The Power of Yes #1 Favor-Getting Your Edge 8-2-09

The Power of Yes Part #1:

Favor—Getting Your Edge

8-2-09

Those who follow Christ are YES people

· People who have a Huge YES ringing in their hearts

· Part of our DNA—

· We are a people of YES!!

Yes—means ‘so be it’

In the Bible

· Word of Response

· God required response

Biblically

· Commands something to be—‘Amen’—So Be IT!!

· In Bible come into AGREEMENT with God—Word of FAITH

Things Can CHANGE in the moment of YES

· Covenants happen—Marriage example

· Armed services—sworn in

SALVATION—Romans 10:9 9 If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved.[1]

Mary/Angel

· Luke 1:38 Mary’s response—let it be to me

When we move into positive confession

· So shall it be—as YOU say, God

· Not just fantasy—positive confession (what I can conceive I can believe)

There is a limit to that

· Secular world has a partial truth to this—but there is a limit

· Lot of secular books believe—on to right principle in life

o Nothing wrong with that—that you would believe in yourself

o Believe for your life

o Secular books on to something

· Person of faith—belief—will have

· A person who believes will have more than an unbelieving person

We go BEYOND Positive confession

· Go to biblical confession

· Not something we make up

· Not something that we hope for—fantasizing

Something that we draw from God’s word

· We agree with what God says

· Something we pick up—draw out of the pool of reality—and apply it to our lives as God says

Power of NO—NO position—draw the line

· Power of YES—draw line

· Free-floating belief—Conviction principle the SAME

II Cor 1:20 20 For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God.[2]

Promises ringing

· This is an INTERACTIVE verse

· Up to us to say Amen

· Agreement—when God sends promise WAITING for agreement

· It RELEASES something—

· Until agree—Activation NOT COMPLETE

Whatever God has promised gets stamped with the Yes of Jesus. In him, this is what we preach and pray, the great Amen, God’s Yes and our Yes together, gloriously evident. God affirms us, making us a sure thing in Christ, putting his Yes within us. By his Spirit he has stamped us with his eternal pledge—a sure beginning of what he is destined to complete.[3]

What God has promised is stamped YES in Jesus (Read various translations)

The Reason we are to be a people of yes—is because Christ’s work on Cross

· Was a work of YES, it can be done

· YES I will do this for you

WHEN all the promises of the Father are YES in me

· All the promises of God take on new meaning

When you agree with the Word, it Opens the Door over Your Life

· Changes the Atmosphere around your life (develop)

· Atmosphere of YES—alignment

o Possibilities—hope—faith—PROMISE

o Yes Holy Spirit

A yes person—is a faith person

* A person leaning into the miracle working power of God

Understanding Christianity based on miracle—Christ rose from the dead

· YES, I believe God can work in the promise

God who pulled off a yes to the resurrection

· We are a YES people—theologically—practically

A negative person who always look into doubt

· A person who always has a no

James 5:12

· Let your yes, be yes, and your no be no e

Matt Chapter 5

· Let your yes be yes, and your no be no

Sometimes starts with Simple—“I BELIEVE”—engage CHOICE

· Grows in heart—Faith Comes by HEARING

· I believe I’m a candidate for the blessing of the Lord

A person who has a value system of Faith and a biblical view of God

· Have ability—to say yes, it shall be

Or not it shall not be

Can actually stand in a situation and say, yes it shall be, or no it shall not be

What are you doing with that position of faith in your life

Statement of faith: Today, I take my yes position by faith and a right attitude, giving a resounding and yes to God who will do precisely what He has promised what HE has purposed to do. I say YES to the Holy Spirit

There are many things we need to say ‘yes’ to in God

· And as we do—releases ALIGNMENT

· Lord’s prayer—Kingdom Come—will—Daily Bread—Temptation

o ‘YES’ prayer

o Brings alignment

Powerful things happen as we say ‘yes

· Just like free floating belief—conviction—same principle

· EXAMPLE

· Yes, I will align!!

Gift of Freewill

· Not just about sin—it’s a GIFT to man

· Power of Surrender—power of CHOICE

Wrong yes—opens door to death

· The RIGHT yes—opens to LIFE

Yes doorway to salvation

· Doorway to covenant (marriage); armed forces;

YES changes life status

· Public office swearing in

· NOW your word carries NEW authority

o Think about it—after swearing in, your word NOW has authority

o In the same way when You say YES to God—new authority released—things change

So many things we are to say YES to in God

· Develop List

· Consider looking at previous list

Favor of God: Particular kind of kindness to you and I

· Favor is the kindness of God that lifts us to a place of respect

· He wants to give you an advantage for success

· An edge

Few years back, doctor did a research to Olympic Athletes

· If I could create pill that would get gold medal

· Take it home—would you take the pill

o All said yes

Second question—only live for one year—get the pill—win—and die in one year—will you take Pill?

· 90% said I would take the pill!

Even if you would die?—Winning means that much l

Few years later did test again

· Five years if you died—Almost 100% said I’d take the pill

· 5 years, but at least I’d have the win of the gold medal

The point that the doctor made—What price would you pay for an EDGE

· Lots of things people in world will do to get an edge—think about

· But GOD has an EDGE—Favor of God

There is another edge—you can have—It’s Called the

The Favor of God

· Not favoritism

· But the favor of God that rests on a person’s life.

· They sure are favor of God

Always have an edge about them—favored

How would you receive favor on life

· GET THIS: Favor is not favoritism

· Romans 2:11

· God does not favor one person—God favors his principles

· And lifts up integrity—no matter age/race/background

How Does God’s Favor Help Us in Our Lives?

