achieve.
Jesus was very relax and restful. He always have time and He accomplished much more in the 3 and half years than any.
He even saved the world (for those who receive Him)
The super heroes in movie all of them save a situation here and there. Our Lord Jesus saved the entire world! He was stuck and He saved the whole world. The Lord is the real super Hero! Best of all He exist!
Superman, the storyline. The father sent the son to earth. The son has special power but he lives like a common man. At times u will see the uncommonness of him. He died saving the world. A few years after that the resurrection of superman.
It is a copy! (Of gospel)
Our Lord Jesus is the Superman of superman! He is Real!
He always have time!
There was a demonic man who screamed from the other side of the lake. Jesus came to him and went the other side.
Jesus is completely God and completely Man. On His way to the other side, devil tried to bring a storm to stop Jesus. His disciples cried to Jesus and Jesus woke up to His own and not to the storm and called out to the storm Peace.
Jesus looked at the demonic man and said one word GO and all demons left that man!
If you have the tendency towards death, dead things, it is demonic.
When Holy Spirit is in us, we can have super human strength at times.
First result –
Seated at Jesus’ feet. (Restful)
Second result –
He was clothed with His robe of righteousness
Third result –
He was in right mind
Learn to be restful. The young and restful.
He went to 10 cities and evangelised
2 Peter 1:2
Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord,
Grace is undeserved. First of all God wants us to rest. Sit.
Learn to rest more. It is according to God.
The more revelation we have of Jesus the more grace and peace increased.
Jesus opened up the scripture things concerning Himself in the first 5 books of Bible. That is how He brought them at Emmaus Road out of depression and into perspective of Himself.
Everything in our lives will start to prosper when we see Him more.
Life becomes hard when there is no grace. When other things become centre in our lives, the desire to see Jesus more become cold.
2 Peter 1:2 (AMP)
Grace and peace [that special sense of spiritual well-being] be multiplied to you in the [true, intimate] knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.
Does not mean when you focus on Jesus, your marriage and career suffers. When we focus on Jesus, our marriage, career flows and prosper!
This one thing is necessary.
Husband love your wife as Christ love the church.
Draw from Jesus and not put pressure on our relationship.
Receive affirmation from Jesus.
Only the Lord can fill in your life.
Adam did not partake the tree of life. So God created woman with the power to influence.
Before God made Eve, God made all kind of animals to come to Adam.
Man must see his need. God had to give the law first than we will see the need for Saviour.
God brought the two by two animals to Adam. Than he realized he is alone. God put him to sleep and made woman.
“Lord I give up, you deal with it.” This is music to the Lord’s ears
The first area favor has to work is in our family.
This is where your favor needs to increase first.
In the bible there is no word for husband or wife. It is always man and woman.
Gynae – woman
In the Hebrew, there is no words for wife and husband.
Men after they married they think of their wives as dutiful.
The Lord rejoices over us like bridegroom over the bride. Until today He loves us like that!
God will never leave us. He was forsaken for us that we might never be forsaken.
He withhold the sense of His presence, that is how God draws us.
Solomon wrote 1500 songs. The heart of the bible is Song of Songs. The love of Christ for the church.
Song of Songs 5:2-6
The Shulamite’s Troubled Evening
The Shulamite
I sleep, but my heart is awake;
It is the voice of my beloved!
He knocks, saying,
“Open for me, my sister, my love,
My dove, my perfect one;
For my head is covered with dew,
My locks with the drops of the night.”
I have taken off my robe;
How can I put it on again?
I have washed my feet;
How can I defile them?
My beloved put his hand
By the latch of the door,
And my heart yearned for him.
I arose to open for my beloved,
And my hands dripped with myrrh,
My fingers with liquid myrrh,
On the handles of the lock.
I opened for my beloved,
But my beloved had turned away and was gone.
My heart leaped up when he spoke.
I sought him, but I could not find him;
I called him, but he gave me no answer.
Nail-pierced hands. He rekindled our heart.
There are times He withhold the sense of His presence so that we will long for Him.
If your husband is taking you for granted, create the mystery. Be restful on the outside even when you paddled anxiously under.
God is on your side.
If you have Jesus as your focus, do it for Him.
Song of Songs 5:10-12
The Shulamite
My beloved is white and ruddy,
Chief among ten thousand.
His head is like the finest gold;
His locks are wavy,
And black as a raven.
His eyes are like doves
By the rivers of waters,
Washed with milk,
And fitly set.
When she described Him, He appeared. That sense of His presence will return. She spoke about Him and He appeared.
When we talk about the Lord and sing about the Lord, we sense His presence again.
Sometimes when we do too much is because we are worried and not at rest.
Step back and let our relationship grows with favor.
Ask God for increased favour with your spouse and your family.
Ask favour with your family members. That is where it starts.
Trust God more. Rest more. Let go more. And see the favor of God increased in your life more and more.