· What does that have to do with the POWER of YES???

· Going to show you how to say YES to His favor!!!!

Favor is like a cloud that follows you

· When it doesn’t rain anywhere else, it rains on you

· This week GHC clouds!!

How do clouds work?

· Vapor has to go up so that there can be a substance to rain down

· Might I suggest to you that there is a cloud that can cover your life—confession—word of God—change ATMOSPHERE

· Acts of integrity—God who sees in SECRET Reward openly

· Acts of forgiveness

· Your character corrected

· All the scriptures you can hold on

I want the cloud to follow Me

· My family—my family’s family!

Some say—can have favor—I have lack

· Paul could abound in favor or Lack (QUOTE)

· Some families have lack—but FAVOR

· Other have lack—dysfunction—chaos

Difference: giving Life to WISDOM

Developing godly WISDOM is a Key to develop FAVOR in your life

Prov 8:35 35 For whoever finds me finds life and receives favor from the Lord.

Lots of Verses/Examples—Let’s look at a few

God’s Favor brings Richness to our Lives—No Sorrow

Proverbs 10:22

· Blessing (synonym of FAVOR of God)

· Blessing of Lord makes Rich and He adds no sorrow to it

· RICHNESS—not just finance—can be—not limited to

There’s NO sorrow

· Won’t regret

God’s Intent is that His Favor Extends Over Our LIFETIME

Ps 30:5 5 For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime;

· Jewish Culture Got it—My son the Lawyer—My son the attorney

· Got a VISION for the culture of blessing

Godly Character/integrity ATTRACTS God’s Favor

1. Favor is FRUIT of Love and Faithfulness

· Develop how fruit develops

Prov 3:4 3 Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck,

write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man.

2. Good Character

Prov 12:2 2 A good man obtains favor from the Lord,

but the Lord condemns a crafty man.

When I say YES to godly character

· Wisdom—Faithfulness

· Surely goodness and MERCY will follow ALL the days of my life

· Favor Causes you to prosper in job/career/vocation

· Our WORK is blessed

· When the FAVOR of the Lord rests on us

o Our LIFE—Purpose—Vision Is Established!

The favor of God covering YOUR life

· Ps 90:17

17 May the favorb of the Lord our God rest upon us;

establish the work of our hands for us—

yes, establish the work of our hands.

[4]

· When the FAVOR of the Lord rests on us

o Our LIFE—Purpose—Vision Is Established!

Be aware GOD cares about the works of your HANDS

· God interested in your living—in what you do for your life

· God cares about your vocation—where you are going—what you are doing

God wants you to be successful in your job

· Doesn’t want you to be a mediocre person

· Wants you to do the EXCELLENT job

· Examples—different things . . . .

· If you’re a teacher—yours should be the best classroom

God has called you to bless the works of your hands

· That’s me!

HOW would God bless the works of your hands??

Favor principles

· Favor comes into ANY situation/circumstances

· Not limited by what’s going on around you?

I could be blessed and an achiever IF

· If I lived in a better community

· Different situation—That’s not the answer—God’s favor TRANSCENDS your circumstances (Joseph, Daniel Daniel 1, Paul Acts 28)

Genesis 39:2, 3, etc. Lord was with Joseph—showed mercy—and showed him FAVOR

· Joseph in prison

· Was NOTHING from human eyes

· Wherever he went—he was found with favor

Young teenager—always had favor

· Always has this favor on his life

He’s a slave—and he’s blessed

· Potipher

· Leader

If you want promotion

· God needs to be WITH you—you need to say yes to the things that draw his Favor

What is God comfortable being WITH?

· Integrity

· Honor

· Respect

· Unselfish living

· Principle-ized decisions

· Even when he could get away with it (Potipher’s wife)

· She got him back

· He said, Do what you want—I’m not compromising my integrity

· Even in a foreign land

· Even when the door is closed—and no one can see

· God can see—I want to do RIGHT

Favor of God continues through prison

· In charge of prison!

3 ingredients of FAVOR

· First: the Lord is WITH you

o Unity of Heart—integrity—character—reason Lord CAN be with you

· Second: The Lord wants to manifest His MERCY to you

· Three: Lord favored him above everyone else

When you read the entire story of Joseph

· You will find a humble young man—when had power of to get back at brothers

· Forgiveness

· Could have gotten back

· Prisoners didn’t recognize—develop

Revelation—to brothers—it’s me

· Stared

Honored his brothers

Joseph brought family together

· His whole life was for other people

· God honored this man

· When he could have had it all for himself

· GAVE

God said, I’m with this kind of God

· This guys integrity does not move with a circumstance

· I trust this guy, he would never take advantage of others

Would promotion ruin me?

· Would authority be something I use for my own good

· Would I lie and murmer so someone else doesn’t get promotion

God says

· When you do this—I can’t favor you—it blocks me

I want to honor and promote and lift you up

Gal 6:9 “Don’t Grow Weary in Well doing”

Matt 6:6 “God who sees in Secret”

God wants to position you for FAVOR—say Yes!

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[1]Tyndale House Publishers. (2004). Holy Bible : New Living Translation. "Text edition"--Spine. (2nd ed.) (Ro 10:8-10). Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House Publishers.

[2]The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 (electronic ed.) (2 Co 1:20). Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

[3]Peterson, E. H. (2002). The Message : The Bible in contemporary language (2 Co 1:20-22). Colorado Springs, Colo.: NavPress.

b Or beauty

[4]The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 (electronic ed.) (Ps 90:17). Grand Rapids: Zondervan.